Suburbs and smaller towns, once overlooked by those tethered to urban offices, are now experiencing a surge in popularity as more people are able to prioritise lifestyle factors such as space, safety, and access to nature.

Eastern Cape’s major metros are seeing an influx of people from surrounding rural areas, driven by access to tertiary education at the province’s major universities and the search for meaningful employment opportunities. Though the urbanisation trend is not unique to the Eastern Cape, the province’s metros are particularly understocked to meet the high demand for affordable housing, according to Letlatsa Lekhelebana, Senior Portfolio Manager and Funeka Ndalasi, Portfolio Manager at TUHF in the Eastern Cape.

Cities can be dynamic, exciting hubs – or they can be crime-ridden danger zones visited under duress or because of duty.

South African needs to develop a national integrated urban development framework to assist municipalities to effectively manage rapid urbanisation.

The economic slowdown has led to a search for growth opportunities. Urbanization is being raised as a possibility for China’s economy.

Holcim reported a doubling in its nine month net profit and said it expected to post a record result for 2007