Leaving Home: The Afrikaner Exodus and a New Life in Uruguay

The Afrikaner Struggle

I am a Boer, or an Afrikaner - whichever term you prefer. My ancestors arrived at the tip of Africa in 1652, hard-working people with a rebellious streak. They trekked over the Drakensberg Mountains to escape British rule, fought African tribes trying to push them out, and later waged war against the British Empire in 1899, only to surrender after thousands of our women and children died in concentration camps.

But that was long ago.

In 1992, South Africa voted to end apartheid, and by 1994, the ANC was in power. The transition was meant to bring reconciliation, but for many Afrikaners, it brought something else: uncertainty. No one took leadership of the Afrikaner community. We were divided, politically irrelevant, and increasingly unwelcome in the country our ancestors had built.

A Nation Without a Future

I farmed and worked in a family business serving the agricultural sector. Over time, I saw friends and acquaintances attacked or murdered - people I spoke to one week, gone the next. Crime became normal. Names were inscribed on memorials, but life moved on. Bloodlines were wiped out.

Beyond the violence, the economy was crumbling. The rand declined. Infrastructure collapsed - electricity, water, roads. Corruption was endemic. I felt voiceless. My country was turning into another failed African state.

I wanted out.

I first applied for Australia, where I had friends and job offers. My application was airtight. I used an immigration lawyer but was rejected by a bureaucrat. I wrote to officials, pleaded my case. One woman, a former South African named Kruger, tried to help, but Australia was closed to us.

The Refugee Double Standard

I felt like a refugee in all but name. While millions cross borders illegally or claim asylum without documentation, white South Africans facing targeted violence and economic exclusion find no sympathy.

Despite overwhelming evidence that white South Africans are disproportionately affected by violent crime and race-based policies, there is no official UN stance designating them as a persecuted minority group. Western governments - Australia, the US, Canada - are equally reluctant, even though the conditions they endure meet the very definition of asylum: violence, state-sanctioned discrimination, and land expropriation without compensation.

Some argue Afrikaners aren’t refugees because they have the means to leave. But visa restrictions make migration increasingly difficult. Unlike other asylum seekers, Afrikaners receive no resettlement aid, no government housing, no welfare. They must integrate and contribute immediately - without recognition of their plight.

This double standard exposes a deeper flaw in global migration policy: Who deserves protection, and why?

Afrikaners don’t ask for handouts or pity. We ask for the chance to rebuild - free from violence and discrimination. Whether or not the world acknowledges us as refugees, we know exactly what we have escaped.

A New Beginning in Uruguay

Through social media, I connected with a Dutchman who told me about Uruguay. At the same time, a Telegram group of South Africans exploring relocation to Uruguay emerged. In 2019, we sent a scouting group, and I traveled independently to explore my options.

Uruguay, a country of just 3.5 million people, seemed stable. I met good people including Mattijn from the Netherlands, Mariana from Uruguay, Wilma from South Africa who guided me through the process. When I returned home, I packed my bags. My parents were shocked. My mother called it a mistake but later changed her mind. In February 2020, we landed in Uruguay. There were no refugee handouts. No racial quotas. No government hostility. Just work and opportunity.

Afrikaners on the Move

I am part of a growing exodus. Since 1994, an estimated one million white South Africans - many of them Afrikaners - have left the country. Most head to Australia, the UK, the US, and Canada, where skilled migrants are welcomed. But increasing visa restrictions have forced Afrikaners to look elsewhere. Latin America has become an unexpected destination.

Uruguay, in particular, is attractive because:

Challenges and the Future

Starting over isn’t easy. Learning Spanish takes time. The cost of living is higher than in South Africa. But there’s no price tag on safety and dignity. Here, my son has a future. Here, my vote still counts.

Afrikaners have always been pioneers. We left Europe for Africa. We trekked into the unknown to escape British rule. Now, many of us are making another trek - to wherever we can live freely, work honestly, and raise our children in peace.

For me, that place is Uruguay.

Danie de Wet

Unrecognized Afrikaner Refugee | Agricultural Import Professional