Hello there!
I can only tell you what I know and that ain't too much.
I have only three days left on my ATPL theory course and I have about 65 hours on my PPL. I have chosen to go to the US. Why? well, there are a couple of obvious reasons.
1. The hours. You know it. Everybody knows it. The first 1500 hours in your pilot carreer are the absolute most difficult to get. No question about it. The schools in the US can help you with this like no other schools. Why? Because there are so many pilot students attending the schools, and they all need instructors right? That's where you come in.
2. The price. If you want to come to the school I'm going to (
www.aribenaviator.com), you can fly ME during almost the whole course. Visit the website, it's nice.
So that's two reasons why I chose the US. I want to tell you though, I have friends in the SA who have just gotten a job flying turboprop SE (caravan). I'm not sure of the school, could it be fedair?
In the end I am perfectly sure that the US is a safer bet while SA is more of an adventure that could end up nicely but also....
If you're out for your first 1000-1500 hours that will get you in with the big guys, then the US is your country.
Remember though,
gathering info is what it's all about. Ask around, talk to students both from SA schools and US schools. visit forums like this and ask around. I don't think I need to tell you, but it's a darn important deciscion to make, right?
Best of luck!
///Magnus