Cape Town accounted for nearly half of all new jobs created across South Africa’s eight metropolitan municipalities over the past five years, according to the latest Statistics South Africa labour force data.
The City of Cape Town said 418 000 jobs were added between the first quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2026. This represents 49,6% of the 841 000 jobs created across the country’s metros during the period.
Cape Town leads metro job growth
Cape Town’s employment gains were significantly higher than those recorded in several other major metros.
Over the same period, eThekwini added 142 000 jobs, Tshwane added 102 000 and Ekurhuleni added 96 000. Johannesburg recorded 65 000 additional jobs.
Buffalo City added 50 000 jobs and Nelson Mandela Bay recorded an increase of 14 000. Mangaung was the only metro to record a decline, losing 46 000 jobs.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the figures were encouraging, while acknowledging that more work was still needed to expand employment opportunities.
Broad unemployment remains lowest
Cape Town also recorded the lowest broad unemployment rate among South Africa’s eight metros during the second quarter of 2026.
The city’s broad unemployment rate stood at 24,3%. Buffalo City followed at 35,3%, while eThekwini recorded 37,8%.
At the higher end, Ekurhuleni recorded a rate of 42,7%, Mangaung stood at 41,2% and Johannesburg recorded 40,1%.
The broad unemployment measure includes people who are unemployed as well as those who have stopped actively searching for work.
Infrastructure investment linked to jobs
Cape Town’s labour force grew by 396 000 over the period, while its labour force inactivity rate fell by eight percentage points.
The City has also linked employment growth to investment in infrastructure and efforts to make it easier for businesses to operate.
Officials estimate that around 130 000 construction-related jobs have resulted from the City’s R40 billion infrastructure investment during the current term.
Cape Town recorded R12,2 billion in capital expenditure during the 2025/26 financial year, double the R6 billion spent during the first year of the term.
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