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. Prospects of South Africa’s economy growing, creating jobs, reducing poverty, and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs will be primarily driven by the urban economies of its metros. While metros are critical to enabling the economy to prosper, evidence suggests an uneven track record in recent decades.

By harnessing the growing availability of administrative, official, and third-party data, metros are better positioned to gain insight into the functioning of their city economies and, on that basis, identify and prioritise interventions that are more likely to yield meaningful developmental returns.