The objective of the study was to examine whether there existed a sound theoretical basis for
informal settlement upgrading that could be applied to South African cities. South Africa is
fortunate in many ways. As a late entrant to the area of informal settlement upgrading it has a
wealth of experience elsewhere that it can draw on. However, it is also the target of particular
pressure groups that argue strongly for the adoption of particular solutions. In this regard it finds
itself caught between Latin America and the Indian sub-continent, both of which have important
experiences to offer, but which come from very different perspectives and offer quite different
‘‘solutions’’.