canada recruiting south africans
Canada is recruiting South Africans with these skills. Image by Pexels/Andre Furtado

Home » The Canadian cities SA expats love the most

The Canadian cities SA expats love the most

Canada is one of the top 5 destinations for South Africa’s emigrant communities. Which cities do they love the most?

canada recruiting south africans
Canada is recruiting South Africans with these skills. Image by Pexels/Andre Furtado

Canada is one of the countries with the highest number of South African migrants in its population.

Here is a look at where South Africans who move to Canada are living.

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SOUTH AFRICAN EX-PATS

The countries that are now home to the most South African expats include the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States of America, New Zealand and Canada.

RankCountryNumber of South Africans
1United Kingdom218 180
2Australia206 730
3United States of America139 332
4New Zealand71 382
5Canada51 590

SA expats in other countries. Source: BusinessTech

OPEN FOR MIGRATION

The South Africans moving to Canada choose the country for various reasons.

The fact that the country has a need for skilled workers is one of these. It has one of the world’s strongest economies but it also has one of the world’s oldest populations and lowest birth rates.

Hence the need to welcome migrants.

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SOUTH AFRICANS CHOOSING CANADA

According to Sable International’s Citizenship and Immigration Director, John Dunn, Canada was one of the top five countries South Africans emigrated to in 2023.

BusinessTech says that South Africans have traditionally scored highly in its Express Entry Program for skilled workers.

This is due to English language skills, the ability to obtain skilled work and educational credentials.

SA EX-PATS IN CANADA

According to data from Canada’s latest census, 51 590 South Africans live in that country. The expansive country has 9 provinces.

Data reveals that most South Africans in Canada are now living in urban centres.

This census was conducted three years ago (2021) so these figures might have changed slightly.

PositionCityProvinceNumber of SA expats
1TorontoOntario13 165
2VancouverBritish Columbia9005
3CalgaryAlberta3590
4EdmontonAlberta2595
5HamiltonOntario1590
6OttawaOntario1335
7VictoriaBritish Columbia1245
8MontrealQuebec770
9KelownaBritish Columbia770

Where South African ex-pats in Canada live. Source: Census 2021

WHERE SOUTH AFRICANS LIVE

Courtesy of census data, it is possible to determine where South Africans in Canada are living.

SA expats seem to have a preference for the province of Ontario. Almost half, or 21 540, of all South Africans in the North American country, are based in the province of Ontario.

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