“Things No One Tells You About”: South African Woman Shares Reality of Moving to London

• A young South African lady who moved to Europe a couple of years ago shared her honest experience 
• The Mzansi woman hopped on TikTok to share the reality of living in London and the things that wowed her
• Social media users appreciated the youngster’s content and communicated with her in a thread of comments 

A lot of people have the dream of travelling and one day settling in a different country. Some fantasise about starting afresh on a different continent, away from what they’ve always known.

A South African lady, Emma Cromarty opened many people’s eyes when she shared her honest experience of living in London for the past five years.

South African woman shares reality of moving to London

Cromarty shared her journey in a now-viral TikTok post and started by saying:

“Things no one tells you about. Rent is insane.”

The Mzansi lady shares a one-bed flat and pays £850:

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“My room is the lounge but you eventually adapt.”

Cromarty was stunned by the train strikes and high crime rate:

“People get hit by trains and get their phones taken. It’s not as safe as you think.”

The lady admitted that making friends outside of work is a challenge and that one has to put in effort or else they’ll be alone a lot. One thing she likes though is the convenience:

“Everything is expensive, but some things are convenient like Amazon and ASDA’s next-day grocery delivery.”

The days could get repetitive as all she does is work, eat, sleep and release:

“The grind is real, but once you find balance, it gets easier.”

Cromarty warned her fellow foreigners about the water:

“Hard water will ruin your hair. Get a filter, you’ll thank me later.”

The weather is mostly chilly and locals take advantage of the little sun they get:

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“People tan in 9-degree weather. At first, I didn't get it. Now? If the sun is out for two seconds so am I. Making the most of the four months of sun we get.”

The adventurous lady shared that London forces one to be independent:

“You either find yourself or lose yourself here. It takes time to settle but once you do, London can start to feel like home. Just be patient and trust the process. Five years later and I would say I've only just settled.”

See the TikTok post below:

Mzansi reacts to SA lady’s honest experience of London

Social media users appreciated the woman’s review and interacted with her in the comments:

@SaoBaoSana shared:

“Girl, SA is much more convenient, we have Takealot and same-day grocery delivery.”

@Fayaaz Ghoor explained:

“The standard of living in SA when you earn well is a million times better than the UK. Prefer sunny days over grey skies. The crime in the UK is on the rise and is actually approaching a recession.”

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@user7114954079677 said:

“No, thank you. I’ll stay in SA.”

@missjae25🇿🇦 commented:

“To pay so much rent to sleep in the lounge. Nope.”

@Venomizzzness wrote:

“I've appreciated SA more when I stayed for over five years in England. Now, I only go back to visit friends, wouldn't stay there now.”

@Rajiv Singh highlighted:

“Checkers is on the ball here.”

@T’boTouch🇪🇺📌 commented:

“Apart from the weather and rent, Europe is not that bad. I miss South Africa but not enough to go back.”

@FuzzySA said:

“I agree strongly with what you've said. I am not even in London but it's the same. Work, home sleep and repeat.”

3 More stories by Briefly News

• A South African woman shut down an airport abroad with her phenomenal performance of The Lion King's Circle Of Life.
• Mzansi was moved by a German DJ making the crowd roar in her country by playing a popular Amapiano song.
• South Africans were proud after seeing a now-viral TikTok of a mashup of Mzansi's success over the years.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News