Expats happy in SA - they just don't feel safe

Expats are happy in South Africa...they just don’t feel very safe.

If you’re British‚ German or American you’re likely to be happy in South Africa - but you probably reckon the roads are quite crap and you definitely don’t feel safe.

One thing‚ however‚ is for sure: you’re most likely to have a fair chunk of cash‚ and loads of places to spend it at.

These are among the key findings of the annual Expat Insider report‚ compiled by InterNations‚ a “leading network and guide for expats”.

More than 12‚500 respondents‚ from 166 nationalities‚ were surveyed for the report. They were based in 188 countries or territories. There are as many as 57-million expats worldwide‚ according to the report.

According to the report, South Africa ranks 49th in overall quality of life‚ out of 65 nations.

But when it comes to “family life” (19th)‚ “cost of living” (25th) and “ease of settling in” (29th)‚ South Africa makes the top half of the rankings.

With an overall spot of 42 on the list‚ and with 77% of people “generally satisfied”‚ South Africa is considered a good destination for expats - described as “easy to settle down [but] not always safe”.

“Safety concerns make life hard for many expats in South Africa‚ but most enjoy their leisure time and the great weather‚” the report found.

In the safety and security category‚ South Africa was in the bottom 10 in three key areas: “peacefulness”‚ “political stability”‚ and “personal safety”. Overall in this category‚ the country ranked 63rd - above only Brazil and Nigeria.

“Almost half” all the expats surveyed were unsatisfied with transport infrastructure.

But on the positive side‚ when it came to leisure options‚ expats in Mzansi have more to choose from than most places around the world. In fact‚ only three countries - Spain‚ Portugal and Mexico - have more to offer.

- TimesLIVE