Retiring – Retirement in Cape Town

If you are considering retiring to Cape Town, you can look forward to a retirement that only South Africa’s mother city can offer.

In a world obsessed with change, the value of an unhurried life is precious. Cape Town is renowned for its laid back attitude, and for your retirement years there is certainly no shortage of things to do.

Cape Town is rated as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and retirement in Cape Town means you have the time to enjoy a host of wonderful of activities, sights and sounds.

For our immigration clients, retirement abroad throws up a whole host of issues, choices and decisions. We realise that when it comes to retirement it is more important than ever to make sure your choices are correct.

Intergate prides itself on its holistic service for those retired people wishing to make Cape Town their home for their twilight years. Our dedicated client mangers will guide you through all of the issues ranging from permits, tax treatment through to housing and relocation issues.

The retirement information and links below are designed to give you a starting point for your research. Our immigration experts will be happy to discuss and guide you through the retirement to Cape Town options and are easily contacted by using the links below.

Where to start with your retirement plans?

The starting point with a retirement in Cape Town is to ensure your eligibility. Whether you are seeking a permanent move or wish to stay in Cape Town only for part of the year, Intergate Immigration will guide you through the permit options, ensuring you qualify for the required permit.

Does South Africa welcome retired immigrants?

Unlike many countries South Africa values the arrival of retiring immigrants. The retired population has many positive effects on the economy such as job creation, inflow of capital and disposable income to spend.

There are no age restrictions and both temporary and permanent residency can be applied for.

For more details on retired permits see here

Do you have to bring a certain amount of capital to South Africa when immigrating?

There is no specified amount that a retired person must bring to South Africa when immigrating. The immigration criteria for retired permits is based on available income and capital. This income and capital can be from anywhere in the world and there is no obligation for these funds to be brought into South Africa.

Cost of living?

It is often a misconception that retirement years mean a reduction in expenditure. When retiring we tend to have more time which is filled with activities that cost money such as golf, bowls, travel and eating out.

Cape Town offers excellent value for money and makes those pounds and euros go a little further, helping you to enjoy your retirement years.

Without doubt the headline figure for inflation in UK and European countries shows that retired people are suffering the most in this economic climate.

A
daily telegraph report:

Those in retirement are seeing the cost of living surge at 13.7 per cent a year, outstripping the increase in state pensions, according to the think tank Capital Economics in research undertaken for the Daily Telegraph.

In other words being a pensioner is increasingly expensive in the UK and this means retired people missing out on those activities that make retirement years enjoyable.

Cape Town offers excellent value for money, especially in the areas that matter to retirees:

A meal out for two with wine for less than £20;
A decent bottle of wine for less than £3;
A domestic worker for around £8 per day;
Cinema tickets for £2;
Up market homes in retirement villages from as little as £60,000.

To review a more complete cost of living analysis, you can visit Numbeo.

Tax treatment on foreign pensions

South Africa has favourable tax laws for retirement pension schemes that are based abroad. In broad terms overseas pensions are not liable to tax in South Africa. Even better news is that certain pensions are no longer taxable in your home country. An example of this is a private pension for a UK citizen living in South Africa. In this case no tax would be paid on the pension in the UK or South Africa. The net result? More income.

Hospitals – Medical aid

As we enter retirement years the invincibility of youth turns to the more pragmatic matter of decent healthcare should we fall ill.

South Africa operates a superb private hospital network equipped with the latest technology and top rated staff. It is imperative that private medical insurance is taken out but you can rest assured the service and its delivery is excellent.

Housing

Cape Town offers the retired person an array of property options to suit even the most discerning of tastes. Whether you seek an apartment or that dream home by the sea, Cape Town has it on offer and to suit most budgets. Housing costs are certainly lower than most of Europe and the size and standard of accommodation tends to be much higher.

For those retirees seeking the comfort and reassurance of retirement villages there are some excellent choices available that start from as little as R60,000. Commonly referred to in Europe as old age homes they tend to conjure up images of hospital type looking buildings with a warren of corridors and bedsit type accommodation that is also very expensive.

The exact opposite is true of most Retirement Villages in Cape Town. The description below is more applicable.

Evergreen Retirement Lifestyle Villages promise a wonderful life in some of the most desirable locations The architect-designed homes and apartments are built and equipped to the highest possible standards.

Enjoy the resort-style atmosphere of the Evergreen Village Centre with its lounge, gym, bar, beauty salon, coffee shop, restaurant and games room and relax in the indoor heated swimming pool. The outside bar and braai area and the practice bowling green, putting green and croquet facilities offer great fun and entertainment.

Add to this, all the 5-star services and support, and you’ll agree that the best years of your life have just begun.

Evergreen is the prize for a lifetime of work well done, offering a life among beautifully landscaped gardens, meandering walkways, gazebos and tranquil water features that create an idyllic atmosphere.

View more information on Retirement Villages here.

Activities

Golf, bowls, Croquet, walks, wine farms, beaches, theatre, excellent dining, amazing sites. You really can have it all in Cape Town.

Cape Town is classified as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and ranks amongst the top three tourist destinations. As a retired person you will hopefully have the time to fully enjoy all these sites and sounds.

To find out more about how Intergate assists retirees considering Cape Town and South Africa as their retired destination please use the contact details below. We look forward to being of help.