Ghana or South Africa
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Ghana | South Africa | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 10 years |
| Partner can work | — | no |
| Parents | — | difficult |
| Pets | difficult | difficult |
| Pet limit | no limit | no limit |
| Quarantine | no | 14 days |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 632 · estimate | $ 633 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 29,3 | $ 26,0 |
| Life expectancy | 65.69 | 66.31 |
| Homicides/100k | 1.83 | 39.72 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 3.3 | 3.9 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Ghana — 16, South Africa — 24. Types present in both: work, study, family and investment. Ghana adds: repatriation. South Africa adds: talent and retirement.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Ghana: fees range from 40 to 18,000 USD. South Africa: fees range from 425 to 1,520 ZAR. Routes with no fee: 2. Routes stating an income threshold: 2; the lowest is 8,500 ZAR a month.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: South Africa after 5 years; the other country publishes no term. Citizenship: Ghana after 5 years, South Africa after 10 years. Both allow a second citizenship.
Ghana in brief
Ghana is a West African country with English-language law based on the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573) and the Citizenship Act, 2000 (Act 591), which has allowed dual citizenship since 2000. Work immigration is structured through the Ghana Immigration Service's 'Work and Residence Permit' combination and, for investors, an automatic GIPC/GIPA immigrant quota sized to the company's paid-up capital. A distinctive feature of the country is two official channels for the diaspora of African descent: the Right of Abode permanent-residence status and a state citizenship programme launched in 2016 and continued by the Year of Return 2019 campaign. Importing dogs and cats does not require quarantine, but does require laboratory confirmation of the absence of several infections and current vaccination. Of the country's five largest districts by the 2021 census, one — Cape Coast — is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site tied to the history of the transatlantic slave trade.
South Africa in brief
South Africa builds its intake around scarce occupations: the Critical Skills Work Visa is issued for up to 5 years, but the occupation must be on the current list and the qualification must be assessed by SAQA with an NQF level stated. The constraints are the time limits and family: the processing standard for a spousal visa is 120 working days, work on it without a separate permit is not allowed, and citizenship comes after 10 years.
Other comparisons
Ghana or… Nigeria · Rwanda · Tunisia · Algeria · Tanzania · Kenya · Angola · Gabon
South Africa or… Madagascar · Sierra Leone · Uganda · Zambia · Eswatini · Lesotho · Mozambique · Republic of the Congo
More on each: Ghana · South Africa. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.