Who moves to South Africa
2.6M people have chosen South Africa for relocation — #26 most popular destination worldwide
Considering a move to South Africa? — See where people come from, regional patterns, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where immigrants come from
The top 3 countries account for 67% of all immigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | 1072620 |
| Mozambique | 412058 |
| Lesotho | 237718 |
| Malawi | 220437 |
| Ethiopia | 104402 |
| DR Congo | 57519 |
| United Kingdom | 55144 |
| Somalia | 42516 |
| Namibia | 34273 |
| Bangladesh | 30637 |
| Republic of Congo | 29093 |
| India | 27674 |
| Nigeria | 26707 |
| Zambia | 22946 |
| Pakistan | 17393 |
| Burundi | 12416 |
| Germany | 9935 |
| Eswatini | 9302 |
| Ghana | 8409 |
| Botswana | 8004 |
| Uganda | 7678 |
| United States | 6729 |
| Angola | 6354 |
| Tanzania | 6344 |
| Switzerland | 6305 |
| Kenya | 6208 |
| China | 6189 |
| Portugal | 5602 |
| Cameroon | 4916 |
| Italy | 4255 |
| Netherlands | 3911 |
| Rwanda | 3172 |
| Eritrea | 3109 |
| France | 3082 |
| Afghanistan | 2910 |
| Australia | 2653 |
| Belgium | 2630 |
| Ireland | 2575 |
| Egypt | 2476 |
| Canada | 1954 |
| Taiwan | 1876 |
| Poland | 1849 |
| Mauritius | 1725 |
| Senegal | 1664 |
| Austria | 1586 |
| Greece | 1558 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1445 |
| Brazil | 1290 |
| British Virgin Islands | 1265 |
| Israel | 1106 |
| American Samoa | 1054 |
| New Zealand | 1026 |
| Algeria | 855 |
| Mali | 836 |
| Philippines | 824 |
| Argentina | 807 |
| Russia | 805 |
| Bulgaria | 766 |
| United Arab Emirates | 762 |
| Thailand | 737 |
| Niger | 713 |
| Sweden | 710 |
| South Korea | 686 |
| Türkiye | 675 |
| Cyprus | 661 |
| Gabon | 652 |
| Spain | 641 |
| Denmark | 594 |
| Saudi Arabia | 577 |
| Hong Kong | 576 |
| Ukraine | 556 |
| Indonesia | 532 |
| Estonia | 529 |
| Malaysia | 528 |
| Hungary | 525 |
| Iran | 499 |
| Singapore | 499 |
| Venezuela | 476 |
| Seychelles | 460 |
| Sudan | 459 |
| Cuba | 455 |
| Czechia | 452 |
| Japan | 450 |
| Serbia | 443 |
| Myanmar | 437 |
| Vietnam | 435 |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 432 |
| Romania | 425 |
| Morocco | 417 |
| Martinique | 415 |
| Lebanon | 406 |
| Liberia | 384 |
| Nepal | 370 |
| Sri Lanka | 358 |
| Benin | 332 |
| Wallis and Futuna | 325 |
| Croatia | 323 |
| Guyana | 303 |
| Madagascar | 299 |
| Finland | 288 |
| Chile | 266 |
| Mexico | 261 |
| Western Sahara | 258 |
| Libya | 255 |
| Norway | 250 |
| Albania | 243 |
| Vanuatu | 230 |
| Yemen | 223 |
| Colombia | 220 |
| Guinea | 201 |
| Iceland | 189 |
| Malta | 174 |
| North Korea | 161 |
| Slovakia | 146 |
| Sierra Leone | 142 |
| Lithuania | 115 |
| Comoros | 108 |
| Latvia | 52 |
| Reunion | 51 |
By region of origin
Africa is the leading region of origin at 91%
2.3M
108.1K
93.8K
8.7K
5.8K
5.3K
4.4K
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about immigration in South Africa.
South Africa is a primary destination for emigrants from Lesotho
South Africa attracts 96% of all emigrants from Lesotho, making it the leading destination for those leaving the country.
Top source countries have shifted significantly since 1990
9 new countries have entered the top 20: Ethiopia, DR Congo, Somalia — Ethiopia rose from outside the top 20 to rank #5.
Zimbabwe is the leading source of immigration by a wide margin
Zimbabwe accounts for 42% of all immigrants, far ahead of the second-largest source at just 16%.
Malawi is the fastest-growing major source
Immigration from Malawi has increased by 82% since 2015, rising from 121.3K to 220.4K in 9 years.
How immigration changed over time
Total immigrant population by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 849483 |
| 1995 | 896010 |
| 2000 | 948046 |
| 2005 | 1343719 |
| 2010 | 1754293 |
| 2015 | 2283325 |
| 2020 | 2520936 |
| 2024 | 2574933 |
Top sources over time
Immigration from the 5 largest source countries
| Year | Zimbabwe | Mozambique | Lesotho | Malawi | Ethiopia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 89371 | 116573 | 126222 | 19462 | 12 |
| 1995 | 82695 | 274920 | 116921 | 12658 | 109 |
| 2000 | 116489 | 252569 | 114876 | 20543 | 698 |
| 2005 | 253785 | 310547 | 130208 | 43126 | 11887 |
| 2010 | 545405 | 374505 | 153913 | 73730 | 22273 |
| 2015 | 833530 | 403208 | 183120 | 121300 | 72207 |
| 2020 | 966487 | 413226 | 215957 | 177019 | 117442 |
| 2024 | 1072620 | 412058 | 237718 | 220437 | 104402 |
Fastest-changing origins
How immigration from each country has changed since the selected year
South Africa as a destination, by diaspora
Share of each country's emigrants who settled in South Africa