26/08/2026
Leaving South Africa is rarely just one decision. It's dozens of smaller choices made while packing up a life: which visa to apply for, whether to keep or cash in a retirement annuity, how much money to move and when.
Most of these choices feel manageable at the time. Then, years later, something unexpected happens: an inheritance is delayed, a tax bill appears out of nowhere, or a retirement fund pays out far less than expected.
We work with South African expats at every stage of this process, and the same mistakes keep coming up: delaying tax emigration, cashing in a retirement annuity without understanding the tax implications, not using the Single Discretionary Allowance and Foreign Investment Allowance before leaving, and leaving property and estate planning decisions too late.
The good news: almost all of these are avoidable, and most are still fixable if you catch them early.
Read the full article to see the mistakes we see South African expats regret most, and how to avoid them
Unsure of your own situation? Get in touch with our team
Many South Africans discover too late that delayed financial admin can be costly. Here are common money mistakes and how to avoid them.