This guy Daxk is on a mission to stop people moving to SA. I cant talk for elsewhere in South Africa, but I have lived in Cape Town for six years with a wife and two small children and have never felt threatened, and nor have any of my wide circle of expat friends. Maybe we've just been lucky, and I hope I am not tempting fate. The risk is real and violent crime far worse than in London for instance, but as Moeshen says, keep things in perspective. Its a really fantastic place to live and thousands of expats will testify to this. If Daxk hates the place so much or is so convinved he will be murdered I am not sure why he returns so regularly on holiday!

To answer the question on cost of living, I reckon it roughly works out as 1/3 of the cost of living in the UK.