Exploring the role of spatial mismatch on educational attainment in South African metropolitan areas: spatial data analysis

The spatial location of job opportunities contributes to people's livelihood outcomes. Privileged communities are well located and have access to advanced educational systems, while poor communities are marginalized with deprived education outcomes. Understanding the influence of spatial mismatch on educational attainment requires information about job locations and education levels. Using a regression model, the study examined the role of spatial mismatch in explaining education attainment in South African metropolitan areas. Data were acquired per sub-place from Stats SA, CSIR, and GeoTerraImage. The regression models in all metros confirmed the relationship between spatial mismatch and educational attainment, which is valuable for area-based and people-based development approaches. The findings presented a significant relationship between spatial mismatch and educational attainment. Through the results, the study concluded that spatial mismatch is one of the significant determinants of educational attainment in South African metro areas.