South Africa emerged from a cataclysm two decades ago to experience a stable democratic
transition during which the local government system was transformed. The creation of large
metropolitan municipalities was intended to accelerate socio-economic development and
urban restructuring in order to overcome the legacy of segregation and exclusion. This paper
assesses their achievements, ten years on, using the concept of resilience as the analytical
frame. Resilience helps to examine cities as interconnected systems open to external
influences but with some capacity for self-organisation and learning. It is useful for exploring
the co-existence of urban continuity and change. Evidence shows that the responses of South
Africa city authorities to globalisation, urbanisation and democracy have been circumscribed.
Continuity and incremental change have been more evident than transformation and
development. Hesitant progress exposes cities to the risk of greater social instability. Insights
from resilience theory support the idea that enhanced municipal capabilities could facilitate a
more enduring outcome