This article uses South African census data for 1996, 2001 and 2011 to explore the relationship between
language and demographic change in the metropolitan region of Cape Town. We begin with a conceptual and
methodological discussion of the use of ‘language’ as a demographic variable, before commencing with a GISbased
analysis of the changing relationship between ‘household language’ and selected census variables
associated with post-apartheid demographic change. We focus particular attention on variables selected to
shed light on urban inequality, such as education level, income, race and in-migration. Data on adults at ward
level in Cape Town is used to develop a comparative spatial context for this analysis. Our main finding is a
significant level of continuity between 1996 and 2011 with respect to the geo-social patterning of the three
main languages in the metro: Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa. We argue that English and Afrikaans have
retained status through proximity to key development corridors. We explain this trend in terms of different
streams of migrants, settling at different times and in different regions of the city.