Migration of people from rural to urban areas has seen 385 000 South Africans break free from extreme poverty.
This is according to a study that tracked the progress of a representative sample of some 30 000 people between 2008 and 2014. As reported by the Conversation Africa, analysis by the Human Sciences Research Council found that a proactive urban policy is likely to improve upward social mobility in South Africa, where it is generally very low compared to other countries.
Research has proven that urbanisation has a positive impact on people’s lives. In China, for example, it resulted in 500 million people being taken out of poverty over a 30-year period. Another economic advantage of urbanisation is a boost in productivity, creativity and efficiencies in the delivery of public services, which in turn strengthens economic development.
