Duncan du Plessis

Duncan du Plessis emigrated to the Netherlands at the end of January 2026. At first, he came to the Netherlands alone. In May, he will return to South Africa to marry Tanya, and after that they will come to the Netherlands together. Read more about the first experiences of Duncan.

Duncan, why did you emigrate to the Netherlands?
My wife Tanya and I chose to move to the Netherlands because of the stability, work-life balance, security, and opportunities for growth that the country offers. These qualities match what we value most as we plan for our future together. The stroopwafels for me certainly helped seal the deal.

Living in the Netherlands has been a long held dream for both of us, and we began working towards this goal several years ago. We enjoy travelling and experiencing different cultures, and we felt that the Netherlands would offer a sense of familiarity, similar to what we knew in South Africa. At the same time, its central location in Europe gives us the chance to continue exploring new places. We believe this is the ideal environment for us to keep growing, both personally and professionally, as long as we can learn to survive the wind and rain on a bicycle.

Can you tell us something how you do like the Netherlands?
I really enjoy living here in the Netherlands. But at the same time I am emotional as well that my wife is temporarily not here with me, but we stay positive that we know after our wedding ceremony in May 2026 we will be together here in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is definitely a beautiful country with a very practical, efficient way of life. The infrastructure here is exceptional, and everything is well organized. Sometimes I think even the weather follows a time schedule. One of the biggest differences compared to South Africa is the level of safety and job security. The general atmosphere here feels calm, and there’s a strong emphasis on social welfare and equality.

The climate for me is also a big change. It’s much colder and wetter here than in South Africa, but so far I am adapting to the weather. I will probably in the future own more rain jackets than I ever thought possible. Another noticeable difference is the directness in communication. People here tend to be very straightforward, which I do find refreshing.

Please tell us something about the projects you are currently working on.
At Nederlands Dagblad, I am currently responsible for front-end development using React on our website. This involves building new features and improving existing ones across our web pages. We are also in the process of planning a migration to a local environment where we can better manage our C# .NET codebase for the back-end logic.

Did the process of emigration go smoothly?
The emigration process went really smoothly, much more so than I had expected. Before we started, I anticipated it would be a long and challenging journey with a lot of complexity involved. However, it turned out to be far more straightforward than I imagined. Aatop ICT / summit developers played a significant role in making the entire process as seamless as possible for me. Their guidance and support throughout each step gave me confidence and made the transition from South Africa to the Netherlands a positive and well managed experience. Based on how smoothly everything went for me, my wife and I are confident that her transition to the Netherlands will be an equally positive and manageable process.

Can you explain to the South Africans who are considering to go overseas how you did experience the support from us?
I cannot stress enough how convenient it was to go through summit developers. From the very first point of contact, they clearly explained every step of the process and took care of everything along the way. They connected me with agents to handle all the required documentation and organising accommodation. Finding a place to live here can feel like winning the lottery. They even contributed towards the cost of my plane ticket, picked me up at the airport, and provided me with a SIM card with data and a crate of groceries, which was greatly appreciated. At that point, I was also expecting them to hand me a bicycle as well. I would highly recommend their services to anyone in South Africa who is considering a move to the Netherlands.