In the coming years, South Africa's urban centers are expected to evolve in ways that could reshape the country's economic and social landscape.
Experts predict that by 2030, Johannesburg, the biggest city in South Africa and Pretoria will combine to form a new mega-city with a population of more than 10 million people.
The United Nations predicts that between 2018 and 2035, the ten fastest-growing cities in the world will all be in Africa.
Johannesburg has about 6,445,000 people in its metropolitan area in 2025 which is nearly 2% more than in the previous year, as per ExpressUK.
While, Pretoria is smaller, with around 2,955,000 people which has grown by 2.25% since last year.
Johannesburg and Pretoria are both in Gauteng province which is South Africa's main economic center.
Experts further explain that the northeastern part of the country is growing the fastest, largely due to development projects and transport routes that connect Johannesburg and Pretoria to major seaports like Durban and Cape Town, boosting regional and national economic growth.
Pam Golding's report read: “Centres such as Sandton, Rosebank, Fourways, Midrand, Pretoria East and a number of others are continuing to develop strongly, demonstrating a high degree of confidence from investors."
The planned development will add 19 new stations to the Gautrain network, which is an 80-kilometer fast train system connecting Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekurhuleni, and O. R. Tambo International Airport.
This expansion will also include a new connection to Lanseria Airport.
