Living in Leuven as an Expat: “Leuven wasn’t the reason I came — but it became the reason I stayed.”
Our city is home to nearly 160 nationalities, with thousands of people living here for work-related reasons. This diversity is largely due to the presence of the university and many international companies in and around Leuven. To help expats settle in, there's the International House—where South African Hannelise van Wyk also turned for support.
Hannelise moved from Cape Town to Kessel-Lo about a year ago with her husband, Wessel, and their daughter, Luna. She now works as a consultant at Deloitte. Wessel has temporarily put his career on hold to give the family time to settle in.
Hannelise: “We knew we were moving to Belgium for my job, but we didn’t know exactly where. Brussels seemed like the obvious choice, but a future colleague recommended Leuven for its family-friendly atmosphere. When I looked it up online, I quickly came across International House—an organization that helps expats settle in smoothly. Their website included practical information—like how the school system works—which was a real relief, even before we had moved. I couldn’t find anything like it for Brussels, and that absolutely played a part in our decision to choose Leuven.”
Parents and Rock-’n-Roll
“Moving to a different country is stressful. You leave your family behind, face a different culture, don’t speak the language, and have little time to adjust due to work. As an expat, it’s easy to feel isolated. So I knew right away: I needed a social network. That’s why I signed up for the ‘Welcome Ambassador Program’ at International House. It connects expats—like me, Wessel, and Luna—with someone who knows Leuven well. My ambassador was Jasmina, a working mom from North Macedonia who’s been living here for years. Jasmina is amazing. She added me to a WhatsApp group for international families in Leuven and organizes meetups. That’s how I met other parents and got quick answers to my questions—like where to find a babysitter."
“Thanks to International House, I also met other people. During one of their events, I got talking to the guitarist from the International House Band—a music group with members from Canada, Pakistan, the United States, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. And now, from South Africa too, since I became their singer. We practice every week at the International House on the ring. It’s a hobby, but we take it very seriously."
“Now I live in a smaller city, but my world feels bigger.”
Playing Outside for Free
“In South Africa, we used the car a lot, mainly for safety reasons and the long distances. It's completely different here. In Leuven, you can do almost everything on foot or by bike. It still feels magical cycling along Bondgenotenlaan, with the city hall in the distance. Sometimes, it feels like I'm in a movie."
“But what surprises me most here are the public playgrounds! In Cape Town, if you want to play outside with your child, you have to go to a paid, fenced-off area. Now we live right next to Park Belle-Vue, and we can go there for free at any time of day. It’s amazing, isn’t it?"
“I walk to the park, I bike to the city center, I meet neighbors in the garden without a fence, I go to free city festivals in the summer... Everything here feels much freer and more open than in Cape Town. I live in a much smaller city now, but my world feels bigger.”
Taking Dutch Classes to the Courses
"The day we got the keys of our house in Kessel-Lo, it also happened to be Neighborhood Day. We immediately had the chance to meet our neighbors—almost all of whom were locals. They were incredibly friendly and added us to the neighborhood WhatsApp group. We felt welcome from the first day."
“Still, it’s not always easy to become friends with the locals in Leuven. They’re very welcoming, but also a bit reserved. Everyone is happy to help you in English, but to really make friends, I think speaking Dutch is a big advantage. Wessel is already taking Dutch lessons, and as soon as I have more time, I’ll start too. For Luna, we purposely chose a Flemish school rather than an international one. I want to give her every opportunity to integrate well. Plus, this way, we can meet other parents, not just expats.”
“I’ve noticed that other expats also make an effort to truly feel at home here. Leuven is quite different from a city like Brussels. In Brussels, many expats are on short-term assignments and may not fully integrate into local life. But in Leuven, people often stay for several years — sometimes even for good. That’s why many of us come to feel like both expats and locals. We’re genuinely happy here. Leuven might not have been the reason we came, but it’s probably the reason we stayed.”
Read the Article in Dutch
Check out the LVN article here. You'll find Hannelise's story on pages 8 & 9.