Building the Support System South Africans Abroad Didn’t Know They Needed

For Saffas who choose to build lives overseas, success is often measured in practical terms: employment secured, children enrolled in schools, residency approved, finances stabilised. On paper, many expat stories look like victories. 

Yet behind those milestones, the emotional and psychological journey of relocation is rarely linear. Families adjust at different speeds. A sense of belonging takes time to develop. And the support structures people expect to find abroad are often less robust than anticipated.

It is this space – between managing the move and truly living well abroad – that Howzit Expats was created to serve.

Founded by Lumondt Kritzinger, Howzit Expats is a purpose-driven organisation focused on the holistic wellbeing of South African expats. Its mission is simple: to help South Africans overseas do more than just survive their expat journey. “Our aim is to help them thrive,” Lumondt beams, “not just survive.”

Lumondt Kritzinger, Founder, Howzit Expats

When Experience Becomes Insight

Lumondt’s understanding of this gap didn’t emerge from theory. It came from lived experience. In 2019, he and his family relocated from South Africa to Ireland. “We weren’t one of those families who moved for a passport,” he explains. “We moved with a passport. We wanted to explore a bit, and I wanted to advance my career in Europe.” 

Professionally, the move made sense. Personally, it proved more complex. “I integrated very well into Ireland,” he reflects. “But for the rest of my family, not to the same degree.”

By the end of 2024, his wife and sons had returned to South Africa, where they are now “certainly much happier.” Lumondt continued to travel between Ireland and South Africa, navigating a reality familiar to many expat families: adaptation is not evenly distributed, and success abroad looks different for each individual.

After nearly 30 years in the corporate world, Lumondt made a decisive shift. “I left the corporate world at the end of 2024,” he says. “I then took a career decision to work for myself – something I’d always wanted to do.”

Seeing the Same Struggles Repeated

As a Certified Financial Planner in both Ireland and South Africa, and a global financial coach supporting people relocating to Ireland, he spent years immersed in South African expat communities – particularly online.

What he noticed was striking. “I was quite taken aback by how many people struggle and reach out in these groups but don’t really get the support they need,” he says. “Year after year, we see many anonymous posts in these Facebook Groups on the same theme.”

Despite good intentions and peer advice, the same concerns resurfaced repeatedly: uncertainty, stress, isolation, and confusion around decision-making.

“For me, I wanted to make a difference in that regard,” he explains. “That’s why I launched Howzit Expats.”

From Community to Ecosystem

Howzit Expats launched in the first half of 2025, initially rolling out communities across Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Howzit United Kingdom officially launched later that year, marking a deliberate expansion into one of the largest South African diaspora markets.

But from the outset, the vision extended beyond information-sharing. “It’s not all serious stuff and information,” he says. “In our Facebook community, we’ve brought in South African-flavoured titbits to engage our growing community.”

From cultural touchpoints to light-hearted engagement – including the use of a Shosholoza Wheel for giveaways and prizes – Howzit Expats leans into familiarity and shared identity. The intention is to foster connection, not just disseminate advice.

Planning, Without Avoidance

The Howzit Expats brand is underpinned by a clear philosophy: preparation matters, but avoidance is costly.

Its logo – a family of three ostriches – reflects that thinking. “They’re all looking in the same direction,” Lumondt explains. “They’re on a journey together somewhere, and they are family all in one unit and sticking together.”

At the same time, the imagery deliberately challenges a common misconception. “Burying your head in the sand – the adage around ostriches – is what we guard against,” he says.

That message is reinforced in the organisation’s guiding line: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Relocation, Lumondt notes, is one of the most complex life events individuals and families undertake, and insufficient preparation only amplifies stress.

Measuring Wellbeing, Not Just Outcomes

In October 2025, Howzit Expats took a significant step forward by launching its Wellbeing Barometer on World Mental Health Day.

The initiative is designed to track, year-on-year, the lived realities of South Africans abroad – including drivers of success, sources of challenge, motivations for leaving South Africa, and reasons for returning.

“We launched it because of the focus on supporting South Africans to be successful and to thrive holistically,” he explains.

Partnering with Ask Africa, the benchmark research firm, Howzit Expats expects the first findings in early 2026. Those insights will inform targeted tools, initiatives, and support frameworks – ensuring the organisation’s responses are data-led, not anecdotal.

Reducing Complexity, One Decision at a Time

Relocation rarely falters because of one major mistake. Instead, it becomes overwhelming through cumulative uncertainty.

Tax residency. Pension alignment. Documentation. Visas. Understanding how systems differ between countries. Even practicalities like transporting pets or accessing reliable professional advice.

“The number of things you need to think about when becoming an expat is immense,” Lumondt says.

Howzit Expats is positioning itself as a trusted, central hub – offering tools, information, and access to experts to reduce anxiety and help South Africans make informed decisions, whether they’re moving abroad or returning home.

A Global Vision, Grounded in Purpose

Looking ahead, Lumondt’s ambition is clear. “My plans are to further roll out Howzit Expats around the world until we cover all the primary countries where South Africans are,” he says. “I want to make a small difference in the lives of South African expats globally.”

His call to action is measured and sincere: engage with the support available, and don’t try to navigate the expat journey alone.

Because winning the away game doesn’t have a single definition – but it should never require facing it unsupported. Lekker.