Is retiring to Africa a wise decision?

[Kevin Peacocke]

Is it safe to drive around in RSA and Namibia and Zim? I kind of get the impression that it is reasonably safe to drive around in the day time but maybe not so much at night.

But maybe that's just Jburg.

The poblem with driving around Zimbabwe at night is more to do with accidents - broken down vehicles in the road, cars with no lights, or just one. Don't risk it.
For sue the probability of hijackigs and robberies increases at night too. That is not to say it is rampant, but crooks like darkness.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I have heard stories of roadblocks where you get extroted for bribes. But not experienced that when traveling with a PH.

Zimbabwe road blocks today are just a minor inconvenience. Today

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Whatever you think it is going to cost you, double it.

Lon

 

[Rare Breed]

Remember the good old days when we worried about how corrupt African nations were. Compared to the U.S.

The person I know and respect so very much is my friend @Kevin Peacocke who lives in Zim. I wonder what he would say about having just a small home base in Zim for the May-August hunting season then living the remains months in our home country?

 

[Rare Breed]

All true except the cost to live a similar lifestyle is five fold and let's not even start talking about Texas hunting prices..
I've recently saw a private ranch Axis hunt advertised for $5000.00! LOL

Having lived nine years in texas the hunting is awesome but make no mistake as large as it is I was so surprised the public land hunting is no where close to the opportunities at WMAs in GA which are so much easier. you pay to hunt in texas or own land period which is fine you just have to know moving there

 

[mdwest]

Having lived nine years in texas the hunting is awesome but make no mistake as large as it is I was so surprised the public land hunting is no where close to the opportunities at WMAs in GA which are so much easier. you pay to hunt in texas or own land period which is fine you just have to know moving there

Yep… that was a hard adjustment for me when we first moved to TX…

I grew up in W TN where you could ask any farmer for permission to put a stand on the edge of his bean or cotton field, and they’d gladly have you take every deer you had a tag for as fast as you get them off his property.. then lived for a spell in VA and then later in E TN where the situation was much the same… or, if you weren’t so lucky to have a farmer friend, public land was readily available in pretty much any direction…

The whole idea of $3000 (or more) per gun, per year “leases” was completely foreign to me..

Thankfully I’ve got a land baron friend that lets me have run of a small property in the piney woods for a pittance …who also regularly lets me hunt his 26,000 acres a bit further south if I’m willing to make the drive…

Otherwise deer hunting would be an outrageously expensive proposition for me with 3 avid hunters and a couple of other “occasional” hunter kids in the family…

 

[Rare Breed]

I don't think anyone was advocating buying a ranch/farm in Africa (at least I was not). But rather a holiday/retirement home?

I was looking for a safe hunting base pretty small i could use for a home base living from May-September in Africa the rest in the US

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

The person I know and respect so very much is my friend @Kevin Peacocke who lives in Zim. I wonder what he would say about having just a small home base in Zim for the May-August hunting season then living the remains months in our home country?

This makes a lot of sense. Generally, you get the spice of something else, different food, people, weather, activities. And on a short term stay you don't need all the immigration permits, etc. No politics, just smile and wave as they run their country for you to enjoy.
On Zimbabwe specifically, the country was way down, and although it is on the way up again it will take many years to fix even some basics, like roads, grid power and water supply. It is EXPENSIVE! US dollar is currency but the minimum note is $1, so you get lollipops for change! But there are wonderful restaurants, places of interest, life of the rich and famous, or better rich and anonymous. Hunting a short flight or day drive. Fishing of many sorts.
Locals are cottoning on to building a cottage or two for rent on their beautiful, big suburban properties offering security, borehole water, solar power. Zim is fully Starlinked now too. Lockup and go. Buy a Landy and leave it there and you are made.
If you are serious, PM me, I have a limited plan up my sleeve.

 

[VertigoBE]

I was looking for a safe hunting base pretty small i could use for a home base living from May-September in Africa the rest in the US

I have the same idea in my mind.
In my case, as I'm nowhere near retirement, specifically for July and August, partly on holiday, partly teleworking (as same time zone as Europe) So my kids can have a great time, and I do not need to worry about who they see and what they are up to during the holidays.

Would be a great place to invite family and friends to, ability to leave some of the taxidermy there. I'm even wondering if it would make sense and be possible to store some of my hunting rifles there. The rest of the year I'd be renting it out as a holiday property.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I have the same idea in my mind.
In my case, as I'm nowhere near retirement, specifically for July and August, partly on holiday, partly teleworking (as same time zone as Europe) So my kids can have a great time, and I do not need to worry about who they see and what they are up to during the holidays.

Would be a great place to invite family and friends to, ability to leave some of the taxidermy there. I'm even wondering if it would make sense and be possible to store some of my hunting rifles there. The rest of the year I'd be renting it out as a holiday property.

Hi, I cannot give you all of the info you need on AH. Getting a Zim National ID is all important!

The US now allows your firearms out of the country for I believe 45 or 85 days. You can only stay in Zim for 30 days without a multi entry. Craig I am in ICU in RSA. One qustion where are you prepared to live. I would think maybe Bulawayo.

Lon

 

[VertigoBE]

Hi, I cannot give you all of the info you need on AH. Getting a Zim National ID is all important!

The US now allows your firearms out of the country for I believe 45 or 85 days. You can only stay in Zim for 30 days without a multi entry. Craig I am in ICU in RSA. One qustion where are you prepared to live. I would think maybe Bulawayo.

Lon

I’d probably be rather looking in the vicinity of Johannesburg/Cape Town. More access to flights all over Southern Africa, many direct or fast flights internationally. And more renting out opportunities.

 

[ActionBob]

I’m currently eligible to retire and would love to spend part of the year in Southern Africa. I thought about building a chalet to keep my trophies (save on getting them sent to the US and a place to put the ones that can’t be imported to the US). I have talked with some outfitters about building and they can use the chalet when I’m not around and in return someone would look after it for me.

That should be very doable. Just building a chalet at an Outfiitters camp could be very reasonable cost. Choose carefully.

 

[ActionBob]

I’d probably be rather looking in the vicinity of Johannesburg/Cape Town. More access to flights all over Southern Africa, many direct or fast flights internationally. And more renting out opportunities.

Definitely not Johannesburg. Cape Town, very interesting.

 

[spike.t]

Just remember you are limited to a maximum amount of days per 12 months in most if not all countries...and that doesn't mean in a year Jan to Dec..its in a 12 month period from when you first enter...usually max of 90 days per 12 months..unless you have a residence permit....

 

[ActionBob]

I was told that if a White South African has a foreign investor owning even 1% of his farm or land... There can be no land claim.

Any input as to the validity of that?

And how does one even go about investing in Real Estate in an African country?

 

[Rare Breed]

Hi, I cannot give you all of the info you need on AH. Getting a Zim National ID is all important!

The US now allows your firearms out of the country for I believe 45 or 85 days. You can only stay in Zim for 30 days without a multi entry. Craig I am in ICU in RSA. One qustion where are you prepared to live. I would think maybe Bulawayo.

Lon

So sorry to hear Lon!!! @Kevin Peacocke and Lon it is just my dream at this point given I am close to retirement and am doing contract work that can be done anywhere. My problem is the lovely Mrs Rare Breed is not in agreement “yet”. I am working on her. I would never waste my two good friends time unless she would agree. I just am in agreement with the idea to live different places at different times of the year as a great life as I have seen from many others on our forum.

 

[Rare Breed]

Definitely not Johannesburg. Cape Town, very interesting.

This past year I was told the same thing. I asked one of my outfitters in Jberg where they would live if it could be anywhere in Africa and they immediately said Western Cape Town

 

[Ruraldoc]

I believe an excellent answer for outdoor people looking to retire in the USA is to come to the area where I live in rural South Western Alabama.

Houses are cheap and land is cheap compared to most anywhere in the US.

There are hunting and fishing opportunities year round. You can buy a home and land with the proceeds of selling just your home.

There are inexpensive hunting clubs and leases that you can get involved in.

There is not a lot of public land but there are some opportunities.

Lets say you can sell your home for 500 K,

You can buy a comparable home here for 200K and buy 200 acres with the money left over.

Join one of the local churches and get involved in it and you will soon have many new friends.

Taxes are lower, crime is lower and people are generally very friendly. We have a good health care here and are 35 miles from a major medical center.

Just don’t tell us to do everything like you did in California or Minnesota and you will be accepted before you can get everything unpacked and moved in.

I came here from Birmingham over 30 years ago and it’s been home ever since.

 

[sgt_zim]

Yep… that was a hard adjustment for me when we first moved to TX…

I grew up in W TN where you could ask any farmer for permission to put a stand on the edge of his bean or cotton field, and they’d gladly have you take every deer you had a tag for as fast as you get them off his property.. then lived for a spell in VA and then later in E TN where the situation was much the same… or, if you weren’t so lucky to have a farmer friend, public land was readily available in pretty much any direction…

The whole idea of $3000 (or more) per gun, per year “leases” was completely foreign to me..

Thankfully I’ve got a land baron friend that lets me have run of a small property in the piney woods for a pittance …who also regularly lets me hunt his 26,000 acres a bit further south if I’m willing to make the drive…

Otherwise deer hunting would be an outrageously expensive proposition for me with 3 avid hunters and a couple of other “occasional” hunter kids in the family…

Same. I make a 10 - 11 hour round trip several times every Fall to hunt white tails on the family place in Louisiana.

Even if I could get on an annual lease in Texas for 5K, I'd just as soon save that money and go back to Africa. I like white tail hunting, but for that kind of money, the juice just isn't even close to being worth the squeeze.

As far of drive as I have, it's still shorter than driving to Uvalde or San Angelo or Abilene from where I live.

 

[RichieG]

I’m an African and living abroad. I still have assets in SA and I am going to retire to SA for sure. As a visitor you could buy a place in Hoesdpruit as it has all the attributes Kevin Peacocke sets out above. I’d add it is about to start international flights to Eastgate airport which is a game changer and Eastgate also has direct flights to CT.

If you want to park off and drink good wine and admire the view the Western Cape is pretty damn unbeatable.

If you don’t want to buy a place first off you could rent a place easily to check it out and stay in SA for 3 months on a normal visitor entry.

It may be the finest country in the world to live in, the well reported issues notwithstanding. And things are on the up. The new GNU seems to be making big progress. The Home Affairs dept have announced are also changing the visa regime to make it easier. This is WIP.

Good luck and don’t spend too much time thinking about it!