The distance between the edges of Johannesburg and Pretoria will continue to shrink as both cities continue to develop outwards at a rapid pace.

As a result many experts are suggesting that the two metros will form a single ‘mega-city’ with a population exceeding 10 million by 2030.

This is according to Pam Golding’s Annual real estate review, which looked at the major property trends taking place across South Africa.

The review found that while many Gauteng homeowners will continue to ‘semigrate’ to other parts of the country – including Cape Town and Umhlanga – even more people are heading to the cities, meaning increased prospects of growth over the next 10 years.

“Centres such as Sandton, Rosebank, Fourways, Midrand, Pretoria East and a number of others are continuing to develop strongly, demonstrating a high degree of confidence from investors,” said the report.

“The growth of these centres tends to have a positive impact on local residential property markets within and around them, often generating a demand for residential properties close by, as residents seek to avoid increasing traffic volumes and reduce transport costs as far as possible by living closer to places of work, schools and other amenities.”

Key to this development will be the addition of 19 new Gautrain stations, which will include Lanseria Airport, Cradle of Humankind and Soweto.

“In addition, a Gautrain station is on the cards for Fourways, which, based on the experience of Sandton and Rosebank, is only likely to further stimulate the area.”

“The evolution of the Fourways area over the last decade has been nothing short of staggering and, given the plans that property development giants such as the Accelerate Property Fund have for the region, there is now little doubt that we are seeing the area evolve into a mini-city in the mould of the Sandton city centre,” it said.

Citing statistics published at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ Africa Summit held in Sandton earlier this year, Pam Golding said that the urbanisation of African cities, particularly those of Gauteng, are likely to attract more than 300,000 people annually.

“From this we can see that the picture of migrations within the country is a great deal more complex than just one of semigration to the Cape,” it said.

“A massive migration to Gauteng is also ongoing.”

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