The State of Urban Safety in South Africa 2024 Report

The South African Cities Network, together with its partners, the GIZ and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is delighted to present the fifth edition of The State of Urban Safety in South Africa Report (SOUS). The 2024 Report, updating on trends
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Governance of the Just Urban Transition

In recent years it has become clear that environmental resource limits (at both local and global scales) and planetary boundaries, such as climate change, pose significant threats to the ability of the Earth to sustain human society
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Boosting Citizen Engagement in Urban Governance through Storytelling

Storytelling has long been a powerful tool for conveying information, engaging audiences, evoking emotions and inspiring action. It encourages participation and collaboration, creating a sense of connection, empathy and shared
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Review of Strategic Plans in the City of Johannesburg

This research report completed in March 2023 was one of the requirements for the degree of Executive Master of Science in Cities for the London School of Economics (LSE, UK), a degree obtained by the author. The research was done with the
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SACN Community Engagement for Community Safety

Community engagement represents an opportunity for local and district municipalities in South Africa to connect and build strengthened relationships with communities, to understand their needs and implement programmes which respond to
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SACN Youth Engagement Toolkit

The South African Cities Network (SACN) commissioned Bantu Lab to develop a youth engagement toolkit that encourages youth participation in governance and urban development. The toolkit was developed in collaboration with young people,
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Practice Guide: Building Political and Administrative Capacity to Respond Collaboratively to Community Safety in South African Cities

This practice guide is intended for all stakeholders working for safer South African cities. It is for government officials, politicians and community members.   It deals with the questions: What are the effective ways of supporting
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SACN Position Paper: SSAR

Despite the implementation of what is arguably one of the largest national housing programmes on the continent, there remains a substantial unmet demand for housing. Current estimates indicate that 2,6 million households (approx. 12
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Urban Festival 2023 Report

For over a decade, cities have faced several shocks, including the 2008/09 global financial and economic crisis, water shortages due to droughts brought about by climate change, the health and socioeconomic devastation of the COVID-19
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Strengthening Linkages Between Work Opportunities and Jobs: Understanding the City of Ekurhuleni’s Labour Markets

This report provides an overview of the City of Ekurhuleni’s labour market and its requirements for skills. It does this by analysing the demand for and supply of skills and the imbalances between these. Investigating both the demand for
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Urban Economic Measurement Framework

South African metropolitan (metro) municipalities comprise 55% of South Africa’s economy[1] and 52% of jobs. Between 2011 and 2021, employment in South African metros increased by 222,000 compared to 212,000 for the country as a whole.
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Resilience of SMMEs in South Africa: A Framework for Understanding and Mitigating Exposure to Shocks and Stressors

Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) are vital to the South African economy, generating substantial employment and contributing to the nation’s overall economic growth. However, recent shock events, including floods, civil
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Nurturing SMMEs: An Evaluation of the SMME Support Landscape in South Africa

This paper explores the landscape of support available for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) operating within the South African economy. By undertaking case studies of different interventions and assessing the roles and impacts
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The State of the Expanded Public Works Programme in South African Cities 2021-2022

The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is a nationwide short- to medium-term government-led initiative. The Programme’s main goals include the provision of social protection and poverty alleviation through the utilisation of public
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The State of Crime and Safety in South African Cities Report 2022

Introduction This report analyses the state of crime and violence in nine of South Africa’s major cities: Johannesburg, Cape Town, eThekwini, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mangaung, Buffalo City and Msunduzi. As noted above,
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