Moving to South Africa from Lesotho
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Lesotho to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Lesotho to South Africa.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Lesotho 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
-
3.192,008
Lesotho
- 94,119
- 67,382
- 63,892
Key Indicator Comparison
How Lesotho 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
Lesotho 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
South Africa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Lesotho 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
Lesotho 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
Lesotho generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Lesotho 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 Lesotho leads in education spending.
Data: Ministry of Finance, 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 | Maseru | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 81°/57°F (27°/14°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 67°/39°F (20°/4°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/37°F (20°/3°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Maseru | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/59°F (28.7°/14.8°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 82°/58°F (27.6°/14.6°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 78°/54°F (25.7°/12.5°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 67°/39°F (19.7°/3.7°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 62°/32°F (16.7°/0.2°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 62°/31°F (16.9°/-0.5°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 67°/36°F (19.7°/2.4°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 74°/44°F (23.3°/6.9°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 77°/50°F (24.8°/10.1°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 79°/53°F (26.3°/11.9°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 82°/56°F (27.9°/13.4°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Lesotho Meteorological Services,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Lesotho 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.
Lesotho passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Lesotho
Visa FreeData: 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 Lesotho and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Lesotho performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 37.7 in Lesotho.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Lesotho?
South Africa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Lesotho leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 1.5 in Lesotho. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Lesotho: 53).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Lesotho?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 74°F in Maseru. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Maseru gets 25.3 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 Lesotho, the official languages are English and Sotho.
Compare further: Lesotho vs. South Africa
At a Glance
LS
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,193,970 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Lesotho Loti (LSL) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | English, Sotho | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +266 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | — | 10111 |