Despite the global trends of people looking for small towns living in the wake of the far-off work boom, South Africans are moving in a different direction.
Last year (2024), 71% of movement towards the Western Cape refers to Cape Town city and surrounding suburbs. The findings revealed in the Wise Move 2025 Migration Report suggest that, despite the flexibility of remote work, the city centres still remain king.
The report is based on nearly 15,000 digital enhancement moves in 2024, providing a data-driven view of the national transition and revealing how technology is growing in reshaping the relocation process.
Migration activities in the Western Cape clearly show a preference for metropolitan living. Large urban towns like Paarl and George still attracted some of Joburg's traffic, but the numbers are pale when compared. Overall, only about 9% of migration to the Western Cape went on the garden route, while 5% headed towards the West Coast.
Images are wise moves.
The report says this is due to better employment opportunities, various educational institutions, excellent healthcare and existing family support networks. The idea of fleeing to peaceful, small town life may be fascinating, but when it comes to actual moving decisions, people are drawn to the hustle and bustle of urban life.
From Sandton to the suburbs
When it comes to travelling within Johannesburg, one area stands out from the others – Sandton. Financial mind is a magnet for professionals chasing career opportunities, accounting for 26.5% of all local relocations.
Due to its high-end apartments, headquarters and urban lifestyle, Sandon tops the list as Johannesburg's most in-demand region. Following Sandton is Johannesburg Central (18.7%), a mix of urban convenience and historic areas.
This is followed by Randberg (16.5%), Midland (11.2%), Loudepoult (10.1%), Boksburg (4.3%), Kempson Park (3.8%), Jermiston (3.3%), Benoni (3.2%) and Edenbale (2.4%).
Key insights from the report include:
The most cited reason for relocation is the pursuit of paid work (22.9%), indicating that economic factors play a major role in driving movements. This is followed by individuals relocating to approach their spouse or family, reflecting the effects of personal and familial considerations. Reasons not cited include crime (0.6%), divorce (0.5%) and political instability (0.1%). The timing of movements is closely aligned with the school holiday calendar, with peaks occurring during these periods. The most popular time for travel-related bookings is 9am on a Monday morning, suggesting that many will start planning their moves at the start of the week of work. In terms of demographics, most movements are made by individuals aged 25-34 (31.19%), followed by ages 35-44 (24.39%). This trend shows a high level of mobility among young professionals and can be related to career changes, lifestyle adjustments, or family-related decisions.
“Through our platform, we are simplifying the movement, but we are also generating interesting migration data,” says Chante Venter, co-founder and CEO of Wise Move. “The first 2025 immigration report reflects true insights into millions of miles of travel, thousands of property changes, and how South Africans are moving.
Chanteventer. Photos are included.
Operating at the intersection of Logistics Technology (LogTech) and Property Technology (PropTech), the digital platform Wise Move connects users to reviewed and verified movers. The platform uses AI-powered citations, algorithm mover matching, and route optimization.
Wise Move has fuelled over 25,000 movements nationwide and has established itself as a scalable logistics technology solution for home service spaces. The company's own data is used by planners from real estate platforms, mobile companies and local governments to understand mobility patterns and infrastructure demands.
*Read “Wise Move Migration Report 2025” here.
