South Africans migrate to where the jobs are. They move from poorer provinces to the richer ones, and from rural areas to the cities.

Data: Statistics South Africa mid-year population estimates 2017

Gauteng is South Africa’s wealthiest province, mostly a city region and the centre of the country’s economy. It has the largest population, constantly increased by migration. Gauteng’s net migration rate (the number of people moving in minus people moving out) was nearly two million between 2006 and 2016. Its population will be swelled by another million from 2016 to 2021.

The Eastern Cape is the poorest province. Between 2006 and 2016 a million of its people migrated to other provinces, while only 300,000 or so moved into the province, leaving the Eastern Cape with a negative net migration of minus 700,000 people. From 2016 to 2021 the Eastern Cape is expected to lose another 324,000 people to migration.

Read more

• South Africa’s population
• The nine provinces of South Africa
• Infographic: The population of South Africa’s nine provinces
• Infographic: Population density in South Africa’s nine provinces
• Animation: The economies of South Africa’s provinces

Estimated migration between the provinces from 2006 to 2011

Estimated migration between the provinces from 2011 to 2016

Projected migration between the provinces from 2016 to 2021

• Data: Statistics South Africa mid-year population estimates 2017

Researched, written and designed by Mary Alexander.
Updated 2 October 2020

The graphic on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.