From South Africa to New Zealand with Abré Van Wyk (KarooKiwi) -Ep 49
From The Relocated South African | Emigration stories by Jan Hugo - Emigration stories expert
February 16, 2026 · 38 min
About this episode
Abré Van Wyk shares his emigration journey from South Africa to New Zealand, discussing the immigration process, community integration, and cultural differences.
In this episode, I speak with Abré Van Wyk the host of the KarooKiwi podcast about his personal story of moving from South Africa to Hamilton, New Zealand. He highlights the immigration process, community integration, and the realities of living abroad. We explore his insights on setting up a business, cultural differences, and maintaining connections with South Africa. We discuss building community and networks in New Zealand and the inspiration behind the Karookiwi podcast. He shares some sound advice for anyone considering emigration. Abré gives us a bit of insight into the cost of living in New Zealand versus South Africa and Australia. He also stresses how important it is to maintain mental health and faith while abroad. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to Abré’s story and podcast 04:10 - Deciding to move to New Zealand after visiting family 07:12 - The role of family and community in expatriation 08:36 - Origins and goals of the KarooKiwi podcast 10:03 - Guests and topics featured on KarooKiwi podcast 16:39 - Comparing New Zealand and Australia for emigrants 17:40 - Meeting South Africans and social integration 18:45 - Local social customs and community life 20:13…
People in this episode
Host: Jan
Guest: Abré Van Wyk
Topics covered
- emigration
- immigration process
- community integration
- living abroad
- cultural differences
- business setup
- cost of living
- mental health
Keywords
- KarooKiwi
- New Zealand
- South Africa
- Australia
- expatriation
- community networks
Mentioned in this episode
Places: South Africa, New Zealand, Hamilton, Australia
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