South Africa has earned a place on the 50 Best Places in the World to Retire (no surprise) all thanks to the high quality of living for expat retirees.
South Africa (10 November 2022) – South Africa is a world-renowned destination for many things and that includes retirement. Our beloved country has it all and then some, which is why it made the list of the 50 Best Places to Retire in the World List complied by Big 7 Travel and Enjoy Travel.
1.5 million people from 60 countries take surveys for Big 7 Travel and vote for the best travel accolades worldwide. Big 7 Media shares several lists which promote global travel. In the past, we have shared their lists about South Africa, including being the 5th most “Instagrammable” country in the world in 2019, or Kruger and Cape Town listed in the top 50 destinations to visit after the Covid-19 pandemic. There have been many more, but these are just a few of the exciting accolades awarded to South Africa.
Choosing the best countries to retire to was not as straightforward as counting up the points, “to make the cut, the teams have been ruthless with ensuring that destinations must offer a good mixture of everything.” For example, South Africa has a very high quality of life ranking but the visa process ranks on the medium level. Had the visa process been somewhat more difficult, no matter how high the quality of living is, we would not have made the cut.
Countries were ranked on the:
- quality of life,
- cost of living,
- rent index,
- restaurant price index,
- average annual temperatures
- and the easiness of obtaining a visa or residency.
They also took into account healthcare, hospitality, language barriers and the range of things to do.
“South Africa is a popular destination for expat retirees, thanks to its mild climate, affordable living costs and sizeable expat population. This large and diverse country encompasses everything from subtropical coastlines to semi-deserts to sprawling cities. It’s one of Africa’s premier safari destinations too. For retirees looking to relocate, South Africa’s visa and residency permit system is ranked mid-level difficulty, but once you’ve got hold of it you can enjoy low living costs, a laid-back lifestyle and a famously high quality of living.” – Enjoy Travel