{"id":229786,"date":"2026-10-16T10:39:06","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T08:39:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/"},"modified":"2026-10-16T10:39:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T08:39:13","slug":"a-full-calendar-doesnt-always-mean-you-feel-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/a-full-calendar-doesnt-always-mean-you-feel-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"A full calendar doesn\u2019t always mean you feel at home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your week is full. You have work, school activities, a sports match, and maybe a braai over the weekend. You chat with people, reply to messages and are part of a few WhatsApp groups. Yet at night, you sometimes think: I know people here, but who really knows me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For people living abroad, social connections and a sense of belonging do not always develop at the same pace. You might know your surroundings well, have a set routine, and maintain a busy social calendar, yet still feel that you haven\u2019t quite found your place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that you are unhappy or struggling to adjust. You can be content with your life and have good friends, yet still sometimes long for the comfort of relationships where people know your history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To know people and to be truly known<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A study published in Scientific Reports<\/em> in February 2026 examined the experiences of 16 African migrants living in Australia. The participants\u2019 experiences showed that regular social contact does not necessarily mean feeling accepted or part of a community. Some were frequently among people yet still experienced a sense of distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study was small and did not focus specifically on South Africans. Therefore, it cannot be considered representative of everyone\u2019s experience. However, it raises an important question: How meaningful are the relationships we spend our time on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, there is a difference between someone who knows where you work and someone who notices when you are quieter than usual. Between people you socialise with regularly and those you can call when something goes wrong. Between a friendly invitation and the certainty that you are still welcome when you are going through a difficult time or simply not at your best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When no one knows your history<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an established circle of friends, you don\u2019t have to explain everything. People know your family, understand your humour, and remember what you\u2019ve been through. When you live in another country, you have to build much of that familiarity from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even simple conversations can sometimes require more effort. You explain an expression, search for the right word, or wonder whether your joke lands. This can happen whether you are communicating in English, Dutch, German, Swedish, or any other language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why contact with people who share your language, culture, or frame of reference can be valuable. You don\u2019t have to explain every time why a particular dish, song, tradition, or expression matters to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, relationships with people in your local community are just as important. They can help you get to know your surroundings better, understand local customs, and build new relationships. One need not replace the other; these different circles can complement each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give relationships a chance to deepen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you feel that your social life is broad but not necessarily deep, the answer isn\u2019t always another big event or another group to join.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might simply be a second coffee with the same person. A regular walking date. An invitation to do something together. Or a message after a conversation: “You said this week was going to be tough. How are things going now?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such small gestures create space for trust and genuine interest. Over time, you learn who listens, who reaches out again, and who you feel comfortable enough with to be yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also helps to choose opportunities that suit your personality and interests. A smaller reading group, congregation, sports club, hobby group, or community project can offer more opportunities for meaningful conversations than a large, busy gathering where people merely exchange quick greetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The feeling of belonging is rarely created by a single great moment. Instead, it grows from regular contact, shared experiences, and knowing someone will notice your absence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you find your people?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not always easy to know where to start, especially when you are new to an area or do not yet have an established network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one reason community networks can be valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AfriForum Worldwide focuses on South Africans already living abroad and aims to create a space where they can access information, share experiences, and connect with other South Africans. The goal is not to replace people\u2019s local communities, but rather to offer an additional point of connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The World Directory is one practical example of this. Through the directory, people can find, among other things, South African businesses, churches, community organisations, professional services, and other contacts in various countries and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AfriForum Worldwide also shares stories, practical information, and South Africans\u2019 experiences from around the world. Sometimes, the value lies simply in the realisation: someone else understands this experience too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are all building community<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, communities aren\u2019t built solely by organisations, platforms, or groups. Ultimately, it happens between people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why the question also applies to those of us who have already found our place in a community: What do we do when someone new arrives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is the new person introduced to others? Is room made for them in the conversation? Is the person invited again? Does someone remember to send a message later?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For someone who has lived in a country for years, it might be a small gesture. For someone who doesn\u2019t know anyone yet, it could be the start of a friendship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is also where AfriForum Worldwide\u2019s network gains significance. We can help people find one another, share information and contacts, and create platforms where conversations can begin. But the people within that network ultimately form a community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone reaches out to a newcomer, shares a contact, extends an invitation, recommends a business, or simply asks, “How are things really going?”, a network becomes more than just a list of names or contacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It becomes a place where people truly notice one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

More than just a full calendar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A full calendar can mean that you are busy, know many people, and actively participate in the life around you. That is valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But truly feeling at home is often about something deeper: knowing there are people you don\u2019t constantly have to explain yourself to \u2013 people who know you, see you, and would notice if you weren\u2019t there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such relationships take time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And sometimes it starts with something very small\u2014a coffee, a message, an invitation, or someone deciding not just to offer a friendly greeting, but to truly get to know one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AfriForum Worldwide wants to help make those connections possible and bring South Africans together across national borders. For a strong community is built not merely by where people live, but by how they care for one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What small gesture made you feel truly welcome? Share your experience with AfriForum Worldwide \u2013 and also tell us how South Africans in your community connect with and support one another.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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