We feel the train engage the cogs as it rattles its way up the steep incline. Outside the wide windows, we pass rocky canyons, pine-covered mountain slopes and wildflower-covered meadows. My wife and I are comfortable and warm but outside the snowy white peaks are wrapped with cloud. The train crawls through tunnels and across..
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Discover the magic of spectacular Zermatt in the Swiss Alps
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Travelling? Here’s a list of visas you may need before you go
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In order to ensure you can enter a country without any issues, here’s a breakdown of visas around the world which you may need at some point during your travels. Depending on where in the world you plan to travel, you may need a visa. If that isn’t complicated enough, the visa you require varies..
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Five points to consider when approaching your online tax return
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It’s that time of year when you really want to tidy up your accounts, shut the laptop and head to the hills. However, there is one thing we’d like to remind you about before you go. Your UK tax return online submission deadline is 31 January 2018. We can only imagine this news lands in..
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Disguised remuneration settlement opportunity in the UK
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The new measure will introduce a loan charge on disguised remuneration avoidance schemes that remain unpaid on 5 April 2019. These types of schemes (including contractor loans) are used by employers and individuals and seek to avoid paying income tax and NICs. This is usually done by utilising a loan or other payment from a..
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South Africans involved in Commission probe of UK church
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A group of South Africans have become involved in the shocking disappearance of R6-million over in the UK, TimesLive reports. This disappeared from the coffers of a UK church and its associated charity. The two-year investigation under the auspices of the British Charity Commission has caused a divide in the congregation. The key flashpoint currently..
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WEEKEND THINKING: Don’t do as I say; do as I do …
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Last week we visited the Palace of Westminster, or Houses of Parliament, where British politicians work and meet. Certainly one of the most famous must-sees of the beautiful old building is Big Ben, which of course is not the watch, but the clock. And old Ben is now in the process of undergoing a “facelift”…
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Haven for South Africans in Rotterdam
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The Koningskerk in Rotterdam is a Dutch protestant church situated at the Koningshaven (King’s Harbour). All South Africans visiting South Holland or living there will feel at home in this Dutch congregation with its strong ties to South Africa. Rotterdam is Europe’s gateway to the world; therefore the Koningskerk is a haven for anyone visiting..
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My affair with the Countess from Sweden – Pieter de Lange
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I have always had this boundless enthusiasm for exciting and interesting automobiles. I blame it on my Van der Vyver genes from my mother’s side. My dear granddad, Oupa Benjamin, had to look after a second-hand car dealership in Badplaas all these years ago when I was still a young boy and I was allowed..
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Europe – in or out?
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The hectic Brexit debate All over the country, in restaurants, pubs, offices and trains, the in or out question is openly, eagerly and often anxiously discussed. There has been endless speculation about how a European exit would influence house prices, interest rates, the banking sector, security, immigration, the NHS, scientific research, the arts and even..
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South African Expats (SAFFAs) with Kids Take Six Months to Settle but it Makes Families Closer
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Despite the benefits of raising a family abroad, parents and children alike take time to settle into their new life. However, the challenge can bring families closer together, according to new data. Almost half of expat parents say their children take longer than six months to feel at home in their new country, with 25%..
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