Moving to Lesotho: visas, cost of living & immigrant guide

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Population

1,969,334

Population - note

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS

this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Population Growth Rate

0.34%

Urban Population

27.600000

Population in Major Urban Areas

MASERU (capital) 239,000

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Age Structure

32.400000

Median Age

23.400000

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population

26

Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population

15.02

Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman

2.83

Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49

47%

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 12-49

47%

Mean Age for Mother's First Birth (age 25-49)

21.2

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.2

Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female

1.030000

Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population

-7.89

Ethnic Groups

Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%,

Nationality Noun

Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)

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Literacy - total population

84.8%

Literacy - male

74.5%

Literacy - female

94.5%

Literacy Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP

13%

Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)

11.000000

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Life Expectancy at Birth

52.300000

Infant Mortality Rate

51.930000

Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births

51.930000

Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births

620

Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population

.05

Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population

1.3

Health Expenditures - percent of GDP

12.8%

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

14.6%

Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved

93.200000

Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved

37.000000

Underweight - percent of children under five years

13.5%

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Economic Overview

Small, mountainous, and completely landlocked by South Africa, Lesotho depends on a narrow economic base of textile manufacturing, agriculture, remittances, and regional customs revenue.

About three-fourths of the people live in rural areas and engage in animal herding and subsistence agriculture, although Lesotho produces less than 20% of the nation's demand for food.

Agriculture is vulnerable to weather and climate variability.

Lesotho relies on South Africa for much of its economic activity; Lesotho imports 85% of the goods it consumes from South Africa, including most agricultural inputs.

Households depend heavily on remittances from family members working in South Africa in mines, on farms, and as domestic workers, though mining employment has declined substantially since the 1990s.

Lesotho is a member of the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), and revenues from SACU accounted for roughly 26% of total GDP in 2016; however, SACU revenues are volatile and expected to decline over the next 5 years.

Lesotho also gains royalties from the South African Government for water transferred to South Africa from a dam and reservoir system in Lesotho.

However, the government continues to strengthen its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties and other transfers.

The government maintains a large presence in the economy - government consumption accounted for about 26% of GDP in 2017.

The government remains Lesotho's largest employer; in 2016, the government wage bill rose to 23% of GDP – the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Lesotho's largest private employer is the textile and garment industry - approximately 36,000 Basotho, mainly women, work in factories producing garments for export to South Africa and the US.

Diamond mining in Lesotho has grown in recent years and accounted for nearly 35% of total exports in 2015.

Lesotho managed steady GDP growth at an average of 4.5% from 2010 to 2014, dropping to about 2.5% in 2015-16, but poverty remains widespread around 57% of the total population.

Industries

• food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts
• construction
• tourism

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,000.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

2.6%

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GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)

$4,880,000,000 (USD)

GDP Per Capita

$3,000.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

2.6%

GDP - official exchange rate

$2,035,000,000 (USD)

GDP - composition, by end use

• consumption: 79.7% government
• consumption: 32% investment in fixed
• capital: 29.6% investment in
• inventories: -3.9% exports of goods and
• services: 39% imports of goods and
• services: -76.4%

GDP by Sector- agriculture

5.2%

GDP by Sector- Industry

28.3%

GDP by Sector- services

66.5%

Industrial Growth Rate

3%

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Inflation Rate

6.1%

Exchange Rate per US Dollar

loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR)

Currency Name and Code

Loti (LSL)

Fiscal Year

1 April - 31 March

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

10%

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Labor Force

854,600

Unemployment Rate

45%

Major Industries

• food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts
• construction
• tourism

Agriculture Products

corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock

Population Below Poverty Line

49%

Child Labor - # of children ages 5-14

103,020

Child Labor - % of children ages 5-14

23%

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Labor Force By Occupation - industry and services

14%

Labor Force by Occupation - note

most of the resident population is engaged in subsistence agriculture

roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa

Labor Force By Occupation- agriculture

86%

Labor Force by Occupation - note

most of the resident population is engaged in subsistence agriculture

roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa

Annual Budget

$968,400,000 (USD)

Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP

-0.9%

Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP

59.5%

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Full Country Name

Kingdom of Lesotho

Country Name

Lesotho

Local - Long

Kingdom of Lesotho

Local - Short

Lesotho

Former Name

Basutoland

Etymology- history of name

the name translates as "Land of the Sesotho Speakers"

Independence

4 October 1966 (from the UK)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 4 October (1966)

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Government Type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Constitution

• history: previous 1959, 1967; latest adopted 2 April 1993 (effectively restoring the 1967 version)
• amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, including fundamental rights and freedoms, sovereignty of the kingdom, the office of the king, and powers of Parliament, requires a majority vote by the National Assembly, approval by the Senate, approval in a referendum by a majority of qualified voters, and assent of the king; passage of amendments other than those specified provisions requires at least a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament; amended several times, last in 2011

Legal System:

mixed legal system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal

Executive Branch:

• chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile
• head of government: Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel MATEKANE (28 October 2022)
• cabinet: consists of the prime minister, appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State, the deputy prime minister, and 18 other ministers; the prime minister is the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the National Assembly
• elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary, but under the terms of the constitution that came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law, the College of Chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, to determine next in line of succession, or to serve as regent in the event that a successor is not of mature age

Legislative Branch:

• Description: bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (33 seats; 22 principal chiefs and 11 other senators nominated by the king with the advice of the Council of State, a 13-member body of key government and non-government officials; members serve 5-year terms) National Assembly (120 seats; 80 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 40 elected through proportional representation; members serve 5-year terms)
• elections: Senate - last appointed by the king in November 2022 (next to be appointed 2028)
• National Assembly - last held on 7 October 2022 (next to be held in February 2028)
• Election Results: - Senate - percent of votes by party - NA, seats by party - NA;
• composition - men 25, women 8, percent of women 24.2%
• National Assembly - percent of votes by party - RFP 38.9%, DC 24.7%, ABC 7.1%, BAP 5.4%, AD 4.0%, MEC 3.2%, LCD 2.3%, SR 2.1%, BNP 1.4%, PFD 0.9%, BCM 0.8%, MPS 0.8%, MIP 0.7%; seats by party - RFP 56, DC 29, ABC 8, BAP 6, AD 5, MEC 4, LCD 3, SR 2, BNP 1, PFD 1,BCM 1, MPS 1, NIP 1, HOPE 1, TBD 1;
• Composition: men 88, women 32, percent of women 26.6%;
• Note: total Parliament percent of women 22.9%

Judicial Branch:

• office: Court of Appeal president and High Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; puisne judges appointed by the monarch on advice of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body of judicial officers and officials designated by the monarch; judges of both courts can serve until age 75
• subordinate courts: Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts; military courts

Regions or States:

10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka

Political Parties and Leaders:

• All Basotho Convention or ABC [Nkaku KABI]
• Alliance of Democrats or AD [Ntoi RAPPA]
• Basotho Action Party or BAP [Nqosa MAHAO]
• Basotho National Party or BNP [Machesetsa MOFOMOBE]
• Democratic Congress or DC [Mathibeli MOKHOTHU]
• Democratic Party of Lesotho or DPL [Limpho TAU]
• Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Mothetjoa METSING]
• Lesotho People's Congress or LPC [Moipone PIET]
• Movement of Economic Change or MEC [Selibe MOCHOBOROANE]
• National Independent Party or NIP [Kimetso MATHABA]
• Popular Front for Democracy of PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]
• Reformed Congress of Lesotho or RCL [Keketso RANTSO]

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship Criteria:

• birth: yes citizenship by descent
• only: yes dual citizenship
• recognized: no residency requirement for
• naturalization: 5 years

Capital Name

Maseru

Capital - geographic coordinate

29 19 S, 27 29 E

Capital Time Difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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International Organization Participation:

• ACP
• AfDB
• AU
• CD
• FAO
• G-77
• IAEA
• IBRD
• ICAO
• ICCt
• ICRM
• IDA
• IFAD
• IFC
• IFRCS
• ILO
• IMF
• Interpol
• IOC
• IOM
• IPU
• ISO (correspondent)
• ITU
• MIGA
• NAM
• OPCW
• SACU
• SADC
• UN
• UNCTAD
• UNESCO
• UNHCR
• UNIDO
• UNWTO
• UPU
• WCO
• WFTU (NGOs)
• WHO
• WIPO
• WMO
• WTO

International Law Organization Participation:

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Diplomatic Representation from US:

• Chief of Mission: Ambassador Maria E. BREWER (since 10 March 2022)
• Embassy: 254 Kingsway Avenue, Maseru
• Mailing Address: 2340 Maseru Place, Washington DC 20521-2340
• Telephone: [266] 22312666
• FAX: [266] 22310116
• Email: USConsularMaseru@state.gov
• Website: https://ls.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic Representation in the US:

• Chief of Mission: Ambassador Tumisang MOSOTHO (since 16 September 2022)
• Chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
• Telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533
• FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815
• Email: lesothoembassy@verizon.net
• Website: https://www.gov.ls/

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Geographic Location

Africa

Geographic Coordinates

29 30 S, 28 30 E

Total Area

11,720 Square Miles 30,355 Square Kilometers

Land Area

11,720 Square Miles 30,355 Square Kilometers

Land Boundaries

565 Miles 909 Kilometers

Border Countries

South Africa 909 km

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Terrain

mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Highest Point

3,482 Meters

Highest Point Location

Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m

Lowest Point

1,400 Meters

Lowest Point Location

junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m

Natural Resources

water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals

Irrigated Land

10 Square Miles 26 Square Kilometers

Time Zone

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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Climate

The climate is temperate year round.

Rainfall, occurring mostly from October to April, ranges from 24 inches a year over most of the lowlands to over 40 inches a year in the mountains.

A windy season during August and September occasionally brings dust storms.

Average daytime temperatures are in the high 80°F in summer and can reach 100°F in Maseru.

In winter, daytime temperatures average in the mid 60°F and at night sometimes drop to the teens in Maseru.

Nighttime temperatures are regularly below freezing in June, July and August.

Temperatures in the mountains are even more extreme with snowfalls common in winter.

The humidity year round is quite low.

Terrain

mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Location

Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Total Area

11,720 Square Miles 30,355 Square Kilometers

Border Countries

South Africa 909 km

Environment - Current Issues

• population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion
• desertification
• Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa

Environment - International Agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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Exports

$985,000,000 (USD)

Imports

$1,766,000,000 (USD)

Major Exports

manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals

Major Imports

food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products

Top Export Partners

US 97.1%, Canada 0.9%, France 0.6%

Top Import Partners

Hong Kong 48.3%, China 23.2%, Singapore 3.7%

Export Partners

US 97.1%, Canada 0.9%, France 0.6%

Import Partners

Hong Kong 48.3%, China 23.2%, Singapore 3.7%

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Country Description

The Kingdom of Lesotho is an enclave located entirely within the Republic of South Africa.

It is roughly the size of Maryland and has a population of about 1.8 million people.

Nearly all of Lesotho lies above 5,000 ft (1,500M), and the country features Africa's highest mountain south of Kilimanjaro, Thabana Ntlenyana, at 11,400 feet (3,500M), as well as one of Africa's only ski resorts.

Facilities for tourism are expanding.

The capital city of Maseru provides shopping, dining and entertainment options, and Lesotho’s countryside offers an array of outdoor activities, including off-roading, mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking.

Lesotho is a politically stable constitutional monarchy.

Its growing economy principally exports textiles, manufactured goods, diamonds and water.

Safety & Security

U.S. citizens should avoid political gatherings and street demonstrations. Large gatherings can potentially become violent at any time.

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Crime

Lesotho has a high crime rate, and foreigners must remain vigilant at all times.

Foreigners are frequently targeted and robbed, and have occasionally been car-jacked and killed.

A number of U.S. citizens have reported incidents – including sexual assault, armed and unarmed confrontation, and home invasion – occurring in broad daylight.

There are no indications that U.S. citizens are targeted due to their nationality.

Crime can occur anywhere in Lesotho, but is most prevalent in urban areas.

Crime scenes have included popular restaurants, poorly lit or unlit roads, and locations foreigners are known to frequent.

Victims have included tourists, volunteer workers, and employees of non-governmental organizations.

U.S. citizens are advised to avoid walking or driving at night.

Extra caution should be exercised while walking through downtown Maseru, even in daylight hours, as there have been numerous recent incidents in the middle of the day.

Residences with 24-hour guards are generally less likely to be targeted.

Traveling alone or at night is particularly dangerous, due to limited street lighting and undeveloped road conditions.

The Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) is responsible for policing duties, but due to limited resources, LMPS response times can vary widely.

U.S. citizens should report crime to the police and to the consular section of the U.S.

Embassy.

There is a serious problem with theft from baggage at O.R.

Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg), a required transit point for air travel to Lesotho.

Travelers are encouraged to secure their luggage with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approved locks, use an airport plastic wrapping service and avoid placing any items of value in checked luggage.

Make an inventory of items in checked baggage to aid in claims processing if theft does occur.

The claims processing procedure can be time-consuming.

Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available.

Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, if you purchase them you may also be breaking local law.

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Lesotho, you are subject to its laws, even if you are a U.S. citizen.

Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own.

In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you or if you take pictures of certain government buildings.

In some places, driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail.

These criminal penalties will vary from country to country.

There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but are still illegal in the United States.

You can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods.

Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States.

If you break local laws in Lesotho, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution.

It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not wherever you go.

Arrest notifications in host country: While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S.

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Medical Facilities

Medical facilities in Lesotho are limited and there is no reliable ambulance service.

Specialist care is available in Bloemfontein, South Africa, 90 miles west of Maseru.

U.S.

Embassy Maseru maintains a list of physicians and other health care professionals, but the Embassy does not guarantee service or provide recommendations.

Many medicines are unavailable at facilities in Lesotho; travelers should carry with them an adequate supply of necessary medicines and/or prescription drugs, along with copies of their prescriptions.

Lesotho has a very high HIV prevalence, currently estimated at 23 percent of the adult population.

Tuberculosis is a serious health concern in Lesotho.

Traffic Safety

While in Lesotho, you may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States.

The information below is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

Traffic moves on the left, with right-hand drive vehicles.

Never assume right-of-way, as aggressive and unpredictable local driving habits result in frequent collisions.

Lesotho has a high number of traffic-related deaths and injuries.

Driving after dark is dangerous due to the absence of street lighting, livestock on the roads, and the prevalence of crime—including incidents of carjacking.

Travel is best done by private car.

Rental cars are available in Maseru, and cars rented in neighboring South Africa may be brought into Lesotho with the written permission of the rental company.

Although bus and public taxi services exist, chronic overloading combined with inadequate vehicle maintenance and lack of driver training make them unsafe.

Some private taxi services are available in the capital, but roving mini-bus taxis should be avoided.

There is no passenger train service in Lesotho.

Although the number of paved roads is gradually increasing, the majority of Lesotho’s 5,000 miles of roads remain unpaved.

A few main rural highways are comparable to U.S. two-lane rural roads, but lane markings, signs, shoulders and guardrails do not meet U.S. standards.

Lesotho's mountainous terrain makes driving on secondary roads hazardous.

Unpaved roads in the interior—often narrow, winding and steep—are poorly maintained.

For travel in the interior, especially in wet or snowy weather, a high ground clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended.

Four-wheel-drive is also a requirement for entering or departing Lesotho through the Sani Pass on the eastern border.

The authority for road safety issues rests with the Lesotho Mounted Police Service ; there are no auto clubs or reliable ambulance services.

Drivers should contact the police in case of road emergencies.

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Airports - total

24

Airports with Paved Runways

3

Roadways- total

3,691 Miles 5,940 Kilometers

Roadways- paved

664 Miles 1,069 Kilometers

Ports and Terminals

none

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Telephones

40,000

Cell Phones

456,000

Internet Users

70,000

Internet Country Code

.ls

Internet Hosts

632

Broadcast Media

• 1 state-owned TV station and 2 state-owned radio stations
• government controls most private broadcast media
• satellite TV subscription service available
• transmissions of multiple international broadcasters obtainable

Telephone System

• assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a modest number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding
• domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho was tasked with providing an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a target not met; mobile-cellular service dominates the market and is expanding with a subscribership roughly 65 per 100 persons in 2011; rural services are scant
• international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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Electricity Consumption- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

516,900,000

Electricity Imports- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

50,000,000

Electricity Production- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

502,000,000

Oil Consumption- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

1,777

Anthem Lyrics

• Lesotho fatse la bontat'a rona, Har'a mafatse le letle ke lona. Ke moo re hlahileng, Ke moo re holileng, Rea le rata. 2. Molimo ak'u boloke Lesotho, U felise lintoa le matsoenyeho. Oho fatse lena, La bontat'a rona, Le be le khotso.

Anthem Lyrics English

1.

Lesotho, land of our Fathers, You are the most beautiful country of all.

You give us birth, In you we are reared And you are dear to us. 2.

Lord, we ask You to protect Lesotho.

Keep us free from conflict and tribulation Oh, land of mine, Land of our Fathers, May you have peace.