Belinda Knol lived in the UK for 7 years and has returned to Cape Town

How long were you away for?  7 years

How long have you been back in SA and where did you come back to? Just under a month

Why did you decide to come back to SA? My family is here

What are you doing since you have been back? Working at the Foschini Group

Has coming back to SA been different from what you expected and if so, why? No

How does it feel to be back in South Africa? It’s still quite surreal and feels like I’m on holiday. I’m very happy to be back though

Explain the most difficult thing about moving back.
Getting to know how things are done compared to overseas. Getting set up with all the basics is harder than I thought it would be (bank account, mobile phone, car etc).

What do you love most about South Africa?
Being near my family and the weather!

What advice would you give someone thinking of moving back?
To keep an open mind and be patient. It took a while to feel settled in the UK and the same applies to moving home, especially if you’ve been away for a while.

How do you intend to make a difference back in SA?
Once I’m settled I’d like to get involved with some charity work

Having spent time living abroad, what do you think we could be doing to make SA a better place to live? As a country we need to do more to improve poverty. It’s almost accepted as the norm here which it shouldn’t be. 

Tobie Van der Merwe returned to Cape Town after 7 years in the UK

How long have you been back in SA and where did you come back to? 1 ½ month.  Cape Town.

Why did you decide to come back to SA? Family.

What are you doing since you have been back? I.T. Work.

Has coming back to SA been different from what you expected and if so, why?  No, been back before (Moved back to SA in 2000 and went back to the UK in 2003).

How does it feel to be back in South Africa? Great. Kids are enjoying seeing the family. Lots of things to do around Cape Town. Very good work environment.

Explain the most difficult thing about moving back. Getting a cell phone contract without a credit historyJ

What do you love most about South Africa? Family, friends.

What advice would you give someone thinking of moving back?
Do not live in one country while your “mind” is still in another.  If you move back to SA know that you have to adapt to how things are done in SA.

How do you intend to make a difference back in SA? Be positive.

Having spent time living abroad, what do you think we could be doing to make SA a better place to live? Be positive. Know that we are all here because we love our country.

Anything else you want to share. Thanks for a great show in London. It has put me in contact with a great employer and has made moving back to SA a lot easier. Last time I moved back to SA (2000) I had to come back first and look for work, this resulted in me not having a job for 3 months and using a fair amount of savings.