Tracey Shearer left South Africa in 2003 with an Irish passport, a printer and no real plan beyond seeing what life abroad had to offer.
What followed was a 13-year journey through the UK and Singapore before eventually returning to Cape Town.
Tracey grew up on Johannesburg's East Rand and spent 13 years running a design agency with her sister before deciding it was time to leave. In London, her original entrepreneurial plans didn't work out, and she eventually found her way into maritime recruitment, a career she has now been in for around 20 years.
Singapore became a major part of her life. She ran a recruitment company there for seven years, built an international network and experienced a very different way of living.
Eventually, however, her heart was pulling her back to South Africa.
In this episode, Tracey talks honestly about leaving South Africa, the realities of starting again overseas, the cost of living in London, Singapore's safety and efficiency, healthcare, building an international career, and why she ultimately chose Cape Town.
We also discuss the role of family, the idea that the grass is always greener somewhere else, and how technology has made it possible for Tracey to continue recruiting internationally while living in South Africa.
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SABLE INTERNATIONAL
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TIMESTAMPS
00:01 Introduction
01:15 Growing up in Johannesburg
02:36 Leaving South Africa in 2003
03:44 Arriving in London with a printer
04:17 Trying entrepreneurship in the UK
05:16 Finding maritime recruitment
06:13 Discovering the maritime industry
10:52 The cost of living in London
12:24 Adjusting to life overseas
13:05 Moving from London to Singapore
21:58 Healthcare in London and Singapore
23:27 Why Singapore works so well
29:47 Building a recruitment company in Singapore
30:19 Returning to South Africa
30:52 Working internationally from Cape Town
32:10 Why family pulled her home
32:47 Is the grass really greener?
33:15 Choosing Cape Town
34:00 Building a life back in South Africa
CONNECT WITH THE RELOCATED SOUTH AFRICAN
The Relocated South African is the show for navigating emigration from South Africa for a better future.
www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com
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