Out and About is the column in which we talk to people who live abroad, or who did live and work abroad, but are back in South Africa again. We would like to hear from anybody who wants to share their experiences with us. This week we talk to Andre Beukes living in Vlaardingen.
- Hallo Andre! Tell us a about yourself and where you live.
I was born in Springs, studied at the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), and afterwards, enjoyed living and working in Pretoria. I served as Personnel Manager at the South African Police Service (SAPS) for 15 years. I found the work stimulating as well as challenging. My wife, Inge, with her parents, emigrated from the Netherlands to South Africa when she was still a baby. We decided to immigrate back to the Netherlands for Inge to search for her roots and to give our children the opportunity to experience the Netherland culture. Anri was six and Cara was four. I also always had a dream to complete a master’s degree oversees and received an opportunity to complete my LLM degree in Labour Law at the University of Tilburg.
We live in Vlaardingen, a town on the outskirts of Rotterdam that lies on the Nieuwe Waterway, where the cargo-boats sail from the Hoek of Holland to the Rotterdam Harbour.
- How did immigration affect you?
We did not leave South Africa because of political reasons. It was therefore difficult to leave behind that which you love. Immigration brought us as a family closer together. Your family is the only constant base that you have. You look differently at things that you previously saw as a given. Our language, Afrikaans, became very important to us. On a spiritual level, we realised that your religion is not equal to the church you belong to. Irrespective of the fact that for years we could not find a church we fit in to, we still grew incredibly in our spiritual life.
- Was it difficult or easy to adapt in a new country? (Was it easy to find your feet there?)
It was very difficult for us. Even though Dutch sounds like Afrikaans, the culture differs immensely. To learn everything from scratch is not easy, nevertheless, it was an adventure. We immigrated in the same month as the international economic crisis and this placed further pressure on us, since Europe already lived the recession. Up unto today I still do not experience the same level of job satisfaction as I did in South Africa.
- What do you miss the most about South Africa?
That is easy: “My people”, our food, and of course, the weather.
- What do you enjoy most about the life abroad?
I adore technology and first world technology is amazing! The Internet is cheap and fast, and you can order any electronic appliances online and within 24 hours, it is delivered to your door. The safe living that we can offer our children is priceless. At the beginning, it was difficult to allow our children to go anywhere alone on their bicycles. Moreover, the South Africans that come to visit. We enjoy the outdoors living a lot, like the snow and rivers freezing, the entite Netherlands skating and selling chocolate milk at stalls.
- What is the best and worst adventure that you have experienced in the Netherlands?
Luckily, we did not experience many bad adventures; I think of getting lost in cold, strange cities and the customs officer in London being very nervous if you carry a South African passport. The best experience was to hear Afrikaans at the hearing in the first and second room of the Netherlands Parliament. As a Labour Law expert, it was exceptional to visit the International Law Organisation for a week, in Genève, and at the same time also see the motor show that by coincidence took place at the same time.
- Will you return to South Africa?
It is always the ideal but we do not know if South Africa will want us.
- Is there anything else that you would like to add?
What I have learned is that ‘n person is where you are supposed to be; most important is your values, religion and whether or not you will make a difference.
