An easy shift from South Africa
It’s been 3 years since Natalie Major was offered an opportunity she could not refuse - to leave her marketing job in South Africa and take up an exciting new career and life in Darwin.
Natalie was living in Johannesburg with her husband and son when a former colleague who had moved to the Northern Territory told her about a career opportunity in Darwin. The role often appealed to candidates only interested in short-term work or those who did not fully meet the job requirements.
Natalie applied and won the position at the Northern Territory Major Events Company, now part of the NT Department of Tourism and Hospitality, which is responsible for large events such as BASSINTHEGRASS and the betr Darwin Triple Crown Supercars.
'I thought: "In for a penny, in for a pound, let’s just go,"' she said.
'It was all very, very sudden. I got my visa on the 30th of August. I landed on the 14th of September and started work on the 18th of September,' she said.
'I initially came alone for 3 months to get established, find a school for my son and secure a place to live.
'I was completely flying blind. I landed here in the middle of the night not knowing what the place was like. A little bit scary, but also quite exciting at the same time'
The nerves from those early days have been transformed and the family has embraced Territory life.
'What’s not to love?' she asked.
'There’s no traffic, the city is accessible and is rich with opportunities.'
Natalie’s husband works as a security technician, and her son is in high school with a strong friendship group. Natalie loves the fact that his friends are all from different backgrounds and he has the freedom to ride his bike and go to places safely.
It’s not the only reason Natalie loves living in Darwin. She says once the family arrived, it was an easy shift because of the many similarities between South Africa and the Northern Territory.
'Being in the Southern Hemisphere, we’re used to warm weather; there’s no language barrier; we enjoy a very similar lifestyle – a shared passion for sport, we love to barbeque and the outdoors. It just made sense.'
Natalie credits her time in the NT for enriching her life – both professionally and personally.
'The move has allowed me to gain new skills and complete a mini-MBA as well as brought our family a lot closer,' she said.
'It’s strengthened my marriage phenomenally, so for me, there are so many reasons why this was the right move.'
Natalie came to Darwin on a Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa which has now been replaced by the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa. This temporary employer-sponsored visa is designed to address labour shortages in Australia by enabling businesses to hire skilled workers from overseas when they cannot find an appropriately skilled Australian.
The visa allows the holder to work and reside for 2 years before being eligible for permanent residency.
In February 2026, the family was granted permanent residency in Australia. They will be eligible for Australian citizenship in January 2028.
