Checked 27 October 2026
Where the facts in this claim come from
Every fact on the claim page, with the sources we used. We save a copy of each source on the day we read it.
What does the evidence show?
Why it is Misleading
Stats SA's figures for October-December 2025 match. But a survey asks only some people, so its numbers can be off. Stats SA's own test says neither three-month change is big enough to be sure it is real. Over the full year, Cape Town's rise of 113,000 passed that test. Johannesburg's fall of 20,000 did not.
Stats SA. Published 17 February 2026.
Where to look: Table 2.3: printed page 38 (PDF 43), 'Gauteng - City of Johannesburg' Employed 1 963 (Jul-Sep) to 1 915 (Oct-Dec 2025), quarter-to-quarter change -49 (thousands); printed page 30 (PDF 35), 'Western Cape - City of Cape Town' Employed 1 826 to 1 895, change 69. Table 2.3A: printed page 102 (PDF 107) Johannesburg Employed change -49, 95% range -125 to 28, p-value 0,21; printed page 94 (PDF 99) Cape Town change 69, range -16 to 154, p-value 0,11. Table 2.3B: printed page 118 (PDF 123) Cape Town Employed year-on-year change 113, range 12 to 214, p-value 0,03; printed page 126 (PDF 131) Johannesburg Employed year-on-year change -20, range -140 to 99, p-value 0,74.
Mail & Guardian. Published 7 March 2026.
Where to look: Paragraph 3 ('She said recent labour market trends show Johannesburg losing jobs while Cape Town has recorded employment gains'); paragraph 4 ('In the past three months, Johannesburg lost 49 000 jobs while the DA-run City of Cape Town gained 69 000 jobs') (reported speech, not a direct quote)
EWN. Published 7 March 2026.
Where to look: Paragraphs 1-2 (Zille, DA mayoral candidate, at Johannesburg City Hall on Saturday 7 Mar 2026); does not give the 49,000 figure
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