Mayor links job surge to record capital spending
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis told reporters the city had added 418 000 jobs over the current local government term — a figure he said amounts to almost half of the total employment gains recorded across South Africa’s eight largest metropolitan areas between the first quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2026.
Those comments follow the release of Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) data, which show a combined increase of 841 000 jobs across the eight metros during that period. The mayor said Cape Town’s performance outstripped the next four biggest metros — Johannesburg, eThekwini, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni — combined.
“This is no accident,” Mayor Hill-Lewis said. “This is what happens when you have a working city that focuses on better services for all and invests in infrastructure at record levels.”
City economic officials highlighted two linked trends: a fall in labour-force indicators and a ramp-up in capital expenditure. According to the city’s account, Cape Town’s broad unemployment rate was the lowest among metros, at about 24.3%, which the mayor described as roughly 11 percentage points lower than the next-best-performing metro on that metric. The city also reported capital spending of R12.2 billion in 2025/26 — double the R6 billion it recorded in the first year of the current term.
Construction jobs and infrastructure
City officials estimated that around 130 000 construction-related positions flowed from the municipality’s approximately R40-billion infrastructure programme during the term. James Vos, the city’s Economic Growth Mayoral Committee Member, said the drop in unemployment — around 5.5 percentage points over the term — showed the practical effects of the administration’s approach.
“Ultimately, it’s about making it easier to do business, improving productivity and creating more opportunities for people to work,” Vos said, according to the city’s release.
Numbers at a glance
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Jobs added in Cape Town (Q1 2022–Q2 2026) | 418 000 |
| Total jobs added across eight metros | 841 000 |
| Broad unemployment (Cape Town) | 24.3% |
| Cape Town capital expenditure (2025/26) | R12.2 billion |
What the figures mean and what they do not say
The mayor’s headline claim presents Cape Town as the dominant engine of metropolitan job creation over the current local term. The QLFS spans a four-year-plus period and compares metros of very different sizes and economic structures. While Cape Town’s share of net job creation is striking, the raw comparison does not by itself explain the composition, quality or duration of the jobs — whether roles are full-time, temporary, in construction or services, and how many are in informal sectors.
Furthermore, labour-force statistics can be sensitive to shifts in participation: a decline in the number of people actively seeking work will lower the unemployment rate even if job opportunities do not expand at the same pace. The city’s claim that Cape Town has the lowest broad unemployment is based on the QLFS approach that includes discouraged work-seekers in the measurement.
Responses and wider context
The mayor framed the gains as a product of “a working city” model that prioritises basic services and stepped-up infrastructure investment. Independent analysts typically advise caution about attributing labour-market movement to a single factor; national economic conditions, sectoral trends, private-sector investment, and broader policy environments also shape employment outcomes.
For residents, the city’s increased capital budget and construction activity have visible local effects: roadworks, service upgrades and housing projects are part of the cityscape. The administration points to these projects as both direct job creators and enablers of greater economic activity.
Practical takeaways for Cape Town residents
- City capital spending increased markedly in the term, with the 2025/26 budget at R12.2 billion.
- Construction activity is a significant source of jobs, with the city estimating 130 000 related positions tied to infrastructure projects during the term.
- Labour-market statistics should be read alongside participation rates and job-quality indicators to understand the full picture.
As Cape Town’s administration celebrates the job numbers, the challenge for policy-makers and residents alike will be ensuring that gains are durable, reach poorer neighbourhoods and translate into sustainable livelihoods rather than short-term spikes linked to single projects.
Reporting on the QLFS and the city’s figures was provided according to the mayor’s office and Stats SA’s labour survey release.
