Moving to Samoa from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Samoa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Samoa. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Apia averages 86°F vs 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Samoa 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 significantly 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
South Africa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Samoa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Samoa performs significantly better than South Africa across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
South Africa performs 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: South African Revenue Service, 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 | Pretoria | Apia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 87°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 85°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 87°/74°F (30°/24°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Apia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 87°/75°F (30.4°/23.9°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.2°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 87°/75°F (30.6°/24.0°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 87°/75°F (30.7°/23.8°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 86°/74°F (30.0°/23.2°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 85°/73°F (29.5°/22.6°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 85°/73°F (29.6°/22.8°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.1°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.4°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.6°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) |
South African Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Samoa. To live, work, or study long-term in Samoa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Samoa's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Samoa
Visa on Arrival
Samoa passport holder visiting South Africa
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 Samoa?
With 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Samoa can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in South Africa and Samoa.
Is Samoa safe for expats?
Samoa performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Samoa is 6.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Samoa compared to South Africa?
South Africa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Samoa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Samoa, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Samoa scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Samoa compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Apia is 86°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Apia receives around 116.7 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Samoa?
The official languages in Samoa are English and Samoan. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Samoa
At a Glance
ZA
|
WS
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 206,179 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Samoan Tala (WST) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | English, Samoan |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +27 | +685 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | — |