Quote:
Originally Posted by gkloken
Dear Hazel, you have obviously not lived in the USA listening to the endless negative news here! I can count on my two hands the times I heard positive news. (I just simply do not listen to any news or politics any more to for sanity's sake.  )
As an ex South African too, I hear you but I also need to point out even before and since you left, crime really have lessened, for e.g. Johannesburg is much safer than before too, with guarantees from the Dept of Police to really crack down on it more intensively.
I moved to the USA to be "safer". To my utmost surprise I had to find that in most of the bigger Metropole areas various crimes are far worse than in South Africa and East Africa for that matter!
Surprise isn't it ? Salaries are so much lower here and most products are terrible quality wise compared to what we were used to in UK and SA. If you want to earn more money, go to South Africa thats for sure!
The beauty and climate are exquisite, Cape Town specifically so.
I would recommend that Yjaar go ahead and set up their B+B but on the outskirts of the city. Business is very good for B+B's or anything related to tourism in SA. If you do it before 2010 you will be even more in the pound seats.
Look on the UK forum there was someone there with years of experience in tourism in Cape Town, looking for a partner to start something similar in Cape Town SA. |
I have lived in Cape Town for 22 years, hail from Germany and still love it.
We have travelled a lot and there is no place like Cape Town.
Yes, we have an alarm system and don't pick up hitchhikers and don't open the door to anybody but hey..I would not do that anywhere else.
We have owned and run a guesthouse (more upmarket than a B&B) for more than 12 years and never had a problem with crime from the outside.
More like employees stealing and cheating....
(SNIP)
Guesthouse owners have a fab livestyle here. Lots of help, happy guests, no problem with adjusting to Rand value as we are really in the export sector (mostly guests from overseas) and lots of time to ourselves.
Cape Town has a crime problem mostly in townships and "coloured"areas like Mitchells Plain etc. On the Atlantic Seaboard there really is no problem. Unless you leave your cell in the car etc.
Gauteng is definately different and befoe moving there, I would rather go to a warzone.
Hope this helps.
PS. One does need to earn enough money here to live a good live. With money, you have the best healthcare, living areas, schools etc.