Have you ever wondered what it’s like to start a new life on the other side of the world – away from family, familiar places, and the routines you’ve always known? Or questioned what really makes someone decide to move for good, especially when it means leaving behind the comfort of close connections?

In this episode, I chat with a fellow podcaster and Tukkies grad, Rudolph Botha, who swapped life in South Africa for Canberra, Australia almost 17 years ago. Rudolph’s story is one of balancing big decisions for his family’s future, finding new ways to connect with his roots, and navigating the everyday joys and challenges of being an expat.

Out of everyone I’ve spoken with so far, Rudolph and his family have been living abroad the longest. It was refreshing to hear how he’s built a happy life abroad in the long-term, while still being honest about the sacrifices and emotions that come with leaving loved ones behind. I especially enjoyed hearing about his role as a podcast co-host of ‘Magalies Potgooi’ (which I recently appeared on as a guest) and the importance of staying connected with fellow South Africans, no matter where in the world you land.

“If you can move to a place where you've got some sort of support system, that is, I think, one of the biggest advantages.” - Rudolph Botha

00:00 Introduction

04:40 Why Rudolph made the decision to leave

06:13 Life in Canberra

10:53 Fleeing the South African political situation

12:46 Advice for anyone emigrating

15:46 Phases of emigrating

18:05 Finding community at the dog park

20:33 Did he ever consider going back to South Africa?

25:01 Feeling safe in Australia

27:54 Navigating Australia’s red tape

30:10 Pros and cons of taking your furniture overseas

33:15 “Test your reasons”

35:04 No regrets

Resources

• Listen to Jan’s guest appearance on Rudolph’s podcast, ‘Magalies Potgooi’: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6mDsvKvQZOqJKCkSkiWVQv?si=b0e816da8bb540c8

This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:

https://www.zapods.com