Staying Connected, No Matter the Distance
Living far from home changes how we connect — but it doesn’t weaken the bond. As South Africans abroad, we learn to stay close through screens, shared moments, and a bit of creativity. We may not always be together physically, but we can still laugh together, celebrate together, and create memories together.
Below are ideas for virtual activities you can enjoy with your hartsmense — whether they’re in Germany, South Africa, or anywhere else in the world.
Do Something Together
- Online beer, wine, cocktail, or gin tastings (kits delivered to your home, guided live)
- Virtual cooking classes — including traditional and cultural cuisines
- Online escape rooms, quizzes, murder mysteries, and themed game nights
- Virtual movie nights or shared watch parties
- 💡 Tip: Search for “online team events”, “virtual tastings”, or “online cooking classes” for even more ideas.
Celebrate from Afar
- Online birthday parties with delivered hampers or party boxes
- Host a shared Zoom or Teams call with games like Charades or Pictionary
- Create a simple programme: welcome drink, game, cake moment, chats
- 💡 You can organise one central box for everyone — or adapt based on where participants live.
Play Together
- Online trivia nights
- Karaoke sessions
- Charades, Pictionary, and guessing games
- Casual “campfire-style” social games
- 💡 These are low-cost, low-pressure ways to feel together without overplanning.
Learn Something New Together
- Online cooking or baking classes
- Cultural or language workshops
- Hobby-based virtual courses
- 💡 Doing a course together gives you something to talk about between calls too — underrated magic.
Stay Face-to-Face (Regularly)
- Schedule regular video calls or group chats
- Use platforms like Zoom, Teams, Skype, Google Meet, or WhatsApp
- WhatsApp video messages are great for quick, personal check-ins
- 💡 Even a 5-minute call can anchor a week.
Cards, Messages & Small Touches
- Send online cards for birthdays and milestones
- Create group cards where everyone can add a message or photo
- Order printed cards or photo gifts delivered locally in Germany or South Africa
- 💡 These small gestures land harder than you think.
Share Life, Not Just Updates
Social media helps, but private sharing often feels closer. Connection lives in the ordinary.
- Share photo albums with family
- Send short voice notes instead of long texts
- Share everyday moments, not just big news
If you would like more private photo share options look at Google Photos, where you can create and share albums, or Flickr or Dropbox
Virtual Events in German
- Beer tasting – Beer delivered to your home, online tasting with a Sommelier
- Wine tasting – A selection of wines is sent to your home, online tasting with a Sommelier.
- Cocktail-making courses. They also do Gin tastings as an online event.
- Eventbrite – In the kitchen: Virtual food and drink events & classes
- Organising an online birthday party. You can also put together your own box and send it to everyone, and come together via Zoom, Skype, or other apps. Here are some ideas for making it more fun
- Teamgeist – Online dating, Beach events, Krimi’s, and many more
Virtual events in English
- Social Escape Room from your home
- Online team games, including trivia, murder mysteries, and even a campfire event 🙂
- Quaraoke – Online Karaoke
- Birthday parties – you can organise a hamper or party box, have it delivered and organise an online meeting or game night. Charades or Pictionary are great, cost-effective ideas.
Here are some hamper ideas
Connect Beyond Your Circle
Our community also comes together online — through shared cooking classes, virtual events, and informal meetups. These gatherings are a gentle way to meet other South Africans, share stories, and feel part of something familiar, even from afar.
A Taste of Opera
South African online wine shop in Berlin selling the finest wines at the best prices. Order as a gift or simply to enjoy yourself – delivered straight to your doorstep in Berlin. These wines are innovatively paired with opera pieces – similar to a wine and cheese pairing, but with
Lemon Pepper Kompanie
As long-time South Africa fans, we started with the passion to import original South African spices in high quality directly from Durban.We now have a large fan base in Germany, Switzerland and Austria – including many South Africans.In addition, we have successfully offered South African braai courses for several years.
Kiyanas Indian Cooking classes
Traditional Indian cuisine is rich and diverse in flavours, originating in India and loved across all continents. Being proudly South African and embracing it in my all, I’ve also grown up in an Indian home with rich cultures and traditions. Having moved to Germany in 2019 (to my husband’s homeland),
More Ideas & Handy Resources
If you’re looking for even more ways to connect online, there’s a whole world of simple, creative ideas out there. These resources are great starting points when you want inspiration without having to reinvent the wheel.
Inspiration for Online Activities
- Musemhack has a list of great ideas
- Virtual Teambuilding (or friendbuilding) ideas, like Movie night, Quizzes, Virtual happy hour
- Online Trivia with friends
- Charades, Pictionary & guessing games – Classic games that translate surprisingly well to video calls.
Sending Online or Physical Cards
Sometimes a written message lands more deeply than a call. Whether digital or printed, cards are a simple way to mark moments and remind someone they’re being thought of.
- Bluemountain – Create and send online greeting cards for a wide range of occasions.
- 123greetings.com – Another easy option for quick, digital cards.
- Q-Photo Cards – Design and have personalised photo cards delivered in South Africa.
- Send a smile – Create a beautiful custom card online and have it delivered anywhere in Germany via the German postal service.
- Groupgreeting.com – Create a shared online card where multiple people can add messages and photos. Ideal for birthdays, graduations, retirements, or farewells when everyone is spread out.
You might also like
Our Stories, Our Strength
Every Journey Tells a Story — Welcome to Our Migration Chronicles From distant shores to new beginnings, these stories carry the weight of hope, resilience, and the timeless quest for
South African Communities
South African Communities Find your people. Find your place. Living far from home can be lonely — but it doesn’t have to be. Across Germany, South Africans are gathering in
Events
CONTENTS
You must be logged in to post a comment.