Post-apartheid patterns of internal migration in South Africa

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.

Publication Details

Journal
Human Science Research Council SA
Published
2025-10-07
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14749/30295531
Primary Topic
Agriculture, Water, and Health
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Post-apartheid patterns of internal migration in South Africa

Human Science Research Council SA
Agriculture, Water, and Health
article

Post-apartheid patterns of internal migration in South Africa

article en

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.

Human Science Research Council SA
Sustainable cities and communities
Openalex Percentile: Top 45%
Agriculture, Water, and Health
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Post-apartheid patterns of internal migration in South Africa · Human Science Research Council SA (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS