cities

FOREWORD
From the Chairperson of the South African Cities Network
Five years down the line from the previous State of South African Cities
Report, city governance has seen several important developments. While
South Africa is expressing a new vision for cities, reflected in the new Integrated
Urban Development Framework (IUDF), the world is very much doing the
same. The pursuit of sustainable models and solutions are everywhere, fuelled
by the recognition of continued urbanisation and the related mammoth
national and global development challenges and opportunities.
Cllr Parks Tau
I have said before that African cities are at the forefront of rapidly accelerating
Chairperson
change – demographically, economically, environmentally and developmentally
in general. This was reaffirmed at the Africities Summit, which South Africa hosted in 2015. The SoCR 2016
contributes our unique national and local perspectives on the role of cities and mobilises all of us – the
different stakeholders, institutions, spheres and sectors – to work towards a successful urban future. This
requires us to reflect upon the SoCR’s analyses and messages in relation to the goals and direction offered
by the National Development Plan 2030, the IUDF, the Sustainable Development Goals, and Habitat III.
Local government is unequivocally the right level for driving development. The fourth edition of the SoCR
reminds us that this role has to be enabled by the range of urban actors, resourced properly, and guided by
strong, accountable leadership. This is the only way we will succeed, while preventing negative urban
manifestations such as unequal growth, crime, xenophobic violence, and the energy crisis.
From the Chief Executive Officer of the South African Cities Network
The fourth SoCR shows that South Africa’s cities have been resilient and are now
maturing, 15 years down the line. This report is basically saying that cities are
driving South Africa’s growth and development. However, to play this role, cities
need to be supported and funded properly. In addition, our institutions need to
be reconfigured to ensure that cities have the functions and support necessary
for them to succeed.
In taking a longitudinal perspective, the report represents an important synthesis
Sithole Mbanga
of hindsight, as a retrospective assessment of the journey travelled by cities, and
Chief Executive Officer foresight, through identifying systematically future concerns and considerations
for cities. Importantly, pursing these contributes to greater insight about our cities, thereby improving our
understanding of the role of cities and what is required to ensure their success.
As we tackle the next 15 years leading up to our national vision horizon (2030), we will need to act
decisively upon the opportunities and challenges raised in this report, to ensure that we are able, through
good and collaborative governance, to steer a path towards inclusive and sustainable growth.
FOREWORD 7