ABSTRACT
One of the challenges many countries in the global south face is managing the rapid peri-urban expansion into surrounding villages. In the past years, peri-urban expansion analysis has been experienced extensively in big cities. It has however through urbanisation, which is accompanied by globalisation, made its way into small rural towns. However, there is very little that is known about peri-urban expansion in small rural towns. Consequently, this paper examines the complex issues related to spatial planning, service delivery, and governance concerns in Makhado Biaba town in South Africa. The work adopted a mixed methods research approach, which employs both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Findings show that there are various issues influencing the livelihoods of the rural communities surrounding the small rural town of Makhado local municipality.
