This book explores small town geographical aspects by approaching them from a socio-spatial perspective. The contributions included in this book delve into a range of topics that have not been commonly studied before, such as white privilege, neglect of municipal infrastructure, collaborative governance, livelihoods in small-scale fisheries, housing provision, well-being in mining towns, studentification in rural contexts, election trends, and the historical development of small-town spas.

The book adopts a socio-spatial point of view, providing a holistic understanding of the interplay between social and spatial factors within selected small town case studies. This approach sheds light on the socio-economic, political, and cultural dynamics that shape small towns. This localized perspective allows for a more targeted analysis of issues and potential solutions, taking into account the specific historical, cultural, and political contexts of small town South Africa. The edited volume serves as a valuable resource for academics, policymakers, practitioners, and anyone interested in understanding and improving small towns in South Africa.

Ronnie Donaldson is a professor of urban geography at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. His area of expertise lies in the field of small town geographies. In 2018, he authored a monograph on small town tourism in South Africa. Additionally, Ronnie has an extensive publication record, which includes 130 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, as well as one sole-edited book and six co-edited books. In recognition of his contributions, Ronnie was granted an honorary Fellowship of the Society of South African in 2022. He has served as a visiting scholar at Iceland University, Pécs University, São Paolo University, and Sciences Po (Paris).

1. A Review of Recent Small Town Research in South Africa (Ronnie Donaldson & Musfiqah Majiet).- 2. The Relationship between White Privilege, Segregation, Topophobia and Symbolic Boundaries in Secunda, Mpumalanga (Tarryn Paquet).- 3. Neglect of Municipal infrastructure in the Mining Town of Phalaborwa (Manfred Spocter).- 4. Collaborative Governance, Social Capital and Drought: A Case Study of a Collaborative Governance Regime in Graaff-Reinet (Rebecca Light).- 5. Surviving the Tides: A Study of Small-scale Fisheries and Community Livelihoods in Selected Coastal Towns of the Western Cape, South Africa (Samantha Williams).- 6. The State and Implications of Housing Provision in Small Towns: Experiences in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province (John Ntema, Robert Mongwe & Eliot Mathebula).- 7. The Socio-economic Wellbeing of Small Mining Towns in the Northern Cape (Avril Gardiner & Ronnie Donaldson).- 8. Complex Town-gown Relationships and the Paradoxes of Studentification in the South African Traditional Authority Lands (Nothile Ndimande).- 9. Local Government Election Trends in Small Towns (Stephen Rule).- 10. The Historical Development of South African Small Towns as Spa Resorts (Christian M. Rogerson & Jayne M. Rogerson).