SA was the right step

I am British but my wife is South African and in 2009 we decided to move to SA – my wife had been in the UK since 1999 (straight after matric).  We attended the 2010 Homecoming Revolution which changed our lives – SA Home Affairs were present and helped us understand what paperwork we would need to complete and we ended up using Whites movers having spoken to them at the show.

However, most importantly I started my journey towards Management Consultancy.  Whilst the firm I now work for, Bain & Company, were not there one of our competitors, McKinsey, was.  At the time I was focused on remaining within my engineering background but having spoken to McKinsey I realised Management Consultancy would be a great field for me.  I subsequently applied to both McKinsey and Bain, accepting an offer from Bain later that year.  Now, 4 years on, I have “paid back” my debt to Homecoming Revolution, as Bain has been recruiting at this year’s event.

I can honestly say that the move to SA was the right step and we have had an amazing time.  In the 3+ years that we have been here I have helped some of SA’s top firms solve their biggest problems, made a significant impact on SA’s entrepreneurship scheme through supporting Endeavor SA, and have become passionate about social impact work – something that never really appealed to me in the UK.  Furthermore, my wife and I have bought a house in Johannesburg, committing to the long-term future of SA, and most importantly we are now the proud parents of our 2-year old Twins, Michael and Zoe, themselves proud owners of SA passports!

Written by Rob Goodenough