About this site

This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. It is the product of almost two decades of research and includes analyses, chronologies, historical documents, and interviews from the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

2. Analysis

2.1 Scale of analysis

The study is limited by data availability to the 1980s, with some reference to the 1970s. For this period several groups of regions are examined.

. The most aggregate group is the former development regions, numbering nine.

. The next level of disaggregation distinguishes between former homeland and provincial areas of the development regions, giving 23 subregions. From this disaggregation it is possible to compare inequality both across and within provinces and homelands. In addition, comparisons can be made between former provinces and between the TBVC and 'self-governing' former homelands.

. The final disaggregation is to the level of the magisterial district, which is used for the analysis of inequality within KwaZulu/Natal and Eastern Transvaal.

2.2 Methods of analysis

Conventional measures of inequality, including coefficients of variation and ratios of maxima to minima, are calculated at the three levels of regional disaggregation for several demographic and economic variables. The significance of inter- and intraregional inequality is determined by simple statistical techniques such as analysis of variance. For former Regions E and F, econometric estimation of equations derived from the limited data available allows some comparison of the structure and behaviour of each region with that of the country as a whole.

Assessment of the impact of national policies is made on the basis of descriptive economic and demographic data for each region, including regional input, import and export coefficients derived from existing input-output and social accounting matrix data. These assessments are largely qualitative and not generated through formal modelling of policy effects.

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