Moving to South Africa from Venezuela
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Venezuela to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Venezuela to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 41.3% more expensive than Venezuela overall. A VEF748,088 salary in Venezuela would need to be roughly ZAR1,209,773 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Pretoria averages 77°F vs 86°F in Caracas, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Venezuela to South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
VEF748,088 → ZAR1,209,773
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 17.4% less
Groceries
pay 22.2% less
Transportation
pay 45.2% more
Housing
pay 3.0 times more
Childcare
pay 60.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.1% 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?
Real numbers on people moving from Venezuela to South Africa, and how the trend has changed.
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
- · · ·
-
90.359
Venezuela
Key Indicator Comparison
How Venezuela 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
Venezuela 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
Venezuela 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
Venezuela performs better than South Africa 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
Venezuela 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
Venezuela 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
Venezuela generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: Ministerio del Poder Popular de Finanzas, SENIAT, 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 | Caracas | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/58°F (31°/14°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/64°F (31°/18°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/62°F (30°/17°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/60°F (29°/15°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Caracas | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/56°F (29.0°/13.1°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 88°/58°F (31.0°/14.5°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 89°/60°F (31.7°/15.3°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 88°/61°F (31.1°/16.2°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 89°/65°F (31.8°/18.2°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.1°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 88°/62°F (31.0°/16.9°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 85°/62°F (29.3°/16.6°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 86°/62°F (30.1°/16.8°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 85°/62°F (29.7°/16.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.7°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 83°/58°F (28.4°/14.2°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (INAMEH),
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Venezuela 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.
Venezuela passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Venezuela
Visa FreeData: 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 Venezuela?
Headline costs are within a few percent between South Africa and Venezuela; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a VEF748,088 comparable salary, that's around ZAR302,443 in South Africa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
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 Venezuela and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Venezuela performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 12.6 in Venezuela.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Venezuela?
Venezuela performs better than South Africa across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 16.6 in Venezuela. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Venezuela: 75).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Venezuela?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 86°F in Caracas. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Caracas gets 35.9 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 Venezuela, the official language is Spanish.
Compare further: Venezuela vs. South Africa
At a Glance
VE
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,789,730 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Venezuelan Bolívar Fuerte (VEF) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Spanish | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +58 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 171 | 10111 |