Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
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We all like to grumble about the Rand and various other things, and I thought today I would focus my blog on some of the positives of South Africa. Having done a lot of travelling I can tell you that, and it may seem trivial, we have some of the best beaches in the world. I like that, because when people complain about how much money a holiday cost, they forget that children are never as happy as they are at the seaside, and it does not cost you anything to be on the beach other than getting there and staying there.
Some of the beaches I have seen in other countries that are rated the best of that country would not make the top 50 in South Africa and look more to be like the sand close to the Durban Harbour mouth. World famous beaches like Daytona Beach are horrible, dirty sand beaches that nobody in South Africa would even consider acceptable. Anyway, enough about beaches, but it is summer, and so it is always good to think about that, but I think another thing we can all be grateful for is the cost of living in South Africa. We all read that living in Johannesburg is one of the most affordable cities in the world and from personal experience I can tell you that it is absolutely true. You have no idea how much money people in other countries pay for food, vegetables, milk, bread and all the basics that we use and in many cases South Africa is as much as 70% less than most other countries. The things that are important in life really don’t cost much in South Africa and housing too is much cheaper than overseas. Sure, we are ripped off on some things, especially Internet and the cost of cell phone calls and data, but by and large it is far cheaper to live in South Africa than in any other country in the world and there are very few countries where you could live so cheaply with such good weather and climate. Lastly, I think as a smaller country we are probably friendlier. The people in South Africa are very friendly – that is when they are not squabbling with each other as part of office politics and they will always make a bit more time to give a little bit of help or advice to strangers. Those are some of the quick positives that I thought of – what are yours?
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Thursday 03-Mar-16
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Comments
Jolene said:
on Wednesday 23-Mar-16 10:07 AM
Love the positive blog and all the wonderful comments about SA. Cape Town is stunning and my absolute favorite city in SA.
Alexis said:
on Tuesday 08-Mar-16 04:54 PM
I have always said that before i explore the world, that SA will have to be explored first. This country is beautiful and there is so much to see
Daria said:
on Tuesday 08-Mar-16 04:43 PM
South Africa is truly a wonderful beautiful place, sometimes people need to forget the bad and look at the good.
Juliet said:
on Tuesday 08-Mar-16 09:36 AM
Just a more realistic comment, Somalia also has some stunning beaches. Doesn't help if the beaches are infected with pirates, thieves and murderers. It is like having a beautiful snake that is so poisonous you can never touch it. What is the point of having it then? I remember having New Year's Eve on Clifton beach in 2005 and as we arrived and unpacked our things all of our stuff was stolen. You cannot walk along Durban each anymore. So I am not so sure about the beauty of our country acting as a saving grace for the rest of the disaster and crime that is ever-present because we cannot even enjoy that beauty.
Bianca said:
on Tuesday 08-Mar-16 08:32 AM
I think that our country has a lot of positives and our country certainly is beautiful. I suppose every country has their beauty and their flaws.
tamzyn said:
on Tuesday 08-Mar-16 08:32 AM
So nice to hear something positive for a change. We are lucky to live in a beautiful country, despite it's many problems - one cannot complain about the beach and the wildlife.
joyce said:
on Friday 04-Mar-16 04:42 PM
it is nice to read about positives of South Africa, I thought South Africa was the worst of all other countries.
Sarah said:
on Friday 04-Mar-16 02:12 PM
I am glad to read some positive thoughts about SA for once. I agree people here in SA are friendly. When I stayed a year in America and you walk in the malls no one would greet you or smile at you.
Mathilda said:
on Friday 04-Mar-16 11:09 AM
I can just agree with everything in this Blog :) !But we don't just have the most friendliest people but I also think the most beautiful than all the other countries #lovingSA
Melissa P said:
on Friday 04-Mar-16 07:56 AM
I love the positive note for a change. It makes you forget about all the negatives in SA.
Nikita said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 04:34 PM
I have to agree that we certainly do live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I had the privilege of growing up in more of the wild side of our country and wouldn't change it for the world. We must not forget our plant life as well. I love the fact that even in our urban areas there is never a lack of trees. South Africans are very eco aware and that is an amazing characteristic that we have and encourage.
Johann said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 04:02 PM
One of the positives about South Africa is our abundant wildlife, even within our cities. I can take a specific 10 kilometer drive on a public tar road within the city limits of Pretoria where I could expect to see zebra, blue wildebeest, kudu, giraffe, sable antelope, ostrich, blesbuck, impala and an abundance of birds like grey loerie, grey crowned crane and blue crane (and of course the ubiquitous hadeda).
Prishani said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 01:11 PM
South Africa is beautiful country! Its nice to hear something positive that makes us appreciate the country we live in and forget about all the negative news for a change.
helen said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 12:17 PM
Thank you Michael for very good Blog today, I would rather see more positive input and thoughts which will make my day a lot better.
10 years ago before coming to South Africa, I knew from University projects that this country is incredibly rich with natural resources and weather conditions. One of my researches in the last year funny enough I have chosen South Africa to talk about. That time I could only read books of Russian authors and travellers but today I can say SOUTH AFRICA is amazing country but just must be managed properly. I have travelled a lot, I have been in Mexico, Arabic Emirates, Russia, USA, Germany and you will never see in any of these countries weather like we have in South Africa. Verity of fruit and vegetables growing here are amazing and I will fully agree with the price politics too.
Daniella said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 10:02 AM
South Africa is truly such a beautiful country , from the amazing beaches we have , our stunning sceneries and animals. I can also say we have a much more relaxed care free vibe here than anywhere else
Zanell said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 09:06 AM
I love South Africa, we really have a beautiful country no doubt about it, a lot of foreigners love our country too. When ever I travel over seas I am always happy to back. I don't think I could ever live anywhere else.
Kaylee said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 09:05 AM
Further to my comment below, I agree with Juliet, Cape Town is the best city in this country to live in and I would live there in a heart beat but unfortunately I feel it's career suicide to go and live in Cape Town because unfortunately the opportunities you have in Johannesburg don't compare to those in Cape Town, I would however want to retire there one day
latoya said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 09:01 AM
Very impressing to hear something good about this country.
Liesl said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 08:57 AM
I love the positive note for a change. We truly have a beautiful country. The beaches are beautiful but we also have beautiful sights and landscapes in the eastern transvaal that can keep you busy for days. Nothing matches the character of South Africa, nothing can beat biltong, braais and the general atmosphere South Africans create when they start socializing.
Juliet said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 08:54 AM
I now live in my 3rd South African city since birth and I can say that we really do have a lovely country except for the crime and racism. In Durban you can really give your kids a wonderful upbringing without spending hardly any money because of the beaches and outdoor activities. In Johannesburg there is such an awesome vibe with everyone going somewhere and doing something, but the traffic is terrible. Now in Pretoria it is quiet, no traffic, excellent schools, beautiful shops and everything is close and easily accessible. But my favourite city in South Africa is Cape Town. What a breathtakingly beautiful place! I love everything about Cape Town and wish I could live there one day, maybe when I retire.
Jessica said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 08:47 AM
It is nice to hear about something positive about our country. Yes it's a beautiful place, but man can the people just stop fighting then it would be way better. On a good note it's better than living in Syria and people actually do have bigger problems then we do.
Clare said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 08:30 AM
I think its Great to hear some good things about our Country, i for one would love to travel and see other country's, cities ect but I am a born South African and i love my home, even with all the problems that have been coming up, i do believe it will get better.
Jessica Apfel said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 08:28 AM
Yay for positive energy! With politics dominating the air waves - this is a breath of fresh air :)
There is so much to do in our country - bungee jump off the Bloukrans or wine taste along the beautiful wine yards of Stellenbosch. There is so much variety in our country - EMBRACE IT
Kaylee said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 08:25 AM
I agree with your blog today, unfortunately people do tend to focus on the negatives. I know I do too, but we really are so lucky to live in such a beautiful country.
I often take a photograph of the sunset on my way home from work because nothing beats an african sunset. I also love late afternoon thunder showers and the smell of rain. We really have some of the best beaches in the world and most of our beaches are actually rated as blue beaches, which is pretty much the top ranking as beaches go.
I haven't lived anywhere else in the world but I have been to a couple of countries on holiday and I can say I am always happy to be home.
Brumilde said:
on Thursday 03-Mar-16 08:22 AM
its good to read about some positives about SA. I have heard that SA people are friendly, I must say I was un London a couple of years ago and as soon I was on the underground train and started speaking Afrikaans allot of SA people came forward and they were more friendlier than the UK people
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
