Are you looking for a friendly country where you can do your aviation training at an affordable cost? Well, look no further than South Africa. As a South African national who possesses a valid Cabin Crew license myself, I can confidently tell you that South Africa is the place to entrust for your aviation training.
We pride ourselves on having a very friendly atmosphere and aviation training schools that are well-resourced. The aviation industry in the nation is booming rapidly every day and presents an avalanche of opportunities for the aviation enthusiast.
Take for example – with over 22.4 million departing seats per year, Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg is the largest in Africa and approximately 60% larger than the next largest African airport, Cairo. The diversity of our airlines too is amazing and blends in well to lift the flag of African aviation high. Just think of the excellence in our most famous airlines like S.A.A, Kulula, Mango, Airlink, FlySafair to name a few.
I think pursuing an aviation-related career in South Africa is phenomenal. I see a lot of aspiring youth from neighboring countries coming to my country not only to experience the beauty of Mother Nature but to pursue their love for aviation. Sadly, opportunities in this beautiful world of flight are not always within the reach of everyone. It`s an industry that is hugely capital intensive and this chases off many aspiring aviators from pursuing their aviation goals. To add insult to injury, the aviation industry in my country is marred by a few scammers, fraudsters, drug lords and even worse – human traffickers. I also feel that the field of aviation is over marketed in my country that pursuing this career would not only be risky but may be a waste of time for many.
For the few young people who have been fortunate enough to make it through to landing their dream jobs within the airlines in my country, it`s not always a rosy experience. For example, I`ve seen many Cabin Crew Members wearing their uniforms with ‘plastic’ smiles that wittingly seem genuine but yet not entirely the reflection of what they possess inside.
I feel that these aviators are sad because they are missing out on the precious moments of being with their families during special occasions like birthday celebrations and family holidays like Easter and Christmas – all with the aim of serving their respective airlines to their utmost best.
At the end of the day, if you would like to pursue a career in the aviation industry in South Africa – please by all means go for it. Maybe you would like to become a Pilot, a Flight Attendant, an Aeronautical Engineer or an Air Traffic Controller – whatever it is, it is possible. The rewards of an aviation career are golden and the experience you will get is invaluable. However, let it be known that aviation is not all about hoping from city to city taking beautiful selfies, earning that fat salary and driving a fancy shiny car. Aviation is a field for those who understand that they not only owe it to themselves or their companes but they owe the world the assurance of landing their loved ones safely to their destination.
Still want to give aviation a try? Come to South Africa for your training. My country is a cut above the rest when it comes to aviation training.
I could tell you about my personal experiences as a licensed Flight Attendant, and I could also tell you stories about my training experience that can make your skin crawl – but ah well, that`s a story for another day!
