Repatriations, which followed anti-illegal immigration marches including those by protest group March and March, have changed population predictions for the year. South Africa’s population reached an estimated 63.52 million people at the middle of 2026, according to Statistics South Africa’s latest mid-year population estimates. Migration on the rise… and thenStats SA calculates net migration annually, running from July to June each year. The report noted that prior to June 2026, the model had assumed an upward trend in net migration since 2021. Net migration among the white population also declined, from 926,727 in 2016-2021 to 883,807 in 2021-2026.