Profile of the Cape Metropolitan Area
Map of The Cape Metropolitan Area
The People
After the census taken in June 1997, the population of the Western Cape
was 4,118,000, which was 10.9% of South Africa's total population.
The population of the Cape Metropolitan Area (CMA) was recorded as being
approximately 3 million with a 2.5% increase per annum. The projected population
for 2015 is 4 million.
YEAR |
WHITE |
COLOURED |
AFRICANS |
TOTAL(CMA) |
1865 |
15,118 |
13,065 |
274 |
28,457 |
1875 |
18,973 |
14,093 |
173 |
33,239 |
1891 |
25,393 |
25,235 |
623 |
51,251 |
1904 |
44,203 |
31,318 |
2,147 |
77,668 |
1911 |
86,239 |
80,449 |
1,569 |
168,257 |
1921 |
111,784 |
89,259 |
8,684 |
209,727 |
1930 |
134,680 |
121,670 |
est.6,000 |
est.262,350 |
1936 |
152,244 |
135,621 |
13,583 |
301,448 |
1946 |
180,805 |
171,767 |
31,258 |
383,830 |
1959 |
196,560 |
307,350 |
72,711 |
576,621 |
1975 |
253,570 |
488,470 |
100,530 |
842,570 |
1990 |
311,330 |
546,480 |
175,980 |
1,033,790 |
Table showing the population growth, by race from 1865-1990,
in Cape Town
The CMA has a relatively young popualtion with 26% or +/-750,000 people
being under the age of 15 (1996 Census).
The 4.3 million people of the Western Cape consist of about 2.2 million
predominantly Afrikaans-speaking Coloured people, approximately 25% Xhosa-rooted
Africans and about 22% English and Afrikaans'rooted whites.
 |
Two Xhosa youths display the traditonal clothing which accompany
the rites of initiation into manhood. This is the turning point in their
lives. |
The CMA has one of the highest average annual per capita incomes in
South Africa (R16,500). However, income inequalities are sizeable with 30%
of all households earning less than R800 per month.
The Metropolitan Housing Policy has the go ahead to complete the building
of 200,000 housing units.
Economy
The CMA produces just over 10% of South Africa's GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) which is R60 billion.
Global integration has lead to an increase in the GRP (Gross Regional
Product) in 1996 to 3.8%.
Key sectors that make up the economy are manufacturing,
tourism, services and trade. Key growth sectors
are financial services, construction, food processing and high-technology.
Structural adjustments in the early 1990s affected the growth of the
economy but employment and exports in key sectors have been stabilised.
The Tourism Industry has seen 40 new hotels
be constructed during 1996/7.
The Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) accomodates 3 million passengers
a year. Plans are underway to increase this figure to 14 million by 2015.
Foreign Direct Investment in 1997 was R2 billion. 60 internatonal companies
including Levi-Strauss Associates, Warner-Lambert, Unilever and Electrolux
have set up a base in the region.
The number of formal and informal firms exceed 80,000. The Western Cape
has the highest percentage of people with post-school qualifications and
technical skills in South Africa.
Area
The CMA has a total land area of 215,900 hectares.
The Gross Population Density average is 13.3 people per hectare.
The CMA has 307 kms of coastline.
To become an economically and spatially effective metropolis, The Metropolitan
Transport Plan and the Metropolitan Development Framework have become enforced.
The future supply of land is measured to exceed 31,000 hectares.
Labour
As a result of the census taken in 1996 the labour force was recorded
to number 1,337,977 in the CMA with a 35,000 increase per annum.
In 1995, the number of formal jobs totalled 942,490 with the projected
figure in 2015 to be 1,648,425. informal jobs made up 20% of the labour
force in 1991 (200,000 people).
The skilled labour force is recorded to number approximately 55% of
the total.
Unemployment is measured to be 15-20% of the total labour force.
Infrastructure
R1.5 billion has been put together for the infrastructural expansion
of the metropolitan road network by 2005. At present the network measures
7,000km.
The International Port handles 6-7.5 million
tons per annum.
Plans are already in progress to expand the capacity of CTIA from 3
million in 1996 to 14 million in 2015.
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