South Africa
Africa · Southern Africa
World-class wine and wild landscapes, alongside serious urban crime and extreme inequality.
Digital Nomad
Ideal destination
Backpacker
Ideal destination
At a Glance
📈South Africa's Human Development Index
0.717
High human development#109 of 191 countries worldwide, #7 of 54 in Africa.
Higher than 43% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
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.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Full HDI ranking, all 191 countries →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.
- Only country to voluntarily dismantle its nuclear weapons programme.
- Has 11 official languages — the most of any country in the world.
- Highest income inequality in the world by Gini coefficient, 30 years after apartheid.
Quick Facts
Capital
Pretoria
Languages
Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho
Currency
R ZAR
Area
1.21M km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
48Mbps
Mobile
65Mbps
Digital Nomad Visa
Min. Income
R54,233/mo
~$2,950/mo
Duration
36 months
Renewable
Yes
Application Fee
~R425
~$23
GDP / Capita
$7K
PPP / Capita
$16K
Inflation
3.2%
Unemployment
32.4%
Innovation (GII)
30.1
GNI / Capita
$6K
Tax Revenue
25.9%
FDI Inflows
-0.5%
Education Spend
6.0%
Cost of Living
37.1
Price Level Index
55th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1990
0.635 → 0.717 (+0.082)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 33 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
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💬Quick answers
What is South Africa's Human Development Index?
South Africa's Human Development Index is 0.717 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #109 of 191 countries.
Is South Africa safe?
South Africa scores 2.31 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #122 of 160 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.