| introduction |
| profiling the marginalised |
| key policy goals |
introduction Despite its importance in terms of economic weight in South Africa and on the sub-continent, the Gauteng city-region faces many challenges. These include high levels of poverty, unemployment and social exclusion. South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in the world, and this stark reality is particularly evident in Gauteng cities and towns. Spatial concentrations of huge wealth sit alongside large informal settlements. And although there is gradual integration, the concentration of different population groups in specific areas previously designated for them by apartheid remains evident today. Thus, while the Gauteng city-region has a diverse and fast growing economy, the labour market is not yet dynamic enough to accommodate the aspirations of all prospective workers. Economic activity is still patterned by assumptions and interactions inherited from the apartheid era that often limit the opportunities for new market entrants, especially young work-seekers. The result is a quality of life for some that matches, and often exceeds, that enjoyed by residents of developed world cities, but high levels of frustration and marginalisation for many others.
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