GeoRealityMatch
Wet urban street in Pretoria with trees and buildings, showcasing city life.Vibrant jacaranda trees in full bloom under a clear sky in Pretoria, South Africa.

South Africa

Africa · Southern Africa

Medium safetyAffordable cost of livingHigh development

Locals speak English well. Life expectancy is short.

Digital NomadOffers a digital nomad visa.BackpackerAffordable cost of living.
vs United Kingdomvs Kenyavs Namibia
Safety

122nd most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
2.308lower is more peacefulMedium safety
#122 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
43.7per 100,000 people a yearVery highUNODC / World Bank · 2022
Safety index
25.5Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferVery lowNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes below the median country

GNI per person
$6,270national income per person, US dollarsModerate
World Bank · 2025
Rent index
13.0New York = 100ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
3.3years of median income to buy a median flatVery affordableNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 9% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and rose 1% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$10K$20K$15,906 PPP$6,598Inflation, % a year10%0200620102015202020252006, $6,077 a person, $11,250 at PPP, inflation 3.2%2007, $6,592 a person, $12,047 at PPP, inflation 6.2%2008, $6,185 a person, $12,525 at PPP, inflation 9.9%2009, $6,375 a person, $12,261 at PPP, inflation 7.2%2010, $7,973 a person, $12,637 at PPP, inflation 4.1%2011, $8,646 a person, $13,143 at PPP, inflation 5%2012, $8,077 a person, $12,987 at PPP, inflation 5.7%2013, $7,332 a person, $13,369 at PPP, inflation 5.8%2014, $6,857 a person, $13,359 at PPP, inflation 6.1%2015, $6,112 a person, $13,398 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2016, $5,651 a person, $13,519 at PPP, inflation 6.6%2017, $6,618 a person, $13,738 at PPP, inflation 5.2%2018, $6,914 a person, $13,347 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2019, $6,534 a person, $13,361 at PPP, inflation 4.1%2020, $5,581 a person, $12,671 at PPP, inflation 3.2%2021, $6,829 a person, $13,682 at PPP, inflation 4.6%2022, $6,534 a person, $14,747 at PPP, inflation 7%2023, $6,034 a person, $15,212 at PPP, inflation 6.1%2024, $6,267 a person, $15,479 at PPP, inflation 4.4%2025, $6,598 a person, $15,906 at PPP, inflation 3.2%$0$10K$20KInflation, % a year10%0200620102015202020252006, $6,077 a person, $11,250 at PPP, inflation 3.2%2007, $6,592 a person, $12,047 at PPP, inflation 6.2%2008, $6,185 a person, $12,525 at PPP, inflation 9.9%2009, $6,375 a person, $12,261 at PPP, inflation 7.2%2010, $7,973 a person, $12,637 at PPP, inflation 4.1%2011, $8,646 a person, $13,143 at PPP, inflation 5%2012, $8,077 a person, $12,987 at PPP, inflation 5.7%2013, $7,332 a person, $13,369 at PPP, inflation 5.8%2014, $6,857 a person, $13,359 at PPP, inflation 6.1%2015, $6,112 a person, $13,398 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2016, $5,651 a person, $13,519 at PPP, inflation 6.6%2017, $6,618 a person, $13,738 at PPP, inflation 5.2%2018, $6,914 a person, $13,347 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2019, $6,534 a person, $13,361 at PPP, inflation 4.1%2020, $5,581 a person, $12,671 at PPP, inflation 3.2%2021, $6,829 a person, $13,682 at PPP, inflation 4.6%2022, $6,534 a person, $14,747 at PPP, inflation 7%2023, $6,034 a person, $15,212 at PPP, inflation 6.1%2024, $6,267 a person, $15,479 at PPP, inflation 4.4%2025, $6,598 a person, $15,906 at PPP, inflation 3.2%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Among the shortest life expectancies

Life expectancy
66.3years, at birthLow
#163 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
74WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100ModerateWHO · 2023
Air pollution
18.3PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageModerateWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Moderate home internet speeds

Unemployment rate
32.4%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
48 Mbpsmedian download speedModerateOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
602EF English Proficiency Index scoreVery highEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet48 MbpsModerate
Mobile65 MbpsSlow

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

Visas and moving

Digital nomad visaMedium

Minimum income
R54,233 a monthabout $2,950
Duration
36 months
Renewable
Yes
Application fee
R425about $23
  • Tax treatmentLocal rates apply
  • Processing timeAbout 30 days
  • Health insuranceRequired
  • DependantsAllowed
  • Apply onlineIn person or at a consulate
  • Path to residencyNo
  • NationalitiesOpen to all
Official page
Vibrant jacaranda trees in full bloom under a clear sky in Pretoria, South Africa.
How it changed

South Africa's Human Development Index

0.741High human development

106th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 6th of 54 in Africa.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #104Mongolia0.747
  2. #105Tunisia0.746
  3. #106South Africa0.741
  4. #107Uzbekistan0.740
  5. #108Bolivia0.733
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.633 in 1990 to 0.741 in 2023.

0.550.680.800.74119902000201020231990: 0.6331991: 0.6411992: 0.6451993: 0.6501994: 0.6541995: 0.6541996: 0.6491997: 0.6421998: 0.6341999: 0.6262000: 0.6182001: 0.6132002: 0.6142003: 0.6102004: 0.6132005: 0.6162006: 0.6222007: 0.6322008: 0.6432009: 0.6572010: 0.6692011: 0.6832012: 0.6962013: 0.7052014: 0.7132015: 0.7222016: 0.7222017: 0.7262018: 0.7322019: 0.7422020: 0.7242021: 0.7212022: 0.7372023: 0.7410.550.680.8019902000201020231990: 0.6331991: 0.6411992: 0.6451993: 0.6501994: 0.6541995: 0.6541996: 0.6491997: 0.6421998: 0.6341999: 0.6262000: 0.6182001: 0.6132002: 0.6142003: 0.6102004: 0.6132005: 0.6162006: 0.6222007: 0.6322008: 0.6432009: 0.6572010: 0.6692011: 0.6832012: 0.6962013: 0.7052014: 0.7132015: 0.7222016: 0.7222017: 0.7262018: 0.7322019: 0.7422020: 0.7242021: 0.7212022: 0.7372023: 0.741

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
66.3 years2024at birthUp 12.4 years from 53.9 years in 2005
Internet users
78%2024of people onlineUp 71 points from 8% in 2006
Urban population
64%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 3 points from 61% in 2006
Births per woman
2.212024births per womanDown 0.30 from 2.51 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
10%2021of energy usedDown 1 point from 11% in 2004
Access to electricity
90%2024of people with electricityUp 9 points from 81% in 2005
Infant mortality
242024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 24 from 48 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
6.9 t2024of CO2 per person a yearDown 1.9 t from 8.8 t in 2005
Forest area
14%2023of land under forestDown 1 point from 15% in 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

World-class wine and wild landscapes, alongside serious urban crime and extreme inequality. The case for living here is good English among locals. The case against is short lives.

About South Africa

South Africa is a country of exceptional geographic and cultural diversity, from the Cape Winelands and fynbos coastline to the Drakensberg mountains, the Kruger Park, and the vibrant cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg. The cultural mix of Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Cape Malay, and other communities gives the country a richness of food, music, and social life found nowhere else in Africa. Safety awareness in urban areas is important, but those who navigate this thoughtfully will find it one of the continent's most rewarding destinations.

Practical facts

  • CapitalPretoria
  • LanguagesAfrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho
  • CurrencySouth African rand (ZAR)
  • Area1,213,090 km²
  • Plug typeType C/M/N
  • Drives on theleft
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Borders

BotswanaLesothoMozambiqueNamibiaEswatiniZimbabwe

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Quick answers

What is South Africa's Human Development Index?

South Africa's Human Development Index is 0.741 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #106 of 193 by UNDP.

Is South Africa safe?

South Africa scores 2.31 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #122 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is South Africa?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts South Africa at 37.1 (New York = 100); that is #54 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in South Africa?

Life expectancy at birth in South Africa is 66.3 yrs (World Bank), ranked #163 of 195 countries.

What is the quality of life in South Africa?

Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores South Africa at 150.9, ranked #40 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.