Boasting two of the continent's largest game reserves, the country is the perfect place to encounter African wildlife. In the post-apartheid era, South Africa enjoys economic growth and social stability. The nation's reputation for violent crime has decreased but problems remain. Poverty and the AIDS pandemic have yet to be tackled effectively.

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South Africa Country Profile
Capital City: Pretoria (official), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
Area: 1,233,404 sq km / 476,217 sq miles
Population: 43,800,000
Time Zone: GMT +2
Country dialing code: 27
Currency: Rand (R)

Climate in South Africa
South Africa is, for the most part, semi-arid. The east coast is sub-tropical. Temperatures are warm year round with cool nights.

South Africa Country highlights
Cape Town boasts one of the nation's most famous attractions, the imposing Table Mountain which can be scaled by cable car or on foot. The popular Garden Route, stretching hundreds of kilometres from Heidelberg in the west to the Tsitsikamma Forest in the East, is an attractive series of bays, cliffs, beaches and towns. Apartheid history is brought to life on a visit to Robben Island; former prison of Nelson Mandela, and to Soweto, the nation's largest black township, just south of Johannesburg.

Accessibility
South Africa's two major international airports are at Cape Town and Johannesburg to which direct flights are available from London Haethrow. Other important airports are Port Elizabeth, Durban, Lanseria and George. Connecting internal flights will take you all over the country. Several major European airlines run services from London to South Africa with stops in Frankfurt or Paris. Flight time from London to Capetown is approximately 12 hours.

Permanent move to South Africa
South Africa offers 13 types of temporary and 11 types of permanent residence permits. Relative's permits, Retired person's permits and business permits are most popular with Brits although some enter the country on working visas. Many people opt for temporary residence and then upgrade to permanent status once they are living in South Africa as permanent residence applications take far longer to process than the temporary ones. Financial requirements for qualification in each category change periodically so it's important to check out the latest figures before applying. Business permits are available for up to 2 years for those seeking to invest or set up their own business. Work permits can be obtained for up to 3 years and a permanent contract of employment will support an application for permanent residence. Visit Emigrate2 for details about how to emigrate to South Africa

Buying property in South Africa
Buying property of any kind in South Africa is normally done through a broker or real estate agent who should be registered as a member of the Estate Agents Board. South Africa has a highly accurate and modern system of property registration by which all properties are assigned an accurate diagram and title deed. Buying property in South Africa still offers some of the most affordable real estate available to migrating Brits. A two bedroom house can be found for as little £60,000.

Destination Hot Spots

Port Elizabeth
This coastal city in the Eastern Cape Province is known for its sunshine and safe sandy beaches. This major sea port and tourist destination is set along the beautiful shores of Algoa Bay, and is fondly referred to as the Friendly Eco-City. Water sports, even surfing, boardsailing and diving, are practised year-round thanks to the city's excellent climate.

Gauteng
Located in the north east of the country the Gauteng province is not only the major urban centre of the northern part of the country but also the economic powerhouse of the entire country. The urban sprawl of Johannesburg and Pretoria is surrounded by a number of smaller towns and agricultural areas.

Cape Town
Buying a property bargain in the popular and attractive and thriving city of Cape Town is not as easy as it once was, but you can still buy a marvellous family home with a big garden with sea views for half the price of its UK equivalent. What many people love about Cape Town is that nowhere is far from the sea, so even if you opt for one of the inland suburbs you can be on the beach within 20 minutes. Cape Town also boasts wonderful restaurants, shopping and nightlife.

Search for property in South Africa

Useful websites:
South African environment and tourism website
The official tourism website for South Africa

Article first published in May 2006