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A TALE OF THREE CITIES

5 Sep 2012
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In our September issue (page 142), two ELLE readers told of their decision to swap one big city for another. Here’s a third, Anja Joubert, who did the same when she moved from Cape Town to Durban.

Ironically, I’m writing this from a friend’s place in Cape Town, where I’m spending yet another awesome weekend. I’ve lived in Durban for almost a year now. I got a dream job at Mr Price in Durban, forecasting fashion trends for ladieswear, and I’m loving being part of such a dynamic, non-conformist team.

I first got in touch with Mr Price after being retrenched from Seventeen in 2010. It was a huge shock, and not an elegant one. I had worked there for four years with an inspiring and creative team, starting as beauty and contributing editor and then becoming fashion and beauty director. I really enjoyed my job and I made lots of friends, while doing what I loved.

So, after having the rug pulled from under my feet, I started weighing up my options.  Do I find a job at another publication, freelance again or do something completely different? Now that I think about it, I did all three. I freelanced for some magazines, while planning an adventure in the East. Before leaving for Taiwan, I had a meeting at Mr Price and a really good chat, but the fact was that I was on my way.

Taiwan was an unforgettable experience. I spent six months teaching English there and being shocked culturally. It was fun, but I was craving to get back into what I had started careerwise. I would be lying if I said that I did not have a move to WGSN Fashion Trend Forecasting and Analysis’s satellite office in Hong Kong at the back of my mind when I went to Taiwan. My first contact via email with the head of content there was unsuccessful, but a flight and a handshake later secured me an exciting two-month internship.

In the meantime, Mr Price had been in touch and offered me the job I really wanted and from then on I knew I was heading back to SA, but still had two months in Hong Kong to look forward to. I was living in a shoe box, but in one of the most exciting cities I have ever lived in. The experience was invaluable.

When I moved to Durban, everything was new again – new job, new industry, new flat and new people. I tried to keep an open mind. I made a concious decision not to compare Durban to Cape Town, and not be one of those people who disses a place because it’s not somewhere else.

‘So where are you from?’ Pretty common question, pretty simple answer. I was often surprised to have my answer met with a ‘but why are you here?’.

At first, I found it difficult to relate and really connect with people. I was missing home too, but tried not to. I was, however, quite determined to keep putting myself out there, saying yes to pretty much every invitation, exploring what Durban has to offer and taking road trips along the south and north coasts, the Drakensberg and the Midlands.

Something has definitely clicked, and Durban’s vibe and raw energy has taken hold. There are lots of cool, talented people here who are on a mission to do original, creative things, which I find infectious. I do visit Cape Town often and I love going to Jo’burg, but Durban is an incredible city and I now call it home. It has been one of my more challenging adventures, but most of what I’ve discovered here has become really special to me.

Photo: Christopher Laurenz
Hair and Make-up: Julia Rubinstein