How to buy a house in South Africa as a foreigner

If you’re a nonresident in South Africa, you can apply for a home loan in the same way as a South African would, except there are some special criteria that apply to foreigners.

• All foreigners not resident or domiciled in South Africa must invest one rand in the country for every rand they need to borrow.
• Banks will only fund 50% of the purchase value of the property for nonresidents, so foreign investors will either need to provide a 50% deposit, or pay cash

If you’re not in the country to sign the transfer or bond documents, you can sign them at the Notary Public or the South African embassy.