🇹🇦 Cape Town: nomad visa, cost & the power question
The world's best-value remote-work city — if the lights stay on. Here's the visa, the budget, and the load-shedding reality right now.
✓ 2026 · DHA nomad visa + Eskom status
⚡ Load-shedding: currently suspended. South Africa has gone 300+ days without scheduled cuts — the longest stretch since 2018. Analysts still warn outages could return around 2027–28 as the coal fleet ages, so a backup (or solar building) is smart insurance.
The digital nomad visa
Income you must prove
ZAR 650,976/yr
≈ USD 35,000–38,000 · for a foreign employer/clients
Terms
Live in SA up to 1 year, renewable to 3. Needs international health insurance, proof of accommodation and funds. Stay over 6 months in any 36 and you must register with SARS and pay local tax. Processing ~4–8 weeks.
What it costs (single, per month)
With rent (moderate)
~$1,000–1,300
More Cape Town
Get Cape Town in your inbox each morning. 🫀
The free daily brief, launching soon.