This discussion integrates a cross-national quantitative and qualitative comparison of narratives of international students in South Africa (SA) and Germany (DE). The results converge on two context-specific adaptation profiles: a stress-dominated pattern in SA, where multiple acculturative stressors (perceived discrimination, homesickness, culture-shock stress, perceived hate) show stronger links with GHQ symptoms and where contextual supports matter most, and a resource-dominated pattern in DE, where psychological capital (hope, optimism, self-efficacy, resilience) and language-engaged strategies are the more decisive protectors. Moderation analyses show that support is not uniformly beneficial: in DE, institutional support reduces social dysfunction when paired with interpersonal comfort but exacerbates it when paired with social disconnection; in the pooled sample, institutional support attenuates links from social perception to loss of confidence and social dysfunction; and in SA, some support–stressor pairings are paradoxical when support is poorly matched to need. Mediation analyses identify “miscellaneous stress,” diffuse, day-to-day hassles, as the most consistent conduit through which acculturative strategies translate into mental health outcomes, especially in SA. We reconcile a language-integration nuance in DE (descriptive benefits but multivariate complexity), and we note a robust age gradient in SA (older students report less distress) with minimal gender differences. Triangulating the qualitative strand (students’ accounts of bureaucratic/language barriers, therapy access, xenophobia/microaggressions, family-driven choices, and coping/growth) clarifies mechanisms and guides context-sensitive implications for practice and policy.