Goodbye Germany! The emigrants - lingerie, luxury and mini-golf in North Africa
Martina Burandt-Martin and Michael Alves are emigrating to Egypt. Their two youngest sons, Ike (17) and Steve (14), are coming with them. The family got the idea to emigrate after a vacation in Hurghada. The beautiful weather, the high quality of life, and their dissatisfaction with German politics reinforced their long-held plans to move abroad. They also immediately had a business idea – their own ice cream parlor with homemade ice cream. Michael is certain: "This will be a success!" They are leaving behind their beverage store and Martina's lingerie shop in Bad Bodenteich.
Their daughter Jasmin will take care of the businesses and the house. Once the ice cream parlor is finished, Martina would like to open a lingerie shop in Hurghada as well. The most important thing right now, however, is their apartment, which wasn't completed as planned, so the four of them will have to make do with temporary accommodation for the time being. And finding a suitable location for the ice cream parlor is proving more difficult than expected. At 48, Monika Kischel emigrated to Egypt after a failed marriage.
Until three years ago, she worked as a real estate agent in Bad Griesbach. But she had long felt out of place among the stubborn Lower Bavarians, who wouldn't allow her the slightest success. So she seized the opportunity and emigrated to Sahl Hasheesh. The small resort lies on a 12-kilometer stretch of coastline – where there was only desert sand 10 years ago, a luxury resort is slowly but surely emerging near Hurghada. Monika now successfully runs her own business there.
She manages, rents, and sells apartments, which she furnishes herself. Her clientele is discerning – currently, she's working for a wealthy Russian construction contractor. Monika has to furnish three apartments for him – and she only has a very tight timeframe. Markus (40) and Gisela Schütz (49) gave up their secure jobs and their settled lives in Neuss and emigrated to their dream country, Tunisia. In the tourist town of Mahdia, they spotted a potential market niche and invested around €40,000 in a miniature golf course, convinced it would be a success.
Although they aren't passionate miniature golfers themselves, they prepared the site by hand, marking out the lanes and digging the earth. The course was shipped from Germany, but problems with Tunisian customs, additional fees, and blocked funds pushed them to their limits. After six weeks of construction, all 18 holes were ready – and now Markus and Gisela eagerly awaited their first paying customers.
Broadcasting on 26th of January 2026 at 08.15pm on VOX
Music: POPVIRUS Library