From working holidays to life beyond borders: The Sable International story

In 1995, young Australians, New Zealanders, and South Africans were descending on London on working holiday visas, eager to make their mark abroad. 

The city offered plenty of opportunities, but settling in was far from simple. Seeing this, Reg Bamford left his investment banking job and founded 1st Contact, a business created to help these young professionals find their feet and build a life in a new city.

Having qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Deloitte & Touche in Cape Town and having spent three years in London’s investment banking sector, Reg brought both expertise and hands-on experience to guide clients through the realities of moving overseas. 

He recalls how these youngsters came over in droves, with talk at the time of nearly a million South Africans living in the UK.

A leap into the unknown

Back then, moving overseas was a big leap. Slow internet, expensive phone calls, and unfamiliar surroundings made settling in a real challenge. 

1st Contact started small, offering practical help with visas, taxes, money transfers, and shipping. But it quickly became more than a service provider; it gave newcomers a sense of connection, reassurance, and genuine care for people finding their way in a new city.

Evolving needs

As more clients chose to stay in the UK beyond their working holidays, their lives naturally became more complex. Careers developed, families grew, and financial affairs needed more sophisticated management.

To meet these evolving needs, 1st Contact bought a 50% stake in Sable Private Wealth Management in 2004 to provide specialised tax and wealth planning for South Africans living abroad. 

By 2011, Sable had been fully integrated into the business, and a rebrand in 2016 to Sable International marked a new chapter focused on helping clients live, work, study, and invest across borders.

Building a future beyond borders

Today, Sable International helps clients manage the practicalities of a global life. We understand that in today’s globalised world it is common for your story to span multiple countries, including where you were born, where you live, where your parents are, where your children have settled, and where your assets are held.

Our mission is simple: to make that complexity manageable so you can focus on the life you want to build.

With offices in London, Cape Town, Melbourne, Mauritius, and Lisbon, we bring all our services together under one roof.

Our services include:

• Immigration – We have years of experience advising and assisting with visa applications for the UK and Australia. We employ IAA and MARA-registered advisers, who are able to handle both simple and complex applications.
• Citizenship – Our consultants handle complex British citizenship cases. We also offer advice and representation for Irish, Australian and EU nationality applications.
• Wealth – We provide cross-border investment advisory services, wealth planning, insurance advice, mortgages, and pensions to internationally focused clients. We are regulated in South Africa, the UK and the EU. 
• Tax – We provide comprehensive tax services for expat South Africans and those with international tax complexities. We can assist with registrations, returns, SARS correspondence, tax emigration and more
• Forex – We’re foreign exchange specialists with over 20 years’ experience, offering cost-effective transfers, competitive rates, fast transactions, and a secure online portal.
• Study abroad – We help students study abroad by guiding them through course selection, applications, and visa processes. Through our university partners, we offer faster admissions and maintain a 100% university offer success rate. We also assist student-athletes in securing sports scholarships.
• Offshore property – We provide an advisory service to assist you with investing abroad. With an extensive understanding of the international real estate market, we can help you to build and diversify your wealth through an offshore property portfolio.
• Investment migration – We are committed to helping clients enhance their global mobility, protect their future, and create long-term opportunities through residency- and citizenship-by-investment programmes.

Trusted guidance for 30 years

For 30 years, we have helped clients move from settling in London to building fully global lives. Our mission has remained constant: to simplify global mobility.

If you’re ready to build your life beyond borders, start your journey with us today. Wherever life takes you, we’ll be by your side, offering trusted guidance, expert insight, and genuine care as you build a future without limits. Get in touch with any of our experienced advisers and immigration specialists at [email protected] or give us a call on +27 (0) 21 657 2120 or +44 (0) 20 7759 7514.