Steve and Vicky Rowe were newlyweds when they fell in love all over again – this time with the Rainbow Nation of South Africa, which has been their home since 2007. Steve talks to Richard Webber

“When Vicky and I honeymooned here, it wasn’t long before we’d fallen in love with the country. We returned regularly on holiday and each time were impressed with the changes taking place, making it a fairer society for its people. Back in Guildford, Surrey, where I worked for Trading Standards, my career seemed to be stagnating. I knew it was time for a change and our growing admiration for South Africa saw us turn our sights to, in particular, Cape Town.

The more we discovered about South Africa, the more we knew we wanted to bring our children up in a country that will become, in our view, the benchmark for Africa; and it has much to offer, including a fantastic and simplistic outdoor life, not one cluttered with the relentless pursuit of possessions and risk assessments for playing conkers!

We started our new life in July 2007, after selling our five-bed, three-storey semi for £285,000 and clearing our mortgage. For anyone moving here and, like us, wanting to set up a business, there are permits to obtain and structured business plans to prepare. It’s definitely worthwhile finding a reputable immigration consultant: you can do the paperwork and leg-work yourself, but specialists know how the process works inside-out and can save so much time.

We’ve set up an international wedding package and tours company, which I run, while Vicky runs an online conference portal, which is very popular. The wedding business is going well but we’re refocusing and concentrating on smaller weddings – most of our customers are from the UK, Ireland and Europe. We’ve also become a venue and booking agent.

The biggest problem isn’t setting up the business, it’s finding customers. Because we’re an internet-based business and most of our trade comes from overseas, it can be a real challenge.

Setting up your business is relatively straightforward and, like elsewhere, you have to set up what’s called a closed corporation. This is registering your company with the South African Revenue Service and they’ll issue you with a registration number.

There are all the health and safety issues, insurance – all the generic things you need wherever you’re setting up business. But you are obliged to employ local people, if your company can afford to. In the business category our company falls into, we’re required to employ five South Africans.

The labour laws are very tough and weighted in favour of the employee. You have to ensure you get all the contractual detail correct when employing people. Holiday pay, due notice, sick leave, maternity leave – they all have to be adhered to.
Like most people running their own business, we can find ourselves working long hours. In most of the cities, just like London, there’s a real work culture with people working until late. Generally, though, there’s a much more relaxed attitude when it comes to Friday – everyone shuts down earlier, ready to enjoy the weekend.

My biggest fear before moving here was that we’d find ourselves isolated. South Africa is a very complex country – there are 11 different languages. But I needn’t have worried because the locals have been very friendly and made us feel welcome.

The way the media portrays South Africa sometimes drives me insane. Yes, statistically there is a lot of crime and, yes, you do have to pay attention. But one has to remember that there is a lot of poverty and people without jobs or money. Most crime happens around the townships, but there are lots of police trying their best to do something about it. And let’s face it, crime happens in any city.

Read more in the March issue of Living Abroad magazine