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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Connect with the podcast:
Website: www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com
Podcast: The Relocated South African — available on Spotify and all platforms
