By Sue-Ann de Wet

When you live abroad, it is often the small things that affect you the most. The taste of familiar food. A familiar language you hear in a store. Or just someone who understands your context. But along with these experiences also come a practical need: Where can I find a doctor who understands me? Who can help me with documents? Where can I meet other South Africans?

That is exactly why AfriForum Worldwide created the World Guide.

More than just a list – a living network

The World Guide is not just an online address book. It is a dynamic platform that connects South Africans worldwide – through services, businesses and communities.

With almost 40 different categories, the guide offers access to a wide variety of resources, including:

• health services (doctors, dentists, therapists)  
• legal and financial services
• food and hospitality venues (restaurants, delis, bakeries)
• education and language support
• church congregations and community gatherings
• businesses and entrepreneurs
• practical services such as moving, tax and documentation

This means you do not have to try to figure out everything on your own in a new environment – there are already people and networks that can help.

Familiar tastes … and much more

Yes, we know – many people start their search with food.
Those familiar tastes that bring back memories:

• milk tart that tastes like you know it
• biltong that is dried properly
• a good place to braai
• rusks and coffee that make you relax

But the World Guide is about much more than that.

It is about connection.

This is the place where you can find a church where you feel at home.
Where you can discover a business started by someone with a similar background.
Where you can meet people who understand what it is like to build a life across borders.

Support goes beyond business

For many, the World Guide is a starting point – not just for services, but for community.

It helps you to:

• find your feet in a new country;
• meet people with shared experiences;
• get support when things get challenging; and
• become part of a network where you can easily connect.

And for businesses, it offers something equally important: visibility within a relevant community.

Help us build the World Guide

The World Guide lives and grows through people like you.

We want to hear from you:

What business or service do you most wish for where you live?
Is it a reliable doctor?
An Afrikaans crèche? ’
A butchery with specific products?
Or maybe just a place where you can easily connect with other South Africans?

Let us know – because every need helps us to make the guide even more relevant.

Invite us into your world

We want to know about your world too

• Are you organising a fair, concert or community event overseas?
• Do you know of an excellent service provider or business that can help other South Africans?
• Is there a small business that deserves to be noticed?

Let us know. We would be happy to help put it in the World Guide so others can discover it too.

More than just a guide – a worldwide network

The reality is that people build their lives across different countries – each with its own meaning of “home”.

The World Guide is there to make the adjustment easier – to bring people, services and opportunities closer together.

• Visit the World Guide and become part of the network.
• Share your suggestions.
• Help us build the platform further – for everyone who wants to stay connected across borders.

Also read: Culture shock: What really help and why you do not have to go through it on your own