Moving to South Africa from Nigeria
What to Expect
Considering a move from Nigeria to South Africa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Nigeria to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 56.9% more expensive than Nigeria overall. A NGN100,000,000 salary in Nigeria would need to be roughly ZAR1,950,000 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 91°F in Abuja, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Nigeria and South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
NGN100,000,000 → ZAR1,950,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.6 times more
Groceries
pay 15.5% more
Transportation
pay 2.1 times more
Housing
pay 33.3% more
Childcare
pay 4.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 77.8% 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?
What the data shows about people moving from Nigeria to South Africa.
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
- · · ·
-
13.36,210
Nigeria
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in South Africa compared to Nigeria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Nigeria 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
Nigeria 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
Nigeria 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
South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though Nigeria 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
share of people below the poverty line
Nigeria 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 performs significantly better than Nigeria across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017). 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 | Abuja | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 97°/74°F (36°/23°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/69°F (33°/21°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/66°F (29°/19°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 93°/64°F (34°/18°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Abuja | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 94°/69°F (34.7°/20.4°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 98°/78°F (36.8°/25.5°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 98°/76°F (36.9°/24.3°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 96°/76°F (35.6°/24.7°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 91°/67°F (32.7°/19.5°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 84°/71°F (29.1°/21.9°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 86°/64°F (30.0°/17.5°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 90°/71°F (32.0°/21.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 94°/60°F (34.4°/15.7°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 94°/60°F (34.6°/15.5°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Nigerian Meteorological Agency,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nigeria 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.
Nigeria passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Online (e-Visa)
South Africa passport holder visiting Nigeria
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: 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 Nigeria?
On average South Africa is around 57% pricier than Nigeria, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
Budget about ZAR487,500 for 3 months in South Africa (based on a NGN100,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
Connectivity is usually fine (South Africa: 5.3 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?
Nigeria performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 15.8 in Nigeria. About 37% of people in South Africa feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Nigeria?
Nigeria 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 3.8 in Nigeria. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nigeria: 38).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Nigeria?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 91°F in Abuja. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Abuja gets 48.1 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 Nigeria, the official language is English.
Compare further: Nigeria vs. South Africa
At a Glance
NG
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 237,527,782 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Nigerian Naira (NGN) | 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 | +234 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 10111 |