South Africa
First look. Fewer sources yet.
At a glance
| Capital | Pretoria | Source, checked |
|---|---|---|
| Currency | ZAR | Source, checked |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Source, checked |
| Distance from Manila | 10 980 km | Computed from the coordinates |
| Population | 64.7 million | Source, checked |
| Official languages | Zulu or Zulu, Xhosa or Xhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi or Pedi | Source, checked |
| GDP per person | USD 15 906 at purchasing power | Source, checked |
| Unemployment rate | 32.4% | Source, checked |
| Average wage | USD 1 076 a month, at purchasing power | Source, checked |
| Minimum wage | ZAR 4 777 a month | Source, checked |
| Tax on an average wage | not sourced yet | |
| Health coverage index | 74 of 100 | Source, checked |
| Average temperature | 19 °C | Source, checked |
| Warmest month | 24 °C in Jan | Source, checked |
| Coldest month | 12 °C in Jun | Source, checked |
| Happiness rank | 101 of 147 | Source, checked |
| Happiness score | 5.01 | Source, checked |
| English proficiency | Very High (602) | Source, checked |
| Rent, one bedroom in the capital | not sourced yet | |
| Cost of living, one person | not sourced yet | |
| Health insurance | no universal mandatory private medical scheme for employees; medical scheme cover is mandatory for international students | Source, checked |
| Homicide rate | 39.7 per 100,000 | Source, checked |
| Residents born abroad | 4.1% | Source, checked |
| Usual weekly hours | 42.4 hours | Source, checked |
| Paid leave | 21 days | Source, checked |
| Public holidays | 12 days | Source, checked |
| Internet speed | not sourced yet | |
| EU member | no | Source, checked |
| Schengen member | no | Source, checked |
| Dual citizenship | yes | Source, checked |
Notes on the rules
- Post-study permit: A waiver dated 21 April 2016 had let graduates in critical-skills fields apply directly for permanent residence. Source
- Post-study permit: under section 27(b) without a job offer. Source
- Post-study permit: The Minister of Home Affairs withdrew that waiver. Source
- Post-study permit: The current Critical Skills Work Visa checklist (effective 9 October 2024) requires a valid offer of employment. Source
- Post-study permit: or employment contract before any visa is issued. Source
- Post-study permit: so no graduate job-seeking period exists. Source
- Permanent residence: no change noted. Source
- Citizenship: requires permanent residence first (section 5(1)(b)). Source
- Citizenship: then 1 year immediately preceding application plus 4 further years within the preceding 8 years. Source
- Citizenship: totalling 5 years of the required residence pattern. Source
Sources
- Critical Skills Work Visa requirements, Department of Home Affairs, effective 9 October 2024, checked 20 Sept 2026
- Permanent Residency, Department of Home Affairs, checked 20 Sept 2026
- South African Citizenship Act 88 of 1995, checked 20 Sept 2026
- World Bank, Population, total, checked 19 Sept 2026
- World Bank, GDP per capita, PPP (current international $), checked 19 Sept 2026
- World Bank, Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate), checked 19 Sept 2026
- World Bank, International migrant stock (% of population), checked 19 Sept 2026
- World Health Organization, UHC service coverage index, checked 19 Sept 2026
- CIA World Factbook, archived copy (factbook.json mirror), checked 19 Sept 2026
- SIX Group, ISO 4217 List One (ISO 4217 maintenance agency), checked 19 Sept 2026
- WMO World Weather Information Service, Pretoria climate normals, checked 19 Sept 2026
- IANA time zone database, zone1970.tab, checked 19 Sept 2026
- European Union, EU countries, checked 19 Sept 2026
- European Commission, Schengen area, checked 19 Sept 2026
- World Happiness Report 2026, Data for Figure 2.1 (Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford), checked 19 Sept 2026
- UNODC, Victims of intentional homicide (dataUNODC file dated 12 Jul 2026), checked 19 Sept 2026
- ILOSTAT, Average monthly earnings of employees by sex and currency, checked 19 Sept 2026
- ILOSTAT, Monthly minimum wage by currency, checked 19 Sept 2026
- ILOSTAT, Average weekly hours actually worked per employed person by sex and economic activity, checked 19 Sept 2026
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, Department of Employment and Labour, checked 20 Sept 2026
- Public holidays, South African Government (gov.za), checked 20 Sept 2026
- NHI, National Department of Health, checked 20 Sept 2026
- EF English Proficiency Index 2025, checked 20 Sept 2026