Africa
South Africa
Global Rank #66Below Average84% data confidence
36
Composite Score
📊Relocation Scores
Safety25/100
Healthcare38/100
Education31/100
Career47/100
Lifestyle74/100
Infrastructure56/100
Affordability75/100
💡Quick Summary
⚠️ Below average safety — research areas carefully
⚠️ Limited healthcare — consider expat insurance
✅ Affordable — est. $1450/mo
⚠️ Infrastructure may be limited in rural areas
⚠️ Limited job market — remote work recommended
💵Cost of Living
Estimated monthly cost
$1450
per month · USD
Cost Index
40
Rent Index
75
Grocery Index
56
Transport Index
51
Utilities Index
75
🎯Score Breakdown
🛡️
Safety
25
🏥
Healthcare
38
🎓
Education
31
💼
Career
47
🌿
Lifestyle
74
🏗️
Infrastructure
56
💰
Affordability
75
🏛️Government, Language & Culture
Government
🏛️ Presidential Republic
Languages
🗣️ Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English
Local Language
Not Required
for daily life
Major Religions
🕌 Christianity
ℹ️ 11 official languages; English is lingua franca for business and expats
🏙️Cities in South Africa(3 cities)
🌐Economy & Stability
Currency
R ZAR
South African Rand
1 USD equals
16.23 ZAR
Updated 6/15/2026
1 ZAR equals
$0.0616
USD
Political Stability
🟠
Unstable
Score: -0.62
ℹ️ Understanding the Political Stability Score
Source: World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) — 2025 Revision (Kaufmann & Kraay, 2024 Update, last updated November 2024). The indicator is officially titled "Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism" — not democratic strength.
Active democracies with frequent elections, protests and public debate may score lower as these are sometimes classified as "social unrest." Scores also rely on perception-based surveys from global business-risk consultancies and think tanks, which can sometimes carry specific institutional biases compared to objective, which may not reflect ground reality. Use this as one signal among many, not as a definitive verdict on a country's governance and stability.
Active democracies with frequent elections, protests and public debate may score lower as these are sometimes classified as "social unrest." Scores also rely on perception-based surveys from global business-risk consultancies and think tanks, which can sometimes carry specific institutional biases compared to objective, which may not reflect ground reality. Use this as one signal among many, not as a definitive verdict on a country's governance and stability.