Interested in an opportunity with Control Talent? Read about Johann & Danita's experience with us.
Introduce yourself: Who are you, and what do you do for CTN?
I am Johann, a millwright at Terneuzen. I moved to the Netherlands with my wife Danita.
Why did you become a …?
I’ve always had a passion for working with my hands and figuring out how things work or fit together. My parents thought I was breaking my toys, but I just wanted to understand how they worked technically and then put them back together. I mainly used to play with cars.
Favorite dish in the Netherlands?
So far, kapsalon kebab is our favorite dish, especially from a Turkish restaurant. It’s our go-to dish when we don’t feel like cooking. There’s nothing quite like kapsalon in South Africa. The "durum wrap" is similar to a wrap in South Africa.
Strangest characteristic of the Dutch?
The dry humor is the strangest thing for me. We’re not sure if we don’t fully understand the jokes or if they’re just bad. Another big difference is how willing people are to help here. In South Africa, if I needed help with a task, everyone would usually focus on their own work.
But here in the Netherlands, people offer help immediately, even going out of their way. For example, when we didn’t have a car, people were very eager to show us the way. In South Africa, people tend to think more for themselves rather than helping others, especially strangers. It really surprised us how quickly people here are ready to help. After someone helped us, we’d often wonder why they did it and what they’d gain from helping.
What was the first Dutch word you could remember well?
Both Danita and Johann laugh, and Johann replies: “Schildpad” (turtle). We used DuoLingo at the start to learn Dutch. Many words are similar to Afrikaans, but the pronunciation is completely different, and sometimes they even have a totally different meaning.
What do you find the funniest about the Netherlands?
This isn’t something we consciously think about, but we do notice it: the way people use nicknames here. Sometimes, we hear Dutch people use certain nicknames that we find strange or funny, because the same words or expressions in South Africa might be considered insults or curse words. For example, if there’s a group of women, people in the Netherlands might say, “Look at those girls.” In South Africa, the term “girls” is an offensive word for a woman or a group of women and is even seen as racist.
Biggest lesson learned so far since you moved?
Danita thinks the biggest lesson she’s learned is that she was initially scared to go to restaurants with Johann and order. One day, we decided that if we didn’t try, no one would know us, so what’s the problem? So, we went to cafes and restaurants, and everyone was so helpful and kind. We don’t want fear to hold us back from new experiences. If we had to describe the people in Zeeland, they’re all so nice—almost no one is unfriendly. You can just speak English, and they don’t mind.
We usually ask if they speak English, and if they don’t, it’s not difficult to order something anyway. We were quite nervous because we’d seen on YouTube that Dutch people could be quite rude and direct.
Now that we live here, I don’t think they’re rude—just direct. Our biggest lesson is maybe that you shouldn’t judge people based on what you’ve read or heard. You should experience things yourself, go with the flow, do what you want, and make your own experiences.
Johann feels that at work, if something breaks and he fixes it, and then it fails again in a few hours, they make it a learning moment in the Netherlands. You don’t have to fear judgment. Instead of getting angry or questioning your abilities, they take the problem seriously and work with you to find a solution. In South Africa, if something isn’t fixed immediately, you’re often labeled as not good or incompetent. We actually find South Africans less friendly than the Dutch. In South Africa, it’s almost expected that you don’t make mistakes. In the Netherlands, there’s much more room for error.
What are you proud of?
I know it’s not something Dutch people focus on, but we’re proud of not having debt. In South Africa, being in debt is quite normal, but here, it isn’t. We see it as an achievement to be debt-free. In South Africa, it’s very common to take on debt, and everyone usually has a credit card from a young age. Practically everything, from cars to houses, is bought on credit. We’re really happy that it’s harder to do that in the Netherlands. You can’t just get a credit card and buy whatever you want; it depends on your salary.
Now that we live here, we only buy things if they’re within our budget; we don’t blindly use a credit card and are debt-free. In South Africa, buying things on account is common. In the Netherlands, you can only pay afterward online, but in South Africa, you can get a store card for almost any shop and pay when you can. You can even buy things like laptops and TVs on credit. It can take years to pay off debt, but that doesn’t worry people in South Africa, as it’s normal.
Have you been to the Netherlands before making the move?
Neither of us had ever been to the Netherlands before. This is actually Danita’s first international trip—a very long stay, haha! We used Indeed to find jobs abroad before we started talking to Control Talent.
So why did you actually choose to work abroad?
Because Control Talent contacted Johann. The nice answer is that, of course, it’s a choice. After we were contacted, we decided to go for it. My wife wanted to go somewhere else, but when Control Talent messaged us, it opened the door again to explore moving, living, and working abroad. That option had been off the table for quite a while, but now we had a choice again.
Moving meant a much better future for us. At first, we looked into Australia and never really thought about moving to Europe; it just felt out of reach financially. We had wanted to go to New Zealand, but we accidentally typed it wrong and ended up in Zeeland. Fun fact: the guy from Zeeland actually discovered New Zealand! When we first landed, I was a bit worried that someone would be waiting with a “JOKE” sign and that it wouldn't be real.
What consequences did working abroad have on your life?
Moving was really difficult, especially because of our dogs. Fortunately, our parents agreed to take care of them, which made it a bit easier. We were able to sell our place easily, and the buyer took over all our stuff as well. Something we missed in the beginning was having a car. One big advantage in the Netherlands is the many transportation options. We have a bike, and we could take the bus, but we were just so used to having a car in South Africa.
Here, fitting rooms in clothing stores are smaller, and the clothes themselves sometimes feel smaller, which can be a bit intimidating. Sportswear is more affordable here, though. Moving comes with many benefits, but you also miss your family. You see them much less, and you want to show them everything. Visiting isn’t easy for them either. One thing we absolutely don’t miss is the roads in South Africa. The roads here are well-maintained, unlike the broken ones in our hometown.
What have been the biggest challenges so far in integrating into the Netherlands?
The most challenging part of integrating into Dutch life has been the language. We understand everything but find speaking it difficult. Danita doesn’t want to embarrass herself by saying something that makes no sense, which holds her back from really speaking it.
Johann isn’t allowed to speak English at work and has to speak Dutch instead, though they often say, “What do you mean?” or “What are you saying?” But having to use the language helps. Danita thought she’d pick it up faster, but because Johann is forced to speak Dutch at work, it’s been easier for him. For Johann, not only speaking but also pronouncing words is difficult; it’s tough to say things the right way. He keeps forgetting that "Ik" (I) is not “EK” when he wants to say something.
Did you stumble across anything in the process of working abroad?
Buying a car is difficult. We were warned it would be harder than in South Africa, but we didn’t expect it to be so challenging. In South Africa, we could get financing to buy a car, but in the Netherlands, you need the cash to drive it off the lot. For South Africans, it’s tough to get a loan here, or it’s very expensive. We’re just used to having a car to get places; it’s been our safe and reliable way to get around.
We appreciate being able to bike when we want to, but it would be nice to have the car option too. Right now, I use a scooter, and my wife has the car in the mornings. They also say that if you get a car loan before buying a house, it affects your mortgage options. We’re so used to driving everywhere, and there’s no public transportation in South Africa like the buses, trams, and trains here. We’ve taken the train a few times, and when we went to Amsterdam, we parked further away and took the tram into the city to save on parking and avoid driving in the busy areas.
What are the pros of working in the Netherlands?The salary is a big advantage. You earn more, and it has more purchasing power than in South Africa. Also, people understand when you want to take a holiday—they don’t judge you for wanting to take time off.
If you now look back on where you are right now, would you still choose to work abroad?Yes, for both of us. In the Netherlands, everything is so close. If you want to see the world, you can plan it and go. Traveling within South Africa is much more expensive, and even flights within the country cost more. We haven’t been able to see everything we wanted to in South Africa, but we’ve seen so much already, and Europe is entirely new to us. Our bucket list includes Paris, Rome, and Switzerland.
What is the biggest difference between the Netherlands and South Africa?For Danita, it’s really the food. Portions here in Zeeland are smaller than we’re used to in South Africa. And a coffee in a café here is always half-full. Also, the way you have to throw away your waste is different. In the Netherlands, we have to separate it into three bins to recycle. In some places in South Africa, you don’t have to recycle or separate your waste.
Living in an apartment is also different because we’re used to having a garden and spending a lot of time there. This isn’t a downside, but just a difference. Now we go out more to spend time in nature and see the world around us. It’s refreshing to be able to keep the windows open without worrying about getting robbed. We’ve never felt unsafe here. I can walk somewhere without constantly looking over my shoulder, or drive alone without fear of something happening to my car.
What can a South African learn from the Dutch, and vice versa?South Africans can be a bit more direct. Say it like it is, without beating around the bush. People here don’t try to spare your feelings; if something is wrong, they’ll tell you. They’re not being unkind; they’re just being straightforward and honest. What Dutch people could learn from South Africans is to respond more promptly to emails. In South Africa, if you need something right away, people usually make it happen, but here, they often say, “It’ll get done later.” It would be nice if you got updates or answers when you email someone.
What would be your advice for other people thinking about making the same move?
Do your research! Try to learn the language a few months in advance. We did that with Duolingo, which helped. We practiced for five months to understand the basics. Know that when you get here, buying a house or a car isn’t as easy; you really have to put effort into it. Plan well, and bring more money than you think you’ll need. Cars in the Netherlands are over 1,000 euros. Find out what you’ll need to pay each month, like taxes and health insurance, and ask Control Talent for advice.
How did the application process through Control Talent go for you?When we received a message from Control Talent, we thought, “What’s the worst that could happen as long as we don’t share our bank details?” Control Talent mentioned scheduling an interview within a week, which felt very fast and made it seem unreal. During the interview, my current boss, who was in the Netherlands, was in a room with papers halfway falling off the wall—I thought it was just some person working out of a closet, and that something didn’t seem right. Now that we're here in the Netherlands, it feels real, and we’re glad we took the leap. Moving quickly felt unreal while still in South Africa, but it wasn’t until we arrived in the Netherlands and saw Control Talent waiting for us at the airport that we knew it was legitimate, and that we hadn’t been scammed.
During interviews with Control Talent and the company I would work for, things went so smoothly that I thought, “This is going too easily—it can’t be real.” My future boss even told me right in the interview that I had the job and would get a contract, which was hard to believe because he said it so directly. It felt too good to be true. Now that I’m here, I realize my boss’s office actually does have papers hanging from the wall, and it’s not a closet after all. Danita thought, “What have we gotten ourselves into?” as we boarded the plane to the Netherlands. Our luggage was the last to arrive, so we had to wait a long time. But whenever we needed anything and asked, Control Talent was ready to help.
What were the main reasons for coming from South Africa to the Netherlands for work in engineering?
This may sound a bit selfish, but salary and what you can buy with it is a top reason. But we’re also looking toward the future. If we want to start a family, we know that with what’s happening in South Africa, our children will receive a better education in the Netherlands. There’s no future for young people in South Africa anymore—the situation has really become terrible.
It’s hard that we had to leave our parents behind to live there without us. It felt selfish at first, but we have to think about our future and our children’s future. If our friends or family had the same opportunity, they would have taken it too. Our parents found it difficult at first, and let us know they thought it was selfish, but after a few months, they realized it wasn’t about them but about their children’s future, and they want us to have a good life. Now, we have so much more freedom.
How did you receive support from Control Talent in adjusting to the living environment in the Netherlands?We received an arrival document with a lot of helpful information. It would have been nice to have more local tips for our area. Zina and Keilah helped us a lot, especially during the first month. However, more information on health insurance and buying a car in the first week would have been helpful, as well as instructions on how to use certain appliances in our home.
Are there certain aspects of working in the Netherlands that have positively surprised you compared to South Africa?The laid-back approach here has been a positive surprise. If something really needs to be finished, then you complete it at work. But if it’s not that urgent, you don’t have to work extra hours just to get it done the same day. We weren’t used to this—that it’s actually okay to continue the next day. In South Africa, if you start something at 7 in the morning, you work until it’s finished, sometimes as late as midnight. Here, you can continue the next day.
How would you rate the support from Control Talent during the transition period, and are there improvements you would suggest?
It’s hard to put a number on it. We received all the basics and could ask questions whenever we needed to. We also figured out a lot ourselves in the first week. Looking back, we might have liked a bit more support, but we managed and learned almost everything in a short time. In hindsight, it was also good to figure things out independently. For future engineers coming here, we would suggest a group chat so people can help each other when Control Talent isn’t available, and also to connect with other engineers.
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