This feature article about our Adelaide Connected podcast, published in InDaily on 21 March 2024, showcases the episode we spoke with Giosuè Pianciamore about he and his families journey from Malta to Adelaide.

Click here to read the article on InDaily or read below.

An island in the Mediterranean would be the dream destination for many. But careers advisor Giosuè Pianciamore tells the hosts of the Adelaide Connected podcast why his family left sunny Malta for even sunnier Adelaide.

For Giosuè Pianciamore and his wife Stephania, Adelaide was their first choice when they decided to move their young family from Malta, a small island country in the central Mediterranean Sea, in pursuit of better opportunities and a better quality of life.

Pianciamore said Malta, having also been a British colony, shared similarities with Adelaide and, for his family, moving here was more of a continuation than a radical change.

“I still remember the first time I told my mum, listen, we are planning to go [to] South Australia,” he said, recalling her initial shock at the move away from Europe.

“It has a very similar setting to Malta but on a larger scale.  We were courageous enough to make the move and so far, so good!” last year and instantly fell in love with the city’s green spaces and people.

“From the very first week, everyone has been very welcoming and friendly, which has definitely helped us settle in and feel at home,” Pianciamore said.

“When we decided to move, we were wanting to find a place with a similar climate, lots of open space, a big focus on the environment and more opportunities for the future, for our family and our two children.”

He said gaining a Permanent Residency Visa beforehand had been instrumental in helping the family relocate, find employment and obtain accommodation.

While still in Malta, Pianciamore secured a position as careers advisor with Kaplan Business School in the Adelaide CBD.

“I worked as a lecturer and student advisor in Malta for a number of years, which assisted in getting the role,” Pianciamore said.

“[Kaplan] were really understanding. My manager, Will, who is based in Brisbane, told me to not rush the start and to settle in first which was great.”

With their young children now settled into school and kindergarten in Adelaide, the family spends most weekends hunting for a new home.

“We have a family agreement to look at a house and then visit the beach or the nearest playground. It works out well most of the time!”

The local housing market is different to what he and Stephania were used to in Malta, where almost all new homes being built are apartments and home ownership hovers around 80 per cent.

Adelaide’s prices have also gone up since they first started researching the move 18 months ago.

“But I do understand that is the nature of the market, so you just need to pull up your sleeves, work hard and make it happen,” Pianciamore said.

“My full-time job is actually to help international students and clients to set goals.

“Set realistic goals, aim high, but sometimes in life you need also to be realistic and work your way up slowly, but you will eventually get there.”

Since arriving, he has been building his business and personal networks, including through events organised by the Committee for Adelaide.

“Malta is a very tiny island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and everyone knows everyone.

“But even in Adelaide, there is this reality [that] the more people you know, the more connections you have. So, it has that very similar context.”

Season 3 of the Adelaide Connected podcast is now live, with a new episode released each Wednesday.

Hosts, Naomi Marsh and Ali Chatburn, speak with ‘Boomerangs’, people who are originally from Adelaide that have moved abroad and have now returned, and ‘Arrows’, those who are from interstate or overseas and have chosen to move to Adelaide to live, work and play. We hear about their time abroad and delve into key topics about their journey to Adelaide, how important networking is, how we attract key talent, and how our state fares on a global scale.

Adelaide Connected is a key program, supported by a grant from the Government of South Australia and delivered by the Committee for Adelaide, that is helping to break down the barriers for skilled migrants, international students, and expats. The program provides opportunities for people to connect and network with likeminded individuals who have recently moved or returned to Adelaide, South Australia.

To listen and watch the Adelaide Connected Podcast, search for ‘Adelaide Connected’ on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.