[somberi]

Spent 2 years in Joburg (Otherwise split my time between Manhattan and Bangalore). Joburg has some of the best of the world in terms of food, sport and nature.

But.

The fear of being mugged or shot at always lingered - always. When you sleep, when you drive, when you go for a jog. We stayed in one of the expensive parts of Joburg (Sandhurst / Hyde Park) and still that did not help feel secure. Next door neighbors got shot at. The neighbors on the other side got their gate rammed in and plundered.

Our company refused to give us our rental allowance if the property did not have 24/7 surveillance including armed guards.

We did not mind losing our possessions, but a break in would have affected my wife for life. As sad as we were to leave Joburg, and South Africa in general, we were happy we left safe.