Businesses going global

Jonathan grew up in Austin, Texas, but after University decided it was time to see the world. He worked in London, taught English in South Korea and initially came to New Zealand on a working holiday visa. 

“Originally I was just going to do the OE thing and work in a bar and travel around, but then I ended up getting an actual job in IT and through that was eligible to stay for longer. I worked in both Auckland and Wellington before having to return to the US for personal reasons, however, the great experience I had in New Zealand was always in the back of my mind. Then during Covid, when the lockdowns occurred and I really had time to think about what I wanted to do in the future, the desire to return to New Zealand became really strong.” 

Jonathan began looking into opportunities to move to New Zealand and speaking to recruiters, he thought it might be a few months until he could make the move, but the pandemic meant it in fact took two years. He finally arrived in Aotearoa in June. 

“I was lucky enough to find a job in Wellington that was a great fit for me and luckier still that the company was happy to wait for me to get everything sorted. I really love Wellington, I feel the city is a great cultural fit for me, I’m really happy to be back.”

Before settling on a return to New Zealand, Jonathan looked at moving to a number of places including Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and South America. However, it was New Zealand he ultimately kept coming back to. 

“It is definitely expensive to live here, certainly a lot more expensive than the other areas I was looking at. However, like a lot of people who immigrate here, I can’t really put into words why it’s the right place for me. There are the obvious things like the lifestyle, the inclusive nature of people and the beautiful scenery, but it’s more than that it’s this weird emotional connection, it’s like the country casts a spell on you.” 

Jonathan is hoping to sell his home in Texas and eventually invest in a place in Wellington but before that he is really looking forward to getting a car and being able to get out and explore the country.

“I can’t wait to start driving around. Some of my most wonderful, almost hyper-realistic memories are of just driving around and exploring New Zealand. This country is so beautiful. Every time I send pictures back to my family and friends back in Texas I don’t have to do anything. I just point the camera and I shoot, no filter. And they’re like, that looks like a postcard. Even at the Air BnB I stayed in when I arrived I just took photos out the window and all my family and friends were jealous.”

Apart from the airline losing one of his bags and forcing an emergency trip to Kmart, Jonathan says he has settled in well to his new life and was able to find a flat, sort out his bank accounts and get settled into his new job daily easily. He says the job opportunities in the IT sector are really good and he would definitely encourage others thinking about making the move to take the plunge and he’s got some practical advice for them.

“The cost of living here is high, so I would advise people to budget more for moving costs than they think – there are so many little things to buy that you don’t think of. I would also tell people to really think about what you bring over. I had to replace a lot of basic items when my bag got lost and it made me think about how easily I could have got stuff here, rather than paying to ship it. I think once my containers finally arrive I will realise I don’t actually need a lot of the stuff I have sent.”

“I would also really urge people to do their research, moving is often a really emotional decision but you have to be able to back that up with practicalities. I also found a lot of value in the online Kea meet ups each month. It was great to hear other people’s stories and sharing the excitement of others who were moving to  New Zealand was really infectious, it gave me a lot of validation that I was doing the right thing.”

While Jonathan’s IT skills are a huge plus for New Zealand which is facing key shortages in the technology sector, it’s not all he brings to the country. A fan of circus arts he’s bought his juggling balls and clubs over and is looking forward to his containers arriving full of his cowboy boots, accordion, and some St. Louis Cardinals baseball tops and hats. For now, though he’s just enjoying getting to know his new workmates and pinching himself to make sure, after all the delays and waiting, his new life is actually real.

“The fact that I have done it, that I am here still doesn’t feel real. I still feel like I am going to wake up and be like wow I had this crazy dream that I packed up all my stuff and moved to New Zealand. I think it will take a while to sink in, but I hope to be in New Zealand for a long time to come.”

North America

In good news for Kiwi business travellers to the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has launched a new mobile application to enable travellers to submit Electronic System for Travel Authorisation [ESTA] applications easily and quickly from their mobile devices. The ESTA Mobile App launched in 24 languages to 40 Visa Waiver countries, including New Zealand, whose citizens are permitted to travel to the US for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa. Being able to quickly and easily apply, amend your application, scan documents and upload a selfie to confirm your identity will be a game changer for travellers. The app also sends notifications for any updates to your application status. 

There has been considerable speculation about the state of the US economy in the media recently, particularly after last month’s House vote to suspend the debt ceiling resulting in two years of spending caps and policy changes. However, a suite of stronger than expected recent numbers on US durable goods orders, new home sales, and consumer confidence led US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to express optimism about the US economy, describing it as “quite resilient” and “still growing, albeit at a modest pace”. He acknowledged that while a recession is still possible, it is no longer the most likely case and noted that wage pressures are also coming down.  

This comes as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the SWIFT international payments system and more than a dozen private sector partners announced that a three-month digital dollar pilot for global payments had shown promising results. The pilot found that blockchain technology could be used to develop a near-instant 24-hour global payment system using USD, benefitting global users of USD as an international payment currency. The pilot is a major development in the potential introduction of blockchain-based payments to the global financial system, where the USD remains the world’s foremost reserve currency.

Gary Fortune, Kea North America Regional Director

UK and Europe

This month the UK signed the Protocol of Accession to join the CPTPP. The CPTPP is a trade deal of 11 Pacific nations including New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia. The UK’s accession to the trade deal means it will cover around 15% of global GDP. Including a major economy like the UK inside CPTPP strengthens the rules-based trading system and will benefit both New Zealand and UK exporters, providing greater certainty and enhancing regional supply chains for trade. Entry into force of the agreement is expected to take place in the second half of 2024. Through the CPTPP, New Zealand export businesses saved $330 million in tariffs in just the first two years. For UK exporters, it means that more than 99% of exports to member countries become eligible for tariff-free trade. 

In eagerly awaited news for Kiwi planning to head to the UK for their OE or for work, upgrades announced earlier this year to the NZ/UK Working Holiday Scheme and Youth Mobility Scheme are now live. The topline benefits include an extension of 5 years to the age of eligibility for both schemes from 30 to 35 years; an extension of the maximum period of time individuals can stay in New Zealand and the UK respectively, from 2 years to 3 years and an extension to the length of time individuals can work, allowing those in the UK and New Zealand respectively to work for the full duration of their 3-year stay. 

In events news Kea was privileged to join High Commissioner Phil Goff, the Te Papa Foundation, Ngāti Rānana London Māori Club, and other local New Zealanders at Kew Gardens to view a beautifully preserved 170-year-old Kahuhu (cloak) made from flax and tikumu (mountain daisy leaves) from the Southern Alps. It was designed to keep the wearer warm and dry from cold southern weather.

Sara Fogarty, Kea UK/Europe Regional Director

China

This month Chinese Premier Li Qing met with senior executives from China’s leading tech firms including Alibaba, ByteDance, Meituan and Xiaohongshu. He commended the companies, labelling them the “trailblazers of the era” and vowed more support. The announcement follows more than $1 billion in fines for Alibaba and Tencents’ fintech arms, but is widely believed to mark the end of the official clamp down on tech companies.

There have been a few false starts for China’s tech companies but after two-and-a-half years of scrutiny, tech companies have a better idea of what is expected of them. They are also one of the country’s greatest hopes to continue as the growth engine of the world. Over the next five years the IMF predicts China is expected to contribute to 22.6% of the world’s economic growth, well ahead of second-placed India at 12.9% and the US at 11.3%. By then, one in four of the world’s middle-class consumers are expected to be Chinese. This is good news for Kiwi businesses looking to advertise brands on key platforms like Alibaba and also for those looking to leverage China’s tech market for growth or investment. 

In other news, Kea celebrated Matariki with the local community in Shanghai by co-hosting a Kiwi Drinks to mark the event. We were also fortunate enough to be present at a Gala dinner to mark Prime Minister Chris Hipkins visit, which brought together 450 members of the New Zealand and China community.

Rebecca Bao, China Regional Director

New Zealand

This month New Zealand and the European Union signed a ground-breaking Free Trade Agreement that will provide significant new trade access to our fourth-largest trading partner. The FTA will increase our exports to the EU by up to $1.8 billion per year by 2035, with tariff savings of $100 million from day one of the agreement entering into force. This is the highest immediate tariff saving delivered by any New Zealand FTA, around three times the immediate savings from the UK FTA. Tariffs were removed on products like kiwifruit, Mānuka honey, fish and seafood, onions, wine and industrial products.

In a second collaboration between New Zealand and the European Union announced this month, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and the EU President Ursula von der Leyen witnessed the signing of the Horizon Europe Association agreement in Brussels. This collaboration on research, science and innovation will mean greater access and opportunities for Kiwi researchers – giving access to Europe’s largest ever science collaboration platform, and creating opportunities for New Zealand’s interests and expertise to be demonstrated on the world stage. Association is the closest form of cooperation with the Horizon Europe research programme available to non-EU countries. It gives Kiwi scientists the opportunity to lead major research programmes in areas of global significance such as climate change, energy, health and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Finally, FIFA fever has hit this month! Through July and August New Zealand is playing co-host to the biggest women’s sporting event in the world. The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia-New Zealand 2023™ will be a historic event on multiple levels. It is the first edition in the Southern Hemisphere, the first to be co-hosted by two confederations (AFC and OFC), and the first to feature 32 teams. As a co-host New Zealand looks to unlock the untapped football potential of the Asia-Pacific region and leave a lasting legacy for football and women’s sport in New Zealand. The Government is supporting regionally-led programmes to celebrate and empower women and girls during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

Saya Wahrlich, Global Director, Government & Industry

Richard’s career in international trade and the steel industry has taken him around the globe. He left New Zealand after finishing University, eager to explore the world and in the past 24 years he’s lived in the UK, the US, Mexico, and Japan. He has a Japanese wife and his two boys, aged 9 and 11 were born in Mexico and Tokyo. Now he’s returned home in a bid to put down more permanent roots for himself and his family. 

“We’ve moved a lot over the course of my kids’ life. I’ve spent the past 14 years working for a Japanese company and we moved every three years as part of my job. It gets harder and harder for the boys each time. Just as they start getting comfortable and making friends we move again. My wife and I were concerned that at some point they would stop bothering to make friends because they were worried about leaving them behind, and so we decided it was time to settle somewhere.”

Richard says the family considered settling in Japan, a country they love and have lived in several times over the years, however he was concerned he couldn’t achieve the right work life balance in a country where long hours are the norm. 

“I love Japan and I have worked there a lot over the years, but it’s hard to achieve a work-life balance. When we have lived and worked there in the past I would see my family for five minutes in the morning before I left for work and I would end up catching the last train home

past midnight and not get home until the early hours of the morning. Then on the weekends I was busy catching up on sleep so I barely saw my family. I loved my job but these days my priorities have shifted.”

The move back to New Zealand will also allow him to be closer to his parents and siblings and while Richard says Covid was not a factor in their move home, the time spent away did reemphasise the value of being close to family. 

Conscious of not moving the family unnecessarily Richard returned home by himself hoping to secure a job and a home before his family came out from Japan to join him. He had spoken to other returning Kiwi and attended several of Kea’s virtual returner meetups so was prepared for the job hunt to take some time. 

“We didn’t want to bring the boys back to one city only for me to find a job in another and have to move them again. After talking to others I fully expected the process of finding a job to take around six months. I initially stayed with family in Wellington before finding a job in Auckland, I was pleasantly surprised that this only took a couple of months.”

While searching for a new role, Richard says he came into contact with a number of Kiwi businesses who were really interested in his offshore experience and the global skills he is bringing home. 

“When I was working in Japan in the import/export business I was handling hundred-million dollar accounts and dealing with tens of thousands of tonnes of steel, obviously New Zealand doesn’t have the scale to operate like that, so I understand how it could be hard for some businesses to relate. I was prepared for this after hearing similar stories from other returners but I was really lucky that everyone I spoke to was really interested in, and positive about my international experience.”

During his 24 years offshore Richard says he only came home every 4-5 years and so didn’t have many expectations of what moving back would be like. Instead he realised that just as he has changed over the past decades so has the country. 

“I’ve been away for so long it’s sort of like a new adventure for me. Until I started working it felt like an extended holiday.  The weather seems to be better in Wellington, you can stand up straight in the wind now, I remember being blown backwards when I used to walk to University! New Zealand is also a lot more multicultural, and it’s great to see such a significant increase in the use of Te Reo Māori. It’s also a lot more crowded than I remember, but then the population did grow by more than a million while I was away!”

Richard says one of the things he is enjoying the most about being back is the beauty of New Zealand, not just in the tourist areas but in the smaller towns and out of the way areas. And he’s looking forward to sharing that, and the Kiwi lifestyle with his wife and two boys. 

“It’s a safe, beautiful country, it’s relaxed and fairly chilled and people are nice. When we decided to move, I started reaching out to the few contacts I did have, and they all introduced me to other people. I even had a recruiter introduce me to another recruiter who was technically their competitor, and they didn’t want anything in return. That’s something that you wouldn’t get in the US!”

Richard’s key advice to others is to make sure that the time is right for you, and to keep an open mind rather than having a lot of preconceived expectations. 

“If you had told me five years ago I would have to move back to New Zealand I would have said no thank you. But for us now is the right time, and so far I have found the transition really smooth. I think a big part of that was the belief that I had changed and therefore so had New Zealand. There are definitely some challenges, but the country also has so much to offer. I have great memories of growing up here and I hope my boys can experience that Kiwi way of life and make similar memories.”

For the past 20 years, Kea has worked to nurture a vibrant and diverse community of offshore Kiwi who share a passion for New Zealand and the success of its people and businesses. Ensuring these globally talented Kiwi remain connected to Aotearoa no matter where they are based, is a key driver of Kea’s work.

Kea Global CEO Toni Truslove, says the Starship Foundation is focused on accelerating world class healthcare for all New Zealand children, and partnering with them provides an opportunity for Kea’s offshore community to remain connected to the initiatives and goals which are ensuring the care and success of our next generation of Kiwi.   

“We know the Starship Foundation is a charity our community cares about and we are really looking forward to working with them for a second year, this time as our exclusive charity partner. Many of our offshore Kiwi express a desire to give back to New Zealand and by connecting this community with the innovation and world leading work that Starship is undertaking, we can help them understand the areas where they can make the most impact.” 

Starship Foundation CEO Aisha Daji Punga says the partnership helps create a stronger New Zealand through connection and care. 

“We are thrilled to come on board as Kea’s exclusive charity partner this year and to continue engaging the Kea community for the betterment of Aotearoa. Starship, our national children’s hospital, is a taonga and as the charity for Starship we share similar aspirations with Kea and the expat community to build a stronger New Zealand. An investment in child health is an investment in the future of this country and together we can help make a difference to the lives of our tamariki to bring them better health and a brighter future.”

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For more information contact: 

Kellie Addison | Kea Global Communications Director
021897548
[email protected] 

Lesley Mynett-Johnson | Starship Foundation Representative
0274333392
[email protected]