Employment fuels provincial relocations: Nearly 28% move for jobs
Latest Stats SA survey highlights how paid work remains the primary force behind South Africans shifting between provinces, as Gauteng continues to draw the bulk of long-term movers.
Statistics South Africa’s latest migration report, drawn from the 2022/23 Income and Expenditure Survey, indicates the country hosts more than 3m immigrants who make up 5.1% of the total population.
The search for paid employment stands out as the leading cause of internal migration, with 28,1% of people citing it as their main reason for crossing provincial lines.
Read more: Government urges communities to actively safeguard schools
Figures show roughly 9,1m lifetime migrants have made such moves, the majority heading to Gauteng, which received 4 553 644 individuals, well ahead of the Western Cape’s 1 526 581. In the five-year window from November 2017 to November 2022, more than 1,53m people changed provinces.
The strongest flows came from Limpopo to Gauteng at 13,4% and from KZN to Gauteng at 7,2%. Households headed by internal migrants posted the top average earnings of R253 837 and spending of R158 409, exceeding both non-migrant and immigrant-headed homes.
Salaries from employment formed the chief income stream for every category, while the largest slice of outgoings went to housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels.
Internal migrant families allocated R49 415 on average to this area, against R44 611 for non-migrants and R37 981 for immigrant households.
Of the immigrant population, 63,6% originate from fellow Southern African Development Community nations. Men account for 56% of arrivals, with the 35-to-39 age bracket forming the biggest single group.
Also read: Gauteng Government reaffirms commitment to building safer communities
Early childhood services show room for improvement in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets. Only 18,4% of locally born children attend crèches or educare facilities, marginally above the 16,6% rate for immigrant youngsters.
A sharper gap appears among those aged 5 to 18, where 23,4% of immigrant children have never been to any school or learning centre, compared with 5,3% of South African-born peers.
Positive health self-assessments prevail among adults 15 years and older. Some 55,9% of immigrants rated their own health as good, topping the 50,5% figure recorded for South African-born residents. Public clinics serve as the preferred first stop for medical attention, used by 77,7% of immigrants and 69,3% of locals, with public hospitals next at 9,6% for the immigrant group.
On a brighter note, 31,7% of immigrants report feeling happier now than 10 years ago, outpacing the 25% of RSA-born adults who say the same.
The immigration movement is influenced by school, work, opportunities and other economic factors as many South Africans search for a better life.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
