Advice needed on what do before moving to Cape Town

Hi Katie,

I moved to Cape Town in 2010 and applied for a life partner visa which then allowed me to get an endorsement to work here.

When you say most of your boyfriend's family live and work in South Africa - does that mean he is South African ? If he has links to the country, that may make things a little easier for him.

You are right about the Catch 22 situation when it comes to working in South Africa. Most employers are reluctant to hire foreigners unless you have some very specialist skills or expertise that make you stand out.

Without a work permit, you might be able to do something informal like bar work where you are paid cash in hand but you might have difficulty obtaining a tax number, etc. In most cases, for an employer to support your work permit application they'll need to prove that they can't find a South African citizen to do the job.

Have a look at these pages on Visas for South Africa and Work Permits for South Africa and see if you fall into any of the catergories. 

I assume you'll be entering the country on a tourist visa which is valid for 90 days. In the past they allowed people to renew this for another three months but the authorities are starting to get strict on people who cross the border and re-enter the country just to extend their permit. Just something I think you should be aware of. 

I think you might find it easier when you get to Cape Town and start networking. It really is a matter of who you know.

Another option is too look into options of starting your own business or working as a freelancer, which would essentially be the same thing. If this is something that would be of interest, you'll find this page on Doing Business in South Africa very useful

Its probably best to bring original copies of your documents as well as scanned/photocopied versions because the requirements at Home Affairs are constantly changing. If you are planning to stay in Cape Town in the long-term, I'd advise you get apply for your UK police clearance certificate before you leave as well. They will also require medical and radiological certificates but it will be cheaper to get them here in Cape Town. 

Depending on what your background and field of work is in - it maybe an idea to look at online job portals to see if there any oppurtunities that you are qualified for. Although, in my experience most employers needed you to have you permit in place before considering you for the position. 

Do let me know if you have any futher questions as I have been through the whole process myself.

Good luck with the move and job hunt.