Four factors that constitute development illustrates each with examples from the context 

1. Growth and structural change 

Growth and structural change is a shift or change in the basic way a market or economy functions or operates. The structural changes that move countries through the development process are often viewed in terms of shifts from primary to secondary and finally to tertiary production. The fastest growing and developing industry in South Africa is the transport and logistics sector and the mining sector with a upgrade in their resources.

2. Distribution of income 

Income inequality in South Africa has deepened. According to the latest figures from the world inequality database, the top 1% of South Africa earners take home almost 20% of all income in the country. While the top 10% take home 65%, the remaining 90% of South African earners get only 35% of the total income.

3. Rural to urban migration 

In South Africa, rural to urban migration trends increasing at a fast rate, from 15 per 1000 in 2001 to about 28 per 1000 in 2011 with people aged 0-14 joining the migration stream. Migration has negatively affected the socio-economic development in rural areas, the influx to people to urban areas has also strained government resources, increased population growth and increased housing infrastructure challenges.

4. Improvements in education and health 

South Africa have access to education and training of the highest quality leading to significantly improved learning outcomes. Improvements in the quality health care means fewer errors, reduced delays in care delivery, improvement in efficiency, increasing market share and lower costs. Education and health play a potential role in the development of the country a key to human capital accumulation and development process.