OECD Territorial Reviews
Subtitle: The Gauteng City-Region, South Africa 2011
By: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Series: OECD Territorial Reviews; OECD territorial reviews
Publisher: OECD Publishing
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Paris
Language: eng
Format: [electronic resource] /
Number of pages: 268
ISBN-13: 9789264122840
Subjects: Governance; Rural and Regional Development Urban
Description: With 22% of the national population (11.2 million inhabitants), the Gauteng city-region is the largest and richest region in South Africa, contributing to one-third of national GDP. The area encompasses a series of connected cities, including Johannesburg and the national capital of Tshwane (formerly Pretoria), that function as a single, integrated region. Gauteng has been South Africa’s growth engine: for every additional 1% growth in population in the province, 1.6% is added to its contribution to national growth, implying higher productivity than in other parts of the country. Nevertheless, the city-region’s growth potential is constrained by deep socio-economic challenges, including high unemployment (26.9%) and low productivity growth. Its rapid demographic and economic development has also reinforced the spatial segregation instituted under apartheid. Against the backdrop of South Africa’s achievements since the fall of apartheid, this Review evaluates measures to position economic development policy and to confront economic inequality in Gauteng. The issues of adequate housing as a catalyst of economic development and a vehicle for socioeconomic integration, transport mobility and public service delivery are examined in detail. The Review also assesses the economic growth potential of the manufacturing and green sectors, as well as governance issues, focussing on the potential of intergovernmental collaboration in advancing a cross-cutting regional approach for Gauteng.
Table of contents: title: Foreword; title: Acknowledgements; title: Acronyms and abbreviations; title: Basic statistics of the Gauteng city-region; title: Assessment and recommendations; title: A growing but polarised city-region; title: Addressing inequality and expanding economic opportunity; title: Reforming city-region governance in Gauteng.