Moving to South Africa from Zimbabwe
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Zimbabwe to South Africa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Zimbabwe to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 23.7% more expensive than Zimbabwe overall. A ZWL24,000,000 salary in Zimbabwe would need to be roughly ZAR1,520,000 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is South Africa cheaper than Zimbabwe?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 34.4% more
Groceries
pay 4.4% less
Transportation
pay 3.0% more
Housing
pay 54.7% more
Childcare
pay 30.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.2% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in South Africa?
What does your salary buy?
ZWL24,000,000 → ZAR1,520,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to South Africa
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Zimbabwe to South Africa, based on official data.
Who's moving to South Africa?
Top countries of origin for South Africa's foreign-born residents.
-
1.690,243
Zimbabwe
- 350,463
- 192,008
- 94,119
- 67,382
- 63,892
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Zimbabwe to South Africa.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Zimbabwe generally does better on safety, though South Africa leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Zimbabwe 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
Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe 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
South Africa generally does better on employment & economy, though Zimbabwe leads in unemployment rate.
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 Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in South Africa vs Zimbabwe
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Harare | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Harare | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) |
| Mar | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) |
| May | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) |
| Jun | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) |
| Jul | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) |
| Aug | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) |
| Sep | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) |
| Oct | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) |
| Dec | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Services Department,
South African Weather Service
Can you move from Zimbabwe to South Africa?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe 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.
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
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 Zimbabwe?
No — South Africa is on average about 24% more expensive than Zimbabwe. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ZAR380,000 in South Africa on a ZWL24,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
Internet is rarely the blocker — South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Zimbabwe generally does better on safety, though South Africa leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Zimbabwe.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe 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 1.4 in Zimbabwe. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Zimbabwe?
The average high temperature in Johannesburg is 71°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Johannesburg receives around 28.1 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 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 Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.
Compare further: Zimbabwe vs. South Africa
At a Glance
ZW
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,950,795 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +263 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 999 | 10111 |