Q: I am planning on having kids one day in the future,I work at a school and hate whats happening in this country,do I want to have my kids live in fear?
A: I agree with DarkOne on this one, it is your decision and your decision only. Where you are in SA can make a big difference I do know that Gauteng and perhaps also KZN (Pretoria, Jo'burg, Durban) are the crime hubs in SA. The Westcoast region bordering the Northern Cape province definitely are parts of SA that are still as safe as any civilized places in Europe. The crime rate is significantly lower. The crime there is the occasional housebreaking (something you must accept when living in Africa) and then 'coloureds' attacking one-another when drunk. No hijackings, no armed robberies, no robberies where you get killed for your laptop and/or cellphone. I can give you an idea of the hijack figure for one year comparing two provinces: Gauteng - 8600 hijackings (10 million inhabitants) Northern Province - 9 hijackings (1 million inhabitants) If the two provinces had the same number of people it will still have a 8600 vs 90 figure. This must tell you something about Gauteng and the fact that not the whole country is like Gauteng. If your in a privileged position not to be dependent on work in cities. Cities have more money, which draws more crime, Illegal immigrants of whom the most resort to crime flock to the cities (Durban, Pta, Jhb) from Zim & Moz etc. Most of my info here is from a friend of mine in Gauteng who is moving to the Westcoast region bordering the Northern Cape province. She and her husband have 2 little girls both under 10 years of age. I can't say what to do as only you can make a decision like this but I hope that this info has shed some light onto it. Take care & good luck!