Informal settlements represent the failure of South Africa’s labour market. A just urban transition places significant emphasis on economic considerations as central to climate-informed development. Place-based, place-making and circular economy approaches hold significant potential for foregrounding the economic dimensions and potential of informal settlement upgrading, with public employment programmes playing a critical role in the transformation of informal settlements.

The persistent presence and growth of informal settlements should be understood as a national crisis, requiring extraordinary measures and targeted investment. Using a just urban transition frame, this crisis can become a vital opportunity, not only for informal settlement residents but also for the urban systems that these settlements are part of.