?I first came here in a bit of a rush: I had four days to prepare myself to change country and start a new job!? he explains, admitting with a smile that he was ?naïve? at that time and didn?t know what to expect from Mauritius. He was from the start very impressed by the ?cultural refinement? of Mauritians. ?I was 24 years old and alone when I first came here, but some time after I married and my wife, who is also South African, came to join me and our children have grown up in Mauritius. I've built up my life over here.? It seems the whole family has adapted very well to the country, especially his children who are in the French educational system?

?Since I came here, I?ve seen tremendous changes in the country. During my first years here, there was only one international telephone line in Cassis, and the connection to my house was so bad that it was better to get out the car and go to Cassis to make the call!? he reminisces, with a good laugh.

But, fortunately, the infrastructures and quality of life have improved enormously since then! ?I?m a pro-development person. I believe that a country must evolve with its time and accept that there?s ultimately a price to pay for this development - mainly from an environmental point of view?, he argues.

Andrew Slome says he doesn?t miss anything much from South Africa since he can ?lead a South African lifestyle here?. And it?s quite close to Mauritius, so he can always pop over to taste the new wines ! Indeed, he is a great lover of wine and explains in great detail all about the cultivation of vines. ?I?ve not got a very big personal collection of wines but I?m always keeping abreast of the latest trends concerning South African wine,? he admits, flipping through a magazine on that very subject.

He does admit though that there is one aspect of his home country, which he misses slightly. ?In South Africa, we can go off for a weekend in a place which has a totally different environment from our daily life. Once in your car, you can drive for miles through mountains and deserts and have a complete change of scene. But over here, you can?t do that sort of thing!?

If ever he leaves Mauritius one day, his best memory will be his contribution to the success of the tourist sector, which he finds very rewarding. ?Not everyone has the good fortune to work in positions such as I have, and I feel privileged to have lived this experience?? We feel he takes pride in his job and it?s nice to hear him add that ?part of the satisfaction is being able to train and support your local counterpart so that he or she is able to take over.?