The Gauteng Provincial Government is expecting a massive group of South Africans to semigrate to the province over the coming decade as more people search for better work opportunities and living standards.

There are currently 15.2 million people living in the province, the Gauteng government said in a report published on Thursday (5 March). This is projected to grow to 18 million by 2030 and increase to between 22 and 25 million by 2050.

“Gauteng’s population growth is attributable to many factors. The province has the highest numbers of in-migration and out-migration flows in South Africa, with an in-flow of domestic migrants mostly from rural provinces,” it said.

“Cross-border migration accounted for 3% of population growth. South Africa is a highly urbanised country, with the effects of this urbanisation most sharply felt in Gauteng, given the economic opportunities it offers. This growth has a significant bearing on provincial priorities and budget allocations.”

The below table shows how many South Africans have moved to Gauteng from other provinces over the past decade:

The document notes that South Africa is a highly urbanised country, with the effects of this urbanisation most sharply felt in Gauteng, given the economic opportunities it offers.

“This growth has a significant bearing on provincial priorities and budget allocations. The high number of people drawn to the province has resulted in population density levels that are significantly higher than the country’s average (675 people per square kilometre, in contrast with the national average density of 42 people per square kilometre),” it said.

The report also notes that Gauteng’s demographics changed slightly between 2011 and 2016:

The percentage of those located within the working-age population (15 to 64) declining from 72% to 66.5%;

The percentage of older persons (65 years and older) increased to 8.7%;

Gauteng has recorded an increase in life expectancy, from 53 years in 2006 to 65 years in 2017;

The provincial average life expectancy trends between 2016 and 2021 for Gauteng reflect an average life expectancy of 64 years for males, and 69.8 years for females (StatsSA, 2018:3);

The percentage of children aged below 15 remained constant at 25%.

Read: This map shows all the gated communities and security estates in Gauteng