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Expat guide: Cape Town
This expat guide offers information and advice if you are moving to Cape Town. Click on the different tabs to find out about anything from tax rules and banking to education and cultural highlights.
You can also read our guides to South Africa and Johannesburg.
Download this guide as a pdfMoving to Cape Town
Cape Town's considerable popularity as an expat destination rests on its celebrated natural beauty and many outdoor attractions. That's coupled with a fairly relaxed lifestyle, easily accessible culture and mild climate.
Despite its size, Cape Town has all the trappings of an international city with excellent restaurants and cafes, world-class shopping, and top quality private healthcare.
The laid-back atmosphere of the city appeals to expats looking for a healthy, balanced alternative to the high stress work environment of other international cities. Rush-hour traffic is benign compared with that of Johannesburg, especially if you reside in the city bowl, which is close to the central business district.
Cape Town is South Africa's most efficiently run metropolis and crime levels are lower than any of the country's other large cities. However, public transport is poor and it's often necessary to rent or purchase your own vehicle.
Working in Cape Town
Cape Town follows an eight-hour, five-day working week. The city does not have the aggressive work culture of Johannesburg, and many expats enjoy the more balanced lifestyle afforded by the many outdoor activities and natural attractions available close to the city.
A work visa is required before taking up employment. You can apply for this at the South African consulate in your country of origin. You are at a big advantage if you are being relocated to Cape Town by your company as it will demonstrate that you have key skills - a prime requisite for being granted a work visa.
Commercially, Cape Town is small compared with Johannesburg and other international cities, but the media industry, IT sector and asset management businesses are well represented here, and a relatively high-proportion of expats work in these sectors. Cape Town is also becoming a hub for the west African oil industry and hosts big employers such as BAT and De Beers.
For more information about work permits, banking and more read the South Africa guide.
Shipping and removals
Shipping costs depend on volume and length of shipping time. Air freight is quickest but more expensive. A cost-effective shipping solution from Europe will take approximately four weeks.
Customs clearance may add further time. Note that left-hand vehicles cannot be imported into the country.
To ship pets to South Africa you will need a Veterinary Health Certificate, or equivalent, and your animals may need to undergo quarantine period of up to six months
This content is provided by www.expatarrivals.com, copyright © 2011 Globe Media Ltd. All rights reserved. By its very nature much of the information in this travel guide is subject to change at short notice and travellers are urged to verify information on which they're relying with the relevant authorities. Neither Globe Media nor Bupa International can be held liable for any errors or omissions, or any loss, damage, illness and/or injury that may occur as a result of this information.
Bupa International is not responsible for the content on external websites.
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