Gauteng Draws 4.55 Million Migrants as 28.1% Move for Jobs

1 articles · Updated · The Citizen · May 25

4.55 million lifetime internal migrants moved to Gauteng, far ahead of the Western Cape’s 1.53 million, according to Statistics South Africa’s 2022/23 migration report.
28.1% of people who crossed provincial lines said paid employment was the main reason, with the strongest recent flows running from Limpopo to Gauteng at 13.4% and KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng at 7.2%.
1.53 million people changed provinces between November 2017 and November 2022, and households headed by internal migrants recorded the highest average income at R253,837 and spending at R158,409.
More than 3 million immigrants make up 5.1% of South Africa’s population, with 63.6% coming from SADC countries and men accounting for 56% of arrivals.
23.4% of immigrant children aged 5 to 18 have never attended school or a learning centre versus 5.3% of South African-born peers, even as immigrants reported slightly better health and happiness measures.

Internal migrants are the top earners, so why are foreigners blamed for South Africa's economic problems?

Immigrants report feeling happier, so why is South Africa's hostility towards them now at a 20-year peak?