eThekwini records lowest metropolitan unemployment rate in South Africa

The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality has recorded the lowest unemployment rate among South Africa’s metropolitan municipalities for the second quarter of 2026. According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey from Statistics South Africa, eThekwini’s unemployment rate stood at 21.2% between April and June, outperforming both Cape Town and Johannesburg.

While the national unemployment average rose to 33.6%, eThekwini added approximately 30,000 jobs, bringing its total employed workforce to 1.29 million. The growth in the metro was supported by the trade and construction sectors, which added 70,000 and 39,000 jobs respectively. In contrast, the City of Cape Town saw its unemployment rate increase slightly to 21.9%, and the City of Johannesburg’s rate rose to 35.9%.

Government officials attributed eThekwini’s progress to the coordinated efforts of the Presidential Working Group on eThekwini. This group, which includes national, provincial, and local government, has focused on infrastructure, economic, and water-security interventions to drive development in the KwaZulu-Natal province.