Moving to Johannesburg - Info Needed!!!

Hi,

My husband has got an assignment in Johannesburg through an Indian company and is expected to fly in mid September. Right now he is flying alone but i and my kid (2yrs old) will join in few months time. we would like to know about culture,safety,cost of living of this place? Can you guys please share your thoughts urgently? He is expected to get around 23K ZAR per month.

- How much is the tax he has to pay out of 23K ZAR ?
- How much would be an approximate cost towards accomodation,food, conveyance for a husband-wife ?
- How safe is this place to live with the family and a 2 yr old kid ? Do we have Indian Communities there?
- Hows the schooling and the day care facilities and its quality ? and how much do we need to shed per month for these ?
- How is the medical facilities ? is it easily accessible and Is it costly ?

My decision to Fly will base on your valuable inputs...

Thanks,
GVK

Hi Friends,

Kindly reply for my above post with all your valuable suggestions.

Thanks,
GVK

HI

Only read this now and thought I might give some info. You may have worked out some of the answers to these questions but here goes.

- How much is the tax he has to pay out of 23K ZAR ?
It depends on wether he will be paying tax or not (I have heard about people when working in foreign countries that don't have to pay tax there, I may be wrong).
If he has to pay tax then it would be around 4/5K. This depends on the benefits he has opted for or have to take as part of the job offer. This will include: medcial aid, pay as you earn, unemployment fund, retirement fund, etc. (the ones I listed are the main ones) He can confirm this with his employer.
- How much would be an approximate cost towards accomodation,food, conveyance for a husband-wife ?
For accomodation it depends on the area you live in, the prices vary largely. In the more affluent areas you could easily pay up to 10K. For decent accomodation in a decent area I would estimate around 4K
For food, if you mostly prepare meals at home then for a month I estimate it would cost around 1-2K - including luxuries.
Transportation would largely depend on how far from work he would be staying and how far the nearest amenities are. If he is going to purchase a vehicle then thats going to take a chunk out of his salary. Public transport is not much to speak about and is NOT recommended.

I have to go and will get back to this.

Hi

As promised, heres the rest.

- How much would be an approximate cost towards accomodation,food, conveyance for a husband-wife ?
If he gets a place close to work and the basic amenities then transport should not be too much of a problem. He should also check with people at his company and see who travels close to where he stays, he can catch a lift with them. For travelling around 60km a day in a lift group, going and coming, they charge around ZAR500 per month here.
You will be new to the area so avoid public transport.
Purchasing a vehicle will be better for you but that is another whole process and if you do decide to purchase a vehicle it would be better to go to a dealership than to purchase privately becase you don't want to get caught with a troublesome car or a stolen one. However I am not saying don't purchase privately - just be careful.

- How safe is this place to live with the family and a 2 yr old kid ? Do we have Indian Communities there?
I am not making you scared or worried, you just need to know and take care of yourself. It is easy to spot foreigners and they make for easy targets, I am sure you can easily spot foreigners in India, its the same here. Johannesburg is not safe. I am sure you have heard that South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world.
When at home keep the security gates locked. At night and when going out make sure that the house is locked up properly. I have heard that in some parts of India when people go to the shop they don't lock their houses and some times even leave the doors open. Thats a luxury and should never be done here. Even when the houses are properly locked up the thieves empty them and sometimes break in at night, toturing families - the area you live in is important.
Don't walk around and if you have to go somewhere always take someone with you. Go with people who are familiar with the area and ask for advice on which areas/roads to avoid.
Do not wear jewelry and valuables when going out. Always try to limit to the bare minimum or even none. Its for your own safety. Always be aware of your surroundings and take note if you see any suspicious characters following you.

So when you choose your place to live go for an area that is decent and safe. Ask people about the crime rate in the area, house burglaries, hijacking, muggings, etc. Dont take the sales agents word for granted as they will just be trying to sell the place, one line they like is that crime is everywhere. But there are some areas that are more safer than others.

One suburb of Johannesburg is called Lenasia - Indian community. Commonly known as Lenz. Other Indian communities are in Germiston and Benoni, etc.
Quite a few Indians have moved to the predominantly white areas.

- Hows the schooling and the day care facilities and its quality ? and how much do we need to shed per month for these ?

Public shooling costs around R300 - 500 a year excluding uniforms and pens/pencils etc. Books and textbooks are provided. Many students in the more senior classes have to attend after school tuition. The discipline levels have dropped quite a bit in our schools. Which also depends on the area where the school is located.
The private schools are better in the sense that the teachers are more committed to the students and their work.
The costs there ranges from 6K (primary) to 15K (secondary) and higher depending on the school.
For day care there are many centres that offer that service. The best would be to speak to people who have used the place that you would consider sending your child to and get their feedback.

- How is the medical facilities ? is it easily accessible and Is it costly ?
Public hospitals in SA used to have high standards that has sadly dropped to the level where in some hospitals people end up losing their lives in certain cases and are not given the respect and proper care. Expect to wait in long queues to make an appointment and then join the waiting list.
This depends on what you are there for. Private hospitals/clinics are better but are more expensive. If you have a medical aid plan that covers going to a private hospital then you should be ok but don't take out one if you don't intend using it, you will be paying monthly for nothing.

SA is a nice country, its just all of the bad elements thats spoiling it.

If you need to know anything else please ask.