South Africa Retirement Visa

[Trek]

While I was researching something else, I discovered South Africa has a retirement residence permit one can get if one fancies to ER there. So, if you want to kick back in Cape Town, here's what you'll need.

Visa Eligibility

When applying for a South African retired person's permit as a temporary immigration service, that is, to receive a temporary resident permit for South Africa, successful applicants may reside in the country for four years. This four year period can be renewed any number of times and in addition, applicants may select whether to live and work in South Africa continually or seasonally.
In South Africa, visa applications for this migration service must be able to provide evidence of the following:

• A pension, retirement account or irrevocable annuity which has a value of at least R 20,000 per month. This requirement applies to each person making an application.
• Alternatively, candidates may obtain a South African visa of this kind by demonstrating a "net worth" through a combination of assets which equates to a minimum of R 20,000 per month. Once again, this criterion applies to each person making an application.

As discussed, these South Africa visas for immigration may also be applied for as a permanent route to immigrating to South Africa. The key difference here is that a permanent grant must be applied for from within the country and would be made after arrival on the temporary version. An alternative route exists in the financially independent visa for which candidates would need to be able to demonstrate a net asset value totalling not less that R 7.5m. In addition, it would also be necessary to demonstrate proof of payment of R 75,000 as a non-refundable sum to the Director General of Home Affairs.

South African Retired Person's Permit

[travelover]

20,000.00 Zar = 2,960.64 Usd

[Trek]

Here's a currency converter.

XE.com - Universal Currency Converter

[Trek]

Here is a nice cost of living breakdown for Cape Town. Much cheaper than I would have thought.

UCT

Purchasing a house
A 3-bedroom house in a middle-income area starts at around R1 000 000. = 148,031 USD
Renting a house/flat
3-bedroom flat (unfurnished) - R4 000 upwards = $592 USD
4-bedroom house with pool - R5 500 upwards = $814 USD
3-bedroom townhouse - R3 500 upwards = $518 USD

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i could see south africa for six months or maybe a year but i don't know if i'd want to push my luck there.

NationMaster - South African Crime statistics

Assaults 535,461[2nd of 57] Car thefts 99,963[10th of 55] Kidnappings 11 kidnappings[9th of 9] Murders 21,995[4th of 62] Murders (per capita) 0.496008 per 1,000 people[2nd of 62] Murders with firearms 31,918[1st of 32] Murders with firearms (per capita) 0.719782 per 1,000 people[1st of 32] Rapes 53,008[2nd of 65] Rapes (per capita) 1.19538 per 1,000 people[1st of 65] Total crimes 3,422,740[5th of 60]

[Trek]

Maybe you'd appreciate retirement more if you knew it was highly likely to end any second now.

[lazygood4nothinbum]

suddenly violent death smacks of market timing.

[A854321]

South Africa is an increbily beautiful country with immense natural resources. Many parts would be delightful for an extended visit. However, I am impressed with the continual increase in violence, and the general unrest in that region, and I would never retire there.

[RunningBum]

I heard from a neighbor who has a friend there, or some roundabout way, that in an attempt to cut down on burglaries, the SA govt made the punishment for that very severe. Unfortunately, a side effect was that if you came across your home being burgled, you'd almost certainly be killed. The difference between buglary and murder is negligible, so why leave a witness alive?

[Andy R]

I am going to Africa (starting in Cape Town) for a couple months. I leave on January 29th. Apparently there is good wireless high speed internet via 3G services. I plan to stay in Cape Town and work for a month. We will be planning a trip deeper into Africa (up South Africa to Mozambique and then to some interior countries). The first part of the trip (Cape Town) is meant to be another affordable place to live/work and the second half is to see for myself what's going on with all the various countries there. I have already started learning a lot and hope it will be an eye opening experience.

I hear Cape Town is amazing, I'll post my research, etc. once we get into the swing of things there.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

South Africa is an increbily beautiful country with immense natural resources. Many parts would be delightful for an extended visit. However, I am impressed with the continual increase in violence, and the general unrest in that region, and I would never retire there.

I agree on both counts.

I've been there for work. I also work with expats from the RSA. There is a reason smart people are trying to get out of the country. It is a dangerous place for your body and your money. The government is becoming a Kleptocracy.

[volga]

I have been on extended travel in both Capetown and Johannesburg (Sandtown) in the last six months. It was a great vacation. However the country is experiencing "white flight" and a general exodus of well educated professionals of "european desent", primariliy to Australia and New Zealand. The level of violent crime against the well to do is severe. Illegal immigration along the northern borders is out of control.

I would always recommend a vacation there, as long as you are confident that the tour provider has a solid security program and you avoid the known crime centers. I would never suggest anyone retire there absent living in a compound that has a very strong, fully armed security service. Crime is a plain matter of daily life in this otherwise spectaular country. I was safer traveling along the Chetzin Border two years ago, since one can carry their own side arms and hire well seasoned "guides" for protection there.

Please note the attached link to the CIA country situation reports:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat...k/geos/sf.html

[meerkat]

Last November I drove from cape Town to Mossel Bay, returned along route 62 and stayed in several guest houses in Wellington, Worcester and Franschoek. Ate some of the best food in the world in some very high class restaurants for 10- 20 USD( No 69 in Somerset West). People were fantastic. I had no problems whatsoever and I never felt threatened. If RSA is so dangerous how come there are so many guest houses? I did't book - just walked in and asked for a room. I was never turned away and they never checked my ID or asked for money up front. I may have been lucky. I have seen many young women hitch hike alone along major routes out of Cape Town.
I have travelled to 45 countries over the last thirty years and never got mugged or lost anything.

[ls99]

Some thirty years ago, spent several weeks in and around Cape Town, recall thinking if I live long enough to retire this is it. Especially after touring what was then called the world largest winery.
When a few years ago edging closer to retirement I gave it a look again, pulled out all my old maps, notes tc, then reviewed the current state of affairs.
The answer was a resounding no.
My then next option was the Seychelles. That too changed to a no.
Given world affairs currently, and next ten year's outlook, best place is US.
After that I may not be interested in even looking.