Between 2020 and 2024, over 107,000 South Africans officially left the country. The United States topped the list as the most popular destination, taking in over 31,000 South Africans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New Zealand followed with nearly 20,000, while Australia, the UK, and the Netherlands each received around 10,000 to 12,000 new South African migrants over the same period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At mid-2024, the UK was home to the largest number of South African expats, with over 245,000 living there, followed by Australia (213,000), the US (161,000), and New Zealand (101,000).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, for many South Africans considering a move abroad, the stories<\/a> of those already living overseas offer a surprising perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tumelo Setlaba, a South African Solutions Architect now based in the Netherlands, moved to Amsterdam to launch a new business venture. \u201cI had the privilege of launching a startup in South Africa with Dutch co-founders,\u201d Setlaba said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I wanted to go into my next venture, I thought I needed the big numbers you\u2019d find in Europe or America.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the Netherlands\u2019 startup visa programme, Setlaba was able to establish himself abroad, but soon found himself reflecting on what he had left behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSouth Africa has so much more to offer than I realised before heading over to Europe,\u201d she admitted. \u201cI think I could still do it in South Africa just as well, if not better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thulani Menye, a project lead at BP in London, shared a similar story. He had considered moving abroad as far back as 2015 and finally made the leap two years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMore than anything, it was about broadening my knowledge and experience,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The move was made easier by the fact that he continued working for the same company and didn\u2019t have to overcome a language barrier. However, it was not without emotional and personal challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most significant differences for both expats was the sense of safety abroad. Setlaba described the relief he felt after just a few weeks in Amsterdam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI almost physically felt my body exhale. There was a tension that unpacked itself, a tension I hadn\u2019t even been aware of until that moment,\u201d she said. \u201cIn South Africa, we have our own mechanisms of survival. We cope. We manage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, both Setlaba and Menye cautioned against romanticising life abroad. \u201cIt\u2019s not about which place is better or worse,\u201d said Setlaba. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much we as South Africans can leverage to be globally competitive. Sometimes we forget what we already have.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their advice to aspiring emigrants is to be fully informed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, the financial opportunities might be greater,\u201d said Setlaba, \u201cbut don\u2019t underestimate the value of home, the culture, the people, the sense of belonging. There\u2019s nothing like Mzansi.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some economists like Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt have echoed this sentiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\nQuality of life unmatched<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/South-Africa-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n