ABSTRACT
Urbanization ranks as one of the most significant and far-reaching dynamics currently affecting South African society. No one really knows how big the major cities are or precisely how fast they are growing, but several features of the urbanization process are clear. First, most urban growth is occurring in and around the four major metropolitan areas: Pretoria—Witwatersrand—Vereeniging; Durban; Cape Town; and Port Elizabeth—Uitenhage. Second, although in-migration is occurring apace, most urban growth is the result of natural increase: the urban explosion is irreversible and will continue for a long time to come. Third, the highest rates of growth are amongst the poorest people: the dominant demographic tendencies are faster, younger, and poorer. Fourth, accompanying this dynamic of growth are high and increasing levels of poverty, inequality and unemployment, with a large and increasing proportion of people seeking survival in the informal economic sector: the socio-economic profile within South African cities corresponds increasingly with those of other Third World cities.
