Stretcher,
I'm over in SA at the moment at 43 airschool in Port Alfred, (got here a month ago) and planning to do SA COM and convert to JAA ATPL afterwards; if you decide to come to SA PM me and I may be able to help with the logistics (insurance, visas, etc!). Don't expect a quick reply though - internet here is not what it is in the UK!
With regard to 43; it's a great school with a good atmosphere, but quite expensive - you won't save a lot with respect to flying in the UK.
I've also been to schools in the US and NZ so can compare. The US way of doing things is quite different to the SA/NZ way; there seems to be more emphasis on aircraft control, and rather less on groundschool. The JAA way is more similar to the SA licences, so conversions will (hopefully) be easier.
Anyhow, good luck deciding - jacking the desk job in and coming flying was the best decision I ever made!
OL