Nigeria 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
| Nigeria | South Africa | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | — | 10 years |
| Partner can work | — | no |
| Parents | — | difficult |
| Pets | difficult | difficult |
| Pet limit | no limit | no limit |
| Quarantine | — | 14 days |
| Residence permit fee | $ 2 000 | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 863 · estimate | $ 633 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 18,6 | $ 26,0 |
| Life expectancy | 54.63 | 66.31 |
| Homicides/100k | 15.75 | 39.72 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 4.7 | 3.9 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Nigeria — 60, South Africa — 24. Types present in both: work, study, family, investment, talent and retirement. Nigeria adds: repatriation.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Nigeria: fees range from 600 to 2,000 USD. Routes stating an income threshold: 6; the lowest is 250,000 USD a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 50; the shortest is 2 days. 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: South Africa after 10 years; the other country publishes no term.
Nigeria in brief
Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and its largest economy, with an English-speaking business environment and a prominent tech scene in Lagos. The work route is built around the employer rather than the person: the company obtains an expatriate quota from the Ministry of Interior and accepts immigration responsibility, the foreigner enters on a 90-day STR visa and, already inside the country, receives a CERPAC card valid for two years and renewable. The service publishes a processing standard for residence visas — 10 days from the interview and biometrics, including applications by spouses and other dependants. Permanent residence exists, but not through a period of residence: it is open to spouses of citizens, to investors bringing in capital above a set threshold, to highly skilled professionals and to certain retirees. Bringing in cats and dogs requires rabies antibody titration with the blood sample taken at least three months before departure, so preparation starts about six months ahead. The background figures: life expectancy 54.6 years (World Bank, 2024), homicides 15.75 per 100,000 (UNODC, 2023), average PM2.5 concentration 65.7 µg/m³ — almost thirteen times the WHO guideline (World Bank, 2023), and all four World Bank governance indicators deeply negative, including political stability at −2.0 on a scale from −2.5 to +2.5.
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
Nigeria or… Rwanda · Tunisia · Algeria · Tanzania · Kenya · Angola · Gabon · Madagascar
South Africa or… Sierra Leone · Uganda · Zambia · Eswatini · Lesotho · Mozambique · Republic of the Congo · Burundi
More on each: Nigeria · 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.