South Africa

From Trans World Express

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South Africa is a comparatively LGBTQ+-friendly country located in southern Africa

Why South Africa?

  • Legal gender recognition:
    • South Africa is the only African nation to have legalize same sex marriage.
    • Cape Town, considered one of the best cities to live in in the world, has a thriving LGBTQ+ community
    • LGBTQ+ people in South Africa have the same legal rights as non-LGBTQ+ people.
    • A South African Act of Parliament in 2003 allows a person to change, under certain conditions, their sex recorded in the population registry:
      • People who have undergone surgical or medical sex reassignment.
      • People whose sexual characteristics have evolved naturally.
      • Intersex people.
  • Anti-discrimination laws:
    • LGBT rights are protected by section 9 of the South African Constitution, which forbids discrimination on the basis of sex, gender or sexual orientation, and applies to government and private parties.
    • This was re-enforced in 2000 with the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (PEPUDA).
    • The Employment Equity Act (1998) forbid discrimination in employment.
    • The Rental Housing Act (1999) specifically and housing.
  • Public healthcare:
    • People can begin Hormone replacement therapy when they turn 16 and can get surgeries when they turn 18 (or younger with parental consent). Hormone treatment is available in both public and private sectors in South Africa although expect long waiting lists (years) if you attempt the public sector route.
  • Strength of Estates:
  • Community:
    • TBD

Why not South Africa?

  • Safety:
    • South Africa remains a conservative Christian country (85% of the population identify as Christian). The support and adoption of initial legislation for LGBTQ+ rights was not based on popular support but the strength of the South African Constitution and the Constitutional Court which rules on various legal challenges.
    • Sexual violence is South Africa is amongst the highest in the world and includes "corrective" rape targeting members of the LGBTQ+ communities.
  • Government:
    • South African bureaucracy is slow and frustrating and can be challenging to navigate alone.
    • Government inefficiencies, corruption and lack of infrastructure investment has created fragility in key services like electricity and water supplies and poor maintenance of roads. This has resulted in periods when power outages become a regular occurrence.
    • South Africa has the worlds highest inequality by Gini coefficient.
  • Culture
    • Toxic masculinity is very common amongst white South Africans particularly the Afrikaner community (Dutch descendants).
    • There are still echos of the effect of colonial rules and social mores around LGBTQ+ in the older generations.
  • Racism:
    • South Africa still suffers from a legacy of colonial racism.

Political Situation for Trans People

  • South Africa does suffer from populist political figures who condemn LGBTQ+ groups and promote patriarchy and traditional family roles in an effort to build political support.
  • Most heads of mainstream Christian groups like the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Uniting Reformed Church and the Dutch Reformed Church have spoken out in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
  • Based on the IPSOS LGBT+ PRIDE 2023 report:
    • 70% of South Africans believe that Transgender people are discriminated against significantly.
    • 82% believe Transgender people should be protected against discrimination.
    • 58% believe Transgender people should have access to gender affirming care and "other" gender options on legal documents.

Access to Trans Healthcare

TBD

Immigration Policy

  • Student Visa:
    • Anyone studying at a list of accepted schools, colleges or institutes of higher education may apply for a student visa.
    • Candidate must be able to show proof of medical cover for the period of study.
  • Family-Route:
    • Anyone who is the immediate family of someone with existing residency or citizenship may apply for a relatives visa.
  • Business Visas
    • You may apply for this visa if you plan to open a business or invest in an existing business in South Africa to the amount of R5 million (~$272K). There are additional requirements to ensure 60% of employees are South African and a recommendation from the Department of Trade and Industry regarding the feasibility of the business.
  • Work Visa
    • General Work Visas
    • Critical Skills Work Visas
      • A critical skills work visa is not a work-seekers visa. You need to have an offer of employment from a potential employer.
      • The Department of Home Affairs publishes a list of critical skills. Anyone with these skills may apply for a Critical Skills Work Visa
      • Checklist of required documents.
    • Intra-company Transfer Work Visas
  • Retirement visa:
    • A persons who wish to retire in South Africa may apply for a retired person visa, provided that he or she receives at least R37,000 per month (~$2k) from a pension fund or an irrevocable retirement annuity or has a net worth or a combination of assets realising a minimum monthly income of R37,000 (~$2k).
  • Remote work/nomad visa
    • South Africa does not currently support a remote or nomad visa.

Medical Inadmissibility

TBD

Permanent Residency

TBD

Citizenship Pathway

TBD

LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities

What are potentially good places to live in?

Community & Support Resources

  • What local communities and support structures are there?

National Organizations

  • please add

Cost of Living

  • Rent is ?
  • Utilities are ?
  • Public transport is not good. There are a few places where public transport systems exist and operate effectively but most of the transport available to South Africans is in the informal private market via minibus taxis. Most train systems only run freight (where they run at all). In South Africa a car is a mandatory requirement for any form of mobility. Cars are also expensive (even second hand) and will be one of your major expenses. There has been an increase in food delivery services in the last few years which can negate some of your travel requirements but won't meet all your needs.
  • Healthcare is ?
  • Grocery prices are mostly cheaper than what you're used to (with some exceptions due to geological positioning).
  • Education is ?

Housing Access & Cost

  • TBD

Law Enforcement ("How bad are the cops?")

  • TBD

Censorship & Digital Privacy

  • TBD

Ease of Travel to Other Countries

  • TBD

Animal Policies

  • Is South Africa is pet-friendly or not
  • What do you need to do to bring a pet?
  • Consider adding a section on the Traveling with pets page
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