The suffocating cost of transport in the Gauteng City-Region
This Map of the Month shows that where you live in Gauteng determines how much you pay to travel. In many wards in township areas and on the periphery of the GCR, people travelling to work or shop may spend on average up to 50% of their per capita household income on transport. This is far above the national affordability target of 10%. The map reveals a deep spatial inequality where the poor are effectively ‘taxed by distance’, paying proportionally more to access work and shops. Without targeted subsidies and integrated planning, the relative cost of mobility will remain a key barrier to opportunity.
Date of publication:
October 2025
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Gender and race representation in Johannesburg’s street renaming initiatives
Johannesburg’s street renaming initiatives have improved racial and gender representation among Johannesburg’s 49 renamed streets. Before 1994, no streets honoured black figures, 22 commemorated white figures, and 27 were not named after people. Only 2 honoured women, while 20 commemorated men. After renaming, 39 street names honour black figures, 5 commemorate white figures, and 5 are not named after a person. Gender representation has also shifted significantly, with 16 streets renamed after men and 28 after women, including major arterials such as Albertina Sisulu Road and Winnie Mandela Drive.
Date of publication:
September 2025
Grade 10 enrolments by type of mathematics in the Gauteng Province
Choosing between Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, and Technical Mathematics in Grade 10 is crucial for learners and their guardians, impacting future education and careers. This Map of the Month analyzes the choices made by Gauteng’s Grade 10 class of 2025, revealing low enrolment in Mathematics overall, and especially low enrolment in schools in poorer areas. The discussion highlights the need to create economic opportunities where strong maths skills are not a barrier to further education or employment.
Date of publication:
July 2025
Mapping social assistance in Gauteng
This Map of the Month uses data from the Quality of Life 7 (2023/24) survey to examine the spatial distribution of households receiving social grants in Gauteng. The map also explores the gendered dimension of social grants by considering how grant receipt patterns vary between female- and male-headed households, both in overall terms and spatially across different parts of the province.
Date of publication:
May 2025
Industrial specialisation, diversification, and concentration in post-apartheid Gauteng: 1994 - 2023
In the post-apartheid period, Gauteng has undergone significant shifts in its industrial composition and spatial arrangement of its industrial capabilities. Using the measure of Location Quotients, this Map of the Month analyses changes in industrial specialisations, concentration and diversification in Gauteng from 1994 to 2023. The analysis provides nuanced insights that may be useful in policy debates around agglomeration economies, spatial changes in regional economies and place-based industrialisation.
Date of publication:
March 2025
