VisaChiefSouth Africa migration: diaspora, destinations & visa routes
How many people leave South Africa, where they go and on which visa categories - a cited snapshot for 2025-26, drawn from official statistics and international migration data. Prefer it visual? Explore South Africa on the interactive migration map.
Outbound corridors · South Africa
South Africa - where they emigrate
A compact, highly skilled, English-speaking diaspora compounding in the Anglosphere. ~1M+ South Africans live abroad and 30-40k skilled emigrants leave each year, card-in-hand and fee-ready.
Start your application ›1.0M+
South Africans living abroad
diaspora estimate
30-40k
skilled emigrants / yr
annual long-term outflow
#1 UK
235k SA-born
2021 census
#2 AU
224k SA-born
Jun 2024
+28%
AU stock growth
2014 to 2024
43%
SA-Australians with bachelor's or higher
skill intensity
Where they live
Diaspora stock by country (latest census / official)
235k
224k
133k
100k
96k
52k
41k
22k
Where they go each year
Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)
11.0k
6.5k
6.0k
5.5k
3.5k
2.5k
2.3k
The trend
United KingdomAustraliaNew Zealand
SA-born residents (000s)
Source: UK ONS, AU ABS, NZ Census
Corridor facts
NZ EXPLODING+34% in 5 yrs (71k to 96k, Census '23); SA is NZ's 5th-largest migrant source.
AU SKEWS SKILLED36% professionals, 15% managers; median age 45.7, 76% take citizenship.
UK ANCESTRY ROUTE5-yr work visa via a UK-born grandparent, a uniquely SA-heavy category.
UAE = NO PR~100k on employment visas only; perpetual renewal, an onward-migration pool.
PUSH IS STRUCTURALLoad-shedding, crime and currency keep the outflow resilient across cycles.
What visa categories they use
Share of the annual flow, by destination
Australia
United Kingdom
New Zealand
United States
Canada
UAE
Skilled / workFamily / partnerStudyHumanitarian / other
Corridor economics - volume, categories, cost, time
| Corridor | Volume | Primary / secondary categories | Govt cost | Time | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | ~11k/yr | Skilled Worker ~5k; Health & Care ~2k Ancestry ~2.5k; Study ~1.5k | £769-1,639 + IHS £1,035/yr | 3-8 weeks | Apply › |
| Australia | ~6.5k/yr | Skilled 189/190/491 ~3.5k Employer 482/186 ~1.5k; Study ~1k | AUD 4,910 + agent 3-8k | 6-18 months | Apply › |
| New Zealand | ~5.5k/yr | AEWV work to residence ~3.5k Skilled Migrant ~1.2k; Study ~0.8k | NZD 4-6k + adviser 3-6k | 4-14 months | Apply › |
| UAE | ~6k/yr | Employment permits (no PR path) Golden Visa (property/talent) growing | AED 3-8k, employer-paid | 2-6 weeks | Apply › |
| United States | ~3.5k/yr | Green cards ~3.2k (family+emp+DV) H-1B/L-1 ~0.8k; F-1 study ~1k | $2-10k + attorney 3-8k | 1-5+ years | Apply › |
| Canada | ~2.3k/yr | Express Entry PR ~1.8k Study permits ~0.5k | CAD 2,340 + consultant 3-6k | 6-14 months | Apply › |
Key insightThe outbound flow is 3-5x larger in fee terms than SA-inbound: skilled families paying US$3k-15k per move, in English, card-in-hand.
Sources: AU DHA · UK ONS / Home Office · US ACS / DHS · NZ Census / INZ · StatsSA · UN DESA · IRCC. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.
Inbound corridors · South Africa
South Africa - who is arriving
Africa's largest immigration hub. ~2.9M international migrants live in South Africa (UN DESA 2020; StatsSA Census 2022 counts 2.42M), overwhelmingly SADC-origin labour migration, much of it informal, plus a large asylum stream and one of the world's biggest asylum backlogs.
Start your application ›2.9M
immigrants in SA
largest in Africa, 2020
2.42M
foreign-born (census)
3.9% of population, 2022
1M+
from Zimbabwe
45.5% of SADC migrants
250k
refugees + asylum-seekers
2023
153k
asylum appeal backlog
cases targeted for clearance
178k
on ZEP permits
Zimbabwe Exemption Permit
Where they come from
Foreign-born stock by origin (latest official)
Data not available.
Who arrives each year
Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)
Data not available.
Corridor facts
AFRICA'S #1 HUBSouth Africa hosts ~2.9M international migrants, the largest immigrant population in Africa and ~60% of the SADC region's migrants (UN DESA 2020).
ZIMBABWE DOMINATESZimbabwe is the largest single origin, 'over 1 million' and 45.5% of SADC-origin migrants (StatsSA Census 2022).
HUGE ASYLUM BACKLOGOne of the world's largest asylum backlogs, ~153,000 appeal cases targeted for clearance; ~90,000 appellants 'unaccounted for' (UNHCR/DHA 2021-26).
ZEP LIMBO~178,000 Zimbabweans on a special exemption permit repeatedly threatened with phase-out; courts ruled the 2021 termination unlawful; now extended to May 2027 (DHA 2025).
REMITTANCE ENGINESA sent R112.6B to SADC countries 2016-2024, rising to R19.3B/yr (~US$1B) by 2024; Zimbabwe took R47.2B in 2020-24 alone (SARB/FinMark).
What visa categories they use
Share of the annual flow, by destination
All immigrants (overall)
Skilled / workFamily / partnerStudyHumanitarian / other
Corridor economics - volume, categories, cost, time
| Corridor | Volume | Primary / secondary categories | Govt cost | Time | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | ~178k on ZEP | Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) General/critical-skills work visas; large undocumented labour | Permit fees (DHA) | Extended to 28 May 2027 | Check options › |
| SADC informal labour | majority of stock | Cross-border labour migration (mining, agriculture, domestic work, construction) Largely undocumented; no full SADC free-movement treaty in force | n/a (informal) | n/a | Check options › |
| Skilled (formal) | small formal slice | Critical Skills Work Visa (up to 5 yrs, revised list Oct 2023) General Work Visa; Trusted Employer Scheme (2024) | DHA fees (not published) | varies | Check options › |
| Asylum / refugee | ~250k; 7,072 new apps 2024 | Section 22 asylum / Section 24 refugee permits (Refugees Act) Massive appeal backlog (~153k); ~90k appellants 'unaccounted for' | n/a | years (backlog) | Check options › |
Key insightSA-inbound is a labour-and-humanitarian story, not a fee market: most migrants are SADC workers (much of it undocumented) plus a vast, backlogged asylum caseload; the formal skilled-visa slice (Critical Skills, ZEP) is small and administratively fraught.
Sources: UN DESA 2020 · StatsSA Census 2022 · UNHCR 2023-24 · DHA 2023-25 · SARB / FinMark Trust 2024-26 · UNICEF 2024. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.
Frequently asked
How many people from South Africa live abroad?
1.0M+ - South Africans living abroad. Source: UN DESA / national censuses.
Where do most people migrate from South Africa?
The top destinations are United Kingdom, Australia, UAE.
What visas do South Africa migrants use for the United Kingdom corridor?
Skilled Worker ~5k; Health & Care ~2k.
Key South Africa migration corridors
Each corridor has its own key-facts page with volume, visa-category mix and the visa routes that apply.
See it on the map
Compare South Africa against every other major source and destination country, trace the flow arcs and switch between inbound and outbound on the interactive world map.
Open the interactive migration mapFigures on this page are indicative planning estimates for 2025-26,
compiled from public aggregates (UN DESA, OECD and destination-country statistical releases); they are not
official counts. General information only, not immigration advice.