Invisible towns: A case study in the cartography of South Africa

Abstract

Many large Black settlements are downgraded or made invisible on maps of South Africa. This form of subjective generalisation gives a false prominence to small White towns. A more realistic map of the major settlements in South Africa is presented. The problems associated with mapping of Black settlements are discussed. These include the lack of census data, absence of official recognition of places, difficulties of place naming and the lack of functional imcomparability with other places.