Lisa Colquhoun and her husband moved overseas as newlyweds in 2012; the pair never quite settled in despite living there for 11 years, they have returned home to South Africa and are sharing the process online.
Durban, South Africa (23 June 2023) – There are groups online growing in popularity for South Africans and they promote families returning to our beloved country. One group is quite popular, called “Return to South Africa” and there are over 13,000 members.
Lisa and Zane Colquhoun recently returned home to South Africa after living in the United Kingdom for 11 years. They had moved overseas in 2012 shortly after getting married.
Lisa shared their story on the return group and it was very well received. The group offers support to those making the move home, offering practical advice and encouragement for the return. For Lisa and Zane, they missed the essence of South Africans; the friendly, sociable manner and kindness that South Africans embody. They felt isolated and after many long conversations, the only way they could see an improvement in their lives, would be to go home again.
We got a chance to speak to Lisa about what it was like coming home and what others can take away from it.
“The month before we left had been a whirlwind of packing and selling up the last 11 years of our lives, so we were exhausted when we arrived at King Shaka. There have been some moments of realising we haven’t booked a return ticket back to the UK! But as we are meeting up with familiar faces and getting into a new routine, I feel like a local again and it’s great.”
They are most looking forward to being embraced by South African culture and friendliness again. That and obviously reuniting with family, having their children grow up amongst family.
“There is something very special about this country and the people who live here.”
When asked what advice they have for South Africans considering the move back to SA, Lisa shares that it is complex so there is no one size fits all answer.
“That’s a tough one because everyone has a different story. For us it was considering our children’s future. That may sound contradictory seeing as many people think education is better in first world countries…But the future for our children didn’t look like 4 walls in a tiny house. It looked like tall trees with cheeky monkeys in them, the discovery of something squishy in the mud with their cousins and coming home with dirty toes.
But If I had to give advice it would be to consider the move both objectively and subjectively. If you are at conflict with your decision, ask yourself what is keeping you where you are. Decide what it is that you and your family really need and remember that health and happiness overlap deep pockets.
What you need may not look like what you have right now.Zane and I went back and forth about returning soon after our daughter was born in 2019. We were desperately seeking close connection again. It was only 4 years after that we finalised our decision. We just knew our season had come to an end.”
The children have been having the best time exploring nature with their cousins. Lisa and Zane are still working on the next steps but for them, being home has made things all the better.
Lisa is sharing their journey online which you can read here. If you are a South African and interested in returning, you can join the group here.
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