Just more than 900,000 South Africans were living abroad in 2020, according to Statistics SA’s Migration Profile Report for South Africa 2023. That number has been steadily increasing since 2000, when it was about 500,000.

The UK is home to the most South African expats, with about 247,000 living there in 2020. The number has increased by about 80% since 2000.

Australia and New Zealand are among the top 5 chosen destinations for South Africans, with about 273,000 South Africans there in 2020. This is more than double the 106,000 who lived there in 2000.

The US is the third most-popular destination. About 117,000 people born in South Africa were living in the US in 2020, up 80% from 20 years ago.

Canada seems to have cooled off because the number of South Africans living there has increased by only 30% since 2000.