I Moved to Canada - Now What?

On July 2025, I accepted a job offer in Canada, and on the 23rd of August 2025, I landed in Canada. Despite the mixed opinions surrounding Canadian immigration (and many other country), and my hawkishness against leaving South Africa, I came to a decision to try out a move to Canada. I was not "hypnotized" into the glossy and beautiful image that TikTok and Instagram content creators present of emigration (how I am living on some coastline city earning $500K+ a year). In this post, I want to cover my reasons for emigrating from South Africa, life in Canada so far, and provide some useful tips and pointers for anyone else looking to make similar decisions. My intent is not to repeat the vast body of immigration-related knowledge, nor to make you pay for information that shouldn't come with a charge (lots of people want to make a quick buck in the 'Great Migration Slush Fund').

The Precursor to Emigration

For a while now, I always had the idea of moving to Canada at the back of my mind, but I always had been against the idea. This sounds a bit weird, more so given how it seemingly is fashionable to emigrate from South Africa to a developed nation. The short story is, I understood then that my life in South Africa was pretty good, and that every country has its fair share of problems, advantages, and disadvantages. As a tech professional in South Africa, my net worth was already in the top 5–10% of South Africans. South Africa does have problems, like many other countries, but I did not believe that such problems were a hinderance to my life. As an upper-middle-class South African, I was, in a way, living in a bubble, kissed by the amazing sunshine and atmosphere of Cape Town and The Republic of the Western Cape (Western Cape separatists please pipe down, this is shade!).

In the last 1 and a half years, the idea of applying for the expat experience began percolating in my world. "Do you really want to upend your life this?", "Do you understand the gravity of making such a decision?", "The global economy is being held together with bobby pins and prayers, are you sure about this?" and "Okuhle... gurl, make up your mind! You are not going to be young forever, and you have BEEEEEN dragging your feet on this matter for 84 years now!" – these were some of the thoughts firing in my mind from time-to-time. After much thought, and having invoked the notwithstanding clause in my life (this is a Canadian reference), I threw down the gauntlet and began the job search process. I got a job offer in July 2025 and left South Africa on the 22nd August 2025. In the words of Whitney Houston, I do have the receipts to substantiate my claims, don't make me pull 'em up! (source to famous clip)

Why Canada?

Choosing Canada as a destination was an easy choice. My hesitation to move was more on the mixed opinions surrounding Canadian immigration, together with my initial assessments of my current life, and the fear of downward mobility.

I chose Canada because I am already a Canadian citizen! The short story is, my late father was a Canadian citizen, and based on Canada's rules for citizenship by descent, I was eligible to claim Canadian citizenship. My father spoke fondly of his time living and working in Edmonton, Alberta. In October 2019, I sent my application and evidence supporting my claim to the High Commision of Canada in Pretoria. The embassy reviewed my application package and sent the paperwork to the Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia. In 2021, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) approved my application and sent my Canadian citizenship certificate and later, my Canadian passport to the High Commission of Canada in Pretoria, South Africa. I could officially claim my spot at the "dual citizens" table!

SIDE NOTE: This is where I learnt that embassies/consulates use the diplomatic bag to send official documents and other consignments to their home country. The immigration official at the High Commission did mention that my application was sent via the diplomatic bag. Under Article 27 of the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations of 1961, the diplomatic bag enjoys many privileges, including immunity from detention from any foreign governments.

I could have left for Canada in 2021 had I actively pursued the pathway. However, I did not believe that the time was ripe, and I was still against the idea of moving.

Becoming a dual citizen of South Africa and Canada in 2021 was so cool!

Why Move If Life was Good in South Africa?

I will admit that my life in South Africa was pretty good, and perhaps, it could have been better. I simply left South Africa so I could experience what life is like, being an immigrant and having to work through the many challenges associated with moving. You could frame this as an experiment with a sizable upfront cost. I also felt like life is too short for me to be doing the same thing every week and not moving the needle forward.

This sounds weird because many South Africans seem to cite corruption, crime, rolling blackouts, and career advancements as their reasons to leave South Africa. None of these were reasons for me to leave.

• Corruption is everywhere, whether you like it or not. Corruption simply takes money and resources away from people who need it the most. In my upper-middle-class lifestyle, the effects of corruption barely affected my quality of life in South Africa.
• Crime is a real problem in South Africa, but it was not my reason for leaving. I have been a victim of crime – robbed twice in my life. Exercising a high degree of caution and staying out of trouble is a good way to avoid crime. I have been a conservative, "Good Judy" most of my life anyway.
• As someone who has worked for 6 years now, I do feel that "career advancement" is subjective and is not always tied to a new country. Career advancement could take many shapes and forms, depending on the person. In my view, the modern day career cannot be expressed as an increasing linear function.

Again, this is all strange because many South Africans cite one or more of the above reasons as their reason for leaving. I kinda just ran with the idea of exploring the other side of the world.

How I Got Started

I kicked off the job search process in February 2025. I mainly used LinkedIn Jobs board to look for jobs that were a strong match to my skills offering. What I mean by this is, if you are a C# developer, you should only be applying for C# roles that present something to learn. Although programming languages can be learnt, and that any that any tech professional should commit to "life-long learning", in today's hyper-competitive market, the appetite for generalists is not quite there.

When I started the job search, I knew the process would take longer than usual for a couple of fair reasons:

• Applying for a tech job, while abroad, is incredibly tricky. Many companies naturally would view "international" applications with some skepticism.
• Global economic uncertainty has led to many companies halting or slowing down their hiring processes. I do not believe AI is wrecking the labour market. Instead, I think that the labour market is correcting itself from the high levels of hiring seen in the "Great Resignation Era" of 2021, spurred by record economic growth triggered by the global health pandemic. Everybody and their momma had a $180K+ job at a big tech company and posted "a day in the life of working as a ... at ..." videos on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
• The 2025 job market is highly competitive. Employers have a major advantage in today's labour market.
• Different companies have different needs, hiring processes, and practises.

I also decided I would handle everything relating to the application process. I could have used a recruitment agency that specialises in cross-border employment, but decided not to look into that option. I had interviews at a few companies while based in South Africa, which shook me positively; Canadian firms were reponding to my CV and commenting on the contents of my CV.

The Harsh Realities of Emigration

In the first 3 months of living and working in Canada, I experienced a lot of anxiety. I had questions doubting my thought-process and also missing that sense of familiarity in Cape Town. While I was able to land a Software Developer job before moving, and that the people I work with seem nice and supportive, my "tinhat" mentality has always kept me in the "you are still in a precarious situation, honey" box. Although I am reasonably doing well, I still do not know what is next. I am also not familiar with Canada which kind of throws off my predictive capabilities. These feelings were what I expected before moving from South Africa, so there is no shock here.

What was a shock to me is how so many highly skilled immigrants in Canada are working in jobs that do not utilize their skills. The Uber driver that picked me up from the Vancouver International Airport said he was a Medical Biologist in his home country before moving to Canada, and he did mention some of the struggles he had faced. What I did like about his story was his ability to pivot into an entirely different industry while having a family to support. Similarly, at one of the tech meetups I attended, I recall one of the attendees spoke of how they had sent 500 applications with no interviews, and they were in their sixth month of their job search. Another Uber driver spoke of their career as a Database Administrator in their country of origin. These stories, and many others, are part of the broader problem that the Bank of Canada spoke of in 2024: Canada's productivity problem.

I am by no means trying to bash anyone or any country. As a newcomer, you should be prepared for some 'turbulence.' Do not downplay other people's situations – you never know when you might find yourself in a similar precarious situation. Before moving, I understood that the emigration journey was not going to be an easy pathway. So, I do think that anyone who wants to move should be realistic about the decision. There will be good times and not-so-good times – you need to accept both. I like the "Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst" mantra.

Some Funny Discoveries of Life in Canada

Having moved to Canada, there were some things that took me by surprise, funnily. To my Canadian readers, I mean no harm!

The Fax Machine is Still Alive in Canada!

I thought the fax machine fizzled with time. In Canada, the fax machine is still used! When I went to see a doctor, I thought I misheard the doctor when he said: "I will fax your documentation to the next doctor." In my head I was like, "The fax machine?! Gurl who still uses those in 2025?!". The last time I saw a fax machine was when my father had a desktop computer (230MHz CPU, 128MB RAM) running Windows 98. This was the same PC my mom used to show me how Microsoft Word works.

The Paper Cheque is Still Alive in Canada!

I was also surprised to see physical paper cheques still being used. I had not seen an actual cheque since the days South African stores stopped accepting them in the early 2000s. Long story short, a few unscrupulous South Africans wrote cheques they could not cash, and businesses were not having any of that! In Canada, one of my medical claims was successfully processed and paid. I initially thought the claim would be deposited into my bank account. To my surprise, a paper cheque with the refund amount was mailed to me in the post. I gagged at seeing a paper cheque – I thought it was diabolical!

Wire Transfers attract high banking fees in Canada!

This one took me by surprise. In South Africa, the goto standard for sending money to other people is wire transfers (aka, EFT – Electronic Fund Transfers). EFT's are free of charges. When I tried to move money between my Canadian bank accounts, I was gagged when I was charged $20 CAD for the wire transfer. Though, the goto standard in Canada is to send Interac e-Transfers, which is fast and free, even if both parties are using different banks.

0% Interest Rate Savings Account Exists!

This took me by a big surprise. In South Africa, savings accounts typically offered interest rates of around 1% - 7%, and South African High Yield Savings Accounts could offer in the region of 9% - 10% interest. In Canada, SO MANY savings accounts offer interest rates of 0.0% - 1%. High yield savings account seems to be any solution that offers interest rates just above the 1.5% mark. One thing is clear – my emergency savings in Canada should not be as big as what I had while in South Africa. I would always hear YouTube content creators speak of U.S savings accounts and how bad the interest rates were on those - I never thought I would see it for myself.

Days are Short in the Winter!

This threw me off big time. During the winter months, days are shorter than what I had been used to in South Africa. I am always gagged at how it is already pitch dark by 4 PM. I recall a time when the mornings were dark too, though this gets a little better after day-light savings adjustments kick-in in November. Night running has helped me adjust to this new reality.

The Good Things I Like About Canada

From the few months I have been here, I like that there seemingly does not seem to be a big drinking culture. I can walk into a bar and order a non-alcoholic beverage like a mocktail of some sort without the establishment giving me the side-eye.

The Beautiful Parks and Beaches in Vancouver

Canada also has some beautiful parks and beaches. I loved running and walking down Stanley Park and the Seawall in downtown Vancouver. Burnaby also has a few nice parks to jog at or go for a walk. In a few years, I would love to walk or run at these beautiful parks with a Golden Retriever like that woman who owns 51% of her husband's company. There are also many communities in Vancouver – I have been to a few run clubs and meetups here. I really need to get back into this now that I am okay with the wet conditions in Metro Vancouver.

Evening Jogs are Exhilarating

There is something addictive and exhilarating about jogging in the evenings. I even got a cute headlamp to wear for my evening jogs. The nice runs, bundled with the fresh, cool air and Vancouver rains, make my evening runs very therapeutic. If I were still in South Africa, I would have not dared to jog in the evenings – no tea, no shade.

Canada's Public Health System

I would also like to add Canada's publicly funded healthcare system to the list of things I like. While the system has its fair share of problems, I still think it is pretty cool that you can get medical care without worrying about going bankrupt or having to cover shortfalls because your medical coverage plan has lists of in/out of network doctors you can or cannot use. According to the Mirror-Mirror report, the United States still wears the crown for the worst performing healthcare system, despite the U.S having the world's most expensive healthcare system.

Canadians are Friendly

I would also like to add that people in Canada are generally very friendly. By friendly, I mean that they're always willing to help. As someone who has always kept their walls up, it was refreshing to have received so much help from my fellow Canadians – from showing me around town, taking me to IKEA and Costco, going to good Asian restaurants, and helping me build my first gaming PC. I learnt how to make Miso soup while in Canada, so there's that! I hope someday I can help another newcomer (and no, I will not be joining 'The Great Migration Slush Fund').

Running along the Seawall in Vancouver in the summer was so refreshing!

The SkyTrain and Bus System makes Metro Vancouver Feel Closer Than Ever

I really enjoy using the SkyTrain and bus system to travel to other cities within the Metro Vancouver area. In some cases, I have found the SkyTrain travel to be faster than Uber / Lyft. Overall, I think the SkyTrain is great, and if I had a driver’s license, I would not necessarily feel the need to get a 2nd-hand car.

Tips for Newcomers Thinking of Moving to Canada or Those Who Have Already Moved

Here are some tips which I think might be useful for anyone wishing to move to Canada (or any other country). The gag is, The Great Migration Slush Fund charges people money for these pieces of advice!

Try and Land a Job Offer Before Moving

I do acknowledge that perhaps I am speaking out of line here, given the "unfair privilege" I have. However, I will say that if possible, try and land a job before moving to Canada (or any other country). The harsh reality is, landing a job as a newcomer in Canada and many other countries is tough - you have many roadblocks to overcome:

• The highly competitive job market in 2025/2026 means that it may take 3 months to 1 year to find employment. Do not underestimate this.
• As a newcomer, your work experiences and qualifications may be viewed with some skepticism. This does not mean it is the end of the road, it just means that you may have to work a little harder or accept some form of career downward mobility. This point also begs a reasonable question any globe trotter should ask themselves before leaving (see the considerations section).
• The lack of Canadian professional networks and references adds more complications to your job search. Any by professional connections, I mean people you know personally and not just from a dormant LinkedIn connection.

This may sound a bit controversial, and maybe out of place, but I would also advise you try to steer clear of recruiting agencies in your job search. The reason for this is, many of them unfortunately do not have your best interests at heart – they simply care about collecting their commissions from successfully placing someone somewhere. Additionally, I have also seen some agencies ask for way too much vs. what you are getting out of the deal – endless coding tests, assessments, videos, and some of these sites sell "additional materials" framed at helping the candidate. You have to ask, is the juice really worth the squeeze? I also would not pay for CV formatting services – there are SO MANY free resources that detail what should and should not go on a Canadian CV. I also understand that the Government of British Columbia does offer free services that help newcomers prepare for the Canadian professional market. Again, The Great Migration Slush Fund is working hard!

Managing Your Money Is Not As Complicated as 'The Great Migration Slush Fund' Says

When I landed in Canada, it was interesting to see how Canada's big banks have newcomer-friendly banking solutions that offer generous credit limits. In some cases, it is possible for a newcomer to sign up for a Canadian banking account before landing in Canada. Although providing easy access to banking solutions for newcomers is a good thing, I cannot help but imagine how many people could easily find themselves buried under expensive credit card debt. In my case, I do not qualify for any of these newcomer-friendly banking solutions since they are limited to Canadian work-permit holders, students, or PR holders – nothing for Canadians born outside Canada. This exclusion is not a train-smash; as of writing this article, I have a BMO credit card with a $1000 limit, and I have not paid a cent of credit card interest. This limit is low because I have no established credit history in Canada (I hear Scotiabank does have ways of transferring foreign credit history). My point is, as a newcomer, you do not need a big credit card. Keep it as simple as possible.

I would also recommend you avoid taking out contract-based phone plans / devices. When I landed in Canada, I was able to get a low-cost prepaid eSIM through Lucky Mobile, and later transferred my number to Freedom Mobile. No bill shocks and surprises. Bring your own phone; if you need a new phone, try to buy one with cash. All forms of debt are to be avoided.

Newcomers are not aware of the many wealth-building tools that Canada offers. WealthSimple, and a few other platforms, provide a great platform for those looking to start their financial journey. Some of these include:

• A Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA): You have an annual contribution limit of $7,000. MAKE USE OF THIS AS IN YESTERDAY!
• The First Home Savings Account (FHSA): To assist Canadians in saving up for their first home (down-payment), the Government of Canada introduced the FHSA. Everyone gets an annual contribution limit of $8,000. The best part is, FHSA contributions are tax-deductible.
• Find a High Yield Savings Account for your emergency fund. DO NOT let your emergency fund money sit in the many 0%, 0.5% interest-bearing savings accounts.
• Make use of your RRSP!!
• INVEST, INVEST, INVEST! Buy ETFs and/or stocks. Be as bold as Nancy Pelosi – The reigning Queen of the Stonks! (see Yahoo Finance for more info)

Receipts of me maxing out my Canadian TFSA contributions for 2025! Been living and working in Canada for 4 months.

DO NOT live beyond your means. As a general rule of thumb, rent should not take up more than 30% of your take-home pay. All of this info is freely available on the internet. We cannot be living to pay bills and have nothing left. All the above information does not institute financial advice. I am not a financial advisor, and you should seek professional advice before making any financial decisions (need to cover my booty before someone sues or cancels me).

Try to Add Some Joy to Your Life

As a newcomer, you will most likely feel overwhelmed at your new life, and you may find yourself alone. I believe that you need to adapt the mindset of "I am alone, but I am not lonely." I do not have new social circles or a partner – I moved on my own. This is not necessarily a bad thing – I find that going for jogs and also trying out new things helps a lot. Who would have thought I would find myself on a badminton court in 2025?! Use the time you have to try new things or get back into rythms that you were familiar with in your home country. You do not need to "do the most" – with time and persistence, I do believe that things will fall into place. As of writing this article, I am on Tinder. The rationale for getting on the platform was from my favourite planetary scientist, Prof. Sara Seager. In her memoir, The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir, her friends in the Widows of Concord group created an online dating profile for the professor, and the professor went on dates! If a planetary scientist could manage online dates, I sure can do it too! Let’s just say your boy is shopping around – I am a "good Christian woman" and I don't bite!

Take Care of Yourself

Taking care of yourself is a big part of the emigration journey. This means that you need to be your own hero, cheer yourself on, support yourself, and help yourself. Unfortunately, in this life, no one is going to save you if you cannot save yourself. This might be rich coming from me now, since I have not faced major challenges yet, though my tin hat is always tingling, given the weird situation the world is in now.

To Emigrate or Not to Emigrate? Some Fair Considerations

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong answer to this question. I certainly do believe that 'the golden era of emigration' is over. The decision to move should be something you decide and not what content creators tell you. There are a lot of videos that highlight the negatives of Canada, only because bad news sells. The good things that Canada does and offers is not spoken of by the same rage-baiting content creators. When formulating my decision to move, these were the following points I considered:

Consider Your Current Financial Standing

Before even thinking about emigrating, you need to look at your bank account(s) and your overall financial standing. Do you have more than enough funds? In my opinion, you should NOT emigrate IF you have to do any of the following:

• Sell your immovable property/properties to finance your move.
• Liquidate your investments (stocks, ETFs, crypto, etc.).
• Liquidate your retirement funds.
• Liquidate your business venture(s).
• Exhaust all your emergency savings to support your move.

In my view, you should ONLY consider emigration if such a move does not wreck your overall financial well-being. The above list does not consider people who are fleeing wars, political persecution, or political instability. In my situation, I did not have to execute any of the above points, and South Africa is stable.

Consider Your Current Career

The next item to look at is your current career. Where are you in your career? Can you afford to stomach some downward career mobility (worst case scenario)?

In my opinion, if your career is at its peak - for example, you are a C-Suite executive at a corporation, or you are a business owner, or you are a line manager, I probably would not move. The ideal time to make a big move like this is when your career is not at its peak, or you have other motives. In my case, I am an ordinary software developer, so I don't really have a lot to lose (at least from a career progression perspective).

Whether a profession is in-demand or not does not really matter (in my view). The basic principles of supply & demand are applicable to every profession, and every profession is not immune to transitory market or economic conditions.

Consider Your Age, Family, and Overall Situation

This is worth thinking about. My conservative stance on this point is, the prime age for big moves like emigration is in your early to late 20s. You can emigrate in your 30s, but you need to tread carefully – you do not have as much runway to absorb risk. I would not recommend emigrating past your 40s unless you have a really strong and compelling reason to do so. This is just my take.

Interestingly, my family was shocked to learn of my decision. My mom worried about this, but eventually came around and helped me pack up my belongings.

Screw It, I am Gonna Move Anyway! Analysis-Paralysis Will Keep Me Wondering

As Wendy Williams once said, "Those who wait get left on the side". You could just trigger the nuclear option and run with the move. Analysis-Paralysis may have you running linear and quadratic equations, as well as refining assumptions with many statistical models to determine whether your thoughts are in the right place. This was where I invoked the notwithstanding clause – I found myself running many simulations in my mind.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think I am doing reasonably well and things should get better with time and more effort. My tin hat persona still tingles and sorta puts me in this weird "expect anything" box. I do realise that I may have written this post from a hawkish perspective, but I do believe that we should not ignore 'the basics.' I would like to thank my previous line manager and past colleagues for helping me out with reference checks for my current job in Canada – hopefully they both read this fun and witty article and never forget my name. Will Canada become my new home? Will I finally be off the single men market? Will living and working in Canada show me something unrelated to work? Will I experience and do great things while in Canada? Only time has the answers to those questions.

Disclaimer

No Generative AI solutions were used to author any parts of this article. I figured that it would be fun to write something a little witty, light-hearted, and balanced.

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely mine and do not represent those of my employer, or any other affiliated entities.