SAWITU — originally South African Women in the USA and Canada — began in 2017 as a Facebook support group created by Antonet Lombard De Ridder to help South African women connect and support one another while building new lives abroad.

Since then, SAWITU has grown far beyond its original Facebook community. Today, it serves South African men and women across North America through community support initiatives, newcomer assistance, refugee support, and a job platform designed to connect skilled South Africans with employment opportunities. While the name reflects its origins, SAWITU's mission is to support and empower South Africans from all walks of life as they build successful futures abroad.

Over the years, SAWITU has become far more than just an online community. It has evolved into a powerful support network where people from all walks of life come together to uplift one another through both the joys and challenges of building a new life far from home. From celebrating milestones together to supporting individuals and families through grief, hardship, parenthood, immigration struggles, mental health challenges, and major life transitions, SAWITU has become a place where people feel seen, heard, understood, and supported.

One of the newer and rapidly growing parts of SAWITU is the support the community provides to South African newcomers and refugees arriving in the USA and Canada. Volunteers across North America regularly assist families with transport, food, clothing, accommodation leads, emotional support, job guidance, and everyday essentials, helping complete strangers become family.

As the community continued to grow, so did the need for employment opportunities and professional support for South Africans building new lives abroad. This led to the creation of the SAWITU Job Portal — a purpose-driven platform dedicated to connecting skilled South Africans in the United States with meaningful employment opportunities.

Today, SAWITU helps bridge the gap between talented, work-ready South Africans and employers who value dedication, adaptability, resilience, and strong work ethic. The platform offers accessible tools that simplify both job searching and hiring, while continuing to support individuals and families during important transitional periods in their lives.

While SAWITU's roots remain firmly grounded in the sisterhood that started it all, its reach now extends far beyond that original vision. Through community support, volunteer initiatives, newcomer assistance, and employment opportunities, SAWITU serves South Africans from all walks of life who are building a future in North America.

At its core, SAWITU is more than a community and more than a job platform — it is a network built on connection, empowerment, opportunity, and the belief that no South African should ever have to feel alone while building a life far from home.

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