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South Africans in Germany

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Moving to Germany

The sleeping arrangements in Germany is a bit different from what we are used to in South Africa. The average German couple sleeps on a bed base with two single mattresses and each with their own duvet.
Some would argue for this but I would at least want to share a duvet with my partner.
I vacuum packed all my queen size duvets and brought them with me to Germany together with my standard SA pillows.
It works fine as long as you don’t want to buy new duvet covers.
If you do want to get new duvet covers for your SA duvet inners, your best bet would be to buy from the UK, but be aware their King size is to my knowledge the same as our Queen size, so always make sure of the measurements.
Since the German double bed consists of mostly two 100 x 200cm mattresses, a King size duvet will work best.
Finding covers for a King size is possible at online shops but your choice is limited and the pillowcases will be the German standard 80 x 80.
Always make sure of the pillow size

Where to shop for bedding

Here is a list of online shops that have a bigger variety and some have the correct pillow sizes:

Bedding sizes South Africa vs Germany

  Mattress size in SA
  Duvet Size in SA Mattress size Germany
Children / Kinderbett     70 x 140cm
Single / Einzelbett  90-92 x 188cm 130 x 190cm 
135 x 200cm
140 x 200cm		 90 x 200cm is most common but it is also available in 100 x 200cm
3 / 4 or großes Einzelbett 107 x 188cm  150x200cm 140 x 200cm
Double / Doppelbett 137 x 188cm  200 x 200cm 2 (90 x 200cm) Mattresses
Queen 152 x 188cm  230 x 200cm  
Queen Extra Length 152 x 200cm  220 x 220cm  
King 183 x 188cm  230 x 220cm  
King Extra Length / großes Doppelbett 183 x 200cm  240 x 240cm  2 (100 x 200cm) Mattresses

South African pillow sizes

Standard Pillow 45 x 70cm
King Pillow 50 x 90cm
Continental Pillow 70 x 70cm
Body Pillow 45 x 150cm

German pillow sizes

The standard size is 80x80cm, although you can find other sizes like 40 x 80cm.
If you buy a duvet cover, and do not find pillows cases that will fit your SA pillows, you can of course take the 80×80 cases and resize them or use SA pillowcases that will still look good with your new duvet cover.
Alternatively invest in a new 40 x 80 pillow

Mattress hardness

H1 Suitable for people weighing less than 60 kg. Since such a low body weight is relatively rare in adults, only a few mattresses are manufactured in this mattress firmness level. Often these mattresses are also only available with mattress firmness level 1, so they are real custom-made products.
If you weigh more than 60 kg, you should under no circumstances choose a mattress with a degree of hardness of 1 (even if you like it softer), as this would quickly lose its dimensional stability.
H2 One of the two most popular sellers in Germany – especially among women. It is particularly suitable for people who weigh between 60 and 80 kilograms.
Depending on the manufacturer, the designation F2, medium strength or medium, is also common.
H3 The mattress firmness level 3 (H3) is by far the most common in Germany and is suitable for people weighing 80 kg or more. 
Depending on the manufacturer, the upper limit is 100, 110 or even 120 kg (a mattress hardness of H4 is usually recommended for over 120 kg). 
H4 The mattress firmness level 4 (H4) is suitable for people who weigh over 100, 110 or 120 kg (depending on the manufacturer). This degree of firmness is often referred to as firm, extra-firm or even ultra-firm.
Since there is no further degree of hardness for many manufacturers or models, there is often no upper limit to the next higher degree of hardness.
Usually this is reached at 120, 140 or 150 kg.
H5 The degree of hardness 5 (H5) is the rarest. 
Often the mattress firmness level 4 is just as suitable for heavy people and mattresses firmness level 5 is just harder. That is probably the reason why some manufacturers do not have mattresses with a degree of hardness of 5 in their range.
Most mattresses with firmness level 5 are suitable for people weighing 140 or 150 kg or more, but sometimes the lower limit is 120 kg.

Types of beds

 

  • Lattenrost

 

A Lattenrost fits into a bed frame

 

 

 

 

A Polsterbett is a bed frame, where the frame and the attached headboard and if applicable, the footboard is upholstered and covered. You have to buy the mattresses separately.

Differences between a Lattenrost and a Boxspringbett:
Both have a mattress that lies on a flexible base.  In the case of the Lattenrost, it is slightly curved spring wood slats while the Boxspringbett has a box that, like a mattress, contains a core made of spiral springs and usually includes a topper – an approx. 6 cm high mattress topper with a soft foam core that rounds off the comfort experience. 
While the components of the conventional bed – mattress, slatted frame and bed frame – are usually bought individually, box spring beds are offered as a complete package. 

Where to buy beds

Vocabulary

  • Duvet
  • Duvet cover 
  • Pillow 
  • Pillow Cases
  • Mattress 
  • Single bed 
  • Double bed
  • Large single bed 
  • Large double bed 
  • Children’s bed 
  • Home Textiles 
  • Bettdecken
  • Bettwäsche
  • Kopfkissen
  • Kopfkissenbezüge
  • die Matratze
  • das Einzelbett
  • das Doppelbett
  • das große Einzelbett
  • das große Doppelbett
  • das Kinderbett
  • die Heimtextilien

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Housing in Germany

Types of Housing Flat – Wohnung / Apartment. Atlbauwohnung – An old building, that might be protected Dachgeschosswohnung – penthouse but usually with slanted walls Einliegerwohnung – Granny flat Entangewohnung – Apartmentbuilding Loft Maisonette – duplex apartment Penthouse

Shopping

Shopping in Germany can be a daunting experience if you are not familiar with how things work here. The worst is probably grocery shopping. In South Africa there is usually someone at the till that bags your groceries

Good to know

Your Visas are approved, your paperwork is finalised and you are ready to start planning the big move. This can be a very stressful time, and we hope the information we provide here helps to ease the process.

It would be best if you learned the gender of each new word (Noun) you learn in German. This is not always easy to do and we hope the list below will be of some help. 
These lists give an indication of which article to use for some words e.g all Months are masculine (der) and most words ending in “e” are feminine (die).

Der

Wörter mit der Endung-igHonig, König
 -lingSchmetterling, Frühling
 -ent

Student, Dozent

 

 -ierOffizier, Kavalier
 -ismusRealismus, Optimismus
 -istJurist, Optimist
 -orMotor, Rekto
 -örFrisör, Likör
 -ikerAkademiker, Mechaniker
 -astPhantast, Gymnasiast
 -eurFriseur, Amateur
 -erCa 70 % Stecker, Kugelschreiber
 -nerRentner
Männliche Personen, Tiere und Berufe Vater, Hase, Lehrer
Alkohol (außer das Bier) Sekt Schnaps
Tage (Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch..)
Monate (Januar, Februar, März..)
Jahreszeiten (Sommer, Frühling, Herbst, Winter
Richtungen (Norden, Süden, Westen, Osten)
Wetter (Regen, Schnee, Frost, Nebel)
Namen von Autos oder Zügen (ICE, VW, Audi, Toyota)

Die

Wörter mit der Endung-eiBäckerei, Bücherei
 -inLehrerin, Ärztin
 -keitHeiterkeit, Schwierigkeit
 -heitFaulheit, Freiheit
 -schaftHerrschaft, Meisterschaft
 -ungErzählung, Meinung
 -aKamera, Aula
 -ade

Marmelade, Schokolade

 

 -etteToilette, Marionette
 -ieKolonie, Theorie
 -ikMusik, Kritik
 -ineMaschine, Lawine
 -ionDimension, Tradition
 -tätRealität, Qualität
 -iveAlternative, Offensive
 -sisBasis, Skepsis
 -eCa 98% Klasse, Tragödie
 -urNatur, Kultur
Wibliche Personen, Tiere und Berufe Tochter, Löwin, Ärztin
Ships, aircrafts or Moterbikes Die Titanic

Das

Wörter mit der Endung-chenMädchen, Männchen
 -leinFräulein, Kindlein
 -telDrittel, Viertel
 -tumEigentum, Christentum
 -inBenzin, Nikotin
 -ingDoping, Meeting
 -umDatum, Album
 -maKlima, Komma
 -mentDokument, Experiment
 -ettTablett, Ballett
 -oBüro, Auto
 -erlZuckerl, Semmerl
 -nisCa 98% Zeugnis, Verhältnis
Farben (das Blau, das Rot..)
Buchstaben (das A, das B, das C..)
Infinitive die man als Substantive benutzt (das Schreiben, das Lesen, das Lernen..)
Most words related to science, tech and mechanics  

Your Visas are approved, your paperwork is finalised and you are ready to start planning the big move.
This can be a very stressful time, and we hope the information we provide here helps to ease the process.

Cost of living

In general, properties are more expensive in Germany than in South Africa, also when renting. Food and clothing prices depend a lot on where you are buying. Medical insurance is also more expensive in Germany,
The most, expensive cities in Germany with regard to rent are Stuttgart, Hamburg and Munich
Here are some cost-of-living comparative sites to give you an idea:

Pension

Homepage of the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Information about the German state pension scheme can be found on their homepage for foreign languages. The German site has a lot more information.

Medical

Health insurance is mandatory for everyone visiting or living in Germany.When living in Germany you can either take our private (privaten Kran­ken­ver­si­che­rung – PKV) or

Housing in Germany

Types of Housing Flat – Wohnung / Apartment. Atlbauwohnung – An old building, that might be protected Dachgeschosswohnung – penthouse but usually with slanted walls

Finding a place to stay

Finding a place to rent is almost like doing a job interview. You have to “advertise” yourself and you will have to go for interviews.

Finding a place to live

If you have not already, you need to find a place to stay.
The best advice that we can give is to start by renting a furnished place in the city you want to live in, while you wait for your furniture to arrive. This gives you a chance to explore the areas that appeals to you.
Bear in mind that most places in Germany are smaller than what you might be used to in South Africa. Most young people live in the cities in a flat (die Wohnung), or a shared house.
Living in a shared house is very common and is well organised and thought through.
When you are looking for a place with a garden, it is best to look a bit outside of the city.

What to do with my belongings and furniture

You need to decide what to do with your current belongings and furniture. Most of the time this is a very emotional decision, and what you decide will depend on your situation. Many ex-pats stay in furnished accommodation for the first couple of months, to allow them to find their feet. Remember shipping containers can take months to arrive.

Option 1 is to sell everything, but then you have to be certain that you will not return to South Africa soon. You can opt to lease furniture in Germany.   Lyght Living and In-lease offers such services

Option 2 Store your furniture
Many ex-pats who plan to live in Germany short-term, rent out their property and store their furniture. Once you are settled in or have a long-term plans in Germany, you can arrange to have your furniture shipped

Option 3 is to bring your furniture with you, but keep home and room sizes in mind.  Big bulky furniture will not work in most living spaces and it is expensive to ship it.
Do not bring along crockery and linen, it will most likely be cheaper to buy new items here unless you have very expensive or sentimental items of course.
I also find that the curtain rails here are very different from those in SA.  Good places to look online and compare prices are:

Beds, Mattresses and Duvets

The sleeping arrangements in Germany is a bit different from what we are used to in South Africa. The average German couple sleeps on a bed base with two single mattresses and each with their own duvet.Some would argue for this but I would at least want to share a duvet with my partner.I vacuum packed all my queen size duvets and brought them with me to Germany together with my standard SA pillows.It works

Shipping and Relocation Companies

Shipping from South Africa to Germany Here is a list of the companies suggested by members of our Facebook page: Execu Move IMS Shipping Kühne Alpha Shipping Vanguard Logistics Elliot Britannia Brytons South African Relocations – They also offer shared containers and Pet services Shipping from Germany to South Africa Here are some suggestions for shipping companies to ship goods back to South Africa. There is also a FB group called Return to South Africa, where

Electronics

The consensus among most ex-pats is that is not worth it to ship your standard big electronic equipment. Compare the price of new equipment against your shipping costs. Also, consider repair costs and spare part availability. Brands like Defy and Kelvinator are not available in Germany. Information about the EU Energy-efficient labelling can be found on this page 

 Televisions

In Germany for cable tv, the tv standard “DVB-C” is used: see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVB-C
For “normal TV” via antenna, the standard DVB-T is used.
So if you TV cannot handle DVB-T or DVB-C, then you will not be able to receive German TV channels.
If your TV doesn’t support these broadcasting standards, you can buy a set top box (receiver) which will receive these channels and then shows the channels via an HDMI cable on your tv (like an “mnet decoder” basically). 
Search for “DVB-C receiver” on amazon and you will find many, starting at circa 30€ all the way up to 200€, depending on whether you want additional things like recording.

What clothes should I bring along

There is a saying here, there is no bad weather, just bad clothes :-). 
The winter jacket you bought from Cape Union Mart is just not going to cut it.
Bring along clothes that you can layer and buy a decent wind and rain-resistant winter jacket here.
The shoes you buy n SA are also not made for winter conditions.
In winter it is wet and icy, and with thin soles, your feet will get cold and the soles will have no grip. Another note on shoes, you will most likely walk a lot more, and most pavements have cobblestones. High heels are just not made for that.
Most summer clothes will be suitable here
Here are some sites to compare prices: Galeria Kaufhof, Bonprix, C und A , T K Maxx, Jack Wolfskin – outdoor clothing, Deichmann – shoes

Image by jacqueline macou from Pixabay

Where to shop for clothes

We understand how difficult it can be to find the perfect shop where you can buy new clothes. That’s why we took the initiative to

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Clothing sizes – Women

Woman’s Clothing The following table is a rough guide for Woman’s clothing. Most online shops will have a measurement guide, but even then it might

Shopping

Shopping in Germany can be a daunting experience if you are not familiar with how things work here. The worst is probably grocery shopping. In

My hobbies, should I buy new equipment

This is a tough question and not easy to answer. It depends on your hobby. How much you can get for your equipment, the shipping costs and the price of buying new equipment will all influence your decision.
Do your homework beforehand, also on the legal and tax issues.
For example, getting a hunting licence in Germany is expensive and you need to do courses as well. Fishing is also very regulated.

Pets

Everything you need to know about bringing your furry babies to Germany.
We also listed companies that assist with travel arrangements for your pets

Pets

Dangerous (Banned) Dogs Some dog breeds are banned in Germany. There are additional rules for individual states.  Up-to-date information can be found on the Zoll (Customs) website.Some dangerous dog breeds are allowed, depending on the Federal state, and must be registered at the Ordnungsamt. Cats Cats have a different status in Germany than dogs, and there are fewer regulations regarding cats once you are in Germany. Here are some examples relevant to cats: You do

Flight Tickets

For a National Visa (long-term type D) you only book your flight tickets after you receive your Visa.

Travel to Germany – Tips

If you’re planning a trip to Germany, we’ve got some travel tips that we think you’ll find incredibly helpful.  If you’ve got your own tips to share, we’d love to hear them!  Simply submit them to us and we’ll be happy to include them on the page.  Flights The major airports in Germany are Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, and Düsseldorf. Direct Flights between SA and GermanyDirect flights from SA are only to Frankfurt and Munich (Seasonal) Lufthansa flies

Television, mobile phones and the internet

Make sure you cancelled all your contracts in South Africa, and apply for services here as soon as you registered your place of living with the Bürgerampt. Remember to cancel your TV license in South Africa. You will get a GEZ letter as soon as you are registered,  to pay your broadcasting fees
Internet in the cities are very good and most use cable. In the smaller towns, you might have to use your good old telephone line or 3G.
Most internet providers offer an internet package, with television and mobile services.
The most popular are Telekom, Vodafone, and O2

The TKMoG (Telecommunications Modernisation Act), will come into force on December 1, 2021. If the provider does not provide the contractually agreed transmission rate, the customer can now reduce the monthly fee based on the newly introduced proportional reduction right. A special right of termination can also be used under certain circumstances. If a technician does not come on the agreed date or if there is a fault that has not been rectified, this can lead to compensation claims against the provider.

Another change is that providers have to offer a 12-month contract and not only 24-month contracts. If the contract has expired you can now cancel it with a one month notice period. Previously your contract was automatically extended for another year if you did not cancel it in time. The new regulation will also apply to existing contracts.

Internet TV and mobile

Internet, mobile and television packages are usually sold as a bundle. Fibre is available in most big cities but not in remote towns.  Legal After registering

Television Licenses

Television Licence (der Rundfunkbeitrag/GEZ-Gebühr) The first thing you are likely to get in your new mailbox after registering at the Bürgeramt is a reminder to

Streaming South African content

Your best option to legally watch South African products is to get a subscription to Showmax or Netflix.  Showmax Unfortunately Showmax will only be available

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Import a used vehicle to Germany

The following information was shared to us by someone who went through this process. What documents do you need Proof of ownership – Proof of

Documents to bring to Germany

The documents you will need in Germany will depend on your type of visa, your family situation, the company you work for, the schools or

Learning German

There are several approaches to learn German, all of which can help you achieve your language learning goals. You can opt for convenient online sites

We asked members of our Facebook page what they loved about Germany. 

Those that made the list were:

  1. Feeling Safe
  2. Quality of life
  3. Easy access to the rest of Europe
  4. Healthcare
  5. Reliability of services
  6. Availability of walking, hiking and biking trails
  7. Competent Government
  8. Job environment and security
  9. Education and Study opportunities
  10. Work-life balance
  11. Freedom
  12. Affordability of basic items
  13. Infrastructure including roads and internet
  14. Culture and tradition
  15. Job opportunities
  16. Festivals and outdoor events
  17. Social/Unemployment and child support
  18. Equality
  19. Learn new languages
  20. Food and beer

Information about Germany

Here is a list of websites were you can find more Information about Germany

Official Sites

Other websites (Sponsored sites, personal blogs)

Keeping in touch virtually

As an ex-pat, it is essential to keep in touch with family and friends from back home. We yearn for news and contact with loved ones,

FAQ

Question Information Solution Will my children adapt to the new school? The school system is very different from those in South Africa. The school year

Verbs are actions or a state of being.

  • An example of an Action is, I eat.
  • An example of a state is, I am hungry or I have pain.

In Afrikaans you would say “Ek eet” , “Ek is honger” or “ek het pyn”

The verbs change their form depending on the Pronoun before the verb. These are words like I, me, she, you, it, they, and us. In English we use I am hungry but he is hungry. In German all verbs change depending on the pronoun, not just the sein (is/am) Hilfsverb.
Examples of relative pronouns are: which, that, whose, whoever, whomever, who and whom, and many

Pronoun Verb haben (have)
Hillfsverb		 Verb sein (is)
Hillfsverb 		Verb komme
Vollverb		 Verb wollen (want to)
Modalverb
Ich (I) habe bin komme will
du (you) hast bist kommst willst
er, sie, es (he, she, it) hat ist kommt will
wir (we) haben sind kommen wollen
Ihr (you) habt seid kommt wollt
Sie (they) haben sind kommen wollen
Sie (Formal you) haben sind kommen wollen

Conjugation

The conjugation is the change of the verb forms in terms of person, number, time, etc.
In the German conjugation (Konjugation) system one can distinguish three main types of verbs: regular verbs (regelmäßige Verben), irregular verbs ( unregelmäßige Verben) and verbs with mixed conjugation ( Verben mit gemischter Konjugation )

 

Conjugation is the creation of derived forms of a verb. Conjugated verbs are used to express the characteristics of person, number, tense, voice and mode in the German language. In order to form the forms, the division into regular and irregular Verbs is fundamental. Irregular verbs are, for the most part, strong verbs. The creation of verb forms deviates from regular conjugation. The regular verbs are all from the class of weak verbs. For the formation of the verb forms, the separability of prefixes and the auxiliary verb to be used is also relevant.

https://www.verbformen.com/conjugation/

1. Regelmäßige Verben

Never change the root vowel during conjugation
ich mache – ich machte – ich habe gemacht

2. Unregelmäßige Verben

Change the main vowel and have different endings in the Past Tense (Präteritum) and the past particle (Partizip Perfekt) than that of regular verbs.
ich gehe – ich ging – ich bin gegangen

3. Gemischte Verben

Mixed Verbs also change the root vowel, but have regular endings.
ich denke – ich dachte – ich habe gedacht

Reflexive Verben

Reflexive Verben sind Verben, die mit einem Reflexivpronomen (sich) in der Bedeutung von „sich selbst“ verwendet werden. Es gibt echte, unechte reflexive Verben und teilreflexive Verben.
Reflexive verbs are verbs that are used with a reflexive pronoun (meaning) in the sense of “oneself”. There are real, fake reflexive verbs and partially reflexive verbs.
Beispiel: Ich wasche mich.

Vollverb

Die meisten Verben des Deutschen sind Vollverben. Ein Vollverb ist ein Verb, das alleine (neben dem Subjekt) in einem Satz stehen kann. Vollverben drücken Handlungen oder Zustände aus.
Most verbs in German are full verbs. Can stand alone in sentence (next to a subject) Express actions or states
“Ich lerne Deusch

Hilfsverben

Hilfsverben bilden das Prädikat nur in Verbindung mit dem Partizip, Perfekt oder dem Infinitiv eines Vollverbs. Sie ermöglichen die Bildung der zusammengesetzten Zeitformen.
Ich bin gelaufen. Du hast gegessen. Sie wird rennen
Habe und Sein

  Präsens Präsens Präsens Präteritum
(simple past)		 Präteritum
(simple past)		 Präteritum
(simple past)
  Sein Haben Werden Sein Haben Werden
Ich Bin Habe Werde War Hatte Wurde
du Bist Hast Wirst Warst Hattest Wurdest
er, sie, es Ist Hat Wird War Hatte Wurde
wir Sind Haben Warden Waren Hatten Wurden
ihr Seid Habtz Werdet Wart Hattet Wurdet
Sie / sie Sind Haben Werden Waren Hatten Wurden

 

Modal Verben

A modal verb (also ‘modal’, ‘modal auxiliary verb’, ‘modal auxiliary’) is a type of verb that is used to indicate modality – that is, likelihood, ability, permission, and obligation. Examples include the English verbs can/could, may/might, must, will/would, and shall/should.
Können, Wollen, Müssen, Dürfen. Mochten, Sollen, Mögen

Präsens (Present Tense)

  Dürfen Können Mögen Müssen Sollen Wollen Möchten
Ich Darf Kann Mag Muss Soll Will möchte
du Darfst Kannst Magst Must Sollst Willst möchtest
er, sie, es Darf Kann Mag Muss Soll Will möchte
wir Dürfen Können Mögen Müssen Sollen Wollen möchten
ihr Dürft Könnt Mögt Müsst Sollt Wollt möchtet
Sie / sie Dürfen Können Mögen Müssen Sollen Wollen möchten

Präteritum (Simple Past Tense)

  Dürfen Können Mögen Müssen Sollen Wollen Möchten
Ich durfte konnte mochte musste sollte wollte wollte
du durftest konntest mochtest musstest solltest wolltest wolltest
er, sie, es durfte konnte mochte musste sollte wollte wollte
wir durften konnten mochten mussten sollten wollten wollten
ihr durftet konntet mochtet musstet solltet wolltet wolltet
Sie / sie durften konnten mochten mussten sollten wollten wollten

 

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Pronouns are words that take the place of a noun. Words like I, me, she, you, it, herself. Additionally, you get Relative and possessive pronounsRelative

German Grammar and Language

Here are some links to German Grammar information.It is a compilation of information I gathered over time. I hope you find it useful. Please notify

Learning German

There are several approaches to learn German, all of which can help you achieve your language learning goals. You can opt for convenient online sites