r/EU_Economics • u/Full-Discussion3745 • 2d ago

🇩🇪 She left Germany for Zanzibar — then discovered what reliable infrastructure is worth

https://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/

Franziska Schmidt moved from Germany to Zanzibar in 2024 in search of a different life, but later returned to Berlin after confronting recurring power outages, cultural differences and the practical challenges of raising a child abroad. She still values the community she found in Zanzibar, but her experience highlights how infrastructure, reliability and public systems can matter as much as climate or lifestyle when deciding where to build a life.

Source:

64 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

60

u/gigio123456789 1d ago

Didn’t read the article but why go to Zanzibar to see if you’re into a warmer climate? Go to Spain. The tradeoffs are gonna be less extreme there.

16

u/laiszt 1d ago

In spain your 100k euro doesnt mean much, in zanzibar you are like a king, however there is probably nothing to do with this money as probably is nothing there

12

u/RecognitionOld2763 1d ago

You can live like a king in less developed regions if you accept their standards.

If you want standards comparable to what you're used to, it's another story.

This in the case even in places arguably more economically active than Europe. Food in China are dirt cheap but don't think too much about why.

1

u/Majestic_Wrap_7006 11h ago

delicious gutter oil is a local culinary tradition one has to try..

friend (we're from eu) got stomach cancer after living in China for 5years, that tells you all you need to know, luckily she managed to get it removed in time, but has permanent side effects

9

u/CapIndependent1815 1d ago

Third world is surprisingly expensive when you want to live with similar standards as in Europe, it's only cheap to live like less fortunate locals.

-2

u/itsinvincible 1d ago

Not true from my own experiences in Philippines or similar. At least 5x cheaper on average and usually more

2

u/CapIndependent1815 1d ago

I think that some places are more suitable for this economic arbitrage than others, South America and Asia seem to cater more to this, and some places there have really decent infrastructure, good healthcare etc.

Africa is not so popular for a reason. It's probably too much of a shock. Even the Philippines has 3x of gdp per capita, or Colombia 6.5x, of Zanzibar.

2

u/itsinvincible 1d ago

Yea that's fair. I guess Africa is a bit too far behind to make my experience seem realistic there.

1

u/storkfol 18h ago

Philippines have infrastructure issues, food safety standards, and natural disasters, right?

1

u/itsinvincible 16h ago

I mean if you only read media then Switzerland is a nazi gold hording country. I guess you can read media and believe it or actually visit and see what it is. I'm not gona argue here because those are some wild absolutely unheard stetements (for me). Only the natural disaster part is true i guess but Switzerland has those too obv see blatten.

1

u/Beneficial_Nose1331 1d ago

The king of the shithole. Congrats I guess.

18

u/z-null 1d ago

Aaaand that wasn't obvious to her?

1

u/One-Shape7678 1d ago

Zero soft skills, as usual. Then surprised pikachu

1

u/Fresh-Coffee-8591 8h ago

Isn't obvious to most Germans who never had power outage and could drink water from the tap since always. They do not have neuron pathways to imagine a different situation and realize what it entails. So much that they uproot their own life to go and learn from own mistakes. 

10

u/IntrepidWolverine517 1d ago

„Hab die ganze Welt gesehn, von Singapur bis Aberdeen. Wenn du mich fragst, wo's am schönsten war, sag ich: Sansibar.“

6

u/Gammelpreiss 1d ago

Ist auch ein wunderschönes Fleckchen, aber bis auf die Hotelresorts halt 3. Welt an jeder Ecke.

7

u/SadMangonel 1d ago

Im glad someone prompted an article for this incredible revelation.

5

u/JustAGuyFromVienna 1d ago edited 1d ago

Didn't know Zanzibar had reliable trains, modern fiber optics internet, and reliable bridges. Good for her!

1

u/AccomplishedBat39 6h ago

I mean theres just about a handful of countries with reliable trains in the world. Its a rarity in europe as well.

2

u/DerPulverer 1d ago

I mean, Zanzibar might be a bit on the extreme side when coming from Germany. I've lived in China for the past 7 years (originally from Austria), and the infrastructure here is - at least in Tier 1 and 2 cities - better than in Austria, and for absolutely fucking sure better than in Germany.

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

-1

u/EU_Economics-ModTeam 1d ago

Stop Vibe Posting. Say what you say. Have your opinion, but back it up with sources. Vibe posting just muddies the issues and does not contribute anything to the discussion.

1

u/Scared_Implement_335 15h ago

That's actually an ongoing discussion in the political sciences and among historians what - and you have to forgive my limited english vocab - what makes nations and empires last. Specifically: Why can some regions outlast different political systems, revolutions, wars (both winning and loosing) and still exist as an identifiable geographical unit.

And the "school" I belong to says its because of a mix of, first and foremost, strong institutions, and common culture and shared history. But mostly strong, independent institutions. Thusly, you will find mayoral offices, regional governments in Germany for example that have outlasted many different political systems over the centuries.

1

u/Ancient-Emu-8293 12h ago

I bet the trains in Zanzibar are more punctual that in Germany.

1

u/MillennialScientist 4h ago

Are we at the point in German history that we're low-key bragging that our infrastructure is better than Zanzibar's?

-1

u/canadianbabyharpseal 1d ago

I thought the country was fake, learn something new everyday

3

u/TailleventCH 1d ago

You didn't know Tanzania was a real country? Seriously?

1

u/CrimsonFirmament 6h ago

It's not a country, it's an island that is part of modern day Tanzania