3 ms·

Here in South Africa the power can be off for anything from 2h to 8h a day and given the regularity of that interruption I've since gotten an inverter (with bat

Here in South Africa the power can be off for anything from 2h to 8h a day and given the regularity of that interruption I've since gotten an inverter (with batteries) as well as several battery powered emergency lights to power me through. I know that many residents of India do something similar, and so I'm a little skeptical of this kerosene marker.

inglor_cz 4y ago
A honest, but offtopic question (if Dang sees it fit to remove, let him do it...): why do you stay in SA at all? What are the redeeming qualities of the country, aside from the nature, which is fabulous? If you are white, aren't you afraid of a possible pogrom against your family?
- ido 4y ago
  I'm not OP but it's incredibly hard to immigrate and as older people are less mobile/flexible it may mean leaving your elderly parents/grandparents behind, as well as your native culture and language and everyone/everything/everywhere you know.
- liampulles 4y ago
  I am thinking about leaving SA - the usual factors of cost, family, and change apply. Redeeming qualities: I do have pretty good buying power in SA, the weather is great,and it is quite a multicultural place with friendly people by and large. To my knowledge the rate of black on black violent crime is higher than black on white crime - SA has a general problem of violent crime. Its definitely a problem but a pogrom specifically is not a chief concern for me.
  - inglor_cz 4y ago
    Thank you for an interesting reply. I come from a fairly safe country, so I cannot really imagine how living in an unsafe country looks like. What precautions do people in SA need to take when travelling? Is there any sort of constantly updated "off-limits area map", or is it just common knowledge? How does security in wealthier neighbourhoods look like? Is hiking in the wild risky? Is public transport generally to be avoided, or are there "better and worse" services? As far as electricity blackouts go, everyone has a generator, right? Is there never a shortage of diesel for those generators? What about the pollution that comes from running generators several hours a day?
    - matharmin 4y ago
      > Is there any sort of constantly updated "off-limits area map", or is it just common knowledge? No maps - just common local knowledge. Some areas you avoid completely, some you just avoiding walking or driving through late at night. > How does security in wealthier neighbourhoods look like? Most new higher-end developments are fenced-off security complexes - electric fencing all around, and 24/7 security services. But there are still many "regular" suburbs without that. In those you typically have security patrols, and individual houses may or may not have electric fencing, depending on the area. > Is hiking in the wild risky? Depends on the area. In some areas you just avoid hiking alone. The more remote areas typically have no safety issues. > Is public transport generally to be avoided, or are there "better and worse" services? Most (but not all) wealthy people avoid local public transport ("taxis" and trains) - they do have safety (and reliability) issues. There are good options in some places - e.g. a high-end train in Johannesburg & Pretoria, and Uber is a decent option in most cities. Long distance busses and trains are also typically fine. > As far as electricity blackouts go, everyone has a generator, right? No, generators are mostly only by businesses. Too noisy and too much effort to use for most residences. The cheap solutions involve getting a mini backup power supply for your internet router, and some battery-operated lights. That + some planning around e.g. cooking gets you through most outages. Recently, battery backup + solar became very popular for everyone who can afford it. Prices for solar and batteries dropped substantially over the last 5-10 years, and the entire installed system costs around 1/3rd of what you'd pay in the US. > Is there never a shortage of diesel for those generators? We've had one shortage that I remember over the last couple of years. It's much more relevant for vehicle fuel than generators. > What about the pollution that comes from running generators several hours a day? Much less than that of cars and our coal power stations. Noise is the biggest issue.
      - inglor_cz 4y ago
        "Most new higher-end developments are fenced-off security complexes" Thank you for taking time to write such a detailed answer. The security complex thing, I wouldn't be able to live like that. It is my natural instinct to roam cities on foot, walk through the streets and the parks, observe people and birds etc., regardless whether it is my own city or a city that I visited as a tourist. But it seems this is precisely the one thing you can't do in SA safely. Living behind a high wall, I would feel like an expensive prisoner. But maybe I wouldn't miss the freedom to roam, if I never experienced it in my life.
ido 4y ago
Even in developed countries I've noticed a marked difference (albeit nowhere near reported SA or India levels) when moving from Israel to Austria and then to Germany. When I was growing up in Israel (1983-2005) power outages were common but not frequent (once every few months, my parents had a permanent supply emergency lighting, flashlights and candles at home for when the power would go out, usually for just an hour or 2). Ever since moving to Austria (2005) and then Germany (2013) I think I have only once or twice experienced power outages and they only lasted a few minutes. So probably >20x less common (once a decade instead of a couple times per year) while also getting fixed a lot quicker. I don't know how much the infrastructure has improved in Israel since (I would guess it's better now but not as good as in Austria and Germany) but even back then it was still just an occasional nuisance unlike in the developing world where it happens enough to really impact people lives and productivity.

inglor_cz 4y ago

A honest, but offtopic question (if Dang sees it fit to remove, let him do it...): why do you stay in SA at all? What are the redeeming qualities of the country, aside from the nature, which is fabulous? If you are white, aren't you afraid of a possible pogrom against your family?

ido 4y ago
I'm not OP but it's incredibly hard to immigrate and as older people are less mobile/flexible it may mean leaving your elderly parents/grandparents behind, as well as your native culture and language and everyone/everything/everywhere you know.
liampulles 4y ago
I am thinking about leaving SA - the usual factors of cost, family, and change apply. Redeeming qualities: I do have pretty good buying power in SA, the weather is great,and it is quite a multicultural place with friendly people by and large. To my knowledge the rate of black on black violent crime is higher than black on white crime - SA has a general problem of violent crime. Its definitely a problem but a pogrom specifically is not a chief concern for me.
- inglor_cz 4y ago
  Thank you for an interesting reply. I come from a fairly safe country, so I cannot really imagine how living in an unsafe country looks like. What precautions do people in SA need to take when travelling? Is there any sort of constantly updated "off-limits area map", or is it just common knowledge? How does security in wealthier neighbourhoods look like? Is hiking in the wild risky? Is public transport generally to be avoided, or are there "better and worse" services? As far as electricity blackouts go, everyone has a generator, right? Is there never a shortage of diesel for those generators? What about the pollution that comes from running generators several hours a day?
  - matharmin 4y ago
    > Is there any sort of constantly updated "off-limits area map", or is it just common knowledge? No maps - just common local knowledge. Some areas you avoid completely, some you just avoiding walking or driving through late at night. > How does security in wealthier neighbourhoods look like? Most new higher-end developments are fenced-off security complexes - electric fencing all around, and 24/7 security services. But there are still many "regular" suburbs without that. In those you typically have security patrols, and individual houses may or may not have electric fencing, depending on the area. > Is hiking in the wild risky? Depends on the area. In some areas you just avoid hiking alone. The more remote areas typically have no safety issues. > Is public transport generally to be avoided, or are there "better and worse" services? Most (but not all) wealthy people avoid local public transport ("taxis" and trains) - they do have safety (and reliability) issues. There are good options in some places - e.g. a high-end train in Johannesburg & Pretoria, and Uber is a decent option in most cities. Long distance busses and trains are also typically fine. > As far as electricity blackouts go, everyone has a generator, right? No, generators are mostly only by businesses. Too noisy and too much effort to use for most residences. The cheap solutions involve getting a mini backup power supply for your internet router, and some battery-operated lights. That + some planning around e.g. cooking gets you through most outages. Recently, battery backup + solar became very popular for everyone who can afford it. Prices for solar and batteries dropped substantially over the last 5-10 years, and the entire installed system costs around 1/3rd of what you'd pay in the US. > Is there never a shortage of diesel for those generators? We've had one shortage that I remember over the last couple of years. It's much more relevant for vehicle fuel than generators. > What about the pollution that comes from running generators several hours a day? Much less than that of cars and our coal power stations. Noise is the biggest issue.
    - inglor_cz 4y ago
      "Most new higher-end developments are fenced-off security complexes" Thank you for taking time to write such a detailed answer. The security complex thing, I wouldn't be able to live like that. It is my natural instinct to roam cities on foot, walk through the streets and the parks, observe people and birds etc., regardless whether it is my own city or a city that I visited as a tourist. But it seems this is precisely the one thing you can't do in SA safely. Living behind a high wall, I would feel like an expensive prisoner. But maybe I wouldn't miss the freedom to roam, if I never experienced it in my life.

ido 4y ago

Even in developed countries I've noticed a marked difference (albeit nowhere near reported SA or India levels) when moving from Israel to Austria and then to Germany. When I was growing up in Israel (1983-2005) power outages were common but not frequent (once every few months, my parents had a permanent supply emergency lighting, flashlights and candles at home for when the power would go out, usually for just an hour or 2). Ever since moving to Austria (2005) and then Germany (2013) I think I have only once or twice experienced power outages and they only lasted a few minutes. So probably >20x less common (once a decade instead of a couple times per year) while also getting fixed a lot quicker. I don't know how much the infrastructure has improved in Israel since (I would guess it's better now but not as good as in Austria and Germany) but even back then it was still just an occasional nuisance unlike in the developing world where it happens enough to really impact people lives and productivity.