Moving to South Africa from Samoa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Samoa to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Samoa to South Africa. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Pretoria averages 77°F vs 86°F in Apia, making it significantly cooler.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Samoa 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
Samoa 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
Samoa 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
Samoa performs better than South Africa across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
South Africa performs significantly better than Samoa across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Samoa 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
Samoa generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: Ministry of Revenue, Samoa, 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 | Apia | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 87°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/73°F (30°/23°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/74°F (30°/24°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Apia | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/75°F (30.4°/23.9°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.2°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 87°/75°F (30.6°/24.0°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 87°/75°F (30.7°/23.8°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.4°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 86°/74°F (30.0°/23.2°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 85°/73°F (29.5°/22.6°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 85°/73°F (29.6°/22.8°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.1°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.6°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
South African Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Samoa 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.
Samoa passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Required
South Africa passport holder visiting Samoa
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 Samoa and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Samoa performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.2 in Samoa.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Samoa?
Samoa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 5.5 in Samoa. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Samoa: 55).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Samoa?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 86°F in Apia. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Apia gets 116.7 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 Samoa, the official languages are English and Samoan.
Compare further: Samoa vs. South Africa
More relocation comparisons
At a Glance
WS
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 206,179 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Samoan Tala (WST) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | English, Samoan | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +685 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | — | 10111 |