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About Relocating to South Africa
relocatingtosouthafrica.com is a library of plain-English guides to moving to and living in South Africa, published by The Expat Club. It exists because most of what is online is either a sales page for a service or a scare piece about crime. This is the version we would want to find: guides that cite primary sources where they exist, show a clear updated date, and are reviewed when the rules change.
Who we are
The Expat Club is a community for internationals in South Africa. It launches in Cape Town in January 2027, with Johannesburg and Durban chapters to follow in 2027, and will run in-person events: newcomers' welcomes, monthly socials and interest groups. This site is the practical half of that: the paperwork, the money and the where-to-live questions that come before the friendships.
How the guides are made
- Primary sources first. Where an official source exists we use it: the Department of Home Affairs for visa rules, SARS for tax, the South African Reserve Bank for exchange control, and each school's published schedule for school fees. The guides on permanent residence, citizenship, spousal visas, financial emigration, moving money and importing a car already end with a dated Sources section listing the official pages behind them, and more will follow. Where a figure is an estimate, we say so and give a range.
- Dated, not timeless. Every guide shows the month it was last reviewed. Figures are "as at" that date, because South African rules and prices move, so check the official source before you act on a number.
- Answer first. The first paragraph of each guide answers the question in the title directly. The detail follows for those who want it.
- Reviewed when the rules change. Each guide is checked against the sources available when it is written, and we review it again when a rule, fee or process it covers changes. The updated date at the top of the page shows when that last happened.
What we will not do
No provider pays to be named in a guide. We do not run affiliate links dressed up as recommendations. Where a guide points you to a professional, it is because that category of help matters, and introductions through The Expat Club are free to you and never obligatory. If a partner ever pays us a referral fee, it is disclosed on the introductions page, and it never changes what you are charged or who we recommend.
A disclosure about Rory Phillips Wealth
Rory Phillips Wealth is the founder’s own planning practice. Some guides link to its free educational material, such as the Cross-Border Money Map and articles on tax residency and exchange control, and each of those links says so. Rory Phillips Wealth is not an independent third party and does not pay to appear on this site. What it publishes is general information, not personal advice, and nothing here recommends a financial product or provider.
Corrections
If a figure is out of date or a rule has changed, tell us and we will fix it, usually within a few days. Email hello@expatclub.co.za with the page and what you found.
Start here
- All 80+ guides, grouped by visas, money, where to live, schools, healthcare and settling in.
- Moving to South Africa: the complete 2026 guide, the best single page if you are early in the process.
- The free relocation guide (PDF), a 30+ page summary of the key guides.
- Key facts, the basics about this site and its publisher on one page.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the guides on relocatingtosouthafrica.com?
The guides are written and edited by The Expat Club, a community for internationals moving to or living in South Africa. Every guide carries an updated date and cites primary sources where they are available. We review a guide again when the rules it covers change.
How often are the guides updated?
Every guide shows the month it was last reviewed. Visa, tax and cost figures change often in South Africa, so we review a guide when the rules it covers change, and the updated date tells you when that last happened. Check the official source before you rely on a figure.
Do you get paid to recommend providers?
No provider pays to be named in a guide. Introductions to professionals through The Expat Club are free to the reader and never obligatory, and if a partner ever pays a referral fee it is stated on the introductions page. Nothing on the site is legal, tax, immigration, financial or medical advice.
Is Rory Phillips Wealth independent of this site?
No. Rory Phillips Wealth is the founder's own planning practice. Some guides link to its free educational material and say so. It does not pay to appear on the site, and what it publishes is general information, not personal advice.
General information only, not legal, tax, immigration, financial or medical advice: confirm current rules with the relevant authority and consult a qualified professional.