Patriotic South African Expats Went All the Way to Vote for SA: 4 Amazing Stories

Photos and stories have poured in from SAPeople members around the world who voted overseas in the SA elections on Freedom Day, 27 April 2019. Here we’ve selected just four messages that reveal the heart and passion of South African expats worldwide, still inextricably linked to their beloved homeland…

Sonja VanNiekerk DeBeer, Venezuela – “The Embassy opened specially for us”:

We flew from Maracaibo in the west of Venezuela to Caracas the capital. We were the ONLY two voters registered! The embassy opened specially for us and had everything ready and the staff were super professional. Even the ambassador was there to meet the only South Africans to vote. Everything was done properly. We stayed the night in Caracas before flying back. We are proud South Africans. We are international teachers at an international school in Maracaibo.

Karen Kuhlmann Schrieder, Copenhagen, Denmark – Meeting the daughter of the man who inspired South Africa & the world on Freedom Day! 

We voted on Saturday in Copenhagen! What a fantastic experience and we met Zindziswa Mandela, the Ambassador! Our best voting experience! ??(Politician Zindziswa Mandela-Hlongwane, SA’s ambassador to Denmark, is the daughter of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.)

Flower La Elizabeth Warner in Seoul, South Korea – “It was bittersweet…”:

????|SA ELECTIONS VOTING ABROAD| ???? How do I put Saturday into words?
It was bittersweet, it was symbolic, it was emotional… Did I ever imagine that I would be in Korea casting my vote? No, but here I am. 300 plus South Africans registered in Korea to vote and although I wish that number was even higher I am proud of all my fellow friends who did take the time to vote.

Saturday was not only Voting day but more importantly Freedom Day in SA. It marked exactly 25 years since the first democratic election. I sat wondering on Saturday what Madiba must be thinking looking down on our country from above. I wonder if the current state of the country would make him proud?

The fact of the matter is that so many of us continue to remain in Korea because of the situation back home. I never I imagined I would spend the better half of my twenties in Korea, but I have because Korea is giving me a life that I honestly just don’t think my South Africa can give me right now. Despite the current state of South Africa, I voted. I voted because I would like to believe that it will count for something. We may not see the results and the outcomes that we so hope to see for our country right now, but I do believe that casting your vote will and can be part of the change that is so needed in South Africa. We cannot expect to see the change if we do not do our part in trying to create the change to begin with.
➡️SHOUTOUT to our incredible embassy for their hard work on Saturday, for all that you do for us in Korea and allowing me to be super irritating and take photos! Yes I got my “voting” shot.감사합니다 ♡
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To every Saffa in Korea and abroad who voted, thank you. ♡ May God bless our rainbow nation. ♡

Melissa Lottering, Living in China, Voted in Hong Kong – “A storm broke out while crossing the border…”

I live in Beijing, but we had an ACAMIS language teaching workshop in Shenzhen this weekend. I had to register my vec10 at the Hong Kong consulate so I could cross the border to vote here. I only left the conference in Shenzhen after 3pm, and a storm broke out while crossing the border at Shenzhen Bay (so bad that many flights were delayed) but I managed to get across to Wanchai before 7 to vote!

The vibe at the HK embassy was amazing and festive feeling, the voting was exciting, and the accents and just the friendly, welcoming faces of every person working there had me a bit emotional when I left. I’ve been living in China for almost 6 years now, and I still adore my country. I feel so homesick every time I visit an embassy! Which to date has only been good experiences, at both Hong Kong and Beijing!

It was a privilege to vote! ??❤
Melissa

Visit SAPeople’s photo page to view more photos of South Africans voting abroad!