ABSTRACT
The First and Third Worlds meet in South African metropolitan regions, with regard both to housing and employment. The dichotomy is due partly to different demographic profiles and technological backgrounds, and partly to differential access to political power. Housing and labour market conditions have been shaped by race laws, particularly since the adoption of apartheid as official policy in 1948. The enforcement of racial–residential segregation has led to the large-scale relocation of African, Coloured and Asian families, usually towards the outskirts of cities. There is no overall housing market but instead a set of racially segmented markets characterized by different systems of financing and tenure. Since South Africa is not a developed country, the urbanization process displays certain Third World characteristics. The African population grew rapidly during and after World War II when Durban experienced industrial expansion.
