I’m sorry if the title brought you here in hopes I’d be talking about who would win in a fist fight between Canada and South Africa. That would be ridiculous because there couldn’t be any possible way of knowing (but for the record, it would totally be Canada. We’re able to harness the power of poutine). When I say Canada vs South Africa, what I MEAN to say is I’m going to look at the differences I’ve noticed between the two countries. I’m sort of qualified to talk about this because I’m a Canadian who moved to South Africa 11 months ago.
1) The View From Here
Sorry, South Africa. Canada’s got you beat here. The wildlife in South Africa is absolutely incredible, and yes, you have the beaches in Cape Town and Durban and a few hills here and there, but, I mean:
This lake is mostly urine-free.
South Africa has a LOT of flat, featureless land. If you’re going to argue with me on that and you haven’t driven through the Rockies or looked at the view from Vancouver, you don’t have a leg to stand on. There’s a ton of beautiful things to see in South Africa, don’t get me wrong. But as far as scenery goes, Canada’s tough to beat.
2) The Food
Alright, South Africa, you win this round. It’s not even a contest. It’s like Mike Tyson in his prime boxing against an infant in a wheelchair. A man’s entire sense of worth is based on his ability to cook outside, and I THOUGHT I was a master back in Canada. Then I came here. The guys don’t cook when they braai- they PERFORM. And the audience is enthusiastic, watching in anticipation, waiting for their chance to seize the braai tongs should the braai master be foolish enough to put them down for even a fraction of a second because then THEY can show off their manhood to the adoring crowd (take that as literally or as figuratively as you want). Everything from your choice of meat, the way you tend your coals, the height of your grill from the heat, and the frequency of flipping the meat will be scrutinized. If you pull it off just right, you’ll be the hero of the day, and so you should be because a braai is the closest you’ll ever be to heaven on earth. Sorry, Canada. You can keep your BBQs. They belong in the toy bin.
The restaurants are great in both countries, but come on, South Africa, no free drink refills? I’ll give you a pass because you do everything else so well.
3) TV
Both Canada and South Africa have extensive channel selections, and both countries offer exactly nothing interesting to watch. Don’t even bother. South Africa recently got Netflix, which is dope, but the content is pretty sparse compared to Canadian Netflix. And Canadian Netflix has terrible content compared to the United States. Just go outside- there’s lots to do in both Canada and South Africa
4) Family Activities
This is a tough one. Canada offers a bunch of really cool activities. In the year before we left, we went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Drumheller, Niagara Falls, and Santa’s Village. Plus we took several road trips, went camping, watched some whales, and did a bunch of other things that I can’t even remember.
Pictured: the ugliest spot in all over Canada. And it’s still amazing.
But most of that stuff took planning and involved some travel. Also, things tend to be kind of expensive in Canada.
From where we live in South Africa, we can do a day trip to an incredible nature reserve that has all the Big 5 (elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, and cape buffalo), visit Gold Reef City, hang out with elephants, or have countless other one-of-a-kind experiences. And if we want to go for a little bit of a drive, we can hit the ocean in Durban or go to my favourite place on earth, Kruger National Park. And all this stuff costs a fraction of what much lamer things cost in Canada, so South Africa has the edge on this one.
5) Efficiency
The less said about this, the better. Plus, I’ve already talked about it at length here, here, and here. Canada all the way here.
6) Sense of Freedom
Ok, I know that’s worded super awkwardly. Whatever- you know what I mean by that, so stop judging me. I’ve already talked about the perception of safety in South Africa. Because of the relatively high crime rate here, everything is on lock down. One of the biggest things that struck me when we moved to South Africa was the ubiquity of very high walls, barbed wire, and electric fences. And we live in a security estate that has guards, walls, and an electric fence. Then our house IN the estate also has a huge wall. To start with, it felt like a prison, but I don’t even notice it anymore. However, I’m told that one of the things about Canada that really strikes South Africans is the absence of all these security measures. Canada’s on top with this one.
I mean, it’s a nice prison, but it’s still a prison.
7) Cost of Living
This one is tricky. When I moved to South Africa, I was told how much cheaper everything would be. Turns out that’s only kinda true. Yes, food, entertainment, and housing (if you buy) is cheaper than in Canada. But toys, electronics, clothes, and cars are WAY more expensive here, and once you factor in the fact that South Africans make less money on average, it’s really kind of a wash. And inflation in South Africa averages about 9% per year, while in Canada it’s closer to 2%. So if your wages don’t keep up at the same rate, you’re going to be fighting an uphill battle. No real winner in this category.
8) Mail
Forget about using the mail service in South Africa. When stuff DOES get delivered, it’s generally about an 8-12 week journey from overseas, and only the first week of that takes place outside of South Africa. But even then it’s a crapshoot, because post office employees in South Africa are well known for doing their own personal “shopping” from packages they’re supposed to deliver. If you want to get something sent to you in South Africa, use a courier. As much as Canadians love to hate Canada Post, they actually do their jobs, and they do them well. You win this one, Canada.
9) The Weather
In what should be considered the most obvious sentence ever written, South African weather CRUSHES Canadian weather. Ever have your boogers freeze in your nose? I hope not, because no human being ever deserves that. Yet it’s happened to me. Hundreds and hundreds of times. You know what I haven’t done since moving to South Africa? Slipped on ice. Nor have I had to buy winter tires for my car. On Christmas Eve last year, I called my parents. It was 36 degrees Celsius at my house. It was -35 degrees there. Does a 71-degree difference in temperature sound ridiculous to you? It should, because it is. Based on this point alone, I would highly recommend every single Canadian move to South Africa. I promise you won’t miss getting frostbite on your junk every time you want to go streaking in December.
Guess which country I was in when I took this picture…
10) Insulation
Well, this seems like a strange thing to talk about when comparing Canada vs South Africa, doesn’t it? Yes and no. It seems like such a minor thing, but remember when I talked about the weather in South Africa just a few seconds ago? It doesn’t really get cold here, and winter is pretty short, but I’ve never been colder in my life than I’ve been in South Africa. The houses aren’t insulated, and there are usually small spaces around doors and windows through which air can flow. This means that when it’s 10 degrees outside, it’s 10 degrees inside. It doesn’t matter how cold it is outside in Canada- it’s always going to be nice and cozy inside because we’ve figured out how to build stuff that keeps freaking heat in! South Africa, you fail miserably here.
11) People
I get it. There are terrible people in EVERY country. But for now, I’m going to make broad, sweeping generalizations because even though everybody knows making broad, sweeping generalizations is a terrible thing to do, broad, sweeping generalizations are how most people make sense of the world. And here it is: South Africans are friendlier than Canadians. Sure, there are those who will rob and/or kill you, but the ones who won’t will become your best friends. Us Canadians are very polite. And boring. We’ll say hello and continue on our way. South Africans will say hello, ask about your day, ask about your life, make you late for work, then invite you to their house so they can show off their skills at the almighty braai. Any of you Canadians who want to prove me wrong, answer me this: how many new friends have you made in the last year? I just had a Canada Day party at my house with over 30 new friends, and I’ve only been here a few months. South Africa wins the friendly competition.
And the winner is….
Does there have to be a winner? Of course there does, because EVERYTHING is a competition. While Canada is safe, beautiful, and efficient, it’s also boring, predictable, and cliquey. In my books, South Africa – with its wild unpredictability, its mind-blowing weather, and seemingly unlimited activities – is where I want to be.
Plus, South Africa has elephants.
So many elephants.
But at the end of the day, home is where the heart is. Where’s YOUR heart?
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Interesting perspective from an expat. Enjoyed reading your blog. Btw I Love love Canada’s maple syrup tea!
Thanks for the comments, Mokha! Our maple syrup EVERYTHING is awesome- we put that stuff in all kinds of things! There was even a rumour that our new money smells like maple syrup (it doesn’t but it’s a good urban legend!)
Amazing list! I moved to Johannesburg from Ottawa almost two years ago and this is EXACTLY what I’ve been saying to everyone back home, especially those who scoff at how cold winters get in South African houses! Enjoy your time here in SA and keep an eye on the hockey back home 😀
Thanks for the comment, Chris! I grew up in the interior of BC, yet nothing could prepare me for being cold INSIDE my own dang house!
Re: hockey- I haven’t found any stations here that show it. Looks like I’ll be digging into streaming options for that and NFL this year…
I moved from Calgary to Pietermaritzburg 10 years ago and consider myself to be blessed to have two homes…one in beautiful Canada and my new home in wonderful Pietermaritzburg!
It’s beautiful in P-Burg! I don’t know if anybody actually calls it that, but I do, starting one sentence ago. I’ll bet you don’t miss the Calgary winters- I’ve spent enough time there in the snow to know I couldn’t do it again!
‘Maritzburg (aka “Sleepy Hollow”) not beautiful, but then few cities are ever beautiful to me. However, its proximity to the Drakensberg makes it spectacularly beautiful, plus the immediate surrounds are gorgeous.
We’re heading to Drakensburg next week for the first time- I can’t wait to see it!
Spent 10 years in Toronto before returning to SA. Canada is way more stimulating – you feel you are where it is all happening, whereas in SA it is more about survival.
I think the unfamiliar is always more stimulating. But I do get what you mean for sure! I hope my home country treated you well (sorry about the Leafs, by the way).
Wonderful to hear comments from both sides with personal experience. The best of marula is the animals encountering the fruit in season but being a frequenter of our Kruger N P? You must have encounterd their antiques? Enjoy.
I’ve never actually witnessed the effects of marula on the animals in Kruger yet, but I’ve heard about it! Something I’d love to see for sure.
Awesome blog. An endless debate stimulated by great characteristics of both countries, which I guess is the point. From a South African who lived in Canada for 5 years, I really did appreciate this post.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Neels! There’s a lot to appreciate in both countries, and so much depends on one’s own perception. I don’t blame the South Africans who move to Canada, just as I don’t blame the Canadians who move here!
Being Canadian born and just returned after 5 weeks visiting family, so many differences which I love about both! Choices choices choices!
I hear you! In my opinion, Canada and South Africa are two of the best countries in the world, for very different reasons. If the best of both places were combined, it would be a supercountry!
South Africa is a unique place. I grew up there but as a Belgian citizen I live in UK and work in Germany. 1 month over Christmas is dedicated to going “Home” to SA to see friends and family, get some sun, eats loads of good food (BRAAI’s) and drink good wine. Nothing beats a sunset in Africa 🙂
Absolutely! I’m also fortunate enough to see the sunrise every morning- it takes the sting of being awake so early a little easier to bear.
My family and I are in the process of relocating from Cape Town to Vancouver but we are still very hesitant to do so. I don’t want to leave my home country and end up in a country where you have to work ten times harder. I have a home in South Africa and we are planning on selling it and move over to Canada and retire there oneday. What is your take on this and do you have any pointer for me and my family that we need to consider before doing it.
Hi Brent, my one piece of advice is- the grass is always greener on the other side. I can almost promise that your first year will be great, but you’ll come to miss the craziness and quality of life in South Africa. On the other hand, crime (at least violent crime) isn’t much of an issue in Vancouver. There are a few forums for South Africans in Canada that I’ve seen online- I think your best bet would be to search out some of those.
Best of luck! I think South Africa and Canada are the two best countries in the world, so you won’t go wrong either way!
I actually enjoyed reading your research statement about south Africa. In fact you are 95% correct, however do you think south African will enjoy to stay in Canada? Please don’t get me wrong, this is without discriminating anyone…..warmth, love and friendliness is our secret in SA. You can see that from our late former President Nelson Mandela.
Thanks for your comment! I think every person will have different experiences, obviously. Some South Africans love it in Canada, some hate the boring predictability and get back to South Africa (and all its wonderful insanity) the first chance they get!
Hi. I’m started the Express Entry process to emigrate to Canada, haven’t yet decided between Ontario and Vancouver. I am worried about finding a job just so that I don’t digin too deep into my savings. I am an attorney here in Pretoria I’ll obviously study before I can practice there. How hard to get a job there even if it’s not in my field?
There’s no easy answer to your question, but if you have all your paperwork in order, jobs are much easier to find in Canada than in South Africa. Unemployment is relatively low, and if you’re skilled, you should be fine.
Hi,
I liked reading your blog as we are thinking about immigrating to Canada from SA. I was wondering, if we would be able to survive the cold in Canada?
Absolutely! In Canada, even when it’s cold out, you’ll stay warm. You’ll go from your heated house to your heated car to your heated office. I freeze here in South Africa because most buildings don’t have heat.
And if you need to be outside in the winter in Canada, you’ll have the appropriate clothes, so you’ll stay nice and toasty!
Good day,
I enjoyed your blog so much, it gave me an insight to Canada that, in some cases, I was not aware of.
We have 2 toddlers and me, as a mom, just want to get them out of this country. In my opinion, they do not have a future here. I have been thinking, dreaming of emigrating to Canada, but my hold-back is.. my husband. He is a family person and do not want to leave them behind. He is also afraid of the unknown.
Do you have any motivation for me as to persuade him to go to Canada or should I rather give it a rest? At the end of the day I realise that we will most probably only have each other and I do not want him resenting me for going to Canada if he does not adapt there.
Hi! I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog.
Oh man, this is a tough one. I can ALMOST guarantee that you’ll both fall in love with Canada. Almost. I wouldn’t want you putting your marriage on the line based on what I said though!
That being said, my most recent blog might give some more insight- you can find it here: https://www.mapleandmarula.com/what-to-expect-when-you-move-from-south-africa-to-canada/
Either way, best of luck!
Hi, I’m from Canada too. We came from Ottawa in November 2017 to Worcester to love on kids in the townships as teachers, and in after-school programmes. We plan to be here until November 2020 (on a three year visa). I identify with many of your comments. We are living in a gated retirement village, and have burgler bars on the windows. We’ve become used to that. The insulation and SA cold winter has been a challenge, but so has the heat in the summer. The food, wow; even though we still miss turkey, egg nog and certain things at Christmas. But hey, milk tart, bobotie, boerewors, and SA wine is fabulous. We do have incredible mountain passes in the Western Cape, which I try not to compare to the mountains in western Alberta and through BC. Love them both. And the wind. Oh boy. And the efficiency! Eish, and I mean eish. I am thankful that we have SA expat stores in the GTA region – now we need a Canadian expat store or two… especially since we’ve given people a taste of maple that we brought with us (maple candies from Laura Secord). I look forward to reading more of your blog.
I feel you on all your points! And yes, a Canadian store would be great! I’ve been able to find maple syrup here, but at exorbitant prices! I’d also like to be able to buy graham crackers, real chocolate chips, and Dr Pepper. There’s more, but those are the three I’m craving right now!
Hey thanks for the laughs. I enjoyed reading your blog. I sure would like to meet other expats. Been living here for a few years and miss the Canadian perspective.
I haven’t run into many Canadians here. Only a couple so far. A ton of Americans though, so close enough. What city are you in?
I’m in Johannesburg, west Rand, near Clearwater. Any expats around here would love to hear from you!