Which country did you come back from?
The UK

How long were you away for?
Almost 10 years

How long have you been back in SA and where did you come back to?
We’ve been back since the beginning of April and we’re living in Cape Town

Why did you decide to come back to SA?
We always thought we would eventually come home, but moving back does become harder the longer you are away. South Africa is a great place with plenty of opportunities and a great energy, eventually my wife and I were both and a junction in our careers and decided we wanted to be closer to our families.



What are you doing since you have been back?
I took a couple of months off to get married and go on honeymoon, but since then I’ve started Business Coaching. http://www.InspireBusinessCoaching.com

I had my own business with a friend in London which we sold at the beginning of the year. During the time I was running the business I got interested in Coaching and went on to study it, along with NLP, Time Line Therapy and Hypnosis. I worked with a few people in the UK, but my business was always the priority.  When I got back to South Africa I decided I wanted to coach full time so I have been working with some great clients and thoroughly enjoying it. I wish I had used a business coach when I started my business in London,  it would’ve grown much faster than it did!

 

Has coming back to SA been different from what you expected and if so, why?
Not really, we didn’t have too many expectations; a lot of friends who had made the move said it took up to a year to settle in.

 

How does it feel to be back in South Africa?
It feels great really. South Africa is home so in some ways I feel more settled being back even though most of our stuff is still in boxes.

 
Explain the most difficult thing about moving back.
I worked pretty much till we got on the plane, so wrapping things up on that side was a bit hectic. Getting things set up on this side has been difficult, FNB homecomers is a real help, but I’m still on a pay-as-you-go cell phone contract which costs a fortune!

What do you love most about South Africa?
South Africa is such a diverse place with a diverse culture. Most of the people are really positive and enthusiastic and there are opportunities people willing to after them. I’ve met with so many inspiring entrepreneurs, with great ideas and everyone wants to help the country!

What advice would you give someone thinking of moving back?
Book your ticket! If you’re planning on starting a business back here, then get started on your business plan before you get here so you can hit the ground running.

 

How do you intend to make a difference back in SA?
The beautiful thing about SA is that there are soooo many opportunities to make a difference. I am doing some pro bono coaching, and I believe in random acts of kindness.  For example I picked up a couple of hitchhikers the other day; we started chatting and it turns out they were really at rock bottom. They had basically been going door-to-door offering to wash cars as they had been unable to find any work. Their main problem was that people were scared of being victims of crime, and so they struggled to get more than 4 clients a day. I did some impromptu coaching in the car and have offered them some free coaching to help turn things around.

Some of my clients also have social responsibility projects I am getting involved in.

Having spent time living abroad, what do you think we could be doing to make SA a better place to live?
Where do I start? Firstly, Vote! Secondly, try to understand the other person’s point of view! Louise Hay says “We are all victims of victims”, this can help you understand why another person behaves in a certain way or believes certain things. Finally, be kind to the person next to you. (Yes, whoever that is!) There is a Mother Teresa quote "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."
By living your best life, you will be able to help more people than if you play it small!


Anything else you want to share.
I am more positive being back in South Africa, in the UK I would read the headlines out of SA and it made me worried about what the ANC was doing here, but since being back and listening to intelligent DJ’s on the radio, reading intelligent articles in the press I have realised that things aren’t as bad as I thought they were. The country is still in a transition that will last another generation or more, and the political parties are also in a transition. Change is never easy, but always allows for real growth.