Africa
South Africa
Capital Pretoria · 58M people · Rand
- Top cities
- 8.6MJohannesburg
- 4.3MCape Town
- 3.3MDurban
- 1.8MPretoria
- 806KPort Elizabeth
Photo by Martijn Vonk on Unsplash
- CostPricey≈8% over Africa
- SafetyCaution1.1/5
- MobilityLimited2.1/5
- CultureGood3.4/5
- ClimateWarm5–31°
Top cities
- Johannesburg8.6M residents
- Cape Town4.3M residents
- Durban3.3M residents
- Pretoria1.8M residents
- Port Elizabeth806K residents
Source: GeoNames
Cost of living in South Africa
About average for Africa.
Its $1,294 median runs ~8% above Africa's median major city ($1,201); Johannesburg ($1,363) runs 1.1× Pretoria ($1,236).
Good to know — low cost often trades against local salaries and visa options — budget for income, not just spending. Learn how we measure this →
Safety in South Africa
The one thing to watch: property crime.
Most hazards across South Africa sit in a normal range — property crime is the one area that runs higher.
Good to know — a calm national average can hide neighbourhood-level crime — research the specific district you would live in. Learn how we measure this →
Getting around South Africa
Mobility in South Africa needs more planning across its cities.
Across 4 cities, getting around stays within a narrow band — no single city is a real outlier.
Good to know — strong airport access can coexist with weak everyday transit — check the mode you would actually use. Learn how we measure this →
Culture in South Africa
Culture in South Africa concentrates in its big cities — Cape Town leads, Pretoria is lighter.
The country average (3.4) is carried by a few cities: Cape Town reaches 3.8 while Pretoria sits at 2.0. Check the specific city, not the country.
Good to know — a strong national culture score can be carried by one or two big cities — check the specific city, not only the country average. Learn how we measure this →
Airports in South Africa
O.R. Tambo International Airport is South Africa's busiest gateway.
5 major airports handle about 38M passengers a year. Tap any to see its nearest cities and how far they are.
Good to know — passenger volume is total throughput, not direct-route breadth; a large hub can still lack flights to your region. Learn how we measure this →
Passport strength in South Africa
South Africa's passport offers solid global access.
- Mobility
- #4996 destinations
- GDP reach
- #11815.2% of world GDP
- Heritage
- #95371 of 1,353 UNESCO sites
Good to know — a mobility rank counts how many destinations you can enter, not how useful they are; a strong passport can still gate the one place you care about. Learn how we measure this →
Climate in South Africa
Warm summers, gentle winters.
Across its cities, summer highs top out near 31°C feels-like while the coldest spots dip to around 5°C; sun is plentiful, up to ~333 days a year in Kimberley.
Feels-like °C — monthly range across cities
Good to know— a country isn't one climate but a range; the extremes here are different cities, not the same place across seasons. Learn how we measure this →
Who thrives in South Africa
South Africa suits a wide range of lifestyles.
Fit is scored per lifestyle and anchored to the cities that serve each best — Ocean Lover leads. Pick one to see exactly where it works.
Great fit
Decent fit
Poor fit
Good to know — fit is by city, not country; a lifestyle that thrives here may only do so in one or two of its cities. Learn how we measure this →