Moving to cities uplifts hundreds of thousands, even in difficult times

Abstract

Many people who migrate to cities from the countryside have managed to lift themselves out of extreme poverty, despite the poor economic performance of the South African economy over the last decade. However, many also refrain from committing fully to urban lifestyles. This dual existence may add to their cost of living and could perpetuate the psychological divide between town and country, write Prof. Ivan Turok and Dr Justin Visagie.