Info on Pretoria, Crime and wages

[ukENGINEER]

Hi

I have the oportunity to work in a research institute in Pretoria. Its a good opportunity for my career but obviously the crime situation seems to be a concern.

Does anyone here know
which areas of Pretoria are safer to live in?
what kind of salary is required to rent relatively safe accomodation in such an area?

[jrjvr0220]

Crime in South Africa is not as bad as generally indicated by media. We have been staying is Centurion, next to Pretoria for 4 year now and so far incountered only minor incidents (theft at a shopping mall and 2 breaking into our car).

However, the South Afican motto is generally "rather be safe than sorry". The general practice here is to stay in a Security Village - an area with limited access, controlled by a security company. A rental unit in these areas varies in price from R3000 to R4500 per month for a two bedroom flat or small townhouse.

Centurion is generally a good area to stay in if you do not mind travelling to Pretoria.

Other areas in Pretoria include:
- Garsfontein
- Hatfield (Student area near University)
- Waterkloof
- Moreleta Park

Stay away from areas such as Pretoria West.

You are welcome to ask any more questions and I will help as far as possible.

JR

[Stravinsky]

What I'm having difficulty understanding is why a number of posters on here say that crime is not as bad there as "the media" says, whilst others who live / have lived there say it is bad!!

[acassim]

Originally Posted by Stravinsky

What I'm having difficulty understanding is why a number of posters on here say that crime is not as bad there as "the media" says, whilst others who live / have lived there say it is bad!!

If you have been a victim of crime then you will say that it is bad. If it hasn't yet knocked on your door then you will say that it ain't that bad. Go figure.

I say bad and that is why I am no longer living in SA.

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by acassim

If you have been a victim of crime then you will say that it is bad. If it hasn't yet knocked on your door then you will say that it ain't that bad. Go figure.

I say bad and that is why I am no longer living in SA.

Yes agreed, but living there you must be aware of what is going on around you. In Spain I have never seen any crime since I've been here but I'm quite aware that down in the Costa Del Sol they are gassing people in their bedrooms and breaking in to burgle uninterrupted.

[acassim]

At least they are gassing the people and not harming them. I have heard horror stories of how they make sure you are at home so that you can point to the valuables and then hurt you or even worse, kill you off!

I just could not sleep with one eye open anymore. not to mention the fear of what they might be doing with your car outside. Its just ridiculous now.

One has to be on high alert at every traffic light. They come to your window posing to be beggars and then when you do give them something, they actually rip your sunglasses off your face (happened to me!) and run. Madness I say and there is nothing that the government is doing with the current situation. Even Nigeria is safer than SA these days.

They even killed a well known singer recently - Lucky Dube (and he was black). So nobody is safe from these criminals. It does not hit any race... you can be a victim no matter who or where you are. A friend of mine got robbed in her home in Soweto. Another friend in Sandton... so yes you can be a victim anywhere, anytime. I love my home but I am not proudly South African anymore as it is an embarrassing to come from such a crime ridden country. The only thing that South Africa can offer me right now is the perfect weather.

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by acassim

At least they are gassing the people and not harming them. I have heard horror stories of how they make sure you are at home so that you can point to the valuables and then hurt you or even worse, kill you off!

No, I wasn't comparing crime in Spain to SA .... just illustrating my point that I dont understand how people can say that crime isn't an issue in SA, even if they haven't been effected by it

[MichelleAlison]

People keep saying that crime is not as bad as the papers say, but surely when you read that you need to live in a secure village, with 6ft walls, barbed wire on top, alarms, security guards to see you to and from your car, security guards at the supermarkets to look after you when entering and leaving your car etc. etc. to me, this is like living in a high security prison. If it was safe like some people say, why then do South Africans need so much security.?

[MichaelJ47]

Originally Posted by Stravinsky

What I'm having difficulty understanding is why a number of posters on here say that crime is not as bad there as "the media" says, whilst others who live / have lived there say it is bad!!

Maybe because we have become inured to it. It's only when you travel outside SA and enjoy the personal freedom's again that you realise how much crime is affecting you or when you personally experience it. We stay 45 km outside Cape Town in Somerset West. It is beautiful here . Awesome mountain and sea views but in our street more than 30% of the residents are immigrating this year . Young and old. Because of the crime rate and more specifically the fact that little is being done to stop it.

Hijackings are still a monthly occurence as are robberies with violence, rapings, drug sales of Meths Amphetamines (TIK) , hold ups, murders, etc. Some choose to vociferously object, others just shrug it off and try to get on with life. We are all affected, we have all lost friends and / or relatives and the situation doesn't show any signs of improving anytime soon.

Those of us who can leave are doing so and those who can't try to put it behind them. It is difficult living in a self-imposed jail, 6m fences, electronic gates, Armed response, watch dogs, car immobilisers, defensive driving, ferry the teenagers to their school 800m away, don't allow the daughters to walk down to the shops. 4 hour response times from a Police station that is just 1km away. Police who don't have sufficient patrol cars or petrol even to run them.
Who really wants to live like this out of choice ?

It is so sad, South Africa has enormous potential yet it is sliding into a morass of criminality and the judicial system is not helping at all.

[ukENGINEER]

Hey Jr

Cheers for the advice on the houses, the wages they offered seem like more than enough for that so I took the job

To anyone who can help

I've been reading up about the carjacking situation and was wondering if you can lower the probability of this occuring by just buying a really crap old car?

Originally Posted by jrjvr0220

Crime in South Africa is not as bad as generally indicated by media. We have been staying is Centurion, next to Pretoria for 4 year now and so far incountered only minor incidents (theft at a shopping mall and 2 breaking into our car).

However, the South Afican motto is generally "rather be safe than sorry". The general practice here is to stay in a Security Village - an area with limited access, controlled by a security company. A rental unit in these areas varies in price from R3000 to R4500 per month for a two bedroom flat or small townhouse.

Centurion is generally a good area to stay in if you do not mind travelling to Pretoria.

Other areas in Pretoria include:
- Garsfontein
- Hatfield (Student area near University)
- Waterkloof
- Moreleta Park

Stay away from areas such as Pretoria West.

You are welcome to ask any more questions and I will help as far as possible.

JR