Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
Malta or South Africa: which should you move to?
Two of Europe's top relocation targets, both with newcomer regimes. Here is how they compare on the taxes that move the needle.
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| Factor |  Malta ↗ |  South Africa ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 35% | 45% |
| Corporate tax | 35%* | 27%* |
| Capital gains tax | None | Taxed |
| Dividend tax | 0% | 20% |
| VAT / sales tax | 18% | 15% |
| Wealth tax | No | No |
| Inheritance tax | No | Yes |
| Foreign income | Partly exempt | Worldwide |
| Headline expat regime | Non-domiciled remittance basis | Foreign employment income exemption (s10(1)(o)(ii)) |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 66 | 42 |
| Population | 579,704 | 64,747,319 |
| Area | 316 km² | 1,219,912 km² |
| Population density | 1,835/km² | 53/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 1 | 62 |
| Annual tourists | 3,563,600 | 8,919,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 83.5 yrs | 66.3 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 0.6 | 43.7 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 6.77 | 4.81 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 53/100 | 44/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~76 | ~79 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 210 Mbps | 49 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $3,623 | $537 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 10.81 | 27.72 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC+1 | UTC+2 |
| Digital nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| Official languages | 2 (English, Maltese) | 12 (English, South African Sign Language, Xhosa, Tsonga, Sesotho, Zulu, Venda, Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Southern Ndebele) |
Green = more favourable. Cost of living shown as a percentage of your home country (under 100% = cheaper than home). Tax data: compiled by us, being re-verified; cost of living: World Bank PPP; area & population: GeoNames; life expectancy & homicide rate: World Bank.
* Malta: 35% flat, but full-imputation + shareholder refund system (typically 6/7ths) brings effective rate to ~5% on distributed profits. Optional FITWI 15% final tax from 2 Sep 2025. · South Africa: 27% for years of assessment ending on/after 31 Mar 2023. Small business corporations use tiered 0-27%.
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