Okay so you got your visa. Now you need to get there.
Getting to ZA
There are multiple modes of transportation: by foot, bike, car, boat, plane, etc.
South Africa (ZA) is literally on the other side of the globe so my obvious choice is by plane.
When purchasing flights, both international and domestic, I always cross-check multiple sources for the best deals.
1. skiplagged.com
2. skyscanner.com
3. flights.google.com
4. Hopper (application only on both android and ios)
From my experience, Skiplagged has almost always had the best deals but it doesn't hurt to compare all market prices. I suggest you start checking about 10 weeks in advance and monitoring the prices until 8 weeks prior to departure.
I purchased a one-way flight from LAX to JHB for $355 through skiplagged.
Getting around in ZA
* Drives on the left side of the road, with the steering wheel on the right. (Like the UK)
* Manual transmission is dominant.
* Public transportation is not recommended.
Since I'll only be there for 4 months, it was not logical for me to purchase a used car nor rent long-term.
I was able to find a stick shift Kia Picanto for about USD$10 a day-if you ask me, USD$300 per month is a steal.
Automatic transmissions are much more expensive-of about USD$25 a day.
My plan is to familiarise myself with the road, area, and driving culture for about two days before committing to manual for the rest of my stay. Even then, I will only rent the vehicle during the weekends if I want to go on a small trip.
Don't forget to obtain your International Drive's Permit (IDP) before you leave. I got mine at a local AAA office for USD$20. Bring two copies of passport photos (I printed out 36 of these 2"x2" for about USD 48 at Costco.) and your drivers license. The International Driver's permit is valid for a year from the date of issue or until the expiration date of your home driver's license, whichever comes first.
Lodging
* Check the area you will be staying in. You absolutely do NOT want to end up in the wrong neighbourhood.
I did look into Airbnb, but their commission fee was ridiculous. Moreover, most places did not allow me to book for more than 30 days. Not worth if you are planning to stay for an extended period of time.
My solution: Rent like a local.
I did some googling and multiple websites popped up, but only the first two seemed to be credible and reliable.
The last one is equivalent to Craigslist.
1. https://www.privateproperty.co.za/to-rent
2. https://www.property24.com/
3. https://www.gumtree.co.za/s-houses-flats-for-rent/v1c9078p1
After emailing a long list of property owners and agents, I got some responses back.
I took multiple factors into consideration(in order of importance)-safeness of the area, distance from work, accessibility of malls and large markets, cost, and mobile data connectivity (I am planning to gain access to internet through a hotspot rather than an ISP, Internet Service Provider; more on this later).
Here is what I paid for my 4 months of stay:
ZAR 6500.00 (USD 445) -Deposit
ZAR 6500.00 (USD 445) -dbl deposit
ZAR 26000.00 (USD 1782) -Rent 1 April 2019 – 31 July 2019
ZAR 880.00 (USD 60) -Garbage and sewerage removal
ZAR 950.00 (USD 95) -Admin
ZAR 40 830.00 (USD 2800) -Total to pay
* Rates as of 2019/03/28: USD 1 = ZAR 14.59
I had to pay double the deposit and everything up front.
But thinking about it, it's much much cheaper than Southern California.
It's a two bedroom, two bathroom flat with yard space that comes furnished with:
-Flat screen tv and stereo system
-Sofa
-Microwave
-Kettle
-Fridge and freezer
-Washing machine & dryer
-Brand new beds
Excluding the deposit, I've essentially paid about USD 1910. That's approximately USD 500 a month. Additional expense would be electricity and groceries. But even then, compared to what I've been paying near school, this was an irresistible offer. Moreover, I think I got a fair price for the place. The agent I was working with was very kind and helpful.
I had to wire the money to ZA and was a bit worried about the cost.
I highly recommend using TransferWise (https://transferwise.com/).
It had better currency conversion rates and lower fees than my bank.
Commute will be easy-it's only 8 mins (5km) away.
Downtown of Johannesburg is only a 20 minute drive away.
All things considered, I think I landed myself a good place to call home for the next 4 months.
Mobile Network
These days, we can't live with our phones. It becomes even more essential when we're abroad in an area without knowledge of the area. It will help me find the best food places, navigate to the best photo spots, and keep myself connected to friends and family back home.
After some research, I found four major and one small mobile network operators in ZA:
* Vodacom (https://www.vodacom.co.za/)
* MTN (https://mtn.co.za/)
* Telkom (http://www.telkom.co.za/)
* Cell C (https://www.cellc.co.za/)
* Rain (https://www.rain.co.za/) (Data only)
I'm bringing two phones- one with single sim and another with dual sim for local calls/data.
In the US, I am a local Verizon customer. But if you take their plan abroad, the cost becomes ridiculous.
So I switched to Google Fi (https://fi.google.com/).
I think this is the best plan for international travellers.
No roaming charges, unlimited data, and very cheap international calls all for USD$80 with bill protection. (Based on one person plan)
However, I need a ZA phone number and I don't want to pay that much every month, so here is where my dual sim phone comes to use. I'm going to get two sim cards- one for voice and another for data.
From what I've read, Vodacom and MTN have the most reliable network. I'll get a voice plan with either one. Then, I'm going to get a data plan with Rain. Their unlimited off-peak plan sounds promising and I get coverage in my area. You know that one part I was referring to about mobile data connectivity? This is it. With this plan, I will be able to use as much internet as I want. Hopefully. I hope they don't throttle my speed. Fingers crossed, knock on wood.
Money
I'm bringing cash, debit card, and credit cards.
There are many fantastic travel cards out there with no forex fees:
* Chase (https://creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/chase-sapphire-reserve)
* Bank of America (https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit-cards/products/travel-rewards-credit-card/)
* Discover (https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/travel/)
Be sure to let your bank know that you'll be going abroad to prevent being locked out. You can walk into a branch, call the number on the back of your card, or do it online.
Also, US Dollar is king. Better than British Pounds, EU Euros, and Russian Rubles.
Bring USD in different denominations as brand new bills. (Some places wont convert your USD if it looks worn and used)
Electricity
As shown on the previous article's photo, ZA's plug is different than that of the US's. Although in transition, ZA still uses their proprietary type-M connector with 230V/50Hz. Whereas the US uses type-A/B with 120V/60Hz. Most devices, laptop & cell phone chargers, will only require the use of an adaptor. You can take a look at the charging block to see if you will need a voltage converter.
Reference: https://www.howtogeek.com/168564/what-you-need-to-know-about-power-outlets-and-voltages-when-travelling-internationally/
Safety
This of course, is the most important thing to prepare for.
It is important to identify and memorise important numbers of the country you are travelling to. For ZA:
Police: 10111
Fire/Ambulance: 10177
From Mobile Phones: 112 (International emergency number for GSM carriers)
Korean Embassy: +27(0)66-332-5897 (If you're US citizen, you'd obviously memorise the US Embassy number)
DON'T BE LAZY! MEMORISE THEM! I cannot stress this enough. These numbers can save your life and/or the lives of others. The least you can do is to know them by heart.
Thanks for reading!
2019.03.28