Gauteng versus Western Cape – the winner is clear

There has been a back-and-forth between Gauteng and the Western Cape about which province South Africans want to live in. However, the numbers reveal that South Africans are still rushing to one province above all others.

Wise Move’s 2025 Migration report analysed the cities to which South Africans are migrating and found that 70% of people who move stay within the same province, while 30% migrate between provinces.

Gauteng saw a high volume of internal migration, which was primarily driven by moves to one city, in particular. “When it comes to moving within Johannesburg, one area stands out from the rest,” the report said.

“Sandton, the city’s financial heart, is a magnet for professionals chasing career opportunities, taking 26.5% of all local relocations.”

“With its high-end apartments, corporate headquarters, and urban lifestyle, it’s no surprise that Sandton tops the list as Johannesburg’s most in-demand area.”

Following Sandton was Johannesburg Central, which saw 18.7% of relocations. According to Wise Move, this area offers a mix of urban convenience and historic neighbourhoods.

At 16.5%, Randburg attracts those looking for a balance between city life and quieter, family-friendly suburbs.

Further north, Midrand – at an 11.2% relocation rate – continued to grow as a key hub, perfectly positioned between Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Roodepoort followed at 10.1%, and drew movers with its mix of affordability and access to green spaces.

Meanwhile, the East Rand showed steady activity, with Boksburg (4.3%), Kempton Park (3.8%), Germiston (3.3%), Benoni (3.2%), and Edenvale (2.4%) “proving that Jozi’s gold isn’t just in the city centre – it’s spread across its diverse suburban landscape”.

While there may have been plenty of movement within Gauteng, the report found that plenty of residents were also moving out of the province, and at 20.1%, it faced the largest net loss of residents in 2024.

Goodbye Johannesburg

“It seems that while many South Africans head to Johannesburg to launch their careers, most eventually move on,” Wise Move said.

Part of the reason for the high number of movements in and out of this province is simply the large number of people residing in Gauteng.

According to Stats SA’s 2024 Mid-year population estimates, Gauteng is home to over 16 million people.

“While it experienced a net loss in inter-provincial migration, it remains the heartbeat of internal mobility, accounting for a staggering 60.3% of all intra-provincial moves,” Wise Move noted.

“This high turnover reflects the province’s dense population, dynamic job market, and fast-paced urban development, where career shifts, housing demands, and lifestyle changes drive constant internal relocations.”

Most other provinces saw a very similar number of in- and out-migration, meaning that a similar number of people moved to and out of the province.

However, this wasn’t the case for the Western Cape, which emerged as the biggest winner in inter-provincial migration.

In other words, when people were picking a different province to go to, the Western Cape was usually at the top of the list.

The number of people who moved out of the Western Cape was also far lower than the people who moved towards the province during the year, a trend which no other province observed.

“With 32.4% of all inter-provincial moves headed to the Cape, it has also retained its talent, contributing only 15.1% to out-migration to a different province,” Wise Move explained.

“This shift hints at changing economic dynamics, with lifestyle preferences, remote work opportunities, and emerging economic hubs drawing talent from Gauteng to the coast.”

Western Cape punches above its weight

According to the report, the Western Cape also punches above its weight when considering the size of the province.

Stats SA 2024 Mid-year population estimates found that there are around 4.77 million people in the province. However, it accounted for 29% of all internal moves in the country.

“This showcases not only its ability to attract talent from other provinces, but also its thriving local property market, driven by lifestyle changes and economic opportunities.”

Given the popularity of the Western Cape for inter-provincial migration, it is not surprising that the highest number of moves was from Johannesburg to Cape Town, which was followed closely by moves from Pretoria to Cape Town.

“The data revealed that residents from affluent areas like Sandton are leading the march south,” Wise Move explained.

“In total, people moving from Johannesburg and Pretoria to the Western Cape accounted for a combined 48% of all inter-provincial moves.”

“This trend highlights the magnetic pull of the Western Cape’s coastal lifestyle, economic opportunities, and quality of life.”

Wise Move also took a look at the areas in the Western Cape that people are choosing.

“Despite the global trend of people seeking small-town living in the wake of the remote work boom, South Africans in the Western Cape are bucking the trend.”

In 2024, an impressive 71% of moves were directed towards the City of Cape Town, showing a clear preference for metropolitan life. While bigger “city towns” like Paarl and George still attracted some of the Joburg traffic, the numbers pale in comparison.

Overall, only around 9% of in-migration to the Western Cape went to the Garden Route, while 5% headed to the West Coast.

This suggests that, even with the flexibility of remote work, urban centres remain king – and, according to Wise Move, this is likely due to better job opportunities, the variety of educational institutions, great healthcare, and existing family support networks.

“The idea of escaping to a peaceful, small-town life might be appealing, but when it comes to actual moving decisions, people still gravitate toward the hustle and bustle of city life. It seems it’s not a ‘Zoom Town Boom’ – but rather an urban repopulation.”

Reverse semigration

Interestingly, while a lot of Gauteng residents were going to Cape Town, this actually went both ways.

The number of moves from Cape Town to Johannesburg and Cape Town to Pretoria were the third and fourth most inter-provincial migrations.

“While many are heading to Cape Town, there is a subtle flow in the opposite direction,” Wise Move said.

“People are also relocating from Cape Town back to Gauteng’s key hubs and many to Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape – these routes account for 25% of out-migration in the Western Cape.”

“These patterns reflect a complex dance of career shifts, lifestyle choices, and economic factors driving mobility between South Africa’s major urban centres.”

South Africa has seen a semigration boom for several years, with scores of South Africans flocking from Johannesburg to the Western Cape in search of a better lifestyle.

However, recent reports have highlighted that this trend seems to be reversing slowly as South Africans start moving back from Cape Town to Johannesburg.

This is due to several factors, but key among them is the fact that many companies have started ending the work-from-home policies they implemented during the pandemic.

Considering that Wise Move’s report found that most people – 22.9% – move to pursue career opportunities, it is perhaps unsurprising that people are moving back to the city of gold.

Another key driver in the reverse semigration shift is the high cost of living in Cape Town.

Property prices in the city have also been driven up by investors acquiring rental properties and wealthy foreigners taking advantage of South Africa’s exchange rate to buy luxury homes.

As a result, many South Africans are finding that they can achieve a much better living and buy a much better property in Johannesburg and Pretoria for a fraction of Cape Town’s prices.