I have been reading the dear white/black South Africans articles with great interest. I do understand your emotions within your articles are all based on the past and this is pretty normal considering that this rainbow nation is still a young democracy.
But as a foreigner who has been here for five years now, I see plenty of opportunities in SA, which all your kids not haunted by the past will also see in a few years to come when they become adults.
To start with, when I arrived in SA, I only came with a suitcase, a quota work permit, R6000 and my academic certificates. I had done my research a year before arriving here using the internet freely available to everyone. I learned through reading that there was a skills gap in SA; the government was issuing quota work permits for professionals; bachelors flat would cost me an average of R1000/month in the Johannesburg CBD; employment agencies told me that with my skills and experience, it would take me an average of two months to secure a job. With this ammunition of information, I bought my 1st bus ticket to South Africa.
Fortunately, for me, it took me less than two months to get a job before my R6000 got depleted. Whilst looking for the job, I used to market myself to all the internet cafes dotted across Johannesburg by offering them my services to improve the performance of their computers and this brought food on my table.
Today, I own a house in a middle class suburb of northern Johannesburg. One South African asked me, how come you own a house already, yet we South Africans we struggle to secure bonds with the banks. My answer was simple. I used the internet to search for what is required to get a bond when you are a foreigner. There were challenges, but at the end of the day, I made sure I had all the legalities in place to get what I needed by gathering as much information as possible.
My point here is, if legal foreigners can make it in SA, why it is South Africans still mourn and complain about their country. It is because most of you are wasting valuable time dwelling on the past and blaming each other for the wrongs we see every day in this unequal society. It is us collectively, who can change this system through engagement and supporting each other and not the government or business alone.
Dear All South Africans, time is money. If there is anything you are good at or skilled with, please use the internet to market yourself and not use it to post negative statements which will keep you bitter for the rest of your life. Until then, you will realise there are plenty of opportunities in SA, and indeed, South Africa, like USA, is a rainbow nation accommodating to everyone. The future is in our actions of today. Let’s move forward. Thank you, ngiyabonga, kea leboga, dankie.
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