Moving to South Africa from Turkmenistan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Turkmenistan to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Turkmenistan 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Turkmenistan 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
Turkmenistan 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
Turkmenistan performs better than South Africa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
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 Turkmenistan 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
South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkmenistan leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Turkmenistan 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
Turkmenistan generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in infant mortality.
Data: 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 | Ashgabat | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 51°/34°F (11°/1°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 86°/61°F (30°/16°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 96°/68°F (35°/20°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/40°F (17°/5°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ashgabat | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°/29°F (7.4°/-1.6°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 49°/32°F (9.6°/-0.2°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 60°/41°F (15.6°/4.9°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 75°/52°F (24.1°/11.1°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 86°/61°F (30.0°/16.2°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 96°/69°F (35.7°/20.7°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 101°/74°F (38.2°/23.1°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 98°/69°F (36.6°/20.5°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 89°/60°F (31.5°/15.4°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 74°/48°F (23.2°/9.1°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 62°/40°F (16.6°/4.6°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.7°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
South African Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkmenistan 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.
Turkmenistan passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Required
South Africa passport holder visiting Turkmenistan
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 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 Turkmenistan and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Turkmenistan performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Turkmenistan.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Turkmenistan?
Turkmenistan performs better than South Africa across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 21.4 in Turkmenistan. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkmenistan: 75).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Turkmenistan?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 74°F in Ashgabat. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Ashgabat gets 8.9 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 Turkmenistan, the official languages are Russian and Turkmen.
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. South Africa
At a Glance
TM
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,636,011 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Turkmenistani Manat (TMT) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Russian, Turkmen | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +993 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | — | 10111 |