From Johannesburg Burglaries to 30 Years a Kiwi — Ep 72 with Jenny Forest Angel

In this episode of The Relocated South African, I sit down with Jenny Forest Angel, who moved from Johannesburg to Wellington, New Zealand in 1997 with a 20-month-old and a 3-year-old in tow — no internet, just fax machines and expensive phone calls.

Nearly 30 years on, Jenny's sons are thriving, her late parents followed her out and are buried in New Zealand, and she says she'd do it all again without hesitation.

We talk about the break-in that finally pushed the decision, the 18 months it took to feel settled, the "green stars on the calendar" trick she used to track her hardest days, and why she'll never send a car or a dining room table overseas again.

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TIMESTAMPS

00:01 – Introducing Jenny Forest Angel, 30 years in Wellington

00:41 – What prompted leaving South Africa in 1997

00:54 – Five burglaries in 18 months and a safety tipping point

02:48 – The break-in that made them commit to going

03:15 – Selling the house, packing a truck — "what a mistake"

03:41 – Landing in NZ on 31 August 1997, the day Diana died

04:39 – Leaving parents and siblings behind

05:26 – How her parents adapted to a hard move at a late age

06:50 – "We were the lucky ones"

07:12 – Husband's contract ending and landing a NZ job offer

08:57 – Deciding to bring her parents across

09:08 – Sorting her parents' residency paperwork

10:24 – The brutally hard first year, no support networks

10:44 – Crying every day for three months

11:21 – The infamous fish and chips "scoops" story

12:25 – Fax machines twice a week, no Facebook groups

12:35 – Her parents packing up 40 years of life in four months

14:07 – The airport reunion and chocolate-ginger confetti

14:26 – Were her parents financially secure enough to move?

15:33 – How her sons adapted — school, university, careers

16:34 – Sons' success: actuarial science and a master's degree

16:47 – The key to success: green stars on a calendar, "don't give up"

17:49 – Settling financially, and a quirky job exploring Wellington

20:14 – South African pride vs. "no job's beneath me" overseas

20:58 – Would things have turned out the same in South Africa?

21:24 – All Black or Springbok supporter?

21:46 – A 2011 Rugby World Cup ticket mix-up story

23:18 – Making friends: Kiwis vs. fellow South Africans

23:47 – Why the "soft landing" myth doesn't guarantee friendship

24:56 – What she'd leave behind if she did it again

26:56 – The personality traits that make immigration succeed

27:23 – "You can't swim upstream" — adapting without losing yourself

29:10 – "As the plane took off, I knew we were here to stay"

29:20 – How long it took to feel safe again

29:40 – No security bars, no fear — leaving windows open

31:17 – Returning to SA in 2001, her kids' reaction to locked doors

32:11 – Kids playing freely — the value of living without fear

32:25 – Advice for parents on the fence about immigrating

33:06 – Why moving young helps, but older kids adapt too

34:00 – The shrinking window for older parents to immigrate today

34:24 – Her parents' legacy and why she never gave up

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Website: www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com

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