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Sean Winters is a chartered financial analyst with Riscura and moved to Mauritius five years ago for business reasons. He calls it Africa’s investment gateway and, with Riscura’s focus on emerging markets, the perfect place to establish a centre of excellence.
‘The company promotes a healthy work/lifestyle balance with time and place flexibility, as long as you get the job done – a big attraction when you live in a place like Mauritius.’
Sean believes it’s money worth spending to hire a relocation agent: ‘Ours was Dodo Relocations, operational on the island for decades. You can DIY, but agents add value by accelerating your knowledge of the island.
‘If you have a young family with kids, they share info on schools, medical care and cars. They take you through different areas and introduce you to credible estate agents, explaining how the rental markets work.
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‘Lots of families move many times in their first year, not having properly investigated locations or reliable realtors. Agents also provide access to properties not on the public market, are in on the culture, and have many pointers to your make your move much easier,’ says Sean.
Pros and cons
‘The natural beauty still makes me pinch myself after five years of living here. It’s great for hiking and mountain biking, with lots of mountains in the South. It’s a safe environment for a young family – kids can do lots more, independently, from a young age.’
Sean loves the friendly people, exposure to different ethnicities, and acceptance of all religions. ‘It’s a fantastic feeling to share different religious holidays and celebrate it together, no matter where you’re from.’
Finally, Sean says the strong expat community makes it a relatively easy destination to relocate to for South Africans. ‘You meet people on similar footing straight away. They are very supportive, and friends are made quickly.’
On the ‘cons’ side? It’s expensive! ‘Being on an island, most products we consume are imported, which costs a lot of money. The most common moan is the price of meat, wine and absence of Woolies food. You pay more for beef and lamb, and our wines are two to three times more expensive, so best you get to know your French wines.
‘Also, cabin fever is real… It’s a small island without the expansive South African landscape, so budget for an annual family getaway – it’s always great to come back to Mauritius.’
If you could turn back time? ‘I would’ve started learning French much sooner,’ says Sean, adding that the Duolingo app is perfect for basics. ‘You can get by with English, the official language, but Mauritians appreciate it when expats make an effort with French. It certainly helps on the business front, as well as in all personal dealings.’
Honeymoon forever
Michelle Conway moved to the island with her husband and two teenaged daughters in June, and says they are still in the ‘honeymoon phase’. They didn’t hire an agent to facilitate their move; the Conways have spent much time visiting Mauritius over 15 years, so had many connections before relocating.
‘It’s essential to decide upfront what you want from your move, and where you choose to live, explains Michelle. ‘For most South Africans the West coast is first option. It’s beautiful, more modern and organised, but no fun for the kids.
‘The North is happening with an excellent vibe, lots of choices where to live and magnificent beaches. A downside is that villages are older with narrower roads, and many dilapidated buildings in-between the modern ones.’
Michelle says renting is cheaper than buying, and that entry on an investment permit is advisable. ‘There are other options in terms of permits, financial immigration and retirement, which kicks in at 50. Look into these and your various tax options carefully.’
Finally, Michelle raves about the low crime rate. ‘Your kids are safe and my girls walk to the beach on their own. I see the difference in all of our tension levels.’
Terrific retirement
Jenny Laas, 64, has called Mauritius home for the past two years. She relocated on a retirement permit and prefers renting to buying for the time being. Her son, his wife and Jenny’s granddaughter also live on the island. Jenny cites ‘missing old friends’ as one of the only disadvantages.
‘We are extremely happy here, no regrets whatsoever. Joburg life became too stressful – we were constantly anxious and scared. We sold everything: beautiful homes, fancy cars all of our furniture. What we save on security alarms, inverters, and insurance makes up for extra expenses. Most importantly, meds and data are way cheaper.
‘We enjoy a simpler, better quality life now – no fear, no animosity, no aggravation.’
