Move to South Africa – The Guide for Emigrants

Breathtaking landscapes, with beautiful flora and fauna, which you can experience up close in countless nature parks and on safaris. This and much more offers you the country of South Africa. For hobbies and leisure activities in nature is definitely provided on a large scale. We help you to make your move to South Africa a success

Visa and residence when moving to South Africa

In South Africa, a distinction is made between temporary and permanent residence permits. Visas and residence permits are issued to all immigrants by the Department of Home Affairs. Here is a list of the main types of visas:

• Work Visa = applies to those who want to work locally in South Africa, here it is important that you already have your job secured before you apply for it.
• Retired Persons Visa = this is valid for people who are already retired or would like to spend their retirement in South Africa, for this there are numerous requirements that must be met, you can read about these under “Intergate Immigration South Africa”.
• Business Visa = a visa for entrepreneurs and business people who want to start their own business after immigration to South Africa.

In order to obtain a permanent residence permit, one must meet the following requirements:

• Either one is financially independent, i.e. the applicant must have assets of the equivalent of approximately 700,000 CHF
• or one already has a business visa and can prove that at least 60% of the work force consists of South African citizens.
• Another option is available for those who have been living and working in South Africa continuously for five years and have a permanent job.

The move to South Africa

For the move itself, you should start planning early, because moving is a lot of work. In order for you to move to South Africa with as little stress as possible, you should start thinking about a moving company in a timely manner. This is one of the most important steps, here you should ask for several inquiries and price-performance ratios. Once you have found one, you can continue planning your move. The first steps are probably to look up customs regulations and take care of travel (Muvzilla will help you with these steps). Make sure you set a firm date with your landlord or agent as to exactly when you want to move in, so nothing goes wrong in the process. Sign out of your current residence and cancel all your membership contracts (sports clubs, volunteer, etc.). Also, write a list for all your belongings so that nothing is forgotten, give it to the removal workers and customs, this way the acceptance and control will be faster and easier.

Sightseeing and culinary variety after moving to South Africa

After arriving around all the packing, you will want to settle into your surroundings first. However, in South Africa you have found a country where you can experience and discover a lot, especially for nature lovers it is excellent. But also the cities and party lovers among you, are lucky, there are numerous beautiful cities with many nightlife options.

1. The Kruger National Park is the largest nature and wildlife reserve in all of Africa. Here, some 500 species of birds share their territory with 50 species of fish, 110 species of reptiles and 34 species of amphibians.
2. Table Mountain and Cape Town, you can climb the mountain via a hiking trail or comfortably take the cable car to the top. Once at the top, you can enjoy the panoramic view of Cape Town.
3. Hermanus, a coastal town, is actually more of a fishing village than a city, however, you can watch dolphins and whales there, in good weather, you can see from Hermanus to the Cape of Good Hope.
4. The Cape of Good Hope is located in the middle of a nature reserve, which has been protected since 1939. You should definitely visit the 250 meter high Cape Point, and take the famous photo with the sign of the peninsula.
5. Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa. Here you can look into the past as well as into the future. Museum entrances, with separate entrances for whites and non-whites are quite common there. But you can also get to know the beautiful city with its novel skyscrapers and its many novel ideas.
6. The Drakensberg is a UNSECO World Heritage Site and not without reason. Endless hikes, crystal clear streams and waterfalls and endless landscapes, are there to be discovered.

South Africa’s cuisine is as diverse as the people who live there. From hearty to exotic, South African cuisine has it all.
Some of the most popular treats include “Biltong”, one of the most famous snacks, which is a type of dried meat specialty. “Boerewors Roll” is a kind of fiery sausage grilled over an open flame at street stalls and served with a bun and tomato sauce.

There is also “Amagwinya” also called “Vetkoek”, known in German as fried dough balls. These are deep fried with different fillings, there is both the meat version and a vegetarian variation.

And of course, for those of us with a sweet tooth, there is no shortage of desserts. South Africa has two traditional sweet specialties, “Koeksister” is a deep fried pastry dipped in sugar syrup and “Melktert” on the other hand is a regular cake with sugar filling and cinnamon.

If you would like to know more about the visas or the move, please feel free to contact us. Furthermore, we wish you every success and a good start in your new life.