Abstract
Between 1996 and 2001 South African towns and cities have continued the slow process of residential desegregation which was first noted in the previous inter-census period. The changes have been group-specific and place-specific, and the experiences of different groups and regions have differed substantially. The key African–White index of dissimilarity remains exceptionally high throughout the country, although it has now shown some evidence of decline. The Free State stands out as being significantly more segregated than the rest of the country. KwaZulu-Natal continues to be the most desegregated province and significant changes are evident in this respect for most inter-group indices. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the urban population continues to live in highly segregated suburbs.