Blackbird

Has anyone heard of an American pilot going over to fly for SA? The more I look into it the more I think that South Africa will be a country outside the US I could live in that's not in the desert.

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Birds fly, people die, where's my money?

Typhoonpilot

Uhh, a great many of the South Africans are getting out because it's too dangerous a place to live. Beautiful country and would be a fantastic place to live if not for the security issues.

It's one of the places that EK is getting a significant number of pilots from. Nationwide going out of business hasn't helped the pilot supply situation there. SAA seems to be in a continual struggle to stay viable. Doubt they would welcome an expat pilot right now.



Typhoonpilot

Blackbird

Thanks for the reply, I know it has its dangerous parts but its not like Nigeria or Angola, where you have to have 5 armed guards every where you go. I plan on visiting Cape Town by years end, that will give me a better view. I just don't want to be a regional pilot here in the US for ten years.

__________________
Birds fly, people die, where's my money?

Typhoonpilot

Capetown is very nice.

Another issue with South Africa is getting money out of the country. As I understand it there are very strong restrictions on the transfer of money out of the country. Make sure you understand the financial implications of living/working there.

A few months ago I flew with a guy whose father has finally called it quits ( best friend was shot dead during a robbery ) and moved to Canada. He had retired from SAA at age 55 with a pension. Went to work for an overseas airline for 5 years. The money he lives on now is the money made while overseas as the pension money can't be brought out of SA.

Maybe there is a South African on APC who can explain this better.


TP

olympic

From my buddies in South Africa, I heard that is very hard for a white expat to get hired. They mostly hire Africans? Is this true? This is what I hear from all my buddies.

SECURITY is definately an issue!

Blackbird

What is expat?

__________________
Birds fly, people die, where's my money?

EYBusdriver

An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing or legal residence.

Kenny

Right now, South Africa is not somewhere you want to live. All my friends there are scrambling to get out because they are convinced there will be a civil war within the next 2 years. Have a look at what's happened in Zimbabwe if want an idea how things might go