Botlhale Insights: Why African Cities Are Growing and What Challenges They Face?

Cities often represent possibilities and promise. They are known to attract people searching for opportunity, growth, development and a better future. The city of Johannesburg, being one of Africa’s major economic hubs, embodies this promise. Yet beneath the facade of opportunity lies a more complex reality. 

Johannesburg has grown to become the largest city in South Africa. It forms part of a metropolitan region that includes Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, all within Gauteng Province. With the rise of urbanisation, the city is now faced with significant challenges, including the rapid growth of informal settlements and deficiencies in service delivery. 

As we near the local government elections, it is important to understand the dynamics and factors influencing these challenges. With that in mind, we should use the remaining months leading to the ballot to reflect  carefully on which political party to support.

The Urban Paradox 

Since 1990, over 5000 new cities have emerged in Africa. This urban expansion has empowered millions of people across all socio-economic groups, as urbanisation drives economic transformation. It is estimated that approximately 30% of Africa’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the last 20 years has been driven by urbanisation.  

Cities generate increases in productivity and drive development, attracting skilled job seekers and improving access to service delivery for urban dwellers. To give you an idea, infrastructure in urban areas is often closer, more modern, accessible and with expanding digital connectivity. In contrast, many rural areas remain remote, and with costly transportation fares required to access the city. Additionally , some parts in rural areas are faced with limited connectivity issues restricting access and widening the digital divide due to  uneven distribution between cities and villages.

Despite this growth, unemployment and housing shortages in Johannesburg remain significantly high. 

The Gauteng City-Region Observatory recorded Gauteng unemployment at 41,9% and 38,9% in the first quarter of 2024. With  these figures, lies a growing and often overlooked group  : discouraged job seekers. These individuals have stopped actively searching for employment due to the lack of job opportunities, underemployment, no feedback from employers and hopelessness contribute to a pause in the search.    

Even with the city’s efforts to improve the lives of residents, poverty and inequalities persist. Demographic shifts reflected by rapid urbanisation  is reshaping the city’s spatial planning and economic landscape, with long-term implications. This is due to the changes that Johannesburg has undergone since the collapse of the Apartheid policy. Although policies such as the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) were introduced to reverse discriminatory laws i.e historical spatial planning , the deep-rooted economic disparities remain.

On the other hand, a growing population growth has increased the vulnerability of many residents through the expansion of informal settlements. These settlements are rapidly across metropolitan areas especially in Gauteng, Western Cape, North West and Northern Cape driven by housing shortages.  

Living conditions in these areas are often harsh. Residents face limited water supply, electricity and sanitation. Many settlements are also exposed to environmental risks such as increasing health hazards, flooding and further hindering sustainable urban development. 

 Key Challenges Facing The City 

While Johannesburg is a major urban centre, it is currently facing growing water scarcity. These challenges are partly linked to the Phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project due to an increase in demand driven by an increasing population and high levels of water usage per household. 

In some areas, residents go for extended periods without water, compromising sanitation and quality of life. 

A recent example is the water crisis in Midrand where residents embarked on a peaceful protest because they were aggrieved by the prolonged and recurring water disruptions. According to WaterCAN communities like Melville and Meldene, “residents had endured approximately 14 days without water, while residents in Selby have experienced intermittent or no supply to water for close to five months”. 

Reports indicated infrastructure failures, including the explosion at the pump station and  major leaks at the reservoir and overstretched resources. However, residents encountered poor communication from the responsible authorities and this worsened the situation. Transparency is essential during a crisis because the lack of communication exposes deteriorating systems and can erode public trust. 

Governance and Policy Implementation 

Rapid urbanisation continues to expose weaknesses in government capacity.  According to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, local governments are responsible for ensuring democratic, accountable governance and providing essential services.  

However the major challenge often lies not in policy design, but the implementation. We need a government that can reform policies that will enhance cities and drive economic growth; because the legacy of spatial planning, multidimensional exclusions shape urban governance. Therefore, policies implemented must address historical inequalities rooted in spatial planning. 

Urban governance is complex, it involves multiple actors with competing interests. These include government agencies, political actors and private stakeholders. As a result, governance now appears fragmented, with challenges related to coherence, coordination, accountability and resource allocation. 

In turn, to transform cities  into economic engines of sustainable growth, frameworks such as Sustainable Development Goal 11 remind us that our laws and regulations shape how cities function. Cities that are more efficient treat people fairly and address urban challenges. Sustainable development requires “we meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. 

Political implications 

Political instability continues to undermine the city’s ability to effectively implement policies, pass budgets and engage stakeholders. 

Assuming we proceed to support the ANC government remain in power–public frustration particularly in response to corruption, poor service delivery and inequality will persist.  Processes such as the Madlanga Commission of inquiry reflect the rising dissatisfaction with governance and misuse of public resources. 

The future of our country depends on active citizen participation. Political tensions risk deepening instability and slowing development. 

As such, citizens must critically engage in the democratic process.

Conclusion 

As we approach the local government elections, it becomes increasingly important to ask whether cities like Johannesburg are equipped with the governance capacity needed to address these growing challenges.

Having lived in Johannesburg my entire life, I remain concerned and hopeful. While the city shows immense potential. There are visible signs and daily reminders of decline such as–deteriorating infrastructure, expanding informal settlement and water scarcity–which highlight the urgency for reform.

Meaningful change will require accountable leadership, effective policy implementation and active citizen participation. 

In the coming articles, I explore how urban governance and political accountability intersect in shaping the future of South African cities.

Bibliography 

• Bega, S. (2026) Residents ‘angry and exhausted’ as Joburg’s water outages drag on. Available at: https://mg.co.za/the-green-guardian/2026-02-04-residents-angry-and-exhausted-as-joburgs-water-outages-drag-on/
• Gauteng City-Region Observatory (2024) Unemployment statistics in Gauteng.
• Modiba, M., Ndlovu, T. & Musiyandaka, D. (Year unknown) Unemployment in Gauteng. Available at: https://doi.org/10.36634/AJFY1899
• Mongae, M. (2025) City Profiling Report: Johannesburg.
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) et al. (2022) Africa’s Urbanisation Dynamics: The Economic Power of Africa’s Cities.
• Smit, W. (2018) Urban Governance in Africa: An Overview.
• Kasimbazi, E. (2022) Promoting Sustainable Development of Cities Using Urban Legislation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• WaterCAN (2025) Community Action Network Citizen Science in Action: Testing Week Final Report.
• Constitution of the Republic of South Africa
• Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act
• Sustainable Development Goal 11

Phiwe Mncwabe is a pan-African storyteller, blogger and founder of Botlhale Hub Afrika.

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I am not affiliated to any political party. I am affiliated to the Africans. 

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