I travel for work this time in South Africa and precisely a Johannesburg, the most populous city in South Africa. The interview is from Paola Bisaccioni, graduated in Business Administration.
Paola, when did you go abroad?
I was in Johannesburg from mid-April to the end of August 2008, I was around in total 4 months.
Through which association did you leave?
I left after obtaining a call offered by Assocamerestero and the CRUI Foundation
How did you find a home?
Initially I was a guest at the home of a lady I knew personally. I later moved into a cottage I found through classifieds and advertisements in local newspapers, I lived in the Craighall Park neighborhood.
What work did you do in South Africa and what were the wages like?
I worked at the Italian-South African Chamber of Commerce, but it was not a paid internship
The hardest thing abroad, in Johannesburg?
The most difficult aspect of Johannesburg is related to the aspect of the safety (very high crime rate) and to the mobility sectors (it is a city at the pace of a "car" ..)
The easiest thing?
Contrary to what I expected ... drive left it was easier (and more fun) than expected.
Typical dish to recommend?
The meat is certainly great, including exotic dishes such as springbok, crocodile and kudu.
A place in the city you've been to recommend?
Latinova (nightclub along Jan Smuts), Melville neighborhood
Something cheap in Johannesburg?
It's all very cheap compared to Italy
A positive thing about the experience?
Working in a new and culturally different environment from many points of view has certainly been stimulating
A bad thing about the experience?
Safety and mobility issue
Would you recommend the experience to a friend?
I would not recommend Johannesburg as a tourist destination. It is certainly an excellent platform from a logistical point of view (4 hours drive from Kruger National Park and the main national hub), but the city itself does not offer many attractions in my opinion. Cape Town is certainly more suggestive and recommendable.
