MultiChoice exec swaps SA for Walmart prospects as refugee

A former MultiChoice employee who held a senior managerial position has spoken out about joining the South African refugee programme. The white Afrikaner male, in his early fifties, arrived in the US earlier this month and has since resettled in Charlotte, North Carolina.

According to data released by US authorities, over 12 000 South Africans have arrived in the country in the last fiscal year. The programme is open to ethnic minorities who have claimed racial persecution.

FORMER MULTICHOICE SENIOR MANAGER BECOMES A REFUGEE

Speaking to MyBroadBand, a former MultiChoice senior manager, who has been unemployed for the past few years, arrived in the US under the refugee resettlement programme earlier this month.

The Afrikaner male had worked in executive roles for the pay-television company and another ICT company for several years.

He has happily embraced his new life in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the US.

“If you come with a South African mindset of entitlement, or demanding things, or wanting to do things your way, you’re going to get doors closed in your face,” he said.

“You have everything you need, but it’s up to you as an individual whether you want to make it work. If you want to sit around and wait for things to happen, nothing’s going to happen.”

The man revealed that he had received support from a refugee assistance group, including food provisions, three months’ rent paid upfront on a semi-furnished apartment, and his official documentation.

His next task was finding employment.

He continued: “If you were on an exec level – or, in my case, senior-management level – in your previous career, don’t expect to just, off the bat, walk into a management position,” he said.

“You must have the mindset to start at the bottom and work your way up. In my case, if I have to go and pack shelves at a Walmart, I will do that.”

“It’s up to me if I want to do that. Or I can sit on my gat and do nothing. But nothing’s going to happen then, and nothing’s going to come your way. So you have to make it work.”

“The sky’s the limi…You have to be humble. You have to be grateful, because at the end of the day, you have no right to be here. This is a privilege. It’s a privilege extended by the U.S. government to bring you over as a refugee, and you have to put in the hard yards.”

HOW MANY SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE RESETTLED IN THE US?

According to the latest data released by US authorities, over 12 000 South Africans have resettled in the US as refugees.

The figure is the sum of successful applicants between October 2025 and the end of August 2026

The states receiving the biggest groups of arrivals include Florida, California, Colorado, Illinois and Iowa.

In May 2026, US President Trump issued an emergency determination increasing the refugee intake for the fiscal year to 17,500. Applicants are required to pass the relevant screening, security and medical processes and be approved for admission.