South Africa’s most expensive foreign residences – including an embassy on Third Avenue in New York
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has published a list of the 10 most expensive chanceries, official residences, and staff housing abroad.
Official residences are locations rented or owned by the South African government where officials and other dignitaries reside while conducting their business in that region. Chanceries, meanwhile, refer to the offices of South Africa’s embassies.
Dirco lists 79 missions abroad, with many regional embassies serving surrounding countries and territories.
According to the department’s data, South Africa currently spends R13 million a month to rent the top 10 chanceries and close to R2.5 million a month on the 10 most expensive official residences.
The country’s most expensive embassy is in the United States, located at 845 Third Avenue in New York. The South African Consulate General and the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations were relocated to the building in 2021.
Rent at the building totals $160,000 a month, which in August 2022 came to just under R2.7 million, the department said. The table below outlines the 10 most expensive chanceries.
| Mission | Monthly rent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| New York CG | R2 695 922 | 845 Thjird Avenue, New York |
| Tokyo | R1 762 632 | 1-4 Kojimachi – CHIYODA-KU, Tokyo |
| Geneva | R1 520 367 | Rue Du Rhône, Geneva |
| Beijing | R1 381 169 | Dongzhimenwai Dajie, Bejing |
| Hong Kong | R1 172 262 | Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong |
| Luanda | R1 062 520 | Distrito Urbano de Belas, Sector ZRGA, Luanda |
| Shanghai | R1 028 507 | Yan An Road East, Shanghai |
| Singapore | R896 922 | 331 North Bridge Road, Singapore |
| Tel Aviv | R786 502 | Abba Hillel Silver St, Ramat-Gan, Tel Aviv |
| Moscow | R685 123 | Granatny Pereulok 1, 123001 Moscow |
For official residences, the most expensive location is Addis Ababa, Algeria, which is also South Africa’s root in the African Union. Here, monthly rent sets Dirco back R278,000 a month – though this is not too different from the rent in other locations.
The table below outlines the 10 most expensive official residences:
| Mission | Monthly rent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Addis Ababa | R278 279 | Nifas Silk Lafto |
| Dublin | R268 790 | Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 |
| Accra | R252 981 | Senchi Street Airport Residential Area |
| Khartoum | R252 981 | Amarat street, Khartoum |
| Moscow | R251 991 | Leontyevsky Lane, Stroene |
| Luanda | R236 116 | Malunga Condominium Talatonia |
| Los Angeles | R235 272 | Wetherly Drive, Beverly Hills |
| Dakar | R230 495 | Fann residence, Avenue-Venus building |
| Beijing | R220 719 | China World Apartments |
| Kuwait City | R218 795 | Adailiya Kuwait City |
Dirco also provided the breakdown of the most expensive staff residences abroad. Here, the department spends R1.5 a month on rent for these 10 locations:
| Mission | Monthly rent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | R174 086 | Bamboo, Kong Kong |
| Luanda | R168 654 | Cajuero, Luanda |
| Luanda | R168 654 | Morabez, Luanda |
| Hong Kong | R165 489 | Prosperity Millinnia Plaza, Hong Kong |
| Geneva | R165 655 | Chemin Dde Bouirgeus, Plan-les-Quartes, Geneva |
| Luanda | R151 789 | Condominio Rivera, Luanda |
| Luanda | R151 789 | Condomino Marabeza, Talotana, Luanda |
| Geneva | R139 557 | Chemin des Gotettes Vesenaz, Geneva |
| Geneva | R139 557 | Chemin Versoix, Geneva |
| Luanda | R128 531 | Condominio Atlantico Sul Rua Naibe, Luanda |
Read: Government looking at ‘relief package’ to deal with cost of living crisis in South Africa: report
