“No Potholes, Scooter Still There”: SA Impressed With Afrikaner Couple’s New Life in New York

• An Afrikaner couple now living in New York shared a Facebook video on 20 June 2026 documenting their new life in the US
• South Africans reacted with shock and longing after seeing wide-open streets, no electric fences, and cheap bulk meat
• The couple now walks to a nearby butcher for affordable meat, something unthinkable in most South African suburbs

An Afrikaner couple living in New York has left South Africans impressed after sharing a glimpse of their quiet, open American neighbourhood on Facebook on 20 June 2026. The video showed tree-lined streets, no perimeter walls, and a nearby butcher selling bulk meat cheaper than any supermarket back home.

The couple, who relocated to the US under President Donald Trump’s refugee resettlement programme for Afrikaners, use their Facebook page to document life after South Africa. Since February 2025, Trump has fast-tracked refugee status for white South Africans, citing racial discrimination. By April 2026, nearly all of the 4,499 refugees admitted to the US that fiscal year had come from South Africa.

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Life looks different on the other side

In the video, the woman strolled through their neighbourhood and pointed out small houses, tidy streets, and an affordable butcher nearby. According to her, her husband, Theuns, was especially pleased about the meat. There were no guards, no razor wire, and no potholes in sight.

South Africans watching from home were not just impressed. They were heartbroken. One commenter said the most striking thing was the absence of high walls and electric fences. She pointed out that South Africans essentially live in self-built jails to keep criminals out. Another viewer said there were no potholes, and a scooter was left outside without a lock.

Several people recalled a time when South Africa also fined residents for overgrown grass. That version of the country feels like a distant memory to many.

The comments flooded in fast. People described the American streets as clean, orderly, and calm. Words like “magic” and “peaceful” came up repeatedly. Many said they longed for that kind of life but felt stuck.

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Around 6,500 South Africans have taken up the programme so far, though not everyone has settled in easily. Some have already expressed a desire to return home. Crime, poor public services, and economic uncertainty remain the top reasons South Africans leave.

For now, this couple seems to have found exactly what they were looking for. Open streets, affordable food, and a neighbourhood where nothing needs to be locked behind a wall.

Watch the video:

More about Afrikaners in the US

• Afrikaner refugee Charl Kleinhaus shared positive experiences in the United States amid social media scrutiny.
• An Afrikaner family building a new life abroad shared an insight into daily American retail technology.
• An Afrikaner woman who relocated to the US with her family under the refugee program has celebrated their very first American car.

Source: Briefly News