South Africa is a multi-ethnic and multicultural society, home to people of many ethnic origins. The last census in 2011 revealed that 8.5% of the population is not indigenous to South Africa, and these include people from other African countries and those from all over the world. Most foreigners live in Gauteng (6.1%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (4.8%), Western Cape (2.5%), Eastern Cape (2%) and Northern Cape (1%).
How many foreign-born people live in South Africa?
The number of people living in South Africa who were born outside the country is difficult to calculate. This is because there are many people who are born in the country but have at least one parent who was not born in South Africa. In 2016, Statistics South Africa estimated that there were 3,5 million foreign-born people living in South Africa.
How many people have immigrated to South Africa?
In the last three decades, South Africa has seen a dramatic increase in immigration with the number of foreigners living in the country increasing from less than 1% in 1990 to nearly 10% in 2016. A report by Statistics South Africa shows that there were just over 2 million immigrants living in South Africa as of 2016. This is a noteworthy increase from 1990 when there were only about 400,000 foreign residents.
How many refugees are there in South Africa?
Refugees in South Africa are defined by the Refugee Act of 1998 as people who have fled their country and seek protection from persecution. They are granted the same rights as citizens of South Africa, but they may still be subject to deportation if their circumstances change.
The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) has stated that there are no accurate figures on the number of refugees in South Africa because many refugees do not register with the UNHCR or with any other agency but have estimated the number to be over 2 million.
