Urban land reform: rethinking informal settlements in pre-apartheid, apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa

le 10/01/2020

According to UN-Habitat, more than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas; and out of every ten urban residents of the world, more than seven are in developing countries. This increase in the urban population worldwide has led to the growth of informal settlements which are often characterized by poverty, tenure insecurity, a lack of basic services and overcrowding.

While urbanization and informal settlements are particularly pronounced problems in Africa,  South Africa has had a long and difficult history with spatial segregation.  The OHCHR reports that apartheid-era legislation in South Africa led to both insecure land rights and a lack of housing for the majority of South Africa’s population.  Housing continues to be an issue in the country.

This data story takes readers through a history of 100 years of informal settlements in South Africa, giving them insights into informal settlements before and during apartheid, the post-apartheid response to informal settlements and the current understanding of informal settlements in South Africa.

This data story was written in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) South Africa and was created using ESRI story maps.  The Land Portal uses Data Stories to present data in innovative and engaging ways using photos, quotes, maps, infographics or other means to convey data. Data Stories aim to go beyond reporting the facts and the data, taking the readers through a narrative and showing the context behind the data.

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Source : Land Portal