[stefan]

Hey guys

Me and my family what to move to France and I have searched the web for people from SA that has done the same, but have had some trouble. Im looking for any information on how they managed to do so and any advice on what they have experienced.

Also i need to find a job there, I am a Web designer for a company in Jo-burg at the moment but would do anything i can find.

Please please please

Thanks
Stefan

 

[Bevdeforges]

Can't help you on finding South Africans who have moved to France, but I'd be careful about saying that you'd "do anything" in terms of a job there.

In order to sponsor you for a job, an employer has to be able to prove that they have tried and failed to find someone in the local job market to do a particular job. Web design is not a particularly hard skill to find - and if you were to do web design in France, you'd have to have excellent French, because of the French language laws that affect advertising.

It could help to focus on any unusual or unique job skills you have that might be hard to find among the French (or actually European) population.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[Joppa]

Can't help you on finding South Africans who have moved to France, but I'd be careful about saying that you'd "do anything" in terms of a job there.

In order to sponsor you for a job, an employer has to be able to prove that they have tried and failed to find someone in the local job market to do a particular job. Web design is not a particularly hard skill to find - and if you were to do web design in France, you'd have to have excellent French, because of the French language laws that affect advertising.

It could help to focus on any unusual or unique job skills you have that might be hard to find among the French (or actually European) population.
Cheers,
Bev

Even though you may not want to, it may be easier to move to UK, esp if either of you have a UK-born grandparent: 5-year ancestry visa with work privileges, settlement and naturalisation, then you can move to France without visa. Or with an Irish-born grandparent, you can get an Irish passport, and live in France visa-free.

 

[GALLUS]

Ach man

I am a French guy who used to live in South Africa. Just ask questions

Here are a few tips
- you will soon notice that French drive the other side of the road. I mean on the left side, just like in South Africa. Just get used to French driving and welcome to France.
- You will find Biltong in a few places in Paris, but not boerewors. The closest French product is called Saucisse de Toulouse, but no cinnamon in it 'though. Brai is equally popular . Rugby as well, not quite the same size of guys and not the same rules apparently. French players are known to pose nude in wall calendars. For football, you'd need to speak to an expert as for me I do not like this type of show.
- France is nice for outdoors but in a different way than South Africa, you will like it.
- French people are nice "in general", especially if you make efforts to speak French: "bonjour", and 'pouvez vous m'aider, sil-vous-plait?" might suffice to survive.


Advices
I believe you would be happy to speak French before moving to France. Bev + Frogblogger please tell our friend how important it is....
Plenty of South African from all origin and religion in France. They do Mix quite well with Aussies . Large town are your best bet.

Get a job before moving to the country, do not leave Joburg before having a contract signed.
Webdesign is a hot job, but French speakers might be preferred to non-French speakers, so you would need to speak. You can also find a job in an English or Netherlander firm (if you speak Afrikaans) . Just know that as a web designer, you absolutely need to be understood from others, in English or in French or both.

Start hunting and let us know. Job hunting is best done on internet usually.

Good luck

 

[suninspired]

Howzit Stefan. Ons het Suid Afrika in 2002 vertrek, woon nou in Canada maar gaan Frankryk toe vir die goie lewe. (We left South Africa in 2002, live now in Canada and are going to France for the good life)

You might receive more advice/help if you elaborated on your position (any claim to EU citizenship etc) and acknowledged the help of those who have already tried to assist with their replies.

 

[Chitty]

Stef,

Mate take a look at the city of Grenoble in the region of Rhone alps. This is the IT city of france. As all of the others have said you would need to learn at least a little french to get by at the beginning. In order to work as a web designer you may be lucky and find a post in an anglophone or dutch environment but I know from mates in Grenoble that these are few and far between.

It was easy for me to move to france as my wife is french, so there were not as many hurdles, but if you manage to get a company to sponsor ya then that really helps.

Number one priority would be to learn French BEFORE you come here as this will make your life so much easier. I would duggest the alliance francaise in Jhb as there are several here as well so you could continue from the same level once you arrive without having to resit tests etc...

Try searching pole-emploi.fr (once you can at least read french) as this is the national organisation which is tasked with assisting in recruitment and placement.

 

[4x4rob]

Hi Stef,

this is first post here, so might be a little negative, to get into France with no EU links will be donners hard and you can forget handouts here, there are many handouts that live in the cities, Paris... etc so the FrenchGovement are getting strickter all the time.

you need to give some more info

we moved here a year ago with really good jobs (international company) but my wife is quite good at french, it has been one uphill battle and for me the difficulty is finding a mate to have a beer or two with, this alone makes me wonder if the electric fence in Cape Town was perhaps not to bad... dit is bliksem moilik hier en moer koud so dink mooi, like the others suggested why France, why not England,

think nicely...

so where do i post that I need to find some English speaking beer drinkers rugby watching guys in the vendee area, I am from the La Mothe Achard area, notice not just south Africans hoor and yes i can say hello in french but my whole day is spent speaking English...

 

[lovebug]

Hi Stef,

I am a South African living in France. Chitty is right, Grenoble is a great city to move to in terms of IT and it is a very international city because there are about 40 000 students. You can also take French lessons at a centre called the CUEF (Centre Universitaire d'Etudes Françaises). It is a lovely city - I lived there for 3 years. I had to move away because of work but i really do miss it. Good luck !

 

[carms202]

Hi Stefan,

I managed to move to France, in the legal fashion that even surprised the prefecture in my area, I am in La Rochelle. Most arrive on tourist visa's and then want to convert, in this town, that is.
I managed to secure a job with a company who needed someone who could speak english and the skills were quite unique. Not unique enough to not employ someone from UK though. I had to come and meet and interview and after they were happy to help me to get the visa going from the French side. They had to prove that couldnt employ anyone else, which they did (they also had to pay a tax to employ me) they managed to convince the authorities that they had been searching for 2 years and that UK nationals were not interested as it is a drop in salary (pound to euro). They started the process of the long stay visa for me.

Being South African most of us can generally do more than what we studied for, so put all your skills forward. Look for jobs that want english speakers or have international dealings. I believe you have to have DILF level in French now to get a visa, which is really basic survival french, so do a courses and get the certificate. Its not that hard. I can give loads of advice if you need....

 

[GALLUS]

Thanks

Thank you for sharing with us.

Gallus