Financial Times Europe - 09.11.2019 - 10.11.2019

4 ★ FTWeekend 9 November/10 November 2019









 

Sources: UN World Urbanization Prospects; Statistics South Africa; First National Bank FT graphic



The two cities reflect South Africa’s ‘rainbow nation’ in

dierent ways

They are South Africa’s two largest cities

Cape Town and Johannesburg sit at opposite ends of

the country

House prices are only part of the story: across South Africa,

many live in informal housing

Trends in the cities’ neighbourhoods vary

 Cape Town has done better than Johannesburg at reducing

the number of people below the oicial poverty line

 Many Johannesburg residents do not have power to

their homes

House prices have risen faster in Cape Town

Cape Town is wealthier and more expensive

than Johannesburg

Population, 

Percentage of the population by ethnicity, 

    

Cape Town

Johannesburg

Black Coloured* Indian White

*In South Africa, ‘coloured’ is a neutral term for mixed-race individuals, who live mostly in the Western Cape

House price index, rebased ( Q)











       

Cape Town

Johannesburg

House price index, rebased ( Q)















       

Cape Town

(Atlantic Seaboard)

Cape Town

(Cape Flats)

Johannesburg (Sandton)

Johannesburg (Soweto)

Average house price (rand), 

City residents by type of dwelling,  ()**











Cape Town Johannesburg

Formal dwelling Informal dwelling

**Figures do not sum to  as minor categories are excluded

Percentage of residents in poverty



Cape Town



Johannesburg



Cape Town



Johannesburg



 6

Percentage of the population by electricity connection type, 

    

Cape Town

Johannesburg

In Johannesburg, former townships

have grown faster – from a lower

base – than wealthy Sandton

Atlantic Seaboard has seen

rapid price growth even

from an expensive start

Cape Town Johannesburg

Rm

Rm

More than



people live

in informal

dwellings in

Johannesburg

Mains

electricity

Other

electricity

source

No

electricity

South Africa has three

capitals but its largest city,

Johannesburg is not one of them

Cape Town Johannesburg

m m

Both cities saw only

brief dips during the

crash that devastated

European markets

JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg

km

Port Elizabeth

BloemfonteinBloemfonteinBloemfonteinBloemfonteinBloemfontein

Cape TownCape TownCape Town

Pretoria

ATLANTIC Durban

OCEAN

INDIAN

OCEAN

SOUTH

AFRICA

MOZAMBIQUE

SWAZILAND

BOTSWANA

ZIMBABWE

LESOTHO

NAMIBIA

 km

City stats

The two largest South African cities diverge

on their house price growth and the wealth

of residents. ByFergus Peace and Liz Faunce

Johannesburg versus Cape Town

House Home

NOVEMBER 9 2019 Section:Weekend Time: 11/20196/ - 17:34 User: elizabeth.robinson Page Name:RES4 , Part,Page,Edition:RES , 4, 1