Moving to South Africa from Cuba
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Cuba to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Cuba to South Africa, and you’d need to navigate life in Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Cuba to South Africa, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to South Africa?
Top countries of origin for South Africa's foreign-born residents.
- 690,243
- 350,463
- 192,008
- 94,119
- 67,382
- 63,892
- · · ·
-
60.1,846
Cuba
Key Indicator Comparison
How Cuba and South Africa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Cuba performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Cuba generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Cuba performs better than South Africa across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though Cuba leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Cuba generally does better on employment & economy, though South Africa leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Cuba performs better than South Africa across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Havana | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/66°F (26°/19°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Havana | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/65°F (25.8°/18.6°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.6°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 82°/67°F (27.6°/19.7°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 83°/70°F (28.6°/20.9°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 86°/72°F (29.8°/22.4°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 87°/74°F (30.5°/23.4°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 88°/75°F (31.3°/23.8°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 89°/75°F (31.6°/24.1°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 88°/75°F (31.0°/23.8°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 85°/73°F (29.2°/23.0°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 82°/70°F (27.7°/21.3°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.5°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Instituto de Meteorología,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Cuba and South Africa. To live, work, or study long-term in South Africa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Africa's immigration authority.
Cuba passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Online (e-Visa)
South Africa passport holder visiting Cuba
Visa Online (e-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 South Africa?
With 3.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, South Africa can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Cuba and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Cuba performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.4 in Cuba.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Cuba?
Cuba generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 94.3 in Cuba. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Cuba: 83).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Cuba?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 84°F in Havana. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Havana gets 46.8 in.
What language do they speak in South Africa?
The official languages in South Africa are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. In Cuba, the official language is Spanish.
Compare further: Cuba vs. South Africa
More relocation comparisons
At a Glance
CU
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,008,112 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Spanish | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +53 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 106 | 10111 |