Moving to South Africa from Macau

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Macau to South Africa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Macau 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.

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in South Africa compared to Macau.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

MO
0.6
ZA
45.5

Macau performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics.

What about the environment?

CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

MO
2.5t
ZA
6.9t

Macau performs better than South Africa 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

MO
30.0
ZA
3.3
Internet access The World Factbook, 2021

share of households with internet

MO
88.0%
ZA
72.0%

Macau performs better than South Africa across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

MO
2.2%
ZA
28.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

MO
$102,000
ZA
$14,300

Macau performs better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

MO
85.0 yrs
ZA
65.3 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

MO
4.6
ZA
25.9

Macau generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.

See full quality of life comparison

Data: Secretariat for Economy and Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Macao Rain: 83.6 in/yr (2123 mm)
77° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

Pretoria Rain: 27.0 in/yr (685 mm)
77° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Macao Pretoria
Jan–Mar 66°/57°F (19°/14°C) 83°/64°F (28°/18°C)
Apr–Jun 82°/73°F (28°/23°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) 72°/47°F (22°/8°C)
Oct–Dec 74°/64°F (23°/18°C) 79°/60°F (26°/15°C)
View all months
Month Macao Pretoria
Jan 64°/54°F (17.7°/12.2°C) 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C)
Feb 64°/56°F (17.7°/13.1°C) 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C)
Mar 69°/61°F (20.7°/16.2°C) 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C)
Apr 76°/68°F (24.5°/20.2°C) 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C)
May 83°/74°F (28.1°/23.6°C) 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C)
Jun 87°/78°F (30.3°/25.7°C) 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C)
Jul 89°/79°F (31.5°/26.3°C) 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C)
Aug 88°/79°F (31.2°/26.0°C) 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C)
Sep 86°/77°F (30.0°/24.9°C) 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C)
Oct 81°/72°F (27.4°/22.3°C) 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C)
Nov 74°/64°F (23.4°/17.8°C) 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C)
Dec 67°/57°F (19.6°/13.8°C) 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C)

Data: Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau, South African Weather Service South African Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Macau 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.

Macau passport

Macau passport holder visiting South Africa

Visa Free
Macau passport holders can enter South Africa without a visa.
South Africa passport

South Africa passport holder visiting Macau

Visa Free
South Africa passport holders can enter Macau 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 South Africa?

Connectivity is usually fine (South Africa: 3.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does South Africa offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is South Africa safe for expats?

Macau performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Macau.

What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Macau?

The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 77°F in Macao. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Macao gets 83.6 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 Macau, the official languages are Chinese and Portuguese.

Compare further: Macau vs. South Africa

Quality of Life Comparison · 9 statistics
Be 12.4 times more likely to be unemployed in South Africa
→
Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
South Africa is 29.2% cheaper than Macau overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Macau is about 43,230 times smaller than South Africa.
→
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At a Glance

MO ZA
Population 635,293 57,516,665
Currency Macanese Pataca (MOP) South African Rand (ZAR)
Languages Chinese, Portuguese Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +853 +27
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number — 10111