Moving to South Africa from Mongolia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Mongolia to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Mongolia 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Johannesburg averages 71°F vs 44°F in Ulaanbaatar, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Mongolia 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
Mongolia 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
Mongolia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Africa performs significantly better than Mongolia 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
Mongolia generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa leads in electricity per capita.
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
Mongolia performs better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Mongolia generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), General Department of National Taxation (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in South Africa vs Mongolia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ulaanbaatar | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 17°/-5°F (-9°/-21°C) | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/37°F (17°/3°C) | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 26°/6°F (-4°/-15°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ulaanbaatar | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4°/-15°F (-15.5°/-26.1°C) | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 15°/-8°F (-9.6°/-22.3°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) |
| Mar | 31°/8°F (-0.6°/-13.6°C) | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 49°/24°F (9.7°/-4.4°C) | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) |
| May | 64°/38°F (17.9°/3.2°C) | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) |
| Jun | 73°/49°F (22.7°/9.5°C) | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) |
| Jul | 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) |
| Aug | 72°/51°F (22.4°/10.5°C) | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) |
| Sep | 62°/38°F (16.8°/3.5°C) | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) |
| Oct | 46°/23°F (7.7°/-4.8°C) | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 23°/4°F (-4.8°/-15.7°C) | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) |
| Dec | 8°/-10°F (-13.5°/-23.1°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) |
Data:
National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring of Mongolia,
South African Weather Service
Can you move from Mongolia to South Africa?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mongolia 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.
Mongolia passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Required
South Africa passport holder visiting Mongolia
Visa RequiredData: 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 Mongolia and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Mongolia performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 5.9 in Mongolia. About 37% of people in South Africa feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Mongolia?
Mongolia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in health coverage index. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 41.3 in Mongolia. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Mongolia: 65).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Mongolia?
The average high temperature in Johannesburg is 71°F, compared to 44°F in Ulaanbaatar. Johannesburg receives around 28.1 in of rainfall per year, while Ulaanbaatar gets 10.6 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 Mongolia, the official language is Mongolian.
Compare further: Mongolia vs. South Africa
At a Glance
MN
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,568,978 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Mongolian Tugrik (MNT) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Mongolian | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +976 | +27 |
| Time zones | 2 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 105 | 10111 |