South Africa

ZAF

South Africa is a Southern African economy offering exceptional value for money, with the lowest cost-of-living index (29) on this list and strong infrastructure, private healthcare, and education. The economy is diversified across mining, finance, and agriculture, centred on Johannesburg and Cape Town. Taxation is residence-based with no foreign-income exemption.

Routes include the Critical Skills visa and the Retired Persons visa for qualifying pension or passive income. The passport ranks a modest 52nd globally with visa-free access to 107 destinations, though dual citizenship is permitted. English (rank 30) functions as a lingua franca alongside ten other official languages. Naturalisation requires 5 years.

Healthcare (index 54) varies sharply between well-regarded private hospitals and an under-resourced public system. The key consideration is safety: South Africa's safety index (27) is markedly lower than peer destinations, with high urban crime requiring careful neighbourhood selection. Repatriating property-sale proceeds requires Reserve Bank approval, routinely granted with proof of the funds' foreign origin.

Naturalisation: 5 years
Tax system: Residence Based
Currency: South African Rand (ZAR)
Dual citizenship: Allowed
Capital: Pretoria
Region: africa
Population: 60,140,000
Cost-of-living: 29 /100

→ If you hold a South Africa passport, see the South Africa nationality guide

Passport Rank

#52

Visa-Free

107

destinations

Visa-free travel

A South Africa passport has visa-free access to 92 destinations. See the full South Africa passport breakdown →

Passports that enter South Africa without a prior visa (92)

Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.

Chile+74 more

Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.

Country Details

Capital: Pretoria
Currency: South African Rand (ZAR)
Languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho
Population: 60,140,000
Tax System: Residence Based
Dual Citizenship: Allowed
Naturalisation: 5 years
Schengen / EU: No
Climate: Semi-arid / Mediterranean / Subtropical
English Proficiency Rank: #30

Indices

Cost of Living

Safety

Healthcare

Quality of Life

119

Tax Summary

Tax System: Residence Based
Territorial Taxation: No — worldwide income taxed for residents
Naturalisation: 5 years of legal residency
Dual Citizenship: Allowed

Cost of Living by City

← scroll the table →

Monthly cost of living per major city in USD: rent, groceries, utilities, transit pass
City	Rent 1BR centre	Rent outside	Groceries	Utilities	Transit pass
Cape Town	$680	$440	$270	$100	$45
Johannesburg	$600	$380	$260	$95	$40

Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.

Climate

Cape Town

22°J

22°F

21°M

18°A

15°M

12°J

13°A

14°S

17°O

19°N

21°D

Rainfall range: 15–95 mm/month · Daylight 10h (winter) to 14h (summer)

Johannesburg

22°J

21°F

20°M

17°A

13°M

10°J

11°J

13°A

16°S

19°O

21°N

21°D

Rainfall range: 5–120 mm/month · Daylight 10h (winter) to 14h (summer)

Visa Categories & Immigration Authority

Major Visa Categories

Tourist Visa
Study Visa
General Work Visa
Critical Skills Work Visa
Intra-Company Transfer Visa
Business Visa
Retired Person Visa
Relative's Visa
Permanent Residence - Retirement
Permanent Residence - Critical Skills
Permanent Residence - Spouse/Life Partner
Permanent Residence - Long-term Resident

Authority: Department of Home Affairs (DHA)
Official Portal: www.dha.gov.za
Phone: +27 800 601 190
Email: info@dha.gov.za

Naturalisation Details

Residence Years: 5
Language Test: Yes (English + basic civics interview; South Africa has 11 official languages)
Civic Test: Yes
Oath Required: Yes
Dual Allowed: Yes
Fee: $110
Processing: ~24 months

Real Estate

Avg price/sqm (capital): $1,100
Transaction taxes: 8%

Foreign buyers: No restrictions on foreign ownership of residential property. Johannesburg ZAR 15,000-25,000/sqm ($850-1,400/sqm). Cape Town Atlantic Seaboard premiums reach ZAR 40,000-80,000/sqm. Transfer duty applies on a sliding scale (0% under R1.1M, up to 13% above R2.25M). Capital gains tax at effective rate ~18% for non-residents on disposal. Repatriation of sale proceeds requires SARB approval but is routinely granted with proof of original foreign-currency introduction.

International Schools

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International schools by city, curriculum, and annual tuition
School	City	Curriculum	Tuition (USD/yr)
American International School of Johannesburg	Johannesburg	US + IB	$15,000–$28,000

Daily Life Logistics

Internet

50 Mbps median

35% fibre coverage

eSIM: Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C

Driving

IDP required

Local licence required after 3 months

Exchange eligible: Drives on the LEFT. IDP valid 90 days for foreign visitors; thereafter must obtain South African licence. Exchange agreements with select countries (UK, Germany, Australia, others) allow direct conversion without retesting.

Pet Relocation

Quarantine: none

Rabies titre required

EU pet passport: not accepted

Safety

GPI Rank

#125

Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)

Common Risks

⚠ATM card swapping and PIN-shoulder-surfing at urban ATMs
⚠smash-and-grab car break-ins at traffic lights in JHB and Cape Town
⚠"helpful stranger" SIM-swap fraud via social engineering
⚠fake police officers requesting bribes from tourists

Examples of areas to avoid: Hillbrow (Johannesburg) — high crime, avoid walking at night, Cape Flats townships after dark unless guided, Durban CBD waterfront late at night

LGBTQ+ Legal Status

Same-Sex Marriage: Legal
Civil Partnerships: Recognised
Anti-Discrimination Law: Yes
ILGA Rank: #5

Religious Life

Halal Food: Widely available
Kosher Food: Widely available
Prayer Facilities: Common

Sample Citizenship Test Questions

Q1. How many official languages does South Africa recognise?

Answer: 11

Source: Department of Home Affairs — South African Citizenship Test

Q2. In which year did South Africa hold its first fully democratic elections?

Answer: 1994

Source: Department of Home Affairs — South African Citizenship Test

Related Guides

Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave

Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.

Related on The Citizenship Desk

Move here

Life logistics

Reference tables

Visa Programs

South Africa Critical Skills Work Visa

South Africa ZAF

Skilled Worker

Processing

6mo

Min. Income

—

Citizenship

10y

Verified 2026-04-20

South Africa Retired Persons Visa

South Africa ZAF

Retirement

Processing

6mo

Min. Income

$2,000/mo

Citizenship

10y

Verified 2026-04-20

Cities in South Africa

Cape Town

Cape Town has become one of the more prominent digital-nomad destinations in Africa, combining an English-speaking environment, a time zone aligned with Central Europe, scenery around Table Mountain, and a cost of living below comparable coastal cities. South Africa's long-stay routes stay narrow: the Critical Skills Work Visa targets shortage-list occupations, no job offer required; the Retired Persons Visa grants a renewable four-year stay to retirees with guaranteed income of at least R37,000/month (roughly $2,000). South Africa permits dual citizenship, and both lead to permanent residency after five years, though there is no nomad visa and most short-term remote workers use renewed tourist status. Foreign real-estate ownership carries no restrictions; the Atlantic Seaboard (Sea Point, Camps Bay, Clifton) commands the steepest premiums, while the City Bowl and Southern Suburbs stay more affordable. Transfer duty is sliding-scale (0% below R1.1m, up to 13% above R2.25m); non-residents face an 18% effective capital-gains rate. Safety planning is normal here: most expats live in the City Bowl, Atlantic Seaboard, or Southern Suburbs, favour a car or ride-hailing after dark, and treat secured parking and alarms as standard. Grid instability from the national utility was a major concern for years and has improved since 2024, though backup power remains standard in rentals.