Apparently, roughly 1 million South Africans live in other countries. This figure may be far less than the true picture because many former South Africans have to denounce their South African citizenship in order to be accepted into their new countries, while others who have lived for a long time in other countries are assigned passports of their new countries, meaning that they now identify as citizens of Australia, Canada, Spain, France and so on, therefore, no longer showing up on the searches for South Africans living abroad.
Interesting enough, a very high number of South Africans still have the interest in travelling abroad for greener pastures and wants to know the easiest countries to immigrate to from South Africa, despite the effort by the government towards improving the living conditions of citizens, improving security, providing basic infrastructure, and implementing policies that will enable South Africans to develop their potentials.
However, emigration is not always an easy venture. There are visa hurdles to scale, money problems to worry about, and then the issue of integrating into the new society with their different way of doing things, their different cultural practices, and maybe their language. But rather than suffer all these you can just choose the best countries for South Africans to emigrate to.
Easiest Countries To Immigrate To From South Africa
1. Namibia
Strolling across the border into Namibia is the easiest way to leave South Africa. The good news is all you need is a South African passport with 6 months validity. However, you may not find Namibia much different from South Africa in terms of culture, economy and climate. There is a lot of South African influence in the economy of Namibia. If you are travelling for economic reasons you may find the countries below more attractive.
2. United Kingdom
The relationship between the United Kingdom and South Africa ever since the days of apartheid has always been cordial. There are a lot of UK investments in South Africa, especially in Banking, Communication, Mineral Extraction, and the Stock Market. You would also not be surprised to find out that there are about 210,000 South Africans living in the UK as well. In fact, it was just in 2009 that South Africans started to need visas to enter the UK. Some are students, while others work in the services sector, or in retail commerce, and many other parts of the economy. You will also be interested in knowing that South African medical professionals, academics and researchers are not left out.
As a South African passport holder, you can get a UK visa quite easily, making the Uk one of the easiest countries to immigrate to from South Africa; a short term study visa is roughly R3528, while a more expensive tier 3 visa is R23,142. The cost of living in the UK is quite high but if are prudent with money and hardworking you shouldn’t have any problems.
3. Australia
Australia is an interesting country to be! Australia is beautiful, liberal, well organized and economically prosperous. It is no wonder therefore that migrating to Australia has become very popular, not just among the people of South Africa, but throughout the continent, and other places as well. Presently there are an estimated 190,000 South Africans living in Australia at the moment, and if you check the number of Africans in the country, the number rises sharply.
Please visit the Australian embassy to find out the current application fees for the different kinds of visas offered. But we can tell you that most Australian visa options cost below R50,000.
4. United States of America
The United States of America still tops the list of popular emigration destinations for South Africans. Research indicates that there are about 100,000 South Africans currently living in America. Travelling to America from South Africa is a lot easier if you have certain skills, or if you are a professional. Otherwise you may need a sponsor in the United States who will write you a letter of invitation. This could be your prospective employer, your host, or a family member who already lives in the United States.
5. Canada
Canada is another great country that is full of potential. The country is very close to America and has a great economy boosted by natural resources, manufacturing, tourism, services, and banking. Canada is the new global hub for technology. Another major factor that attracts people to Canada is that the society is free and liberal.
Presently, Canada is experiencing a skills shortage, and so they are accepting up to 310,000 immigrants to fill the skilled worker’s positions all over the country. Priority will be given to South Africans with important skills, professionals, academics and so on.
6. Panama
Panama is a tax haven, it is a beautiful country full of beautiful beaches and relaxation centres. You will also enjoy great hotels and other things because the country’s economy is largely based on tourism. Nevertheless, Panama is great for people who invest in financial markets, or who are offshore investors. This is also one of the greatest places to rub minds with investing gurus; most of the people you will meet there are successful investors who need a cool and leisurely place to live, without the heavy taxation of their home countries.
Panama visas are available: Retiree visas require you to prove that you have a monthly income of around $1000. To get a permanent residency you just have to deposit $5000 in a Panamanian bank account. You will get Panamanian citizenship after 5 years of residency. All these makes Panama to be among the easiest countries to immigrate to from South Africa. However, you cannot bought being South African and Panamanian at the same time.
7. Ecuador
Ecuador is a beautiful country; you will enjoy the Galapagos Islands. It must be mentioned that this country might not offer much by way of economic prospects; you may find it most conducive for retiring after years of active service. This country largely depends on tourism for its economy; the famous Galapagos Islands are a major tourist destination. You can get a visa on arrival; you are only required to show a guaranteed monthly income of $800 with an extra $100 for every dependent you have. Many who come into the country show their pensioner’s income, but if you have a lot of money in the bank that generates the same amount monthly in interest you are also welcome. You will then be made a citizen after 21 months of living in the country.
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Conclusion:
We must warn that the best countries to immigrate to from South Africa are not always as easy as people expect. Therefore one must take care to calculate the advantages and disadvantages involved. Furthermore, there is a lot of danger coming from all those that would gladly take your money in the name of facilitating your travel. Please note that the information in this article is for general knowledge only; and does not constitute advice for you to travel to any country. Doing so is purely at your own risk.