Ok, I’ve been living in South Africa for 3 years now, in Johannesburg actually, and here is the product of my knowledge:
1) Afrikaans is not mandatory, Afrikaans speakers will appreciate it if you try, as will Zulu speakers (and about 80% of the population can understand Zulu – so a better language to learn…), Xhosa speakers, Swazi speakers….or any other of the 11 official languages! Saying this though, I’ve managed to get by fine, and my only language is English (with a strong accent).
2) South Africa is an amazing place to live *
– Weather is awesome – winter temperatures range from 16 degrees C upwards, depending on where you are.
– People are friendly, again, there are always exceptions, but generally true.
– If you’re sporty, it’s the place to be
3)* South Africa is a scary place to live
– S.A. has an issue with crime – everywhere. This is not limited to Johannesburg, or Gauteng as a whole, everywhere. Durban and Cape Town included. If you want to live here, it’s something you have to come to terms with – rape is relatively common, along with all types of violent crime. I personally don’t want my kids to grow up here, but that’s because I can’t handle the worry.
– 25% or so of the population is HIV positive – if you don’t have a significant other already, be careful ;)
4) It may not be as easy as you think to be able to get a work permit – if you can second, or transfer from an existing company, then this will help greatly, otherwise visit the dept of home affairs on teh interweb, you can download all the forms you need. There is a shortage of highly skilled workers here, so if you have some skills in an area that’s needed, shouldn’t be any problem…
Hope this helps…