Moving to Johannesburg | Not Your Usual Relocation Agent
Relocating to South Africa

Moving to South Africa?

Find the right school, suburb and home, with a friendly local on the ground to make it all feel easier.

I'm Hannah Pirnie. I moved here with my husband's work in 2010 and now help international families plan their move, find their place and experience the best of South African living.

Tell Me About Your Move Get My Free Relocation Guide
16 Years in Johannesburg
300+ Families Supported
Registered Property Practitioner
The part Google (or Claude) doesn't tell you

Moving countries is exciting.
Working out how to live there is another story.

Schools. Suburbs. Security. Commutes. Houses. Cars. Healthcare. Domestic help. Making friends. Knowing how to stay safe and what you can and can't do.

None of these decisions can be made on their own.

Your school affects where you live.

Your office affects the commute.

Your preferred way of living affects whether you will be happier in a walkable neighbourhood, a secure complex or a gated estate.

I introduce you to other international families and professionals who have made all the same decisions, so you don't have to figure it all out on your own. These are the 101 decisions that are difficult, and expensive, to undo.

“The relocation company handled the logistics. Nobody handled me.” Hannah Pirnie
Not just a move. A life that works.

How does the Home Joburg Method work?

You don't just need a relocation agent. You need someone who has done the move you are about to make.

Sunlit dining table set for breakfast in a Hyde Park home
Phase One

Choose your place

Understand which schools, suburbs and homes fit your family, your commute and the way you want to live.

Explore relocation support →
Hannah Pirnie enjoying jacaranda season on a residential street in Johannesburg
Phase Two

Land well

Make the practical decisions in the right order and arrive with someone on the ground who knows what needs to happen next.

Explore relocation support →
Group of friends on a hike beside a waterfall
Phase Three

Find your people

Build the local connections, routines and community that turn an unfamiliar city into home.

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Hands resting on a leather folio on a desk
Start Here

Not sure where to start?

Tell me what you are currently worried about and where you need help figuring things out.

For most families, that is a Discovery Session: 90 minutes together, followed by a written plan for your move.

If you need support on the ground, I also offer Relocation Days and a limited number of Global Executive Concierge places.

Explore Relocation Support
Client Testimonials

What do families say about working with Hannah?

Hannah Pirnie and a client cycling in Franschhoek

“Everything we wanted and more.”

After 3 weeks of searching for houses, we lost 2 I was emotionally finished. I have never cried so much, and had no idea why it was all so hard. Then I came across Hannah, and wow what a difference! She showed us 2 properties that matched our criteria perfectly, talked us through all the security elements and even introduced us to others who had moved into the area. She is our fairy godmother, I can not thank her enough.
Carol Wallis, Partners in Performance
Two women talking at a Beyond Coffee event

“Stellar, professional service.”

From the moment I reached out to contact Hannah, she was so responsive. Previously I had left 101 messages with various agents, it all got very confusing. It's lovely to have just one agent that can take us to multiple homes across a variety of suburbs and coordinate it all for us.
Leanne Smit, Standard Bank
Two women laughing at a Beyond Coffee event

“Unforgettable.”

Hannah provides such a great service I wish I had her in every country. Its such a good idea to know which houses are coming on to the market as expats leave. Its a lovely way for the expat community to help and support one another.
Miriam Drever, Boston Consulting Group
Guests seated outdoors at a Beyond Coffee event in Fourways

“I just wish I had found you earlier!”

The standard of property that Hannah sources have far outstripped any other we have come across. Thank you for all your support, for answering our questions, and for going above and beyond to help us all settle here.
Sandra King, Economist
Four people together at a Beyond Coffee event in Fourways

“Invaluable service.”

Hannah is an absolute lifesaver, having moved abroad herself she understands the stress and made everything so easy for us. We can not thank you enough.
Mark Hene, Coca-Cola
A client family in their garden under a jacaranda tree

“A dreamlike experience.”

Hannah was outstanding, she was the first person who truly understood what I was looking for. I wish I had contacted her earlier.
Denise Jameson, Mercedes
Read more testimonials →
Hannah Pirnie, founder of Home Joburg
Meet Hannah Pirnie

Not an agency or a bot. Your friendly guide on the ground who has lived the move you are about to make.

When my husband first told me his work wanted us to move to South Africa, my response was, “Cape Town?”

Instead, we landed in Johannesburg with two small children, no local network, no idea which suburb would suit us and no real sense of who to trust.

The relocation company handled the logistics. But nobody helped me on that first Monday. The children were at school, my husband was in the office, and I had to work out what our everyday life would actually look like. What do I do now? How could I find my purpose and my people here?

What was meant to be a two-year assignment became a 16-year family adventure. We fell in love with Johannesburg, put down roots and made Joburg home.

I built Home Joburg because the person I needed back then didn't exist: someone local who had made the move herself, knew the city from the inside and could explain it all in plain language.

Now, I help other families enjoy the adventure without quite so much of the overwhelm, the decisions made on bad information, the uncertainty and the isolation of those first few months.

And I love introducing them to the very best of life in South Africa.

Tell Me About Your Move
The Home Joburg Collection

Corporate homes,
personally chosen

Whether you need a cottage for a few months, an executive rental for a family assignment, a private Johannesburg home to buy or a South African escape to return to, I can help you find it.

I work with only a small collection at a time. Every home is represented or sourced by me personally, so I can tell you about more than the bedrooms and the price. I know the street, the school run, the commute and what it might actually feel like to live there.

Beautiful homes for beautiful people. Executive rentals, Johannesburg cottages, private sales and South African escapes. No mass listings.

Central Parkhurst garden and covered veranda
Short Stay · Parkhurst

Central Parkhurst

Two bedrooms, private garden, steps from 4th Avenue
From R2,975 per night
Parkhurst garden with lap pool
Short Stay · Parkhurst

Your Parkhurst Launch Pad

Three bedrooms, lap pool, fully furnished
R4,500 per night
Westcliff farmhouse covered veranda with outdoor dining
For Rent · Westcliff

The Westcliff Farmhouse

Four bedrooms, heated pool, floodlit tennis court
R109,000 per month
Explore the Corporate Homes Collection →
Local Life

Already in Johannesburg? Come say hi.

Moving is the easy part. Feeling like you belong takes local knowledge, trusted people and the small introductions that make everyday life work.

Woman listening to a podcast in a sunny reading chair
Podcast & Journal

New in Town: Johannesburg

Real conversations about schools, safety, friendship, culture and making a life in the city.

Read and listen →
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WhatsApp Community

First 90 Days: Beyond Coffee

A WhatsApp community of international people who help each other settle in and make the most of South Africa.

Join the next event →
Free Guide

What's inside the free Johannesburg Relocation Guide?

The guide for international professionals deciding where to live, which schools to consider and how to settle safely in Johannesburg.

  • The suburbs international families actually consider, and what each one offers
  • Why choosing the school should usually come before choosing the home
  • What Johannesburg property listings do not tell you
  • A calm, practical approach to security
  • The real effect of traffic and commuting
  • Why Hannah recommends renting before buying
  • What to organise before you land
  • Nine common mistakes relocating families can avoid
  • Hannah's 10-step starting checklist
Download Your Free Guide
Kitchen and dining space in a Johannesburg family home
For Landlords

Do you own a beautiful home in Johannesburg?

I am always looking for exceptional, well-kept homes for international families and corporate clients who need somewhere to settle for the longer term.

Tell Me About Your Home
FAQ

What do families ask before moving to Johannesburg?

What is Home Joburg?

Home Joburg is a relocation practice for international families moving to Johannesburg, run by me, Hannah Pirnie. I help you choose the suburb, find the school, secure the house and build the life around it, from the first planning call before you leave to the point where the city feels like yours. I work with a small number of families at a time, so every one gets my full attention.

Who is Hannah Pirnie?

I moved to Johannesburg from the UK in 2010 with my husband's job, no local network and no idea which suburb was which. Sixteen years later I am still here. I have helped more than 300 international families settle, I am a registered Property Practitioner with eXp Realty South Africa, FFC 2025701174, and I make New in Town, the podcast for people arriving in Johannesburg.

Do I need a relocation consultant to move to Johannesburg?

Not always, and I will tell you if you do not. If your employer is running the move, you have been to Johannesburg before and your children are not changing school systems, you can do this yourself. Do come and say hi in the Beyond Coffee WhatsApp community anyway when you arrive.

But if you are arriving with school-age children, no local network and 90 days of decisions ahead of you, one structured conversation early saves months of expensive guessing.

What does relocation help in Johannesburg cost?

A Discovery Session, the 90-minute planning call with a written plan afterwards, is $297. A Relocation Day on the ground in the northern suburbs is $650. Global Executive Concierge, where I run the whole move, is $5,500 to $8,000. Property search and the transaction itself run through eXp Realty South Africa and are quoted separately.

Can you help before we arrive in South Africa?

Yes, and that is when I am most useful. Most families start three to 12 months out, while the school places, the suburb and the housing budget are all still open. Everything before arrival happens on Zoom, wherever you are in the world, and school applications can be run entirely from abroad.

Where do expat families live in Johannesburg?

Most land in one of four areas. The estates up north: Dainfern, Steyn City and Waterfall. Sandton, Bryanston and Morningside for the short commute. The Parks, so Parkhurst, Parktown North, Parkview and Hyde Park, for walkable village life. And Rosebank, for walkable apartment living. Which one suits you depends far more on your family, your stage of life and why you are moving to Johannesburg.

Is Johannesburg safe for a family?

It is a city where you make specific choices rather than one where you are either safe or not. Which suburb, which route home, which habits. Families here live full outdoor lives. The shift you need is from frightened to alert, and the honest version is far less frightening than the one you will read in a Facebook group.

For all our safety tips, listen to the New in Town podcast.

Do you work with the partner who gave up a career to come?

Yes, and it is a large part of what I do. In a corporate move, all the support arrives for the practical things: the school, the house and the car. Then it stops, which is exactly where the hard part starts. Rebuilding an identity in a city where you know nobody is the bit nobody prepares you for. That is the conversation I want to have.

Do you also find and let homes?

Yes. I am a registered Property Practitioner with eXp Realty South Africa and I represent a small collection of Johannesburg homes for sale and to let, including furnished executive rentals and short stays. Most families start with the relocation side and I represent them when they are ready to rent or buy.

Start Here

Tell me about your move

Tell me where you are in the process and what you are worried about, and I'll tell you honestly what I can help with and what I can't.

Tell Me About Your Move Get My Free Guide
Hannah Pirnie

Hannah Pirnie

eXp Realty South Africa
073 429 7485  ·  hannah@homejoburg.com