In 2022, between January and December, the Western Cape passed building plans worth R 37.0 billion, more than any other province in South Africa, including Gauteng. The Western Cape accounted for a third of all building plans passed in 2022, as well as 40% of all buildings completed over the year.
The value of building plans passed in the Western Cape in 2022 totalled more than the plans passed in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo combined, which amounted to R23.6 billion together.
Building plans passed is a leading economic indicator tracked by economists, depicting positive economic activity and confidence. It is also a good indicator of down the line projects, which should bode well for jobs in the construction sector.
In terms of buildings completed, the Western Cape accounted for R27.0 billion between January and December 2022, the highest percentage of all buildings completed in South Africa over the same period, at 40%, followed by Gauteng at R21.5 billion.
Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger said: “We have been keeping a close eye on these statistics, as they are a good measure of what is happening in our provincial economy. I was particularly impressed by the fact that for every five buildings completed in the whole of South Africa, two were in the Western Cape.”
| Building Plans Passed | % Contribution to the total value of building plans passed Jan – Dec 2022 | Building Plans Passed | Buildings Completed | % Contribution to the total value of buildings completed Jan – Dec 2022 | Buildings Completed | |
| Value Jan – Dec 2022
‘000 |
% Change between Jan – Dec 2021 and Jan – Dec 2022 | Value Jan – Dec 2022
‘000 |
% Change between Jan – Dec 2021 and Jan – Dec 2022 | |||
| Western Cape | 37,000,279 | 32% | 21.4% | 27,089,462 | 40% | 21.0% |
| Gauteng | 36,198,208 | 31% | 0.6% | 21,503,232 | 32% | 5.3% |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 19,274,152 | 17% | 2.0% | 9,770,918 | 15% | 26.2% |
| Eastern Cape | 7,335,826 | 6% | -12.8% | 2,986,724 | 4% | -7.1% |
| Mpumalanga | 5,497,251 | 5% | 41.2% | 1,177,929 | 2% | 3.1% |
| North West | 4,124,103 | 4% | -13.9% | 2,222,809 | 3% | -3.8% |
| Limpopo | 2,728,701 | 2% | 13.0% | 1,066,349 | 2% | 39.3% |
| Northern Cape | 1,508,491 | 1% | 40.7% | 767,340 | 1% | 16.9% |
| Free State | 2,394,560 | 2% | -3.4% | 560,898 | 1% | -17.1% |
| South Africa | 116,061,571 | 100% | 7.1% | 67,145,661 | 100% | 13.2% |
“Building plans passed in the Western Cape also increased by an impressive 21.4% from the previous year, which is more encouraging news, showing confidence in the Western Cape. The Western Cape Government will continue to work hard to ensure the fundamentals to support economic growth are in place and to enable the private sector to thrive, thereby creating more jobs for our residents.” Concluded Minister Wenger
