1.1.3X Uneven population distribution (South Africa)

Question 1

Population distribution in South Africa
(1.1.3X)

Answer 1

Very uneven, some parts of the core economic regions such as Gauteng, have population densities of over 1,000 people/km2

Large areas of the Northern Cape Province have densities of less than 5/km2

High population densities found in areas with good mineral resources (e.g. gold & diamonds), good farming potential, and good trading potential, such as Durban and Cape Town.

Question 2

Internal migration in South Africa
(1.1.3X)

Answer 2

Three main periods of internal migration during the 20th and 21st centuries

Economic migration linked with industrial development (until 1950)

Forced migration related to apartheid movement

Voluntary migration following the collapse of the apartheid system

Question 3

Result of internal migration in South Africa
(1.1.3X)

Answer 3

After apartheid, many blacks migrated from homeland areas to large cities for work as migrant labourers in the gold and diamond mines

Poverty still forces many to live in substandard housing

Large urban areas have been attracting migrants, small towns and rural areas have been losing them

Question 4

Circular migration in South Africa
(1.1.3X)

Answer 4

Circular migration - When a worker moves repeatedly between home and host areas

More women migrated to towns and cities to work, leaving children in rural areas to be cared by grandparents

Circular migrants usually take poorly paid and insecure jobs in the informal economy

Common due to high cost of living in urban areas and need for grandparents to take care of children

However the poorest are unable to migrate without finance or social networks to help them