Johannesburg has been at the heart of South Africa’s economy since the discovery of gold in the mid-1880s. That might now be changing
Johannesburg has been at the heart of South Africa’s economy since the discovery of gold in the mid-1880s. Today it is in crisis. Many affluent South Africans are leaving for Cape Town, the country’s second city, and the Western Cape province of which it is the hub. In doing so they are reshaping the country.
Locals call the new trend “semigration”: richer South Africans, who are disproportionately white, swap Gauteng for the Cape, often as an alternative to the more widely noticed practice of emigrating entirely. One sign of semigration is the property market. From 2010 to 2022 nominal house prices increased by an average of 98% across South Africa’s eight largest cities, slightly above consumer-price inflation, according to official data.
What explains the shift? Cape Town is naturally more beautiful than Johannesburg. But that isn’t new. While covid-19 encouraged South Africans to rethink where they work, factors predating the pandemic influenced their decisions—such as the collapse of Johannesburg’s infrastructure. Rolling blackouts occur nationwide because of the failure of Eskom, the state-owned utility.
Differences in pipes, power and potholes reflect differences in politics. Johannesburg has had six new mayors in the past two years, as coalitions established via proportional representation rise and fall. The current mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda, is from a Muslim political party which won less than 1% of the vote at local elections in 2021. He is propped up by theand its hard-left offshoot, the Economic Freedom Fighters .
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why Newborn Pandas in South Korea Will Eventually Move to ChinaAlmost all pandas, even ones born abroad, are considered the property of China—as part of a loan program it has with selected zoos around the world.
Read more »
Conn. man dead after hit-and-run on Cape CodPolice on Cape Cod are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash on Monday night. Officers in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, were called shortly after 9:30 p.m. to a report that a man was lying on Route 6. The man was found unresponsive and bleeding from his head, police said. First responders performed CPR on the man and took him to Cape Cod Hospital….
Read more »
Here's where sharks have been spotted off Cape Cod in recent daysMaybe it’s the weather? Compared to previous summers, it seems we’ve heard a lot less about great white shark sightings off Cape Cod and other areas of the Massachusetts coast. But that’s certainly changed in recent days, as numerous sightings have been reported just as temperatures began to shoot up into the 90s. Over the past two days alone, over…
Read more »
94-year-old man drowns on Cape Cod, authorities sayA 94-year-old man drowned Wednesday afternoon on Cape Cod, according to officials. The incident happened in the area of Port Way and Starboard Way, which are connected by Surfside Road in Dennis, Massachusetts. Police and fire crews responded around 5:45 p.m., the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office said. First responders pulled the victim, William Leavitt of West Dennis, out…
Read more »
The Christopher Eubanks story - and why Wimbledon has fallen in loveChristopher Eubanks only recently reached tennis' top 100. But doing so freed up his mind and unlocked a torrid stretch for the 6-foot-7 Atlanta native. Now, he's taking Wimbledon by storm. CDEccleshare on one of the tournament's feel-good stories.
Read more »
Trends in antibiotic usage among inpatients in South America during COVID-19 pandemicTrends in antibiotic usage among inpatients in South America during COVID-19 pandemic CIDJournal CDCgov usponline antibiotics COVID19 coronavirus covid pandemic
Read more »