South Auckland

South Auckland is an imprecisely defined area of Auckland, New Zealand, often stereotyped as a socio-economically disadvantaged, and sometimes rough, urban area with a relatively large Polynesian and Māori population. The name South Auckland is not an official place name but is in common useby New Zealanders. It is also used in the names of some organisations and companies.

Since the 1970s the term "South Auckland" has had negative connotations with outsiders, being associated with deprivation, crime and violence. When street crime occurs in the area, the mass media tend to use the generic "South Auckland" phrase, with its vague and unfortunate stereotypes, rather than the correct name of a suburb or territorial authority. Barry Curtis, when mayor of Manukau City, tried to discourage use of the name because of its negative connotations.

The heart of South Auckland is the low socio-economic suburbs of the former Manukau City, typified by Otara but including Papatoetoe, Mangere and Manurewa. Broadly speaking, South Auckland is the urban area stretching from at the very least the narrowing of the Auckland isthmus at Otahuhu, southwards through the Manukau City suburbs lying to the west and near east of Auckland's Southern Motorway (State Highway 1). The area does not include the more well-to-do, eastern and northern Manukau City suburbs such as Howick, Dannemora, Botany Downs, or Pakuranga, nor the large rural area of Manukau City. The name does not include Franklin District, which lies south of Papakura.

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