Cape Town starting to choke? Migration surge strains City’s transport

Key topics:Cape Town ranks among the world’s most congested cities.Migration outpaces infrastructure expansion, deepening inequality and delays.City unveils R3.2bn plan to ease transport strain.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.The auditorium doors will open for BNIC#2 on 10 September 2025 in Hermanus. For more information and tickets, click here..By Kerry Lanaghan.Cape Town’s reputation as South Africa’s most liveable city is coming at a cost. As internal migration swells its population and economic opportunity draws in thousands, the city’s infrastructure, particularly its transport networks, shows severe signs of strain.According to the latest mid-year population estimates released by Statistics South Africa, the Western Cape has gained over 296,000 residents through net migration since 2016. Much of that influx has concentrated in Cape Town, which now hosts nearly 5 million people, up from 4.7 million just two years ago.The effects are visible every morning on its gridlocked highways.In January, global traffic analytics firm INRIX ranked Cape Town among the world’s ten worst cities for traffic congestion. Commuters lost an average of 94 hours in traffic in 2024 alone - more than four full days a year sitting in peak-hour queues. That’s a 13% increase on the year before.“These numbers paint a worrying picture,” said transport economist Sipho Mahlangu to TimesLIVE. “Urban growth without commensurate investment in infrastructure always ends in this kind of crisis.”Infrastructure can't keep upCape Town’s roads were never designed for the load they are now expected to carry. The rapid population growth has outpaced the city's road expansions and public transport upgrades. MyCiTi, the city’s flagship bus system, remains oversubscribed in certain areas and absent in others, particularly in many low-income communities on the urban periphery.Once the backbone of the city’s transport system, rail infrastructure has also deteriorated due to years of neglect, theft, and vandalism. That leaves private vehicles and taxis as the default for most Capetonians, worsening congestion and placing pressure on emissions targets.In response, the City of Cape Town has unveiled a R3.2 billion investment plan to ease mobility. The budget includes funds for road upgrades, traffic signal optimisation, and the rollout of new MyCiTi routes. Yet critics argue that the response is far too slow.“Cape Town is reacting instead of planning ahead,” said urban development researcher Zama Ndlovu. “This is a city that’s grown by nearly 10% in just a few years, but we haven’t seen anything close to 10% expansion in infrastructure.”Economic opportunity driving urban rushThe Western Cape’s relative economic and governance stability is at the heart of the migration wave. As national frustrations over service delivery and crime mount, many South Africans, particularly skilled professionals, are relocating from Gauteng and the Eastern Cape to the Cape Metro.But while that trend boosts the local economy, it also widens inequality. Housing shortages have become more pronounced, informal settlements are expanding, and access to services such as water and sanitation is under pressure.Even within the transport sector, lower-income residents bear the brunt. Long commutes from distant townships, unreliable public transit, and high taxi fares cut into earnings and time.A city at a crossroadsCity officials are well aware of the stakes. Speaking to Cape Town Etc earlier this year, transport mayoral committee member Rob Quintas acknowledged the gravity of the situation.“The growth we’re seeing is unprecedented,” he said. “But we are determined to future-proof our infrastructure - not just for now, but for what’s coming in 10 to 20 years.”Among the initiatives in the pipeline are MyCiTi Phase 2A, which will extend the network to Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain, and a push for more park-and-ride options to encourage multi-modal travel.Yet for many, the pace of change feels glacial compared to the speed of the problem.“If we don’t move faster and smarter, we risk losing what makes Cape Town so attractive in the first place,” said Mahlangu.The clock is tickingCape Town is at a turning point. As more South Africans seek refuge in its relative efficiency and beauty, the city must urgently upgrade and expand its infrastructure, or risk becoming a victim of its success.With billions committed and ambitious plans on the table, the tools for transformation exist. The question is whether they will arrive in time.

Cape Town starting to choke? Migration surge strains City’s transport

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