The foundation for national economic growth begins with our local economies, cities and townships. Municipalities shape the living conditions of South Africans as economic, social, and employment hubs. Thriving economies begin with functional and well-serviced cities.
They ensure that clean water is flowing, human settlements are dignified, and they keep industries alive. Yet, SA cities are falling apart – Johannesburg’s roads are full of potholes, eThekwini can't pay its bills after major floods, Cape Town is struggling with spatially just human settlements.
Major cities can no longer cope with basic service delivery. This is worsened by climate disasters and low levels of economic opportunity. To solve the problem, cities need to work together to turn the situation around.
At the heart of this crisis is a divergence between the ideals for which these cities stand for and the misalignments with fundamental capacities within the cities. City officials often fail to enforce the development rules and bylaws. Criminals steal cables and pipes, and the infrastructure is crumbling.
The pattern is clear countrywide –many cities that were once symbols of progress and opportunity are now synonymous with dysfunction and decline.
When Eskom cuts the power, it's not just about sitting in the dark. Hospitals can't operate properly. Water pumps stop working. Traffic lights go out. Opportunistic crime spikes. The whole system falls apart and community confidence in local government is undermined.
Cities can't solve these issues alone – the problems have become too big and connected.
Some places in SA have already shown that cooperation works, just like how the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) initiative was rolled out. It became the fastest built automotive production site because of the network of cooperation and sharing of knowledge between Coega Development Corporation from the Eastern Cape and Gauteng government. This cooperation got the job done, creating more than 3,000 permanent jobs in Tshwane.
The project showcases what we need more of: cities and provinces sharing their skills and resources. And it is not an isolated example. During the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal, cities across the country sent emergency teams to help. Western Cape fire services have assisted other provinces during wildfire seasons.
Rather than sporadic, crisis-driven collaboration, we need a fundamental shift. This practice of moving technical teams to where they are needed can be replicated.
Cities need to start sharing money, knowledge, and people. If Cape Town has a great way to fix potholes, eThekwini must learn and benefit from the methods used. If Johannesburg trains excellent engineers, Nelson Mandela Bay must benefit through a deliberate platform of technical work streams.
Cities face the same problems; surely, they should share the solutions. Cross-cutting interventions can offer a blueprint for co-producing prosperity through institutional innovation and cooperative investments. Similar to how TASEZ was created.
The government's District Development Model could aid in this effort with its One plan and One Budget approach. Instead of each city working alone, the model could help them work together by creating an institutional framework for layered cooperation. They could share costs, share expertise, and learn from each other's mistakes, giving a solid foundation to plan and achieve development goals together.
Cities need help with fundamental skills, such as managing finances, planning projects, and maintaining infrastructure. They can learn or borrow these skills from each other.
There must be municipalities that have developed innovative ways to improve payment rates and reduce theft. Others have found effective methods for maintaining water infrastructure or managing waste. These solutions should be shared, not kept secret.
The solutions don't have to be complicated.
Cities could share training programmes – if one city trains great electricians, the same training could also benefit other cities.
Instead of hiring new staff or consultants, municipalities can share existing talent on temporary projects or mission-driven relocation rather than permanent reassignment.
Cities require legal frameworks and funding models that support joint projects.
Cities could pool their purchases to get cost savings. Instead of each city negotiating separate deals for street lights or buses, they could optimise on procurement together.
Technology offers new opportunities for cooperation. Imagination and innovation are important to achieve a major breakthrough in service delivery.
Using big data systems to manage service delivery can shorten decision- making processes for leaders in budgeting and planning phases. Optimise these systems with AI, and manage supplier databases, cites can identify more accurate solutions for specific problems more timeously.
The benefits of cooperation are obvious but implementing them requires both political will and practical mechanisms. Most importantly, they need to start small.
South African cities can continue to struggle alone and fail, or they can start working together and turn things around.
People living in SA’s cities deserve better. They deserve clean water, safe streets, working traffic lights and city governments that work effectively.
- Mqina is a public policy commentator
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