I've met quite a few people who moved out of South Africa to the US and UK, and the reason I was always given was something to do with the common advice being to not stop your car at night or at remote intersections lest you get carjacked or worse.
Of course, South Africa (and the surrounding countries, and quite frankly much of Africa below the Sahara that I have visited) is gorgeous and unparalleled in almost all aspects.
If it wasn't for the lack of a high trust society, I would actually look into moving to Cape Town myself.
If you can afford it, perhaps consider purchasing a small beach-front studio apartment along the Atlantic Seaboard of Cape Town.
Then should South Africa evolve into a high trust society you'd feel comfortable living in, go spend a few months in Cape Town during its spring/summer (October to March) and check out the local beaches and mountains.
Crime was always going to be significant in South Africa when you have such a large gap between the rich and the poor.
You have massive slums of people with no hope or future less than a 100 miles/kms away from the billion dollar French Riviera esque lifestyles of Camps Bay.
And with so many refugees coming in from the rest of Africa it almost seems like an unsolvable problem.
In South Africa you the most gorgeous landscapes that are freely accessible public landscapes on everyone's doorstep - irrespective of their financial position in the steadily recovering historically unequal society.
Yeah, there will continue to be crime until balance is had, but there are plenty SaaS opportunities, and the forested cliff-side hiking trails ending in tranquil beaches are an awesome way to experience nature.
Refugees are welcome in South Africa. The media has its paws in everything.
