These are the suburbs most people are moving to in Johannesburg

The people of Johannesburg are constantly on the move, whether within their own city or in search of opportunity elsewhere.

A recent report showed that of all those changing addresses, the majority were done so by those moving within or out of Gauteng.

However, Cape Town was the biggest recipient of new residents with almost half coming from either Johannesburg or Pretoria.

Johannesburg trends

The Wise Move Migration Report 2025 stated that of all South Africans changing address, 70% stayed in the same province.

Gauteng accounted for 60% of the intra-province relocations and for those choosing Johannesburg, just over 60% of moves were directed at three areas of the city.

Sandton was the overwhelming favourite with 26.5% of the moves, followed by Johannesburg Central and Randburg with 18.7% and 16.5%, respectively.

Midrand and Roodepoort made up sizeable chunks with 11.2% and 10.1% each, with Roodepoort popular for its mix of affordability and access to nature.

The East Rand had a more scattered spread of relocations, with Boksburg, Kempton Park, Germiston, Edenvale and Benoni hovering between 3 and 4% each.

Cape popularity

However, 48% of all relocations across provincial borders were people leaving Gauteng for Cape Town.

“This trend highlights the magnetic pull of the Western Cape’s coastal lifestyle, economic opportunities, and quality of life,” stated Wise Move CEO and co-founder Chante Venter.

While Cape Town absorbed the vast majority of Western Cape semigration, 5% of the incomers moved to the West Coast, and another 9% chose towns along the Garden Route.

Other key insights include 30% of relocation traffic occurring between November and January, with Wednesday being the least popular day to move.

Females made up almost 57% of those relocating, while those aged between 25 and 44 accounting for 55.5% of movers.

Lower rentals in Gauteng

Accompanying the influx to the Cape, the Tenant Payment Network (TPN) reported a boost in the Gauteng rental market where 37.8% of households were tenants.

Property24 highlighted that property prices in Gauteng were roughly 27% lower than those of a comparable property in the Cape, while rentals in Gauteng were approximately 20% lower.

Additionally, building completions in Gauteng declined by 30% in the last financial year compared to a 24% rise in new building completions in Cape Town, while largely served high-income investors.

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