Homesickness: The stages of missing South Africa
Homesickness is a lot like grieving the loss of a former existence.



Homesickness stems from our instinctive need for love, protection and
security. These feelings and qualities, according to clinical
psychologist Josh Klapow, are what we usually associate with home.



Homesickness is therefore not about home at all. It`s about
familiarity and attachment to the things that we love. It`s a
byproduct of acclimatisation.


"You`re missing what`s normal, what is routine, the larger sense of
social space, because those are the things that help us survive,"
explains Klapow.


"It`s just your emotions and mind telling you you`re out of your
element."


Much like the young child on school camp, as soon as we begin to feel
disconnected and out of our normal, familiar routine, so the anxiety
and grief set in.


The stages of mourning and the stages of homesickness have rather
similar effects on the brain. This makes sense considering we are, in
many ways, grieving the loss of a former existence.


The five stages of loss and grief, are part of a framework that begin
to help us learn to live without someone or something.


1. Denial and isolation
Homesickness creeps up on you and catches you unaware. Many of us try
brush it off as we consider our emotional distress to be a weakness.


We block it out and rationalise our emotions.


There`s no future for me in South Africa. I made the right decision to
move. I love my new home. Yes, I miss my family and friends, but I`m
not homesick! Stop with your snot en trane and pull yourself together.



2. Anger
Despite all our attempts to block it out, eventually it bursts in and
hits us with full force. The emotion is intense

and we don`t know how
to cope with it. So we begin to resent our new life, the strangers
around us, or the familiar faces back home. We realise that no one is
to blame, and this makes us even angrier.


This is nothing like what I had back home. I can`t believe I`m stuck
here. Who said this was a good idea? What made me decide to leave the
most beautiful country in the world?


3. Bargaining
After losing ourselves a little, we begin to calm down, and we begin
to try regain control. While we think we are level-headed, we are just
trying to numb ourselves from the reality.


Maybe I can live between both worlds. Nothing is going to change if I
make the effort to stay in contact with everyone and everything back
home. I will always stay in tune with South Africa.


4. Sadness
When we finally begin to embrace reality, so the blues come rolling
in. At times we find ourselves overwhelmed by sadness, and for some,
even depression.


I don`t want to get out of bed this morning to more unfamiliar streets
and faces. I miss everything about home and I would do anything for a
hug from ma and a giggle with the girls.


5. Acceptance
This stage is not a phase of happiness. It is a coming to terms with
being away from home. We have worked through the discomfort and
distress, and we are here now, and we are going to make the best of
it.


It`s OK to miss home. It`s OK to be down sometimes. By working through
the difficult times, we force ourselves to keep our head above water.



Because at the end of the day, the only cure to a future spell of
homesickness is going through the motions of homesickness itself. V.1640

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

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-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

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Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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