Moving to Samoa from Botswana

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Botswana to Samoa — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Botswana to Samoa.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Botswana and Samoa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BW
10.6
WS
6.2
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BW
16.5
WS
9.6

Samoa performs significantly better than Botswana across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BW
$1,310
WS
$474
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

BW
3.8
WS
5.5

Samoa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Botswana leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BW
55.0
WS
34.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BW
2.7t
WS
1.6t

Samoa performs significantly better than Botswana across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BW
4.2
WS
0.8
Internet access The World Factbook, 2021

share of households with internet

BW
74.0%
WS
78.0%

Botswana generally does better on infrastructure, though Samoa leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

BW
23.4%
WS
9.8%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

BW
$17,500
WS
$6,000

Botswana generally does better on employment & economy, though Samoa leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

BW
65.6 yrs
WS
75.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BW
25.2
WS
17.0

Samoa generally does better on family life, though Botswana leads in education spending.

Data: Botswana Unified Revenue Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Gaborone Rain: 21.7 in/yr (552 mm)
83° / 56°F

Avg. annual high / low

Apia Rain: 116.7 in/yr (2965 mm)
86° / 74°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Gaborone Apia
Jan–Mar 88°/66°F (31°/19°C) 87°/75°F (31°/24°C)
Apr–Jun 77°/48°F (25°/9°C) 87°/74°F (30°/23°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/47°F (26°/8°C) 85°/73°F (30°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) 87°/74°F (30°/24°C)
View all months
Month Gaborone Apia
Jan 90°/67°F (32.5°/19.4°C) 87°/75°F (30.4°/23.9°C)
Feb 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.3°C) 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.2°C)
Mar 86°/63°F (30.2°/17.4°C) 87°/75°F (30.6°/24.0°C)
Apr 82°/56°F (27.8°/13.4°C) 87°/75°F (30.7°/23.8°C)
May 78°/47°F (25.4°/8.3°C) 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.4°C)
Jun 72°/40°F (22.5°/4.6°C) 86°/74°F (30.0°/23.2°C)
Jul 73°/40°F (22.8°/4.6°C) 85°/73°F (29.5°/22.6°C)
Aug 78°/46°F (25.7°/7.6°C) 85°/73°F (29.6°/22.8°C)
Sep 85°/54°F (29.6°/12.5°C) 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.1°C)
Oct 88°/61°F (31.0°/16.2°C) 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.4°C)
Nov 89°/64°F (31.5°/17.9°C) 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.6°C)
Dec 90°/66°F (32.3°/18.8°C) 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C)

Data: Botswana Meteorological Services Botswana Meteorological Services

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Botswana and Samoa. To live, work, or study long-term in Samoa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Samoa's immigration authority.

Botswana passport

Botswana passport holder visiting Samoa

Visa on Arrival
Botswana passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Samoa.
Samoa passport

Samoa passport holder visiting Botswana

Visa Free
Samoa passport holders can enter Botswana without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Samoa?

With 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Samoa can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Botswana and Samoa.

Is Samoa safe for expats?

Samoa performs significantly better than Botswana across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Samoa is 6.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 10.6 in Botswana.

How is healthcare in Samoa compared to Botswana?

Samoa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Botswana leads in health coverage index. There are 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Samoa, compared to 3.8 in Botswana. Samoa scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Botswana: 55).

What's the weather like in Samoa compared to Botswana?

The average high temperature in Apia is 86°F, compared to 83°F in Gaborone. Apia receives around 116.7 in of rainfall per year, while Gaborone gets 21.7 in.

What language do they speak in Samoa?

The official languages in Samoa are English and Samoan. In Botswana, the official languages are English and Tswana.

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At a Glance

BW WS
Population 2,384,246 206,179
Currency Botswanan Pula (BWP) Samoan Tala (WST)
Languages English, Tswana English, Samoan
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +267 +685
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999