Jobs drive semigration shift: South Africans return to Gauteng as Cape sheds workers

JOHANNESBURG — July 2024

South Africa’s internal migration trend is shifting to Gauteng as job opportunities in the province overtake the coastal appeal of the Western Cape, new employment data shows.

Gauteng added 95,000 jobs during the most recent quarter, marking the country’s largest employment gain according to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey.

The Western Cape meanwhile lost 117,000 jobs – the heaviest decline nationally – despite maintaining the lowest official unemployment rate at 21.1%.

Keke Khojane, Head of Office at Galetti Corporate Real Estate, told BusinessTech that employment opportunities remain the primary reason for the shift back to Gauteng.

“Kojane noted that return-to-office mandates and hybrid work models are currently driving a recovery in Gauteng’s office and commercial property markets,” the report stated.

Corporate giants including Vodacom, Nedbank and Arena Holdings have all scrapped remote-first policies, requiring five-day office attendance (company statements).

This policy shift is reducing remote work opportunities and pulling workers toward Gauteng, where most of South Africa’s corporate headquarters remain located.