The downside is that there is a severe housing crisis, and labour is in seriously short supply. I'm in Brisbane, and you can't eat out here after 8PM because everything is closed. Shops close early. Our car was smashed by a reckless driver in early November....it's going to be January before they even start fixing it...doing any kind of renovation or home repair is a traumatic experience because of a shortage of people (you can't do your own plumbing or electrical BTW).
I would not live in Sydney or Melbourne because of the high cost of housing, especially Sydney, since I'd probably live in some unpleasant, boiling hot suburb far west of the city to get anything I could afford.
No domestic workers is another pain point, although you adapt.
I'd say that if you have children, it might be worth emigrating from SA for their sakes, but if you don't have kids, and since you have an EU passport, it's entirely down to your preferences. The quality of life in South Africa for upper-middle-class people is pretty good. Anecdotally, many Australians move to places like Thailand or Bali for the sort of lifestyle South Africans enjoy. If you have a home paid for in SA, you can use your savings to travel overseas for relief from the load shedding and crime: I know a few SA upper middle class people who can afford to do that, while I have to pump every spare cent into my mortgage.
Am I happy I moved? Yes. Would I have done it if I didn't have a family....probably not.
I will probably travel a bit to see.
You haven't looked seriously because of the Netherlands passport. You know that you always have a way out.
Those without such put much more effort into potentially improving their situation, because they have to.
Curious if there any SA expats here that can comment on their experience of emigrating? I have looked a bit but not very seriously. I should mention I do have a Netherlands passport (via my father).