BHISHO- Almost one million people are estimated to have left the Eastern Cape for other provinces over the past decade, raising concerns about the province’s shrinking workforce, slowing economy and long-term prospects.
According to Statistics South Africa’s latest population estimates, approximately 981,943 people migrated out of the Eastern Cape between 2016 and 2026. Although new residents also moved into the province during the same period, the Eastern Cape still recorded a net population loss of 587,658 people.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape says the figures point to a growing economic crisis and has announced that it will table a Matter of Public Importance in the Eastern Cape Legislature, calling for a provincial strategy aimed at attracting and retaining skilled people, entrepreneurs and investors.
“The Eastern Cape is losing the very people it needs to build its future,” the party said.
According to the DA, outward migration is being driven by a lack of employment opportunities, weak economic growth and failing local municipalities that struggle to provide reliable services and create an environment where businesses can thrive.
Residents are increasingly leaving their homes, families and communities in search of better employment, education, business opportunities and improved living conditions elsewhere in South Africa.
The province continues to face one of the country’s highest unemployment rates. Statistics South Africa reported that the Eastern Cape’s official unemployment rate stood at 44.6% during the first quarter of 2026, while the expanded unemployment rate, which includes discouraged work-seekers, reached 54.4%. By comparison, the Western Cape recorded official and expanded unemployment rates of 19.6% and 24.8% respectively.
The DA argues that the province has become trapped in a cycle where weak economic growth and high unemployment encourage skilled residents to leave. As experienced professionals, entrepreneurs and young graduates relocate, the province loses the expertise needed to stimulate investment, create jobs and strengthen local economies.
The party also pointed to demographic data indicating that only 14.5% of the Eastern Cape’s population falls within the 25 to 34-year age group, the lowest proportion of young working-age adults in South Africa. It says this trend reflects the continued loss of young talent to other provinces.
Despite the challenges, the DA believes the province has significant untapped potential.
With rising property prices, increasing congestion and higher business costs in the Western Cape, the party argues that the Eastern Cape could position itself as an attractive alternative for businesses and remote workers.
The province offers relatively affordable living costs, established universities, major ports and airports, manufacturing capacity, productive agricultural land and a thriving tourism sector.
However, the DA says these advantages can only translate into economic growth if municipalities become more effective, infrastructure is improved and investors gain confidence in local governance.
Among the proposals the party intends raising during the legislative debate are improving municipal governance, strengthening infrastructure, aligning skills development with investment opportunities, supporting sectors such as agriculture, tourism, renewable energy, manufacturing and the ocean economy, and creating programmes to attract skilled professionals and encourage former residents to return.
Im addition the party further warned that continued population decline carries financial consequences.
According to Statistics South Africa, the Eastern Cape’s share of South Africa’s population declined from 12.4% in 2016 to 11.1% in 2026. The DA says this could reduce the province’s share of nationally allocated funding, placing additional pressure on already strained public finances and municipal services.
The party says the Eastern Cape must move beyond managing decline and instead adopt policies focused on economic growth, investment and job creation to reverse the province’s ongoing brain drain.
The proposed debate is expected to focus on strategies aimed at rebuilding confidence in the provincial economy and creating conditions that encourage people to build their futures in the Eastern Cape rather than elsewhere.
Photograph: Supplied
Amahle July
05 August 2026
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