A record-breaking number of South Africans are reportedly seeking alternative residence and citizenship in other countries.

This is according to international investment migration advisory firm, Henley & Partners which says there has been a 40% increase over the past 12 months in the number of South Africans making requests for real estate investments around the globe.

This places SA in the fifth spot globally after nationals from India, the USA, Russia, and the UK.

‘The endless rounds of quarantine and lockdown, remote work and virtual schooling, and borders snapping shut and re-opening at will, have convinced even those investors from wealthy nations with premium passports of the benefits of alternative residence and/or citizenship,’ said Henley & Partners South Africa managing partner Amanda Smit.

Smit says a real estate investment which serves as a pathway to residence rights or citizenship acquisition is particularly popular among South Africans.

‘International real estate has always been a reliable asset class for global investors due to its long-term staying power.

‘Real estate–linked investment migration programmes have the additional advantages of enhancing your global mobility through multiple passports and expanding your personal access rights as a citizen or resident of additional jurisdictions, creating options in terms of where you and your family can live, work, study, retire, and invest.

‘Potential gains over the lifetime of the investment include the core value of the asset, rental yields, and global access as an ultimate hedge against both regional and global volatility,’ said Smit.