Rural-Urban Migration Trends in South Africa: Causes, Challenges, and Future Outlook

Description

Page: 1616-1621

Hlanganani Mnguni¹, Khumo Fortunate Pule², Fanelesibonge Masinga³, and Yamkela Majikijela⁴ (Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results-Anglophone Africa, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa^1,2, Human Science Research Council, DCES, Pretoria, South Africa^3, and Department of Applied Management, Administration & Ethical Leadership, University of Fort Hare, East London, South Africa⁴)

This paper examines rural-urban migration trends in South Africa, drawing on Lee’s Push-Pull Theory to explore the drivers, consequences, and policy implications of this mobility. Migration is largely driven by persistent rural poverty, underinvestment in infrastructure, and lack of educational and employment opportunities, which act as push factors. Conversely, urban centres offer the perceived promise of jobs, services, and modern lifestyles, attracting migrants in search of better prospects. However, the rapid rate of urbanisation has outpaced planning capacities, resulting in housing shortages, the expansion of informal settlements, and deepened urban inequality. At the same time, rural communities suffer from youth and skills drain, declining agricultural productivity, and weakened social cohesion. The legacy of apartheid spatial planning continues to structure both urban exclusion and rural neglect, limiting the developmental potential of migration. While remittances and return migration offer some positive impacts, these remain uneven and largely uncoordinated. The study concludes that migration in South Africa is both a response to and a symptom of entrenched structural inequalities. Sustainable solutions require integrated rural and urban policy reforms, greater investment in rural development, and inclusive governance to harness migration for national development.