From a Greentech Special Economic Zone to Small Zinc‐Walled Markets
The Circuits of the Urban Economy and Racial Capitalism in Atlantis, South Africa
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7472054 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kauê Lopes Dos Santos (0000-0001-9996-1079, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Antipode (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0066-4812 • E-ISSN: 1467-8330 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/anti.70119 |
| OpenAlex | W7119522682 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 21 |
This article examines the relations between the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) and the urban economy of Atlantis, South Africa, with particular attention to the Witsand neighbourhood. Drawing on Milton Santos' theory of the two circuits of the urban economy, the study explores how the upper circuit of greentech industries within the ASEZ interacts with the lower circuit of less capitalised commercial and service activities in Witsand. Methodologically, the research combines historical analysis, semi‐structured interviews and ethnographic observation to capture the contradictions shaping urban space. The findings suggest that, while the ASEZ promotes technological modernisation and attracts global investment, it coexists with long‐standing racialised inequalities that continue to shape everyday life in Atlantis. In this context, Black populations living in precarious conditions remain marginalised, even as the zone projects an image of green and inclusive development. Initiatives intended to link the two circuits—such as training programmes and local partnerships—have proved insufficient to transform these structural patterns. By situating Atlantis within these dynamics, the article contributes to broader debates on industrialisation, racial capitalism and urban inequality in the South African context
Capitalism · Ethnography · Everyday life · Inequality · Modernization theory · Service (business · Special economic zone · Urban economics · Economic Zones and Regional Development · Local Economic Development and Planning · Urban Planning and Governance
The Routledge Handbook on Cities of the Global South
Reconstructing South Africa’s cities? The making of urban planning 1900–2000
Special Economic Zones in South Africa
The Shenzhen Experiment
Transforming Atlantis, South Africa, through local economic development
On urban studies in Brazil
Building with Ruins and Dreams
Rent Gaps, Gentrification and the ‘Two Circuits’ of Latin American Urban Economies
The Geography of Post‐colonial Africa
Learning and Unlearning
Sampling Knowledge
Debate on Global Urbanisms and the Nature of Urban Theory
A green transition in South Africa? Sociotechnical experimentation in the Atlantis Special Economic Zone
What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good for
People as Infrastructure
South Africa
| Highly cited | No |
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