Moving to South Africa from Morocco
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Morocco to South Africa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Morocco to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 57.2% more expensive than Morocco overall. A MAD740,000 salary in Morocco would need to be roughly ZAR1,950,000 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle, 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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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Morocco to South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
MAD740,000 → ZAR1,950,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 74.8% more
Groceries
pay 51.8% more
Transportation
pay 44.2% more
Housing
pay 89.0% more
Childcare
pay 27.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.7% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in South Africa cost about 35% more than cities in Morocco.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Morocco to South Africa, based on official data.
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
- · · ·
-
67.1,307
Morocco
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Morocco to South Africa.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Morocco 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
Morocco 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
Morocco 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
share of households with internet
Morocco 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
Morocco 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
Morocco generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Direction Générale des Impôts, Morocco (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Rabat | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 65°/47°F (19°/8°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Rabat | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63°/45°F (17.4°/7.2°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.8°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.5°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 70°/52°F (21.2°/10.9°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.3°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 78°/61°F (25.6°/15.9°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.9°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 82°/65°F (27.8°/18.3°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.8°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 77°/58°F (24.8°/14.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.8°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 65°/48°F (18.6°/8.8°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Direction de la Météorologie Nationale,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Morocco 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.
Morocco passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Online (e-Visa)
South Africa passport holder visiting Morocco
Visa RequiredData: 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 Morocco?
No — South Africa is on average about 57% more expensive than Morocco. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ZAR487,500 in South Africa on a MAD740,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
Internet is rarely the blocker — South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Morocco performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.7 in Morocco.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Morocco?
Morocco 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 7.4 in Morocco. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Morocco: 69).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Morocco?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 73°F in Rabat. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Rabat gets 20.6 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 Morocco, the official languages are Arabic and Berber.
Compare further: Morocco vs. South Africa
At a Glance
MA
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,430,770 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Moroccan Dirham (MAD) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Arabic, Berber | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +212 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 15 | 10111 |