Post-apartheid patterns of internal migration in South Africa

Abstract

Popular belief in debate is that urbanisation has increased substantially in the new South Africa, when in fact patterns of internal migration have remained static since the late-1970s. Internal migration patterns have been under-researched since the easing of restrictions in 1990. This study fills the gap with some surprising results, drawing on census and other secondary data. This publication gives a new foundation for internal migration studies with its clear definitions of migration concepts and new techniques and approaches to data analyses. It also provides guidelines for questions in future surveys, paving the way for larger projects on the causes of migration.