Former SA Expat: “Why I Chose to Raise My Kids in South Africa”

“Why on earth would you leave France to come back to South Africa?” It’s a question I get asked so often – and the response always varies… writes Chantal Dewolf.

I lived in Paris, France for seven years, but as soon as we found out we were expecting the Twincesses, we started planning to relocate to South Africa.

Part of that decision was due to the fact that I wanted my children to have a childhood similar to mine. A childhood of sunny days at the beach, surrounded by family. Days of playing with their friends outside and riding their bikes up and down the neighbourhood streets.

I know that SO MUCH has changed in South Africa since I was a child though. Crime has escalated exponentially, and the days of playing in the streets are well and truly over for most kids in South Africa.

Yet, I don’t see our decision to relocate to SA as a gamble… I see it as a leap of faith.

My kids will only have one childhood. And my intention is to fill that childhood with wonderful memories for them to cherish when they are older. Part of those memories will be having their extended family around them.

The biggest motivating factor for me to make the move back was my family.

They are all in South Africa, and I did not want my kids growing up to feel like strangers around them. Watching them with their grandma … my heart melts. I wouldn’t trade it for a million euros!

Space was another deciding factor for us. We lived in the heart of Paris, a stone’s throw from the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. But our apartment was a mere 45m2. That’s pretty average by city-dwelling standards…but i could NOT imagine raising TWO children in that cramped space.

Yes, there was the option to move – buy a bigger place, but that would have meant a mortgage or rental, and most definitely a place OUTSIDE of the city, as real estate prices in Paris are through the roof!

While in SA, we reside in a four bedroom house with a large backyard, large, open spaces to have the extended family over for braais and sleepovers, and our very own pool which the kids just adore. We could never have had this in France.

We did not make the decision to relocate to South Africa lightly. We had 2 stable, well-paying jobs and left it all for a step into the unknown.

We considered various factors such as the cost of living, healthcare, quality of life and safety. We thought about it long and hard, and changed our minds at least twice before finally deciding to take the leap of faith.

There are some days when I question my decision (opening a newspaper normally does that)…but do I regret my choice to raise my children in South Africa? A resounding NO.

THIS is where we are meant to be right now. The option to go back to France will always be there as dual nationality makes it relatively simple to reconsider….and it may very well be something we do in the future when the girls are older (as the thought of them being teenagers in SA sometimes scares me)… but for now, right here is where we belong.

And I intend to live our lives to the fullest, and enjoy every moment in our sunny, vibrant country that has SO MUCH going for it, in spite of all the negativity.

Chantal Dewolf is a mom of twin girls: Avalon Robin and Harper Grace – a.k.a The Twincesses. This post was republished with her kind permission. Please see the original on Chantal’s blog, TwincessDiaries.

Follow the Twincesses on Instagram: instagram.com/dewolf_twins