Malta is increasingly becoming the destination of choice for South Africans wanting to live abroad. Leading migration consultants Sable International have partnered with Malta-based CapConnect, to offer end-to-end migration and financial services to individuals and businesses wanting to relocate to Malta.

CapConnect is part of the family owned private investment firm, Capricorn Capital Group, which has offices in Johannesburg, London, Hong Kong and Malta.

“It’s an excellent fit, we are able to service our clients with top quality advice from experts on the ground in South Africa and in Malta,” says Andrew Rissik, group commercial director of Sable International.

Rissik says that the partnership ensures comprehensive relocation services, that cover the entire process from South Africa to Malta.

Carmen Hirschi, Relationship Manager for CapConnect, emphasises that moving to a new country can be a daunting experience. “Our partnership ensures a comprehensive solution from both South Africa and Malta to make the process seamless – weguide our clients every step of the way, using our network of the best legal teams, property agents, recruiters, tax consultantsand corporate service providers.”

Malta already has a significant settlement of South Africans, and it’s not uncommon to hear Afrikaans on the streets. Jurg Hirschi, Managing Director of CapConnect says that Malta has a strong attraction to South Africans.“It is one of the few places which ticks a combination of boxes that is hard to find – part of the European Union, English-speaking, safe, warm, a growing economy and quick access to some of the best travel opportunities.”

Culturally the country is very cosmopolitan – the two official languagesare English and Maltese.“Very good schooling is available in English, they drive on the left, they play rugby and cricket, the sea is warm and the lifestyle is outdoor – sunshine, beaches and braais,” says Hirschi.

Malta also appeals strongly to a younger market of graduate professionals, who are attracted by the prospect of visa free travel to 152 countries, and the island’s central location to the rest of Europe.

Traditionally, Malta has only attracted the very wealthy through its citizen by investment programmes. “With our investment migration expert on Malta, Sandra Woest, we have assisted a significant number of wealthy families to obtain residence and citizenship with the MIIP and MRVP programmes, but this is a very exclusive market and only a handful of people can afford to take up these options,” says Rissik.

The country has a strong economy built on financial services, IT virtual gaming and tourism with very good GDP growth rates and living standards.“There are good opportunities in these sectors for skilled professionals to come in on work permits, if they have been offered an employment contract in Malta,”says Rissik.

One of the most popular options for South Africans, besides a work permit, is the Malta Residence & Visa Programme (MRVP), which has become one of the most sought-after Residence by Investment Programmes globally. It allows for the granting of indefinite residency to individuals and their families in a reasonably short space of time.

“Sable International with on the ground support from CapConnect, is able to assist with the application process whether for very wealthy clients via the investment offering programme, work permits, recruitment or residency visas,” says Rissik.

“For South Africans with the right qualifications or with wealth they want to shift offshore, Malta is a very sensible and growing choice – we are anticipating an influx of applications over the coming months.”