Moving to South Africa from Ghana
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Ghana to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Ghana to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 51.6% more expensive than Ghana overall. A GHS802,778 salary in Ghana would need to be roughly ZAR1,650,211 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Pretoria averages 77°F vs 88°F in Accra, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Ghana to South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
GHS802,778 → ZAR1,650,211
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 58.2% more
Groceries
pay 22.5% less
Transportation
pay 66.7% more
Housing
pay 82.9% more
Childcare
pay 18.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.4% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Ghana 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
- · · ·
-
31.8,034
Ghana
Key Indicator Comparison
How Ghana and South Africa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Ghana generally does better on safety, though South Africa leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Ghana 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
Ghana generally does better on environment, though South Africa leads in air pollution deaths.
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 Ghana 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
Ghana 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 Ghana leads in life expectancy.
Data: Ghana Revenue Authority, 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 | Accra | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/76°F (33°/25°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/76°F (31°/24°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 84°/74°F (29°/23°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/75°F (32°/24°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Accra | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/75°F (32.4°/24.1°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 92°/77°F (33.1°/25.0°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.1°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.1°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.4°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 85°/74°F (29.7°/23.6°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 83°/74°F (28.4°/23.1°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 83°/73°F (28.3°/22.7°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.1°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.2°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 90°/76°F (32.1°/24.3°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Ghana Meteorological Agency,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Ghana 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.
Ghana passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Ghana
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in South Africa than Ghana?
Day-to-day costs in South Africa run about 35% higher than Ghana on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a GHS802,778 comparable salary, that's around ZAR412,553 in South Africa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
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 Ghana and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Ghana generally does better on safety, though South Africa leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Ghana. About 37% of people in South Africa feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Ghana?
Ghana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 1.4 in Ghana. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ghana: 48).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Ghana?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 88°F in Accra. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Accra gets 29.2 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 Ghana, the official language is English.
Compare further: Ghana vs. South Africa
More relocation comparisons
At a Glance
GH
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,107,275 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Ghanaian Cedi (GHS) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | English | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +233 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 10111 |