[imagesource: Flux Magazine]

Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Personal Finance, and Expat Essentials.

These are the indices that can either make or break a place based on the views of expats coming to build a new home there.

InterNations runs an annual survey, polling expats on their views of various destinations based on those indices to determine the best-ranked places to move and live.

The InterNations Expat Insider for 2022 has ranked South Africa pretty poorly overall, with Johannesburg taking the crumbs.

As locals are well aware, too, safety and security are the biggest concerns for expats in South Africa, according to InterNations, with a strained job market and bleak career prospects adding to the challenge of setting up shop here.

The only thing to redeem our country in the eyes of expats is the affordable housing market and good leisure and social activities. Although, bureaucracy and hostility towards foreigners, respectively, get in the way of those two perks.

In InterNations’ overall ranking, the top three destinations were Valencia, Dubai, and Mexico City as they all do very well when it comes to the ease of settling in.

For South Africa, Cape Town ranked 32nd while Johannesburg ranked stone cold last at 50th, just under Frankfurt (#49) and Paris (#48).

This year, a total of 11 970 expats participated in the survey, representing 177 nationalities and living in 181 countries or territories, per BusinessTech, where a sample size of at least 50 survey participants per destination is required to make the list.

In 2022, 52 destinations were ranked, with South Africa sitting at 46th overall:

Image: InterNations

Here’s what was said about Jozi, “The World’s Worst Expat Destination”:

Johannesburg is the worst city for expats overall and in the Quality of Life Index (50th) in particular. Expats are unhappy with the affordability (25% unhappy vs. 15% globally) and the availability (39% vs. 17% globally) of public transportation, and they feel unsafe, too (62% vs. 9% globally).

In the Working Abroad Index (49th), they rate the local job market (38% unhappy vs. 27% globally) and their personal career opportunities (29% vs. 22% globally) negatively. Expats are also dissatisfied with their personal finances (41% unhappy vs. 21% globally), and 44% say that their disposable household income is not enough to lead a comfortable life (vs. 28% globally).

This puts the city in 47th place in the Personal Finance Index. At least housing is affordable (46% happy vs. 39% globally), which is one reason why Johannesburg still lands in 36th place in the Expat Essentials Index. On the other hand, expats rate the availability of government services online negatively (41% unhappy vs. 21% globally).

Cape Town fares a little better, although not amazingly overall.

Generally, the Mother City is best for making friends, but not for building a career:

Expats describe the local residents as generally friendly (74% happy vs 66% globally) and find it easy to make friends with them (50% vs 42% globally).

“In fact, expats in Cape Town are happiest with their social life, with the city ranking first: 64% rate this factor positively (vs 56% globally), and 42% are even completely satisfied (vs 23% globally),” InterNations said.

Obviously, Cape Town also ranks favourably in the Leisure department. Expats are unhappy with the availability of public transportation (47th), and 39% do not find it easy or safe to get around on foot and/or bicycle (vs 13% globally).

Cape Town didn’t do so well with the Working Abroad Index, ranking at 44th, as close to half the expats (46%) are unhappy with the local job market (vs 27% globally), and 20% say that moving to Cape Town has not improved their career prospects (vs 18% globally).

So overall, Johannesburg zero, Cape Town one. But I won’t keep score.

[sources:businesstech&internations]