Saffa NZ Community Building Initiative

16/05/2026

Winter is here making it dark, cold and miserable time of year. Luckily we have the South African sun inside us and can share it with each other. With the cold, rain and long nights fast approaching, a Braai might be tricky.

If there is anything you think might work as a get together, please pop it in the comments and I'll arrange it. Whether it be dinner or cocktails at the Austin club, anything will do.

Send a message to learn more

14/11/2025

Thank you for everyone who filled out the feedback form. It will be great to get some more feedback. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEVxPsg_dV3-CyLJJTFb5cSHG0unO9k8Sxgpt9FlaHg4bhjw/viewform?fbclid=IwY2xjawOEhiNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF6WkJPNzRkWjBMQlV0TDR1c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvNdpMvBgE7Rb2tcR9qRLuvwWfWpvWldk3MAOBRLtIyvlWHfvyIoL7ISSrCk_aem_s9vEBB8Uj9YLPQeGIryNKg This will help me tailor it so that it meets everyone's needs. And if it worked well, this will prevent me from messing with something that works.

This is the feedback we have received so far:

08/11/2025

I'm currently placed at The Counselling Hub (South Africa) providing counselling to clients online. I wanted to share this in case any of my fellow South Africans are having a hard time coping.

Feel free to contact them and arrange a meeting with one of their counsellors. They charge R50 a session and let's be honest, counselling for the price of a cup of coffee is a rare find especially with the average counselling cost in Christchurch being around $120 per hour.
https://counsellinghub.org.za/

01/11/2025

Thank you so much to everyone for coming. I feel so happy with the turnout and it just proves that this is a real need. A huge thankyou to Biltong Bro for the delicious samples. Your biltong is top notch!
Once you have recovered from the amazing day in the sun, we would love your feedback on how it went for you: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEVxPsg_dV3-CyLJJTFb5cSHG0unO9k8Sxgpt9FlaHg4bhjw/viewform?usp=publish-editor

25/10/2025

Rules for the Braai next weekend:
• Talk to strangers. I know, back home, it's all about "don't talk to strangers" but just this once, it's okay. It might be weird at first, but we can all be weird together.
• Share your Braai. If you’re bringing your own braai, you’re a legend - please be kind enough to share. There are two gas hot plates at the park, but that might take a while to cook everyone's stuff (and let's be honest, that's not quite the same).
• Be kind and welcoming.
• Be inclusive of everyone. I know we all miss speaking Afrikaans, but if you notice people in the group who speak English, please switch over ;)

18/10/2025

A big, heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to share your thoughts in the survey. Whether you responded with a cuppa in hand, between errands, or during a rare moment of peace—we see you, and we’re so grateful. Your words were full of honesty, humour, and heart, and they reminded us just how much community means—and when it’s not there, we feel the gap. Your voices have helped us see just how deeply connected we really are. I’m truly honoured to be walking this journey with you.

I thought some of you might be interested in the results of the survey so here we go:

12/10/2025

We are very excited for our event on 1 Nov and it looks like it's going to be a blast. If you are so inclined 😊 , we would appreciate a few minutes to complete this needs survey. It's a way for us to find out what the South African community is missing and how we can help support you.

This project, Saffa NZ Community Building Initiative, seeks to understand the experiences, needs, and hopes of South Africans living in New Zealand to inform future community-building efforts. Participation involves a voluntary, confidential survey where you can share your thoughts about life in NZ....

04/10/2025

To make our Biltong, Banter & Braai in the park event as successful as possible, I would love to hear your opinion on:

What do you miss most about home?
What do you wish you had more of here in NZ?
What do you consider to be an irreplaceable part of our culture?

This could be food, people, habits, family or anything else you can think of. This information could perhaps inspire possible future events as well.