---
title: "Studying English in South Africa from Saudi Arabia (2026): costs, visa and schools"
description: "A complete guide for Saudi students and parents: flights from Riyadh and Jeddah, study visa steps, realistic 3-12 month budgets, and how to choose a school in Cape Town."
site: EnglishHubSA
language: en
canonical: https://www.englishhubsa.com/en/guides/study-english-south-africa-from-saudi-arabia
alternate_ar: https://www.englishhubsa.com/ar/guides/دراسة-الانجليزية-في-جنوب-افريقيا-من-السعودية
---
# Studying English in South Africa from Saudi Arabia (2026): costs, visa and schools

*Country guide · Updated 2026-08-28*

> A Saudi student can complete a three-month English immersion in Cape Town for roughly $4,000 to $6,000 all-in, including tuition, accommodation, food and local transport — typically 30-45% less than the equivalent stay in the UK or Ireland. Flights from Riyadh or Jeddah run 11-14 hours with one stop, and there is no time-zone jet lag because South Africa sits in the same hour band as the Gulf. Courses over 90 days require a study visa applied for through VFS in Riyadh before departure.

## Why Saudi families look at South Africa

Three reasons come up again and again in family conversations: price, distance and comfort. Tuition and accommodation in Cape Town are priced against the rand, which means a Saudi family gets close to double the study weeks for the same budget as London. The flight is long but there is no jet lag, so a student loses no study days on arrival. And a large, settled Muslim community — with mosques, halal restaurants and Arabic-speaking families across the Bo-Kaap, Rylands and Athlone — makes the first month far less isolating than a European city.

The trade-off is honesty about safety. Cape Town is not a low-crime city, and any guide that tells you otherwise is selling something. What matters is neighbourhood choice: students who live and study in the Atlantic Seaboard, City Bowl or Southern Suburbs, and who use ride-hailing after dark, report experiences comparable to any large European city.

## What it actually costs from Riyadh or Jeddah

For a three-month general English course: tuition $1,400-$2,400, homestay with two meals a day $1,300-$1,900, food and transport $500-$800, medical cover and visa costs $250-$400, and a return flight $650-$1,100 depending on season. Twelve-month stays do not cost four times as much — schools discount long enrolments heavily, and monthly rentals drop once a student moves out of homestay into shared student housing.

Two costs Saudi families routinely forget: attestation of documents before the visa application, and a South African-registered medical scheme — travel insurance bought in the Kingdom is usually rejected by Home Affairs.

## Choosing the right school

Ask every school four questions in writing before paying: how many Arabic speakers are in the class you would join, what the maximum class size actually is in peak season, whether they issue the guardianship letter for under-18s themselves, and what happens to your fees if the visa is refused. A school that answers all four clearly is usually a school that will look after your son or daughter well.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do Saudi citizens need a visa for South Africa?

For short visits a visitor permit is normally straightforward, but any English course longer than 90 days requires a study visa applied for at VFS in Riyadh or Jeddah before travel. Allow 8-12 weeks.

### Is halal food easy to find in Cape Town?

Yes. Cape Town has one of the highest concentrations of halal-certified restaurants and butchers of any non-Muslim-majority city, and major supermarkets carry certified ranges.

### How long should a Saudi student stay to see real progress?

Three months typically moves a student one CEFR level; six months moves most students from intermediate to upper-intermediate with fluent everyday speech.