Stanley Kioko, 36, wasn’t just chasing adventure when he got into a Toyota Prado with some friends to travel from Nairobi to South Africa. He was stepping into the unknown, driven by the hope of finding better opportunities and living beyond the boundaries of his familiar life.
Their first stop outside of Kenya was Namanga, followed by Arusha. “Our first meal outside the country was in Arusha,” Stanley recalls. “That’s when it really hit us that we had left Kenya.” The journey took nearly seven days.
Today, Stanley lives in Tyger Valley, a small area in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. He describes Cape Town as one of the best places to live in South Africa.
Stanley, who was born in Machakos County, began his education there before moving to Eldoret after high school. He worked for two years while studying Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at Moi University, graduating in 2009.
After graduating, he was transferred to Mtwapa, Mombasa. It was during this period that he began to consider leaving Kenya. Stanley and his colleagues would sit together after long workdays, sharing their frustrations and dreams.
“We were working very hard and kept asking ourselves if this was all life had to offer,” he recalls. “We started talking about greener pastures and the spirit of adventure.”
They wanted better opportunities, higher pay, and a chance to see the world beyond what they had always known. “You need to know more than what you’re used to,” says Stanley.
At the time, he was working the night shift, from six in the evening to seven in the morning. “I kept asking myself, ‘Can I really do better than this?’ That question pushed me to make a hard decision.”
After unsuccessful applications to other countries, Stanley did not hesitate when his South African visa was finally approved. He didn’t even formally resign from his job. “I was already on my way,” he says. He arrived in South Africa on September 9, 2011.
On reaching, his first task was learning how to live in a new society. Integration took him about three months. Language remained one of the biggest challenges, especially as a lecturer.
Students often asked questions in their local languages. Stanley had to learn quickly, not just the language but also cultural expressions and ways of life.
‘Over time, I embraced local food, customs, and social life. Before I knew it, I living like locals,’ he says with a smile.
His first job was as a lecturer. He worked part-time, moving between the University of Johannesburg and several further education and training colleges. One of these was Rand Training College, which was owned by a Kenyan and where he taught ICT. He also lectured at the Johannesburg Technical and Vocational College and participated in training programmes in Sandton.
His career gave him flexibility. Some of his work could be done remotely. At night, he programmed, and during the day, he lectured students. He worked this way for almost three years as a trainee, lecturer, and programmer. “I enjoyed teaching,” Stanley says. “The more you teach, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more you realise how much you still need to learn.”