Marnus’ move made time for work and life

Eating a herring from its tail, something that many people outside the Netherlands find off-putting. But not Marnus. He’s fully embracing this Dutch tradition: “especially when the herring is fresh!” Not bad for someone who had never set foot outside South Africa before. Marnus moved to the Netherlands with his wife Annelie, whom we interviewed on International Women’s Day. Now, it’s his turn to share what this journey has meant for him.

One of the biggest changes has been the chance to grow professionally in the electrical field, a sector that has always intrigued him. “It’s given me the opportunity to learn and explore. I’ve gone far beyond my original trade,” he says. Back in South Africa, time was often a constraint. “In my experience, they’d hand the biggest jobs to the most capable guy and expect him to wrap it up in just a few hours.”

Here, he finds that even when working solo, there’s more time, better resources, and stronger support. He appreciates the openness and the ease of discussing problems with more experienced colleagues. “The communication here is far more transparent than what I was used to.”

“It’s given me the opportunity to learn and explore. I’ve gone far beyond my original trade.”

He also values the way people here take their work seriously, yet still maintain a healthy balance with family and downtime. “Before we came, it had been so long since I had time for my hobbies. I almost had to rediscover what they even were.” Now, his weekends are well spent exploring nearby towns and browsing local markets.

Of course, some aspects are still taking getting used to, like the public transport system. “In South Africa, it’s simply not accessible to most people.” He’s also struck by the Dutch bike culture and how practical and safe it is. “Back home, bikes are just for kids, and only under strict supervision for short distances.”

Despite the challenges, Marnus feels that moving to the Netherlands was the best decision for both him and Annelie. “Unexpected things will always come up when you emigrate, but we were very lucky with Manschap.” He felt genuinely supported, which helped lighten the load of those early hurdles. His final advice: “Make sure you choose the right team to handle your emigration; they can make or break your journey.”