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Living and Working in SA
Since 1994, South Africa has emerged as a sophisticated and promising investment destination.
The unique combination of a highly developed first-world economic infrastructure and a huge
emergent market has given rise to a strong entrepreneurial and dynamic investment environment,
with many global competitive advantages and opportunities. Thus, living and working in South
Africa presents exciting opportunities and challenges for the entrepreneurial and energetic
business community.
Quality
of Life
South Africa offers diverse and abundant natural splendour and a year-round temperate climate.
Foreign visitors and residents are able to purchase fully serviced properties at a significantly
lower cost than comparable properties in the Western world.
The low cost of living, availability of first-world healthcare, education, sporting and recreation
facilities, as well as other modern conveniences and luxuries, make the South African lifestyle one of
the most attractive in the world.
Investor Issues regarding the
Quality of Life in South Africa
are:
- Sophisticated cosmopolitan cities, e.g. Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban;
- Excellent living standards and medical services;
- Strong local manufacturing base, where many consumer goods are manufactured and produced;
- Good infrastructure and logistics viz. roads, transportation, airports, international air links
and telecommunication;
- English is commonly spoken and understood;
- International schools and good universities;
- World-class living conditions;
- Temperate climate;
- Superb recreational and cultural possibilities; and
- Attractive international tourism destination.
Cultural
Diversity
With a dynamic fusion of African, European and Asian influences,
South Africa is a hotbed of originality and creativity, and it is the interplay
between our various cultures and the heritage of our individual and shared
histories which shapes our nation.
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more
Education
The South African education system is seen as pivotal to contributing to a high quality of life and
building a democratic nation, the general aim being to provide equal access to life-long education.
Education is enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa as a basic human right.
The education system comprises over 14 million learners, including over 700 000 university students.
South Africa has one of the highest rates of government investment in education in the world, boasting
expenditure of R122,8 billion in the 2008/09 financial year.
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more
Health
South Africa's health system consists of a large public sector and a smaller but fast-growing private
sector. Healthcare varies from the most basic primary healthcare, offered free by the state, to highly
specialised hi-tech health services available in the private sector for those who can afford it.
The number of private hospitals and clinics continues to grow. Four years ago there were 161 private hospitals,
with 142 of these in urban areas. Now there are 200. The mining industry also provides its own hospitals, and
has 60 hospitals and clinics around the country. Read more
Crime
Reducing crime is one of the leading challenges of South Africa's democratic government.
In 1999, the government implemented policy and developed a strategy to enhance national crime
combating capabilities. While this strategy has had some success in impacting on organised crime,
the statistics suggest that the initiatives are still to have an impact on crime reduction in general.
Crime remains a priority concern, which continues to breed insecurity and impede investor confidence.
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