Christian Salafia, a 51-year-old semi-retired American, moved to South Africa in 2021. He said he fell in love with the country, its people and its way of life when he visited South Africa in 2020. He also said it was easier. With a low cost of living, you can live the American dream there.
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This told essay is based on conversations with Christian Salafia, a former U.S. Navy engineering laboratory engineer and cyber and information security consultant who moved to South Africa from Florida in 2021.
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I moved to South Africa three years ago for my now wife. This is the best decision I’ve ever made.
At the end of 2019 and early 2020, my then-girlfriend Kim and I had known each other on Facebook for years, but we always just had “Happy Birthday” messages and nothing more interactive than that. Then she invited me to South Africa.
I needed to renew my passport and so did she. So we said, “The first one to get it travels first.” She was able to make the decision sooner, so she came to the United States in February 2020, just as the coronavirus was beginning to spread around the world.
We spent 10 days together and we said, “This is definitely going somewhere, so now let’s come out to South Africa and see what life is like there.” I thought.
Three days after she got home, the world shut down. So it didn't come out until November 2020.
When I finally arrived in South Africa, I fell in love with the country.
Christian Salafia and his wife Kim visited South Africa for the first time in November 2020. Provided by: Christian Salafia
discover south africa
When I stepped off the plane in South Africa for the first time, I immediately felt relaxed.
One of the first things we did on our first trip was to have lunch on the beach at Table Mountain, just a few miles away. I remember standing there, looking out at the Atlantic Ocean and Table Mountain to my left, soaking in the view.
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We stayed at a resort hotel about 4 hours away and saw wide open spaces with rolling hills and animals roaming around. It feels so pristine.
At the time, I spent two weeks there and another two weeks because I contracted COVID-19 before returning home. We returned to the US in December 2020 and she stayed until the new year.
Christian Salafia and his wife Kim at their home in Tallahassee, Florida in December 2020. Provided by: Christian Salafia
build a new life
I called my daughters, who have two adult daughters, and said, “How would you feel if your father decided to move to South Africa?”
My daughter said, “Does she make you happy?” And I said, “Of course.” And she said, “Go and have fun.”
And then, in August 2021, I came here with three suitcases (I sent two boxes) and built a new life on the other side of the world.
Christian Salafia and his wife Kim when they moved permanently to South Africa in August 2021. Provided by: Christian Salafia
Achieving the American Dream is easy here
Before I left America, I was earning close to six figures, but it was still very stressful to make sure my bills were paid and wonder if I was going on vacation.
But here, through a lower cost of living, you can live what most Americans would consider the American Dream.
We live in a very nice house in Wineland and have a car. I am now semi-retired. I am a Navy disability pension recipient and a cyber and information security consultant.
we are going on vacation. You can also go out at night and go to the theater or opera. And we don’t always stress about whether we can afford it.
Christian Salafia and his wife Kim hiking in South Africa. Provided by Christian Salafia
My wife said this to me recently. “When you first came here, you were so stressed and anxious and feeling like you had to do something. It’s been years since you’ve been here, and it’s so relaxing.”
live a simpler life
I think what people don’t understand about living in a developing country as a foreigner is that it’s a much simpler life.
There is no need to rush anywhere and you can always be fully present. There’s a joke that Cape Town is called the “Mother City” because it takes nine months to get anything done.
the food is amazing. You know everything is natural and unprocessed and that makes the food better.
During my first few years here, the shedding was brutal, with some days when we lost power for 8 to 10 hours a day.
From daily life in South Africa to Nando’s advertising people, the memes and jokes that have been floating around on social media have been priceless.
Everyone here knows that South Africa has problems with electricity, water, corruption and crime, but no one seems to be afraid of them.
They don’t let it make them depressed, angry, or bitter.
Even eating is an event here. You show up at people’s houses at 2 p.m. Don’t eat until 8 or 9 p.m. That’s all day long.
The same goes for restaurants. If you go out for breakfast, expect it to take several hours.
i will never go back to america
I miss my children, family, and friends. But I have no regrets. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to America because it’s too busy and too stressful.
My wife and I want a simple life. We want to enjoy it and not feel like we’re working hard to survive.
If I had to give one piece of advice to someone considering immigrating from the United States, it would be to not look at the developed Western countries first. Look at more developing countries.
I had this conversation a few months ago with some friends who have also immigrated here (one from the UK and his wife from Romania) about where we would go if we left South Africa.
None of us chose developed countries or returned to our hometowns. South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Botswana and Central America were chosen instead.
They are culturally rich, so if you can work remotely, choose a different location.
Take risks. Be bold. Don’t trade one developed country for another. Let’s explore the world.
