South Africa has placed 13th among the best countries for expatriates in 2026, according to the latest Expat Insider survey published by the international community platform InterNations. For foreign residents building lives in a new country, often far from family and established support networks, the finding speaks to a practical question: will this society welcome them, and will they belong?
The country ranked ahead of established destinations such as France, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom. For people weighing a move abroad, that human measure matters as much as jobs or climate.
South Africa’s clearest strength lies in human connection. It ranked fifth globally in the Finding Friends category, which measures expatriates’ satisfaction with their social lives, their ability to make local friends, and whether they have built personal support networks in their host countries. It also placed 10th in the Local Friendliness category, a signal that everyday warmth toward newcomers is more than an impression.
Those results feed into the country’s 10th-place finish in the Ease of Settling In Index, which assesses how easily foreign residents adapt to life in their host country, taking into account local friendliness, opportunities to make friends and whether they feel welcome. A fuller account of the survey and South Africa’s placement is available at https://thenational.co.za/lifestyle/2026-11-11-south-africa-ranks-5th-worldwide-for-making-friends/.
The picture is not uniformly rosy, however. South Africa ranked 15th for Culture and Welcome, and 19th for feeling welcome overall. The gap matters because settling into a new country involves more than finding accommodation or employment. Making friends quickly is one thing; adapting to a new cultural environment and developing a deeper sense of belonging can present different challenges, and the survey suggests foreign residents in South Africa experience both sides of that reality.
Meanwhile, the broader rankings offer context for anyone comparing destinations. Panama retained its position as the world’s best country for expatriates for the third consecutive year, followed by Mexico in second and Thailand in third. The United Arab Emirates ranked fourth, with Brazil completing the top five. Spain, Singapore, Portugal, Malaysia and Luxembourg also featured in the top 10.
At the other end, Norway finished last at 31st, preceded by Germany in 30th and Türkiye in 29th. Eight European countries appeared among the bottom 10, pointing to difficulties in several traditionally popular destinations. The lesson for prospective movers is that a country’s international reputation does not necessarily reflect how foreign residents experience everyday life there.
The annual Expat Insider survey examines international residents’ experiences across different aspects of life abroad, including quality of life, working opportunities, personal finances, everyday administration and the ease of settling in. Its five main indices are Quality of Life, Working Abroad, Ease of Settling In, Personal Finance and Expat Essentials. The 2026 edition drew responses from close to 8,000 expatriates representing 162 nationalities, offering a broad international view of what people actually encounter when they relocate.
For South Africa, the results add a dimension to its international standing beyond its established reputation as a tourism destination. The overall ranking reflects many aspects of expatriate life, but the fifth-place position for Finding Friends underscores how much social integration matters when people choose where to live and work. How a country treats its newcomers, the survey suggests, shapes that choice in ways that traditional measures of a nation’s appeal often miss.