the corner office

I hear you, but guess what. People get shot in the UK too!

Yep, but not as often as here :-(

Is that sort of thing rampant in S. Africa? Seems like I'd seen something on tv awhile back about people having to hire guards and so forth. Is that commonplace?

Geez, people get shot around here too, but with rare exception you can pretty much avoid the troubled areas.

Rampant is probably a strong word. It's not like you need a bullet-proof car just to get around, but violent crime is an issue. Your average suburban middle-upper class household is quite likely to be signed up to an armed response security service, and in a city like Joburg a number of suburbs are walled off with controlled access points and regularly patrolling security guards.

I think the best way (for me) to put it is that it's a little too high for comfort, but a lot of people feel that living here is worth it :)

Well, you'll find gated communities here for really rich neighborhoods, but you won't ever find that for your average middle class one. Funny thing is a lot of "run-of-the-mill" apartment complexes have those security gates.

Anyway, I hope that kind of thing avoids you and yours!

Thanks Tom, I hope so too!