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Expat insight: A South African in Canada – culture, health and well-being
South African blogger and YouTuber Andrea Van Niekerk describes what life is like in Canada.
Expats living in Canada rate the country highly in areas including economics, experience and family life. Europeans make up the majority of expats in Canada (52%) with 6% coming from African countries, including our interviewee, South African expat and blogger Andrea Van Niekerk who moved to Oakville, Toronto in 2017.
A 2017 survey found that 34% of expats to Canada say that while work/life balance isn’t as good as it would be at home, 22% said their physical health is better. We spoke to Andrea to ask her about her move and how it impacted her well-being.
Get an instant quote for health insurance in Canada, here.
What do you do for a living?
I haven’t worked since we got to Canada. I worked for a national construction company in South Africa as a client liaison executive. I am currently completing my Yoga Teacher Training certification and have created a blog — www.justmyscene.com — and a YouTube channel.
The rules and documents for South Africans are often different to others moving to Canada and I could see people frequently asking questions on many of the Expat Facebook forums I am a member of. I knew I could help, so I started my blog and YouTube channel to answer some of those questions. The blog gives tips and advice to expats moving to Canada and to those who want to connect who are already here. This content runs alongside my yoga journey.
It is amazing how much we trust people from our home country when you are living abroad or wanting to immigrate. I realised that by doing the YouTube videos: people could connect with a real person that had the same accent and understood exactly where they were coming from.
Why did you move and why Canada?
My husband took a fantastic opportunity in Canada within the same IT company he worked for in South Africa. We realised it was a massive opportunity for our family and didn’t think twice about packing it all up.
Andrea Van Niekerk practising yoga in a video on her YouTube channel
How does Canada compare to South Africa?
Work/life balance
My husband and I have found that people are a lot more respectful when taking annual leave and with one’s work hours. In South Africa, people would call after 6/8pm and the work would never stop. Here — especially in the summer — the emails and calls definitely stop after 6pm (unless its quarter end of course!). Annual leave is highly respected — you literally can leave your laptop at home when you head off to some cool destination. I find that so fantastic. It allows people to re-charge and it truly has made a huge difference for us.
Canadians stay up late at night which is great because people make the time for sport — even if it means booking a hockey rink 10-11pm!
People and culture
When we landed in Canada it was a very cold January — definitely not what we are familiar with where we have sunshine for the majority of the year. We realised that, because of the challenging winters, people tend to stay indoors and are rather reclusive — which makes sense. We made sure we connected with our church in Canada and had instant friends and a great community to connect with which made a huge difference. We have found the Canadians to be very polite and helpful.
Canadian sports fan
Things that affect your happiness
The weather can certainly be challenging but I clearly remember the first snowfall we ever saw, it was simply breath-taking. We love the snow and have had to make friends with our snowplough — and the fact that shovelling must be done (also new for us). We all take turns, so it is a lot more manageable.
Growing up in South Africa we always had a nanny and it has taken some adjustment not to have a nanny to help with the housework. The kids grew up with our darling [nanny] Geraldine and there were lots of tears when we moved to Canada. It is a mindset and we all get stuck in with the housework now, but it can sometimes alter my happiness for sure! Cleaning can be a grind, right?
Health and well-being
I have never been healthier. I am so impressed with the level of health care here — it’s just amazing. I really struggled with leaky gut [increased intestinal permeability] in South Africa and got to see top professors who did help a little. Since getting treatment in Canada, with access to the latest technology and research, I am almost bursting at the seams with excitement about my health and well-being. We have been lucky not only to have the standard healthcare from Canada but also have health insurance through my husband’s company. I believe if you can have this, your life is a lot easier.
Once you have lived in Canada for three months you are entitled to health care. I am not that clued up on this though.
A health care facility in the country
What was the hardest thing about moving to Canada and being an expat?
It’s always the same thing: moving abroad makes you mourn your family and friends. It is very challenging and there’s no way around it except to start dealing with it in a very real way.
I learned that the old phrase ‘time is a healer’ is true! I never really understood it until I got to Canada as an expat and didn’t know anyone. After two and half years, I have made amazing friends that I can count on and only now feel I can say that I am ‘home’. It just takes time.
A massive challenge is that, as an expat, looking for a job in a new country, you have no network that can refer you or recommend you as a potential candidate. Every job I have taken has been through word of mouth. This means that you will need to do your own canvassing and scouting. It’s not easy.
Oakville, Ontario – a suburb of Toronto
How has moving abroad affected your career?
Moving abroad has made me rethink my whole life! I come from a corporate sales environment and now I am learning to be a yoga teacher. I have a blog and a YouTube channel — really? Me?! I would never have guessed I would walk this path. I feel strongly that when you are taken out of your comfort zone and have some time away from what you are accustomed to, you get to think of the possibilities. Canada is a much bigger country than South Africa, where the middle class is huge in comparison. I learned very quickly that the possibilities are endless of what I can do and achieve. I am so grateful.
What support could companies give to expat employees to help them settle in?
To have a destination consultant is the most amazing gift a company could give an expat. We were very fortunate to have had this experience and it was incredible to have a person meet you almost every day, get us going and help with information.
Our consultant put us in contact with a great estate agent and we immediately started looking at houses every day (we are now close friends with our estate agent and visit them at their cottage!). Our consultant helped me find the groceries I was looking for, school boards to connect with, where to get insurance numbers, drivers licences and even snow boots! It was the best thing that could have happened to us.
How have you found staying fit and healthy in your new home?
In the beginning when it was snowing and very cold, I found it very difficult to find a way to keep fit. I never thought through the fact that running on the road is not really an option. We didn’t want to join a gym since we were not sure where we wanted to live. We bought a treadmill and used it for one winter before it became the most expensive clothes horse! Our challenge was going to be winter.
I started streaming videos on YouTube and this is where my yoga journey began. There are amazing facilities in Canada where you can keep fit, the local recreational centres (which often have a library attached) are geared up for every sport you can think of — and swimming pools too! It’s a great way to get out with your kids and skate or swim, play soccer or volleyball.
Does the local culture support/encourage staying fit and healthy?
Yes, very much so. There are gyms on every corner and, because hockey is the main sport of Canada, kids play all through winter — before school, after school and in the evenings. Everyone plays, from little children to adults way over 60 years old. It is such a great culture. In grade 9, all kids have to take gym (which includes health) as a subject in Toronto. This exposes them to all types of sport, even yoga!
Ice hockey – a national passion
Do you have access to outside spaces or facilities?
Yes, we do. There are trails and walks all over Canada that are well maintained throughout the summer and often just off your street. I have just got back from a 6km walk that runs along 16-Mile Creek. It’s just so incredible and I feel so grateful to have this on our doorstep. There are also lots of leash-free dog parks which is not only social for the dogs but also dog owners.
Oakland, Ontario
What is the local diet like?
We were quite taken aback with the amount of fast food restaurants everywhere. We don’t have this in South Africa, but I realised it was something we would have to get used to. I find it interesting that people love Subway here. It is a fast way to eat a relatively healthy meal on the go, on the way to or from sports etc. People lead very busy lives here.
St Lawrence Market, Toronto
On the whole, the grocery stores are laden with incredible fresh produce from all over the world. There is nothing that you cannot find here. With a large Asian population, we also have incredible Asian products — which I love! Canada also boasts that all its milk is farmed in Canada and is well known for that.
There are many start-up businesses selling organically farmed produce to individual homes, from meat products to vegetables and condiments. They also sell cleaning products that aren’t harmful to the environment. These farms are located in Canada and their farming methods are incredible to see. There is a large movement which supports getting back to basics, using traditional farming methods, reducing the carbon footprint and recycling etc.
If you could change one thing about your life as an expat, what would it be?
I wouldn’t change a thing!
What are the best things about being an expat in Canada?
I get to sleep soundly at night like never before. We come from a place where I was held up by eight men at gunpoint — living with fear isn’t great. I wake up every single day so grateful to live in this beautiful place. I am aware that violent things happen all over the world and that Canada is not all roses, but it is my home now and it has treated me so well — it’s a great place for us to be.
My kids have the best opportunities at school and for university. My daughters are 15 and 17 and they are thankful to live here and grab every opportunity they can.
My South African accent. I never gave it a thought when we moved. Daily, people still ask me where I am from. Toronto has the most diverse population in the world which makes for very interesting conversations and sights! I love my new country.
Autumn around Rock Lake in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada
“When we landed in Canada it was a very cold January — definitely not what we are familiar with”
