Magister Artium - MA (Geography, Environmental & Tourism Studies)

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Aquaponics as a viable food production alternative in the Western Cape - the role of consumer and non-consumer perceptions
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Gillion, Hazel-Ann
The global population is expanding exponentially and much population growth is taking place in urban areas. This urban population growth has been accompanied by increased pressure on the natural environment, food and water resources. Urbanisation leads to fierce contestation for land, resulting in reduced available land for agriculture, along with increased demand for food. This study analysed consumer perceptions towards aquaponic products as a means to reduce food insecurity, diversify diets and increase nutrition, while providing an alternative to traditional urban farming. This study identified barriers for acceptance of aquaponic produce, and produces a model that illustrates consumers’ willingness to accept aquaponic produce. The study implemented a mixed methodology approach. Both quantitative data, in the form of an online survey, and qualitative data with in-depth interviews, were undertaken. Quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The quantitative data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and the data presentation used simple frequencies, percentages and means. The results convey barrier factors to acceptability, which include assumptions that aquaponic farming will increase the cost of food, uncertainty about farming aquaponically, as well as high startup costs. Overall respondents were enthusiastic, and positive and showed willingness to accept a new innovative farming technology, namely aquaponics. The study yielded 108 respondents of which 75% of the respondents reacted positively to accepting aquaponic farming and produce. Consumer acceptability is important to determine the economic viability of aquaponics, as well as influence the type of aquaponic systems viable for farmers to develop. Researchers have looked to innovative solutions, such as hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaculture, vertical farming, and aquaponics to decouple from conventional farming.
Assessing the spatial variability of neglected and underutilized crop species (NUS) leaf and canopy chlorophyll content in KwaZulu-Natal smallholder farms using unmanned aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based high-throughput phenotyping
(University of thw Western Cape, 2025) Kamteni, Yola
Assessing the variability of crop chlorophyll content as an indicator of productivity is essential for optimising the production of Neglected and Underutilized crop Species (NUS) crops like as sweet potato and taro as well as establishing them among mainstream food crops. These NUS present a viable solution to address food and nutritional deficiencies in marginalised communities. Recent advancements in precision agriculture, particularly the use of drones outfitted with high-resolution sensors, have been demonstrated to offer near real-time, spatially explicit data that are invaluable for accurately monitoring and assessing crop growth dynamics at both farm and plot scales. The combined use of UAV-borne remote sensing techniques offers a platform for comprehensively understanding NUS crop productivity characteristics, which can guide operational decisions related to crop health, enabling timely remedial actions and optimising productivity. Hence, the purpose of this research was to assess the usefulness of data obtained from drones and remotely sensed data in mapping the leaf and canopy chlorophyll content of taro and sweet potato crops as a proxy for productivity. The first objective systematically reviewed existing literature on the use of earth observation data in characterising NUS productivity elements on smallholder croplands. The second objectivesought to predict the leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) of taro and sweet potato crops using UAV- derived data while comparatively assessing the accuracy of Random Forest (RF), Linear Regression, and Neural Network regressions in estimating chlorophyll across these NUS crops. The third objective sought to estimate the canopy chlorophyll content (CCC) of taro and sweet potato crops using UAV remotely sensed data. It also compared the prediction accuracies of LCC and CCC of the NUS based on RF. The findings of the review showed that very few published studies have focused on estimating and assessing both foliar and canopy chlorophyll content variability as an indicator of plant growth in NUS, particularly within smallholder contexts. Relative to the second objective, the findings revealed that the best machine algorithm for predicting the Leaf Chlorophyll Content (LCC) is the RF regression ensemble. Specifically, LCC prediction for sweet potato in the late vegetative growth phase showed limited accuracy, with an R2 of 0.23, a RMSE of 13.6 μmol m-2 and a RRMSE of11% based on SR1, CIRE ,The https://uwcscholar.uwc.ac.za/homeII chlorophyll content of the sweet potato crop was noted to be relatively higher than that of taro throughout the phenotyping stages. Using the RF algorithm, results showed that CCC can be accurately predicted during the mid-vegetative growth stage for both sweet potato and taro. For sweet potato, the prediction achieved an RMSE of 9.2% and R2 = 0.91 μmol m-2 with the most important variables being Cirededge, RED, NDV Irededge, Rededge, CIRE, and CI green. For taro the prediction yielded an RMSE of 14.5% and R2 = 0.96 μmol m-2 with CIrededge, GREEN, NIR, CIRE, and RGR as the most effective variables, ranked by significance. Additionally, the CCC estimation accuracies were significantly higher that the LCC estimation. This suggested that the CCC of NUS may be optimally estimated when compared to the LCC of sweet potato and taro throughout the development period. Overall, the results of this research imply that sweet potato and taro chlorophyll content can be optimally estimated using RF regression ensemble and UAV spectral variables across the growing season. This emphasizes how urgently UAV technology is needed to enhance the assessment of chlorophyll content and ultimately crop monitoring, offering insightful data for sustainable farming methods in food-insecure regions.
Mapping the changes in vegetation spatial extent within the Khayelitsha wetlands, Western Cape Province, utilizing remotely sensed data
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Bija, Nande
Urban wetlands play an important role in providing ecosystem services and supporting biodiversity as a habitat. These ecosystem services include reducing severe impacts of floods by helping slow the overland flow amongst other services. However, despite the importance of wetland ecosystems and their services, their value and role across the board, is under threat from anthropogenic, and climate change-related events. Rapid urbanization and human encroachment are the major drivers of wetland vegetation fragmentation which leads to their degradation in urban areas. To prevent further destruction of urban wetland areas, it is essential to develop robust methods for inventorying their spatial distribution, and Land Use Land Cover (LULC) types. This information is important for inform decision- making and formulation of long-term strategies for wetland conservation. In this regard, this study sought to estimate changes in the spatial extent of the Khayelitsha wetland between the years 2000 - 2023 using freely available remotely sensed data obtained from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mappper Plus (ETM+) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI). By using satellite imagery and wetland fragmentation analysis techniques, this study sought to understand the patterns of wetland vegetation fragmentation during the years 2000, 2010, and 2023 as a proxy for assessing wetland degradation.
An assessment of the spatial distribution of neglected and underutilized crop species (NUS) (Taro and Sweet potatoes) using very high-resolution UAV remotely sensed data in small-holder farms of Swayimane, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Abrahams, Mishkah
This work explores the potential of neglected and underutilized crop species (NUS) in addressing agricultural, food, and nutrition security challenges exacerbated by climate change, particularly in Southern Africa. Mainstream crops like maize are adversely affected by climate variability, leading to increased insecurities. Despite the importance of NUS, limited research attention and market preference hinder their development. Additionally, there is a lack of criteria for determining their spatial extent in smallholder croplands, complicated by field fragmentation and intercropping. To overcome these challenges, this study employs unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and high-throughput phenotyping technologies for accurate mapping of NUS, specifically sweet potato and taro, in smallholder farms in the Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Three specific objectives guide the study. These were (1) to conduct a systematic review of literature on the mapping the spatial distribution and health of NUS crops in sub-Saharan Africa, (2) to evaluate the performance of three robust classifiers in mapping the spatial distribution of NUS crops based on multispectral UAV data and, (3) to assess the performance of object based image analysis (OBIA) and pixel based analysis (PBIA) techniques combined with GTB classifier in mapping and delineating the spatial distribution of NUS crops. Review of literature revealed a lack of studies in the Global South, highlighting the potential of machine learning algorithms with optimal near-infrared and red-edge vegetation indices in mapping NUS.
The place of food: A relational analysis of the food environment and sense of place in Khayelitsha
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Rhodes, Hilton
Amongst the numerous changes in contemporary (post-apartheid) South Africa are those related to reorganisation and globalisation of the food environment. Changes in the food environment are evident across the world through the global food system which has witnessed shifts in routine experiences of food procurement and types of food eaten. In South Africa, these shifts-termed the nutrition transition-coincided with the transition to democratic government in 1994. As South Africa merged back into the global food system, global food patterns began to appear in South Africa’s food environment resulting in changes in food consumption patterns and the increasing prevalence of supermarkets in low-income communities. Within this setting, there is limited research focusing on the contemporary South African food environment and how people interact with it to access food. This study seeks to fill this research gap by explore meanings of place and sense of place in connection to individuals’ interactions with their food environments in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. Adopting a qualitative research design and constructivist grounded theory, the study employed qualitative methods including photovoice and semi-structured photo elicitation interviews. These methods allowed for an in-depth exploration of the relationships between place, sense of place, and the food environment, often with a range of place-and-food relationships ranging from a sense of belonging, a sense of alienation and a sense of agency related to food sources.
Sand mining challenges in the Western Cape: The case of the Tormin Mineral Sands and Maccsand Mining and Quarrying Mines
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Pretorius, Jaydeen
Mining, as a primary extractive activity, is characterised by arguably the most environmentally destructive operations worldwide. South Africa’s mining industry, which is an important economic driver, and its environmental footprints bear testimony of such direct and indirect destruction. In the biodiversity-rich Western Cape province, which is generally far less endowed with economically mineable minerals and metal deposits compared to other provinces, mining is even more problematic. This study addressed, in a comparative way, the polemics associated with two mining operations in the Western Cape, revisiting their environmental and socio-economic desirability as well as their varying impacts. A Socio-ecological Systems (SES) approach was used to document the processes associated with environmental applications, authorisation and operations pertaining to the MaccSand Mining and Quarrying and Tormin Mineral Sands Mines that are clouded in a myriad of environmental problems. Methodologically, the study drew on a mixed methods approach, which incorporated data derived from questionnaire surveys, interviews, stakeholder engagement meetings and geographic information systems (GIS) applications. One case study focuses on the Tormin Mineral Sands Mine owned by Mineral Sand Resources (Pty) Ltd., located near Lutzville on the West Coast. The other case study focuses on MaccSand Mining and Quarrying operated by MaccSand CC, on Cape Town’s False Bay Coast.
Exploring urban residents’ perceptions of waste, litter, and clean environments in Mbekweni, Western Cape, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Steyn, Shaun
Increased waste generation and pollution in South Africa arise from multiple factors ranging from an increase in the construction of towns and cities, population increases, ever-changing consumption patterns, and economic growth. The waste which humans and other actors currently produce requires strategic management as natural environmental processes cannot break down and recycle waste materials adequately. This dissertation attempts to explore narratives and ideas of waste, litter, dumping, and what constitutes clean urban environments in a South African township. The theory of social constructionism formed the conceptual framework for this dissertation. In this regard, the study aims to retain sight of the reality of all things waste-related, but at the same time unpack the way humans ‘make’ their own reality by constructing narratives about it. This research was conducted in Mbekweni, a township near Paarl in the Western Cape of South Africa. The main data collection method was qualitative, semi-structured interviews with residents living in Mbekweni. The dissertation provides insights into waste, litter, and dumping perceptions and practices in South African townships and informal settlements. Residents argued that reasons for littering and dumping in Mbekweni included: habit, people not exercising the duty of care, as well as the lack of waste management resources.
Geografiese aspekte van rekreasie en vryetydsbesteding in Bellville-Suid
(University of the Western Cape, 1987) McPherson, Elsworth Adam
The way in which people utilize their FREE TIME [that is time left after all commitments (social and physiological) have been met] forms the Howl theme of this study. An important aspect of this theme for the geographer is the interaction between supply and demand of Recreational facilities, because determines the spatial location of facilities in urban areas. In the South African society certain factors which influence the normal interaction between supply and demand has developed which can be identified as problem. In this study the problems which exist regarding recreation and the use of free time are examined with specific reference to the people living in Bellville South, Data for the study was collected with the air of a structured questionnaire and thereafter statistically analysed with the intention of answering the following questions: What is the nature and extent of the use of free time during the day, over weekends and during vacations of the inhabitants of Bellville South? How does the politico-economic structure influence the supply? Lastly, recommendations were made with a view to alleviating the problems which have been identified. It was felt that immediate attention should be paid to shortcomings in the supply and maintenance of recreational facilities in Bellville South, while the political problems which make a meaningful utilisation of recreational facilities by everybody in South Africa impossible at the moment, should also be removed.
Spatial quantification of maize water stress using UAV-acquired data in smallholder farms of Swayimane in KwaZulu-Natal Province
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Kapari, Mpho Sylvia
The most important agricultural crop in southern Africa is maize, which grows on variety of environments and serves as an essential food source for the region. Most of the maize is grown in smallholder croplands both for subsistence and commercial purposes. It is one of the two main crops that are impacted by water stress globally. Therefore, determining maize water stress is essential for the development of timely response measures to boost farming production, especially on smallholder croplands. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) furnished by multispectral devices propose a technique aimed at spatially comprehensive data suitable to defining maize water stress at the farm scale. Therefore, this thesis intended toward assessing the use of UAVs-acquired information to quantitatively enumerate maize water stress. This overarching objective was addressed by two specific objectives which were to 1) conduct a systematic literature review of remote sensing data use in determining maize water stress at a farmstead level and 2) assess UAVs acquired data and machine learning (ML) techniques utility in estimating maize Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) as an indicator for crop water stress and 3) estimate maize water stress across different phenological stages using UAVs acquired data in smallholder croplands. Particularly, the reviews assessed the distribution of publications, the types of methods used, and the types of results obtained, identifying gaps, challenges, and limitations associated with the remote sensing use for maize crop water use in smallholder farms.
Domestic space and the performance of identity: the role of house parties in shaping sexuality and space in Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Jacobs, Andrew
The public spaces of visibility and interaction within Africa’s ‘gay capital’ of Cape Town are typically associated with attractive men, beautiful beaches, amazing social events, and a lavish lifestyle. Such spaces include clubs, bars, and high-profile events – all of which have received attention from scholars. However, few studies have interrogated the experience and role of queer social spaces in Cape Town within the domestic realm. This study focuses on house parties and their role in the performance of visibility and identity in the context of Cape Town and falls under the traditional geographical theme of social interactionism as it aims to explore how domestic space is perceived and used amongst actors of a particular social milieu. Using both ethnographic and archival methods, this research draws on the history of such social gatherings in the domestic setting while also interrogating their current use as spaces of interaction. Through a deliberate focus on queer domestic spaces, this study fills a gap in the literature on sexuality and space as it aims to explore the role that domestic social spaces play in the expression of gay male identity.
Reimagining urban public space: The impacts of urban renewal in the case of Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District in Bellville, Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Sitshi, Thoko
Cities are economic growth engines that have the ability to increase investment and employment opportunities in the urban space. They allow access to institutions and better services to its population. Because of this reason, a high number of people are moving to the city for the opportunities that cities can offer. The increase in the number of people that reside in the city without proper development of infrastructure and services may result in urban decay. This study examines the impact of urban renewal interventions in the case of the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District (VRCID) in the Bellville Central Business District (CBD) on the formation of- and practices in public space. The study used a qualitative research approach. Eight in-depth interviews were conducted. Non-participant observation and document analysis were also used as tools to collect data. The research data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The study area of Bellville forms part of the Tygerberg District strategy and has been undergoing renewal since 2012. Respondents indicated both positive and negative impacts. Findings show that urban renewal implementation in Bellville has contributed towards formal employment opportunities, and safety and security in the area have improved. However, there is a concern that urban renewal interventions are more into economic development and profit making than redevelopment. Furthermore, these interventions contribute to gentrified, financialized, and captured urban public spaces in Bellville. They have segregated the area. As a result, other spaces are considered safer than others.
Remote sensing of inundation dynamics in select coastal lakes of the Western Cape, South Africa
(Universty of the Western Cape, 2024) Thys, Charlton; Carolissen, Mandy
In Southern Africa, many semi-arid to arid parts of the region experiences water scarcity issues, exacerbated by climate variability, increasing industrialisation and urban growth. Consequently, these impacts have implications for the hydrological regimes of freshwater systems, in which decreases in rainfall and groundwater recharge further exacerbate hydrological functioning. Thus, the relevance of the remote monitoring of freshwater waterbodies using freely available satellite images and water extraction techniques has been widely demonstrated in providing valuable data and information particularly when validated by high resolution data and in situ data. This research focuses on the suitability of using remotely sensed data such as Landsat 8 Operation Land Imager (OLI) and Sentinel 2A Multispectral Imager (MSI) and various spectral water indices including the Automated Water Extraction Index (AWEI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) to monitor the inundation of freshwater coastal lakes in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Negotiating Beitbridge: The politics of mobility in cross-border trade and labour between South Africa and Zimbabwe
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Malubane, Basetsane Eulenda Mikateko; Rink, Bradley
Mobility has many meanings besides a geographical movement of people, non-human animals, capital, objects, and information. It also refers to the different practices and subjectivities of movement. This study addresses the interconnectedness of mobility dynamics with the growing nature of cross-border trading and labour migration between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Scholarship on migration and mobilities view men as the sole breadwinners of households, overlooking the role of women in providing for their household. While the literature evidences growth of women in cross-border trading, little is known about women migrating to work as domestic labourers. This study aims to highlight women's narratives of both cross-border trading and labour migration to investigate their experiences negotiating mobility regimes and temporal migration trajectories from Zimbabwe to South Africa. Using ethnographic methods, this research gathers data through participant observations and semi-structured interviews. Analysed using Creswell’s politics of mobility, findings are intended to shed light on how female cross-border traders and labourers negotiate the mobilities that move their bodies, capital, and goods across the international border between Zimbabwe and South Africa in pursuit of their livelihoods. The concept of identity, mobilities and cross-border regimes in this study sheds light on the social differentiation that female’s cross-border traders and labourers go through amongst themselves and men.
An analysis of crayfish street trading challenges in Paternoster
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Ontong, Ashlin Theo; Dyssel, Michael
Located on South Africa�s West Coast is the small-fishing and tourist village of Paternoster which is defined and characterized by unspoilt white-washed beaches and cottages that are spread out along the coast. This town has a rich culture and marine biodiversity that attracts visitors from all walks of life. Paternoster is popular for its famous crayfish which has created a bustling commercial and restaurant sector which sustains both the local and some aspects of the national restaurant and seafood economy. This picturesque town is plagued by deep class and lucid racial divides cast between the wealthy (primarily white) communities and the poor (black, i.e. mainly coloured) communities.
Gated communities for the working class: A Cape Flats case study
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Majiet, Musfiqah; Rink, Bradley
Gated developments are proliferating across cities globally, in different forms and contexts. While they have emerged in cities in both the global North and South, the number of gated developments has increased recently in cities in the global South. Uniformly defined on the basis of their physical features, security artefacts and codes of conduct, gated developments have received criticism across a number of disciplines yet are seen as a rational response to increasing crime rates and considered as a safe haven for their residents. In the global South, more than simply safe havens, gated developments are typically perceived as islands of wealth and privilege in a sea of urban inequality. There is a pressing need to understand the gated development model in the context of the global South. In South Africa, the increase in gated developments situated in lower income areas has been scarcely explored. It is on this basis that this study examines an underexplored and recent category of gated development in the South African context: Gated developments in low-income residential areas.
Assessing sense of place amongst returnees of District Six, Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Burgess, Ashleigh Georgia; Rink, Bradley
District Six was a pre-apartheid community destroyed by racialized forced relocations. Under the Group Areas Act of the apartheid rule, all District Six residents were forcibly relocated and scattered around the city and elsewhere. The area was obliterated and only places of worship were spared destruction. An affluent white inner-city suburb was one of the state's plans, but it was never realized as former residents protested this apartheid development objective. In the wake of the apartheid�s demise, a land restitution programme was enforced as one way of addressing the country's national recovery through the operations of the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights, performed congruently with the Restitution of Land Rights Act (Act 22 of 1994). But this process has been dilatory and intermittent with respect to District Six, characterised as prolonged experiences of disappointment and occasional bursts of increased efficiency. Accordingly, only a handful of claimants have returned to District Six to date. Little is known about how the returnee community have reclaimed a sense of place in the re-settled District Six where only the immaterial memories still remain. This study thus seeks to fill that research gap through assessing sense of place amongst returnees of District Six. The study also recognizes that District Six is part of the corridor of rapid gentrification and seeks to explore how the by-products of gentrification stand to threaten the returnees� reconstituted sense of place. The study adopted a qualitative research methodology approach using the phenomenological/interpretivist approach. The qualitive methods used were semi-structured interviews, photo-elicitation interviews, and fieldnotes. These methods allowed for an in-depth exploration of the returnees� experiences of a sense of place in the re-settled District Six. The findings revealed complex renderings of place in District Six composed of memories and meaning-making from the past and present, contributing to geographical literatures on home, community and place. The findings of this study conclude that the relational geographies of District Six returnees are complex, multiple and ever-evolving while their struggle for home and a new sense of place is incomplete.
Flood risk reduction in Botswana analysis and recommendations
(University of the Western Cape, 2006) Moetsabatho-Moipisi, Keofitlhetse; Pirie, Gordon H
The turn-of the-century floods in Botswana resulted primarily from prolonged heavy rainfall which started in December 1999 and extended into January 2000. The floods covered almost the whole of Botswana- They caused devastating economic losses to the value of US$ 214 million (Mogwe, 2001), afflicted 80,000 people and caused l3 fatalities (Thedi, 2003). Although the extent of damage caused by the 2000 floods was unexpected, paradoxically, the occurrence of the floods was likely. Botswana's past rainfall records indicate that drought is interspersed by high rains and floods. This being the case, the 2000 floods were not an anomaly but a matter of course. The impacts of the floods were however exacerbated by a number of factors. The geological foundation of the areas of acute flooding consists mainly of hard impermeable rocks overlain by loose mobile soils with minimal infiltration capacities. In addition the country's physiography comprises flat terrain which also had a significant bearing on the infiltration of rainfall run-off. The other factor relate to anthropogenic influences. Human interference with the natural environment has changed the landscape. [n Botswana, there is acute deforestation in and around settlements coupled with the creation of impervious roads, pavements and roofs; this affected percolation and infiltration, increasing rainfall run-off and exacerbating flooding. Arising from these factors, the research argues that flood risk disasters are as important as drought and animal disease and must be included in state policy.
Reptiles of the Soutpansberg: Biogeography, distribution and communities
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) van Huyssteen, Ryan; Carolissen, Mandy
Globally, reptiles, like all terrestrial vertebrates, are currently facing human induced population declines at an unprecedented level. However, from a South African perspective, it is unclear how human pressures are affecting reptiles. One of the reasons this is so, is due to a scarcity of community level baseline information, thus hindering our ability to adequately monitor fluctuations in species and populations. This thesis aims to critically evaluate and map the current state of knowledge concerning reptile communities in South Africa.
The role of health in the motivation to visit mineral spa resorts in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2001) Boekstein, Mark Simon; McPherson, Elsworth
This research sets out to examine the role of health in the motivation to visit the mineral spa resorts of the Western Cape. It also examines motivation not related to health, and the extent to which these resorts are being used as bases for visiting surrounding attractions. Internationally, especially in Europe and North America, the mineral spa market is undergoing rapid and significant changes. Traditional forms of mineral spa tourism, where the emphasis was on medical treatments, is changing to 'health tourism', with a growing demand for health and beauty treatments, as well as fitness and wellness programmes, in relaxing leisure environments. Using a combination of factor analysis and cluster analysis, the respondents are divided into five segments, each of which consists of spa visitors with similar motivations. These segments form the basis for ascertaining the motivations and preferences of visitors to mineral spa resorts in the Western Cape, including the role of health as a motivation. It is established that health does indeed play a major part in the motivation to visit the mineral spa resorts of the Western Cape, and that other important motivations include swimming in hot water, good accommodation and clean surroundings, and a safe and secure environment. Being able to use mineral spa resorts as bases for visiting surrounding attractions is not particularly important to visitors. Finally, recommendations are made for the development of a Western Cape mineral spa tourism product that would build upon the health-consciousness of the domestic market, while also catering for the growing international 'health tourism' market.
Informal housing and squatting on the Cape Flats: a comparative analysis of four areas
(University of the Western Cape, 2000) Viljoen, Gallian Ann; Myburgh, Dave; Gillfellan, Calvyn; McPherson, Elsworth
The housing conditions of four surveyed areas namely Uitsig, Bishop Lavis, Jakkalsvlei and Crossroads, situated on the Cape Flats is the main thrust of the dissertation. It is a comparative analysis between two "coloured" residential area's, namely Bishop Lavis and Uitsig and "black" squatter settlement's Crossroads and Jakkalsvlei. lt investigates the struggle to eradicate homelessness by means of informal housing and squatting Through scientific investigative research, interviews, data and statistical analysis, this dissertation falls within the sphere of urban geography. Although informal settlements have been part of the metropolitan area of Cape Town for several decades, the period since 1990 saw the mushrooming of informal settlements and the emergence of backyard squatting in "coloured" areas squatting on the periphery of "black" townships. The dissertation address issues associated with informal settlements such as health and disease within these settlements, access to clean water and refuse removal, environment conditions, physical structure in and around informal settlements, recreational facilities and the role of the Reconstruction and Development Programme(RDP). ln eight chapters, the study outlines the quest of informal dwellers to eradicate homelessness by means of backyard squatting and informal settlements. Though no longer regarded as an urban "problem", communities and the local authorities within these areas are hard at work in finding ways to improve living conditions within informal settlements, by turning shacks into decent and liveable homes in the new millennium.

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