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The objective of this investigation is to assess the relevance and potential of current international trends in the study of gentrification in the contemporary South African urban context. Against the backdrop of `new' gentrification experiences and debates it is argued that recent developments in the central-city districts of large South African cities present numerous opportunities for `new' gentrification processes to emerge as a central part of urban regeneration. Moreover, it is contended that specific state policies and interventions focused on inner-city regeneration underpin new forms of gentrification in South Africa.

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Abstract. Studentification is a global phenomenon that has been prominent in urban geographical discourse since the large-scale expansion of higher education in the early 1990s. In many developed and developing world countries, expansion in student enrolment has outstripped the ability of institutions of higher learning to provide adequate accommodation. Similar trends have been recorded in South Africa. The task of this paper is to investigate studentification as experienced in one of South Africa's secondary cities. The paper draws attention to the economic, socio-cultural, and physical characteristics of this form of student housing on host locations. It is argued that studentification holds both positive and negative impacts for the host communities of Bloemfontein. Finally, it is suggested that studentification in South Africa requires greater research attention.

In the global profile of scholarship on tourism geographies, Africa is the least represented continent. With Africa's incorporation into the global tourism economy, considerable optimism has been raised by many national governments as well as external international development agencies as to the potential contribution of tourism for social and economic development across the continent. The number of geographical voices interrogating the nexus of tourism and development is small but expanding. This paper provides a review of the existing paths and new directions of tourism geographies of the region of Southern Africa as the context for this special dossier. It is argued that tourism research and debates in Southern Africa are growing in importance, including an expansion of geographical research.

The aim of this investigation is to make a contribution towards addressing the paucity of academic reflection on second home development in South Africa. More specifically, the paper aims to provide some preliminary insights into the question of what types of second homes there are in South Africa and what impacts second home development holds for different types of urban settlements. The examples drawn upon in this investigation cover diverse urban settings. These case studies include (1) a small rural town in the eastern Free State province -Clarens; (2) a small coastal village in KwaZulu-Natal -Zinkwazi; and (3) a neighbourhood in the Cape Town Metropolitan area -De Waterkant.While the case studies elucidate unique development characteristics and impacts, the investigations also highlight some commonalities. In particular, it is firstly argued that second home development in South Africa demonstrates similarities to developments found internationally; and secondly, that the near-generic impacts of second homes found elsewhere are echoed in the South African context too. Here, in particular, the generation of employment and property price appreciation stand out as key similarities.

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