South Africa profile
Africa · 12 indices with data
A summary of where South Africa stands across our published indices — every score normalised 0–100, with its global rank.
South Africa (Africa) has data on 12/14 PI indices. Strongest relative position: Cost of Living Index™ — #81/200 (74.3/100). Passport rank #103/198. Global Citizenship Score 45.0/100 (#138/199).
Tier 1 · Core
Tier 2 · Premium
Tier 3 · Signature
Entering South Africa
Of 197 passports with data, 93 are visa-free, 0 get a visa on arrival, 0 use an eTA, 4 need an e-Visa and 100 need a consular visa.
South Africa passport can reach 86 destinations without applying for a consular visa in advance.
Immigration authority: Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Republic of South Africa · Last checked: 29 Sep 2026
Regional position and data sources
Comparison with countries and territories in the same region that have data for each index. Regional rank uses descending scores; ties share a rank. Africa.
| Indices | Score (0–100) | Regional median | Regional rank | Data date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passport Index™ | 35.7 | 18.1 | #3 / 54 | 2026-09-29 | An in-house bilateral visa matrix, taken from each destination government's own source. PI Passport v0.1 (gov-sourced) |
| Quality of Life Index™ | 50.1 | 43.6 | #18 / 54 | 2026-09-14 | UNDP Human Development Report + UN SDG Global Database + World Bank WGI (CC-BY). The Health, Safety and Education pillars take their scores directly from the Healthcare, Global Safety and Education indices. 2026-09-14 |
| Cost of Living Index™ | 74.3 | 78.3 | #38 / 54 | 2026-08-28 | World Bank ICP household price level (PA.NUS.PRVT.PLI) + WDI PPP income + CPI inflation (CC-BY). Numbeo is NOT used: its licence bars republication and it is not available for commercial use. 2026-08-28 |
| Education Index™ | 50.8 | 31.1 | #13 / 49 | 2026-09-14 | World Bank WDI + Human Capital Index (CC-BY). Note: the heaviest pillar, harmonised learning outcomes (HD.HCI.HLOS, 28%), rests on 2020 data — the World Bank has not updated the Human Capital Index since 21 Sep 2020. 2026-09-14 |
| Global Safety Index™ | 39.9 | 49.1 | #44 / 54 | 2026-09-14 | UNODC + World Bank WGI + WHO + UCDP (CC-BY). 2026-09-14 |
| Healthcare Index™ | 59.5 | 32.7 | #3 / 54 | 2026-08-28 | World Bank WDI (life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality, skilled birth attendance, health workforce, spending, out-of-pocket share) + UN SDG Global Database indicator 3.8.1 for the UHC service coverage index. The UHC figures originate with the WHO but are taken through the UN SDG channel: the WHO GHO release is CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO, which bars commercial use. 2026-08-28 |
| Tax Freedom Index™ | 50.2 | 66.1 | #25 / 25 | 2026-09-14 | OECD Tax Database + national tax authorities (tax-rate table compiled by PI). 2026-09-14 |
| Wealth Protection Index™ | 50.9 | 37.6 | #11 / 54 | 2026-09-14 | World Bank WGI + CPI inflation + banking soundness (NPL, capital adequacy) — CC-BY. 2026-09-14 |
| Family Relocation Score™ | 51.3 | 42.2 | #14 / 54 | 2026-09-29 | Composite of PI component index scores. 2026-09-29 |
| Global Citizenship Score™ | 45.0 | 34.8 | #10 / 54 | 2026-09-29 | Composite of PI component index scores. 2026-09-29 |
| Investment Migration ROI™ | 38.0 | 41.0 | #4 / 6 | 2026-09-29 | Investment programme table (government sources) + the PI Passport Index. 2026-09-29 |
| Retirement Destination Index™ | 56.4 | 52.4 | #15 / 54 | 2026-09-29 | Composite of PI component index scores. 2026-09-29 |
Passport strength components
- Visa-free
- 63 destinations
- Visa on arrival
- 19 destinations
- eTA
- 4 destinations
- e-Visa
- 48 destinations
e-Visa is shown for comparison but does not contribute to passport strength.
Citizenship and residence programmes in the dataset
Only records marked active/new in the data snapshot are shown; this does not confirm that a policy remains in force today. USD amounts are reference conversions, not total costs or quotes. Check the government source before using them.
| Programme | Type | Status in the dataset | Minimum converted capital (USD) | Source checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Visa / Business PR (Immigration Act 13/2002) | BIZ | active | 280,000 | 2026-06-30 |
| Remote Work Visitor Visa | NOMAD | active | — | 2026-06-25 |
Considering South Africa as a second option?
Xem where the South Africa passport can go or compare it with another country on the same scale.
