Moving to South Africa from Ethiopia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ethiopia to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Ethiopia 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 Ethiopia 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
- · · ·
-
11.44,181
Ethiopia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Ethiopia 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
Ethiopia 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Ethiopia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Ethiopia 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
share of households with internet
South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though Ethiopia 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
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Ethiopia 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
South Africa generally does better on family life, though Ethiopia leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in South Africa vs Ethiopia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Addis Ababa | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 76°/48°F (24°/9°C) | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 71°/50°F (21°/10°C) | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/46°F (23°/8°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Addis Ababa | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75°/46°F (24.0°/8.0°C) | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 75°/48°F (24.0°/9.0°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) |
| Mar | 77°/50°F (25.0°/10.0°C) | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 75°/52°F (24.0°/11.0°C) | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) |
| May | 77°/52°F (25.0°/11.0°C) | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) |
| Jun | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.0°C) | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) |
| Jul | 70°/50°F (21.0°/10.0°C) | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) |
| Aug | 70°/50°F (21.0°/10.0°C) | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) |
| Sep | 72°/50°F (22.0°/10.0°C) | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) |
| Oct | 73°/48°F (23.0°/9.0°C) | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 73°/45°F (23.0°/7.0°C) | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) |
| Dec | 73°/45°F (23.0°/7.0°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) |
Data:
Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI),
South African Weather Service
Can you move from Ethiopia to South Africa?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ethiopia 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.
Ethiopia passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Online (e-Visa)
South Africa passport holder visiting Ethiopia
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 5.3 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 Ethiopia and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Ethiopia performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 8.6 in Ethiopia.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Ethiopia?
Ethiopia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 1.4 in Ethiopia. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ethiopia: 35).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Ethiopia?
The average high temperature in Johannesburg is 71°F, compared to 74°F in Addis Ababa. Johannesburg receives around 28.1 in of rainfall per year, while Addis Ababa gets 45.9 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 Ethiopia, the official language is Amharic.
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. South Africa
At a Glance
ET
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 135,472,051 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Ethiopian Birr (ETB) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Amharic | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +251 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 911 | 10111 |