My Plan B Journey

Written by Carol Reynolds

As a born and bred Saffa, I am the proud yet anxious owner of a green passport! During Nelson Mandela’s presidency I was a raving Saffa fan – we’d just won the rugby world cup, we had finally become a democracy, and we had an inspirational leader at the helm: our future looked bright. Sadly, over the past decade, my optimism has waned and I have been actively pursuing a Plan B.

I have investigated virtually every global investor programme available, from Grenada, to the EB5 in the USA, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Montenegro, Panama, New Zealand, Australia, the UK and Canada. After almost a decade of research, I finally took the plunge and invested in Mauritius. I now have residency for myself and my family and the relief is palpable.

You might be wondering why I chose Mauritius?

I suppose there were a number of factors that made this gorgeous island the obvious choice for me. Firstly, English was a priority – the thought of learning a new language at this stage of my life wasn’t very appealing! Other compelling factors included the fact that Mauritius is so close to home – this means that I can enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that I have an exit plan, without having to physically emigrate, lock stock and barrel. In fact, many of my clients and friends have a base in Mauritius and a base in South Africa – it’s easy to see the appeal.

Sometimes it’s the little things that have the greatest impact on our decisions. For me, the fact that Mauritians drive on the same side of the road as we do, was the ultimate cherry on top! Add to this the favourable taxation, the ease of doing business, the large ex-pat community, the spectacular beaches, the sunny climate – why wouldn’t you choose Mauritius? I’d far rather retire and live between South Africa and Mauritius than pack my bags to start a whole new life from scratch in a completely foreign country. I guess Mauritius feels more familiar and less daunting to me. Maybe I’m just not brave enough to take too bold a step?

My journey to secure residency was absolutely seamless. The most stressful part was timing the transfer of funds to Mauritius with our volatile currency! I purchased a property without even visiting the island, and then secured bond finance in Mauritius at an interest rate that is half of what we pay in SA. Once the property purchase was finalized, I was sent a batch of documents to complete for my residency application. After a little bit of admin, a police clearance certificate and a medical exam, we were all set to go! Our application was submitted and a year later we received our permanent residency document. We then flew to Mauritius to visit their passport centre to collect our residency permits. What a pleasant experience that was! We were in an out in five minutes! My husband and I couldn’t believe the efficiency! 

I am not sure what the future holds, but I do know that I feel a little lighter, a little happier and I definitely have a sunny spring in my step – which will hopefully be covered in soft white beach sand in a few years to come!