Report on the role cities play

The latest State of the Cities Report, released by the South African Cities Network on Wednesday, indicates that South Africa’s major cities have been crucial in driving growth, generating almost two-thirds of the country’s economic activity and just over half of national employment.

They are expected to be effective drivers of the National Development Plan, a 30-year development blueprint for the country.

With job losses and the economic downturn affecting rich and poor, attention is increasingly focused on the role cities play in stimulating and supporting economic development.

The report looking at city development and service delivery performance against local benchmarks and strategies, national urban development priorities and international development targets, is issued every five years.

It influences national policy and strategy through messages about what is required to achieve the desired urban development outcomes. It is also used to advise and inform the plans and strategies of cities by generating specialised and technical evidence and insights.

The full report is available at http://www.socr.co.za/