Moving from South Africa to Perth

Perth holds over a fifth of Australia's South Africa-born population

The 2021 Census counted 38,793 South Africa-born people in Greater Perth — 1.8% of the city's population, against a national share of just 0.7%. The ABS QuickStats table for Australia as a whole records 189,207 South Africa-born residents nationally, which means Greater Perth alone accounts for roughly 20.5% of every South Africa-born person counted anywhere in the country. No other Australian capital comes close to that concentration, which is why South African community organisations, churches and social groups are genuinely more established in Perth than in most other cities — a fact this page states as a Census count, not a recommendation.

In Perth's own top-six country-of-birth list, South Africa sits behind Australia (59.5%), England (8.0%), and New Zealand and India (2.8% each), and just ahead of Malaysia (1.5%).

Western Australia's nomination programme doesn't split by city

Unlike New South Wales, Victoria or Queensland, WA Migration Services runs one statewide programme for both the subclass 190 and 491 — there's no separate Perth-versus-regional eligibility test the way other states apply. State nomination adds 5 points to the federal points test for the subclass 190 and 15 points for the subclass 491, and applicants need a nominated occupation on the WA Skilled Migration Occupation List (WASMOL) or the separate Graduate Occupation List for recent WA graduates, an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect naming WA, and a commitment to live and work in the state for at least 2 years after grant.

The reason WA doesn't distinguish Perth from the rest of the state is a federal migration designation, not a WA policy choice: the whole of Western Australia, including Perth, is classified as a regional area for subclass 491 purposes (Perth carries Category 2 regional status), unlike Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, which are excluded from their states' regional designations. This detail is verified against WA Migration Services' own site (asAt 19 Aug 2026) via Migratio's state-facet page for Western Australia.

A South African driving licence in Western Australia

Australia's recognised-country driving licence list, maintained under the Austroads Recognised Overseas Licences Scheme, runs to roughly 28 countries — the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and most of Western Europe. South Africa is not among the countries Migratio's own already-verified driving-conversion guides name as recognised, which puts it in the same category India and the Philippines fall into: a South African licence holder in WA needs to pass both the theory test and the practical driving assessment to get a WA licence, rather than a straight transfer.

One honest limit on this claim: Western Australia's own transport department (transport.wa.gov.au) publishes its recognised/non-recognised determination through an interactive lookup rather than a static country list, so this page states the inference from the closed list Austroads and Migratio's own state guides publish, not an independent WA-specific confirmation. Check the current status directly with Transport WA, or via Migratio's guide to converting an overseas licence in Western Australia, before assuming either way.

No Reciprocal Health Care Agreement

Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with 11 countries — Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. South Africa is not one of them. That means a South African arrival gets no Medicare-linked public-hospital access purely by virtue of citizenship the way a British or New Zealand citizen does — whatever health cover a South African applicant's visa requires (OSHC for students, OVHC or adequate cover for most temporary visas) is the only cover in place until permanent residency and standard Medicare eligibility apply.

What this page can't tell you

It can't tell you whether your occupation is on WASMOL, whether you'd be invited under WA's nomination programme, or whether the size of Perth's South African community changes anything about your own visa eligibility — it doesn't. It can't tell you what to expect for rent, climate or the job market either; Migratio's Perth living guide covers those without a nationality angle, because there isn't one. If the visa pathway itself is the open question, Migratio can match you with a MARA-registered agent who works with WA nominations.

How many South Africans live in Perth?

The 2021 Census counted 38,793 South Africa-born residents in Greater Perth — 1.8% of the city, and about 20.5% of the 189,207 South Africa-born people counted anywhere in Australia. No other Australian capital holds anywhere near that share.

Does Western Australia have a different visa process for Perth versus regional WA?

No. WA Migration Services runs one statewide nomination programme for the subclass 190 and 491 with no Perth-versus-regional distinction in its own eligibility criteria — though federally, the whole state including Perth carries regional 491 status.

Can I use my South African driving licence in Perth?

South Africa doesn't appear on the roughly 28-country recognised list under Australia's overseas licence scheme, which means a South African licence holder in WA is expected to sit both the theory and practical driving tests rather than transfer directly — confirm the current position with Transport WA.

Does South Africa have a health care agreement with Australia?

No. Australia's Reciprocal Health Care Agreement covers 11 countries and South Africa isn't one of them. Whatever health cover your visa requires (OSHC, OVHC, or similar) is the only cover you'll have until you're eligible for standard Medicare as a permanent resident.

Does WA state nomination add extra points?

Yes. WA state nomination adds 5 points to the federal points test for a subclass 190 visa and 15 points for a subclass 491 visa, on top of whatever an applicant scores on the national test.

Why is Perth's South African community so much larger than other cities'?

This page states only the Census count — 38,793 people, the largest concentration of any Australian capital — without speculating on the reasons. It's a fact worth knowing if you're weighing where in Australia to move, not a reason to choose Perth on its own.