Meet Obakeng Mafaldi who moved from South Africa to Eindhoven. Read more about his journey down below!  

Hello Obakeng, where do you live now and where did you move from?

Hey, I live in Eindhoven now and I moved from South Africa.

What made you decide to move to the Netherlands?

I moved to pursue career prospects.

How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?

Smooth and seamless. It’s almost like I was plugged out of my home country, and plugged into my new one. Expat Management Group made the transition a non-event.

What do you find typically Dutch?

Definitely biking. I have been to numerous cities around the world and have to admit that cycling is what defines a typical Dutch for me.

What has been the best part of your move?

You’re always nervous as an expat when going to a new country, especially as to whether the community will accept, but the people of Eindhoven have been super helpful, patient and welcoming so far – that is the best part of my move. Go PSV!

What has been the hardest aspect of your move?

I am still a beginner at learning the Dutch language, so it’s quite frustrating for me that I can’t connect to the locals as much as I’d like to at the moment,

What would you have done differently?

I should have taken seriously how things are expensive in the Netherlands. Food, petrol, public transport, entertainment, rent etc. Its really expensive, and as such I would have been a lot stricter in my budgeting.

Any last words or pieces of advice?

Get to know your neighbors as soon as possible as they will give you tips and tricks about the new place. Also, use your colleagues and get advice from them!