r/askSouthAfrica

I am so overwhelmed with happiness, I went for an interview on Wednesday, they confirmed on spot that they want to hire me, perhaps going there with my family did the trick haha. Anyways, I've been suffering for months behind on rent and the whole shabang. I just wanted to share for anyone whos beeen applying, go in person and drop your CV the online thing works too but I got this job after my wife told me to go to warehouses to drop my CVs and they called me back 3 months later.

Looking if anyone could please help me with transport cash for the month , I start on Monday, Its not too far but not a walking distance so I plan on taking the yellow tuk tuk on bolt which would be like R50 to go and come back daily ,there is no specific taxi route there since its a business park and most people walk to the township nearby and I cant walk cause I live further like 10km from the business park.

Hi everyone I hope y'all are having a good one. I have level 1 autism and I've tried university before and it was too stressful and confusing. I struggle to cope with things I don't understand beforehand I'd like your help with pre-exposure by letting me know in advance what to expect and extra tips are always welcome.

For starters, the apps? Are the SelfStudy or Self help apps useful at some point or are they there just for the grades?

The strikes. When forced to into one (have been before), what are the go-to hacks for safety when things escalate for safety, will I be at risk of being arrested if I was forced into it, and are there ways to avoid it in advance?

The few guys. There are some guys who used to go around in the women's dorms at night checking if any of the doors are open, some harrassing for my number when they block off my exit. Most guys are okay. It's just that there's those who are a literal danger. We don't talk about these things at home. Are there ways to navigate these things?

Classes. Where do people find them? There used to be a room label on the lesson notice and instead there'd be an empty room or another class when I went. The actual class was in another building and by then, the lessons were almost over.

People. There's clubs, people trying to be friends, activities, events, navigating the new area, it's really overwhelming on top of being in a new space. When navigating the space, are there people or groups that are beneficial to be around or is it optional at the same level for everyone depending on one's personality? I struggle with prioritization in this case.

Thank you for your time and for reading this.

I saw a lot of furries last year at comic con, and I was just wondering where you guys get your stuff? Cause they are so expensive I checked them out in Eatsy and AliExpress. I am not crafty at all so trying to make one from scratch would just be a disaster 😭

I’m looking to go to comic con as one, I know it’s gonna be hot but bring it on lol. So please let me know if any affordable sites I can try, I also checkout Temu but I’m just worried about how durable they are.

Any time i try make an appointment it asks me for my details and when I fill them in the site says "Authentication Failed, Incorrect details provided please try again."

Tried calling the number and obviously that doesn't work so I sent an email. Anyone know if there's a trick to this I'm missing?

I’m not entirely sure if this is the right subreddit to ask this, but here goes.

I am (23M) currently double-majoring in CS and Pure Maths, and I am completely done pretending I like traditional SWE. Web dev, DevOps, cloud infrastructure... none of it is for me. I always had a passion for embedded systems, but I put it on hold to chase traditional SWE internships because everyone said that's where the 'safe jobs' and AI hype were. I haven't had any luck for almost 2 years now.

I’ve reached the point where if I’m gonna struggle to find work, I’d rather struggle doing what I actually enjoy. The thought of touching JavaScript makes me want to puke.

My main question is whether embedded systems programming is actually a viable career path for CS graduates here in South Africa. Do local companies even hire computer scientists for firmware roles, or do they strictly filter for Electrical/Mechatronic engineering degrees? If they do hire CS grads, which companies/industries should I look into, and how do I tailor my resume for them?

I have solid knowledge of electronics and embedded hardware, but because of my degree title, I don’t have an engineering transcript to prove it—just my own projects. I write a lot of low-level C and know modern C++ inside out.

If anyone in the local embedded or hardware space has advice on how to get a foot in the door (or is open to connecting), I’d really appreciate it.

My mom say that they suck and I should use the 10 year old k53 book we have, even tho I think its outdated.

I'm doing my code 10 learners license test next week. Is an almost 10 year 53 book outdated, or is my mom right?

Hi Everyone! I (25F) have just started getting my life together financially. I have recently gotten a medical aid, bought a car and got car insurance. The only debt I have currently is my car which I still owe R135k, (monthly instalment of R2500 for 5 years without interest as I am buying from a family friend.) and a TFG account sitting at R1500.

I earn R20k after tax, and after everything is paid for in a month I have about R1000 left to put in savings. I’m starting an emergency fund but also want to invest in a retirement plan and don’t know which should be the priority right now.

My company does not have a pension fund included in my benefits and so I need to do it in my personal capacity.

**My questions are:**

What institutions would be best to inquire with given my financial situation?

Should I prioritise an emergency fund first or split what I can save into an emergency fund and pension plan?

Is R1000 a month savings enough for someone with my salary or should I try and cut costs in groceries/entertainment to try and save more?

I am looking to find immigration records for 2 of my grandfathers brothers sometime between 1920 and 1939. I can't seem to find them on any website. Is there anyone who could help me, point me in the right direction. The last name is Krziyzek, often spelled Krzyzek or Kryzek? I believe the first names could be Werner and Stefan, but am not sure as he had possibly 14 siblings and we're guessing by ages which ones immigrated.

So I’ve made a decent amount of cash in software engineering in the last decade + , but am looking to give back to people after a severe health scare. Healthy as an ox now but it gave me time to think.

I always wanted to lecture but it’s not what I’ve really wanted to do after researching it. I want to assist younger scholars because I hated school and understand how to reach those like I was.
I have done a TEFL course to tutor already.

I’m highly educated so it’s just a one year course I need to take. I know I’ll make much less but have set myself up nicely with zero debts, etc. and decent assets.

I’d naturally go into something like IT classes which are much more aligned to my knowledge, or physics/ math.
Very well read and thrive in English and drama.

Bottom line, are there any teachers on here that might have advice or anyone known about this field? Still need to pin down where and what to study in Durban.

Any ideas good or criticising? I need to have some subjectivity in this matter.

Don’t know if this matters but I’m a large white male in his 30s. Travelled extensively and went through 3 different syllabus in high school, settling on Cambridge. Currently have my own business.

Thanks guys.

Sorry for the long post. I need legal advice and the Legal sub has almost no responses to most questions. I was required to pay for leak tests done due to water coming through my ceiling from an apartment upstairs. My bodycorp said they would reimburse me if it was found the leak was not in my own apartment. I asked them on 3 different occasions if I would be reimbursed, as I already knew it wasnt my apartment, our pipes dont run in our ceilings but floors. Every time the answer was yes. The tests were done and nothing was found in my apartment but evidence clearly showed a lot of water ingress from upstairs. Now they have done a 180. Their legal department even mailed me and said they unfortunately do not cover any expenses resulting from leak tests etc. Do I have any recourse here? Thanks for any help.

I’m very recently engaged and have officially started the exciting process of looking for my wedding dress.

I already have an idea of what I want, and I know it’s unlikely to be something I’ll find off the rack. I also don’t really want to buy a dress just for the sake of it , I’d much rather have something custom made that is exactly what I want, fits me properly, and feels completely me.

I’m looking for recommendations for
talented bridal designers or dressmakers in and around **Johannesburg or Cape Town**. I’m not necessarily looking for the big, well-known names or established bridal houses. In fact, I’d love to find someone smaller, perhaps an independent designer or incredibly talented dressmaker, who takes real pride in their work. I’m more than happy for the process to take a little longer if it means finding the right person and getting something truly special.

So, if you’ve had an amazing experience with
someone, know a hidden gem, or have seen someone’s work that you think I should look at, I would love your recommendations!

Thanks so much in advance!!!

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Looking for advice regarding a Body Corporate and managing agent in South Africa.

I am a newly appointed trustee - Our managing agent has been in place for over six years and is refusing to allow termination of the agreement. We have also been denied access to the Body Corporate’s bank accounts, financial information and important complex documents.
CSOS has advised us to approach the PPRA.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? Specifically, can a managing agent refuse termination, could withholding access to accounts/records constitute misconduct, and what process or SGM requirements should the Body Corporate follow?

It’s so frustrating and scary.

Any experience dealing with this would be appreciated.

Bit of a random one but my boyfriend has been trying for the past 2 years to get into masters for clinical psychology with no avail. Year after year, he applies to every single institution that offers it. If he’s lucky, he gets an interview (the past 2 years he’s gotten 2), gets through phase 1 and then he gets cut. My boyfriend has exceptional marks in all of his undergrad and honours modules, works at a rehab doing counselling, has done counselling courses and the list goes on. He goes through absolute hell preparing for interviews and because of the stress of it all, doesn’t eat and barely sleeps 2-3 weeks before the actual interviews.
His interviews go relatively well everytime but the panel cuts him after phase 1. I personally feel like the interview process is so subjective, the system is broken and they don’t know what they want!
Is anyone else going through this/ has been through this ?
My boyfriend is an incredible counsellor, he works his ass off, he wants what’s best for his clients and ALWAYS goes the extra mile, and this entire process is so disheartening year after year.
Sorry for the rant.

Hi there, this is going to sound weird, so please bear with me. I’m a 22 year old male, and been fairly sexually active lately for the first time. For a while now I’ve had a wish, which could be heading in the direction of fantasy, to engage in a sexual encounter with an older woman, preferably from age 35-50. Even tho it’s not a must, I would like to have the experience, even if it’s just once. Now this is going to sound even more weirder. How would I go about such, or if I should even entertain the idea. Would love to hear thoughts on this matter.

Hi all - I'm writing on behalf of a relative. They were born in SA in the 1960s and emigrated to the UK as a minor when their parent remarried. They were given British citizenship as a minor, and haven't had an SA passport since that time. They have lived in the UK for 50 years. They never formally renounced their SA citizenship.

They've been informed that in order to travel to SA now, they must have an SA passport because they were born in SA. They can no longer travel on a British passport. They've been told to acquire a huge amount of documentation (death certificates, divorce papers, all sorts) which may be impossible to do (their parent's death certificate is lost, for example, what with him passing over 40 years ago). They still have family, including an elderly mother, in SA, and need to be able to visit, but might not be able to jump through the hoops required to get an SA passport or ID. They do still have a valid British passport.

What are my relative's options? Are SA immigration really that hot on people born in SA travelling only on an SA passport, or do they not really care? How risky really would it be to travel on the British passport? Would they need all this documentation in order to renounce their SA citizenship? Would that in fact be easier?

I'm really grateful for any help/advice you can give! Thanks!

My female cat is about to be 4 years old. For the last 2–3 years, she’s only eaten Pamper wet cat food, around 2–3 packets a day. I’d like to introduce some dry food to help bring down the monthly food cost, but I still want to make sure she’s getting something decent.

When she was younger (around 1–2 years old), she used to eat Catmor and Epol along with her wet food, but I’ve read quite a few concerns about those foods, so I’d rather not go back to them.

I’m now looking at options like Pamper dry food, but I’m wondering if there are better options that are still affordable.

For anyone who has switched a cat from mostly/all wet food to dry food, how did you get them to accept it?

Any recommendations would be appreciated!

I've been using a Cougar gaming chair for the past 7 years or so, and it's been decent, but now the PU leather is cracking, the foam is wearing out, and the gas strut is going. I'm looking at getting an ergonomic chair since I hear those are the best for when you have to spend hours at your desk, but it's hard to find info on what's good and affordable.

I know ones like the Herman Miller's are supposed to be the best, but that's way out of my price range. I'm hoping for something in the region of R3000 (preferably less if possible). Comfort and durability are my main concerns, as well as breathability since we're in for a bad summer. Ideally, I'd like to be able to try one out first before buying, but I know in this age of online retailing, that isn't always an option.

Does anyone have a brand or retailer they'd recommend?

Hello!

I live in a sectional title in a complex, I own my unit. It's pretty much a townhouse. The complex was built in 2013 or so, I moved in during 2022.

There have been a bunch of waterproofing issues that have come up over the years (stay away from Leogem buildings!), but thankfully my unit has been mostly unaffected, up until a couple months ago. We had rising damp due to waterproofing that was installed incorrectly. In order to fix it (body corp's cost), some built-in cupboards had to be removed and reinstalled, so I had to find a carpenter as the waterproofing specialist wouldn't do that work.

The work was done, the problem seems to be repaired, but now the insurance company is saying they won't pay for the removal / reinstallation of the built-ins because the policy doesn't cover damage directly or indirectly caused by, or related to, a massive list of issues. Included in this list is damp, defective design, poor workmanship... The list goes on.

I've disputed the rejection and shown that the repair required the built-ins to be removed, they've not budged and still reject the claim.

Is there anything else I can do? Any ways for me to dispute this again? I feel really sour that I'm out 10k because of a structural issue - do I need to just be okay with it or is there an avenue for me that I don't know about? Seeing as the body corp paid for the waterproofing repair, can I hold them liable for the cupboard stuff as well?

Any advice is welcome. Thank you!