This National Spatial Trends Overview is meant to form a key baseline input to the forthcoming national urban development framework, and was to build onto work already done within the National Spatial Development Perspective (NSDP), as well as take into account recent publication of trend data and enhanced capabilities to conduct more nuanced spatial analysis. In conducting the analysis it became evident that the character and role of not only cities and city regions are changing, but also that of the range of other settlements in the country.

Within this context, government is embarking on a process to review the National Urban Development Framework (NUDF). In support of this process, the CSIR, Built Environment has been commissioned by the South African Cities Network (SACN) to identify significant national demographic, economic, social and service trends impacting on the national space economy and the growth and development of South Africa’s towns, cities and city regions.