01.01.06. Migration | South Africa

01.01.06. Migration | South Africa

12 Aug 2022

Estimated migration from 2016-2021 is presented below (StatsSA, 2018d):

Table 4: Estimated provincial streams 2016–2021

 

Province

 

Out- migrants

 

In- migrants

 

Net migration

Eastern Cape 516 264 192 412 -323 851
Free State 163 408 147 666 -15 742
Gauteng 548 456 1 596 896 1 048 440
KwaZulu-Natal 366 150 307 547 -58 602
Limpopo 412 269 279 755 -132 513
Mpumalanga 212 116 286 154 74 038
Northern Cape 76 512 83 000 6 489
North West 210 096 317 830 107 733
Western Cape 175 613 486 617 311 004

Source: Adapted from: (StatsSA, 2018d). Mid-year population estimates (table 9), p.15.

The Gauteng and Western Cape provinces receive the highest number of people in-migrating, and this is most likely due to these two provinces being the economic hubs of the country. Thus, people migrate to these provinces for employment (migrating out of provinces with less economic opportunity such as the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal). Gauteng is the smallest province (in area) and yet the highest populated in the country (see population density under Part 1) explaining the high in- and out-flow of people migrating in the country (StatsSA, 2018d).

The migration outside of South Africa for each of the 9 provinces are tabled below:

Table 5: Migration outside of South Africa by province

 

Province

EC FS GP KZN LIM MP NC NW WC
 

Total

38 322 32 263 483 561 75 886 110 440 72 988 7 461 78 267 117 805

Source: Adapted from: (StatsSA, 2018d). Mid-year population estimates (table 9), p.15.

References:

StatsSA. (2018d). Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Available from: https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=11882