Western Cape premier Alan Winde believes people aren’t just fleeing dysfunction elsewhere – they’re coming to the province because it is actively building opportunities. Tens of thousands arrive each year, many without jobs, homes or school placements.
In a recent discussion I attended, he provided a clear, candid and hopeful update on the Western Cape’s direction. If you’re a real estate investor, developer, or just trying to make sense of this country, it was full of useful signals on where the province is heading. Here are some of my thoughts on what he had to say:
Why are people moving to the Western Cape?
Yes, they’re escaping dysfunction in other parts of South Africa. But more importantly, they’re coming for something – better roads, hospitals, schools and, crucially, jobs.
But this inflow isn’t free. It puts real pressure on the other provinces’ infrastructure as they lose their ratepayers, cutting into their funding base.
And, while the Western Cape is growing rapidly (it’s the fastest-expanding province in South Africa), it’s also carrying a heavier and heavier load. That means more pressure on the Western Cape’s bulk services.
Education: bursting at the seams
Winde said 25,000 kids arrive in the province each year needing classroom space, and Cape Town’s schools are already full. Despite building 26 new schools a year, it’s not enough.
To cope, the province has introduced a “rapid build” model, adding classrooms on existing school grounds in just 65 days.
It’s an effective solution to address an urgent need for more educational space, but it’s still not enough to meet our demand for schools.
November will see us receiving the adjusted budget; let’s hope we get more money towards education and health care.
Health care: flipping the model
Instead of waiting for patients to queue in hospitals, the province is taking health care to people.
Mobile medical units now visit rural areas, treating chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. It’s not just efficient, it’s human-centred, and has been well received by communities. And then there’s the Tygerberg Hospital rebuild, a R10bn investment; the only state hospital on the continent offering robotic surgery.
Energy: becoming independent of Eskom
Winde chairs the energy and water councils, and here’s what he shared:
- The province uses about 4,000MW at peak. It’s planning to deliver 5,700MW by 2035.
- Cape Town is ahead of schedule – three years early in becoming independent from Eskom by 2032.
- Already, R50m has been paid back to residents selling solar power back to the grid. This is a first for any province.
- Cape Town will eventually have more energy than it needs. And when there’s too much power? The regulator’s inflated electricity prices will come down. Finally.
One story that the premier highlighted stuck with me: a principal from Petunia Primary in Kraaifontein wrote to Cheslin Kolbe. Kolbe called Investec. Investec got the Rockefeller Foundation involved. Soon, the school had a full solar battery system.
Sustainability and impact – that’s the energy this province is channelling both literally and figuratively. This is yet another lesson in taking initiative in your community and making things happen. Kudos to this principal for doing exactly that.
Water: building for the long term
A similar playbook is being used for water. Cape Town came close to running dry in 2016. Since then, water use has dropped from 1.2-billion litres to 800-million litres per day.
This change is due to both improvements in water management systems and increased awareness among citizens regarding their water consumption.
In response to ongoing water scarcity challenges, the city is constructing the largest water recycling system in the world. Dams and rain alone just aren’t enough anymore.
Safety: the real growth constraint
Winde called safety the biggest handbrake on growth – and he’s not wrong.
The province has spent R1bn on law enforcement, deploying 1,200 law enforcement advancement plan (Leap) officers to high-risk areas like Khayelitsha, Delft and Mitchells Plain. Murder rates in those zones are down.
This specialised, data-driven law unit uses a data-driven approach, backed by technology: drones, gunshot detectors and even high-altitude military-grade cameras. Leap officers are also trained using video games to improve awareness of blind spots.
The goal is to achieve police devolution – for provinces to run their own forces. What works in the Western Cape doesn’t necessarily work in Limpopo. That’s just logic.
Mobility and infrastructure: no more duct tape
Cape Town ranks among the top 10 most congested cities in the world. One big reason: 650,000 people used to take the train. Now they’re in taxis.
The province has created a department of mobility to think holistically about how goods, people, and even data move.
Winde’s talking about 30-year and even 100-year infrastructure plans. It’s forward-looking – inspired by cities like Helsinki – and the kind of thinking we need more of in South Africa. Besides, he won’t be allowed to run for another term in office, so it’s great to hear a politician thinking beyond his tenure.
Jobs: here’s the number that floored me
According to the labour force survey released in May 2025:
- South Africa added 43,000 jobs in the first quarter compared to last year.
- Gauteng added 30,000.
- The Western Cape added 121,000.
Let that sink in.
Tourism is up – 129 direct international flights a week land in Cape Town during peak season in December. Social housing is (finally) gaining momentum, too. Three new inner-city projects are under way, and 4,500 homes have already been completed at the old Conradie Hospital site, with three schools, retail and soccer fields in the wings.
“A job puts food on the table, gives you dignity, and puts you ahead in life,” Winde said.
He’s not wrong. But none of this works unless citizens step up too – as entrepreneurs, ratepayers, partners, problem-solvers.
Politics: centralisation is the problem
Winde opposes the National Health Insurance scheme. He believes it’ll destroy private health care. He also wants to scrap district governments and decentralise power closer to where services are delivered.
With this being his last term, Winde says he’ll be “a little more direct – a little more bad guy”. And honestly, it doesn’t sound like a bad thing.
What does this mean for real estate?
The areas around your property – schools, hospitals, roads, safety, job access, and even how fast the power comes back after load-shedding – are just as important as the property itself. The premier’s focus on infrastructure, safety and services is not just governance; it’s the scaffolding for real estate growth. Why? Because real value is rooted in functioning ecosystems – schools, transport, safety and power – not just bricks and mortar.
Property doesn’t rise in a vacuum. It rises when people feel safe, when schools are nearby, when traffic is moving, and when the lights stay on. The Western Cape isn’t perfect, but it’s building systems that enable economic mobility, dignity and opportunity. And wherever you see that happening consistently, that’s where long-term real estate value lives. You can renovate a kitchen, but you can’t DIY a neighbourhood.
An earlier version of this article was incorrectly presented as a reported piece, attributing comments directly to Western Cape premier Alan Winde. It has since been amended to reflect that this is an opinion column by Ash Müller, based on a public address by Winde. We regret the editing error.
Top image: Western Cape premier Alan Winde. Picture: Gallo Images/Ziyaad Douglas.
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