scholarly journals Reframing place-based economic development in South Africa: the example of local economic development

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (24) ◽  
pp. 203-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian M. Rogerson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Dynamic Nature ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
National Economic ◽  
Framework Conditions

Abstract Local Economic Development (LED) planning is a place-based approach to development planning and increasingly significant across much of the global South. One of the key challenges facing LED planning is the necessity to adjust planning in relation to the dynamic nature of both international and national framework conditions. The purpose of this article is to show this challenge by examining the dynamic nature of the national policy environment impacting upon LED planning in South Africa, a country which has a relatively long history of LED planning. Five dimensions of the changing landscape of national economic development planning in South Africa are identified. These relate to (a) LED within the context of new national economic and development plans; (b) initiatives for reindustrialising the South African economy, the associated importance of localisation and promotion of the green economy; (c) changing programmes around small business development; (d) shifts in rural development interventions; and (e) the fluid spatial context within which LED planning as a form of placebased economic development is embedded.

scholarly journals Power laws, demography and entrepreneurship in selected South African regions

2018 ◽  
Vol 114 (5/6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daan Toerien
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Power Laws ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Skewed Distributions ◽  
Enterprise Growth ◽  
Different Parts

Statistically significant Pareto-like log-log rank-size distributions were recorded for population and enterprise agglomeration in the towns of three different regions of South Africa, and are indicative of skewed distributions of population and enterprise numbers in regional towns. There were no distinct differences between groups of towns of regions from different parts of the country. However, the regional agglomerations differed from those of groups of towns randomly selected from a database. Regions, therefore, appear to have some uniqueness regarding such agglomerations. The identification of Zipf-like links between population and enterprise growth in regional towns still does not fully explain why some towns grow large and others stay small and there is a need to further explore these issues. The extreme skewness in population and enterprise numbers of different towns’ distributions should, however, be considered in local economic development planning and execution.

Agritourism and local economic development in South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (26) ◽  
pp. 93-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian M. Rogerson ◽  
Jayne M. Rogerson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Special Significance ◽  
Research Issues ◽  
National Economic ◽  
Policy Suggestions ◽  
National Economic Development

Abstract The role of tourism for local economic development (LED) is a topic of critical importance for geographers. In the case of South Africa tourism is a priority sector for national economic development. The significance of research issues around tourism and LED is underlined by the ‘developmental’ mandate of local governments. Although tourism has received attention in a growing body of LED writings on South Africa issues around agritourism so far have been overlooked. Agritourism represents an evolving form of rural tourism which is targeted at mainly urban consumers. Against the background of a review of international scholarship on agritourism this article explores its potential implications for LED planning in South Africa. A national audit of agritourism is presented which shows its uneven geographical distribution. Agritourism is of special significance for small town economic development in South Africa’s intermediate tourism spaces. Policy suggestions are offered for strengthening agritourism as a driver for LED in South Africa.

The dilemma between the pro-market and the pro-poor local economic development approaches in the democratic South Africa: Theoretical perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 877-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Themba Lukhele ◽  
Thanyani Madzivhandila
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Development Approach

Since the advent of the democratic government in 1994, there has been a serious contestation over the meaning and implications of local economic development in South Africa. Central to the debates has been on whether local economic development initiatives should take pro-market or pro-poor approach in the local government. To this end, the critical divide has been between those who believe that the local government should provide a direct solution by supporting projects for job creation and those who advocate for an indirect solution in terms of creating an enabling environment for local economic development. The article therefore argues that the pro-market local economic development approach often limit the local control of economic activities and resources, instead it is seen to perpetuate an exclusive economy. Against this background, the article applies the Economic Base and the Location Theories to explain, from a theoretical perspective, why the pro-market approach for local economic development planning in the democratic South Africa is preferable in the expense of the pro-poor approach. The article concludes that the pro-market local economic development approach is incapable of creating the inclusive local economies and lacks the determination for the realisation of real potential and competitive advantages for addressing local needs of the poor people.

scholarly journals Local economic development agencies and peripheral small town development: Evidence from Somerset East, South Africa

Urbani izziv ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol Supplement (30) ◽  
pp. 144-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faith Lawrence ◽  
Christian M. Rogerson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Small Town ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Developmental State ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Economic Development Agencies ◽  
Development Agencies

The activities of Local Economic Development Agencies (LEDAs) represent a channel for place-based development. In South Africa national government has supported the expansion of LEDAs to improve the weak performance of local economic development planning, one of the cornerstones of the developmental state. This article investigates the evolution and operations of a small town LEDA which is situated in one of South Africa’s peripheral regions. The local development facilitation and project work undertaken by the Blue Crane Development Agency (BCDA) in the small town of Somerset East in Eastern Cape Province is discussed. It is shown that this LEDA was innovative in development initiatives which were launched during the period 2004- 2014 for Somerset East and its surrounds. In terms of the projects and operations of BCDA considerable effort was made to identify catalytic opportunities and to support the unlocking of projects in this small town through development facilitation and project management. Nevertheless, the evidence from this case study demonstrates that despite successes, development agencies in South Africa have a strong dependence on parent municipalities which can determine the future direction and sustainability of LEDAs.

scholarly journals Urban tourism, aerotropolis and local economic development planning: Ekurhuleni and O.R. Tambo International Airport, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian M. Rogerson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Urban Tourism ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
International Airport ◽  
Development Programming ◽  
Development Goals

Abstract One vibrant topic within the emerging scholarship around geographies of tourism development and planning concerns that of tourism and local economic development planning. Across many countries tourism is a core base for planning of place-based local economic development programmes. In post-apartheid South Africa the country’s leading cities have promoted tourism as part of economic development programming. This article examines planning for South Africa’s aerotropolis around the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Ekurhuleni, which is adjacent to Johannesburg. Under circumstances of economic distress and the need for new sources of local job creation Ekurhuleni is undertaking planning for tourism development through leveraging and alignment to aerotropolis planning. The nexus of aerotropolis and urban tourism planning is analysed. Arguably, the strengthening of tourism in Ekurhuleni offers the potential for contributing towards inclusive development goals.

scholarly journals Local economic development agencies and place-based development: Evidence from South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (41) ◽  
pp. 29-43
Author(s):  
Faith Lawrence ◽  
Christian M. Rogerson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Global South ◽  
Institutional Constraints ◽  
African Experience ◽  
Economic Development Agencies ◽  
Development Agencies

Abstract Local economic development agencies (LEDAs) are increasingly important actors in place-based local economic development particularly in the global South. In South Africa there has been an expanded role for LEDAs in terms of the policy significance of local economic development. Although considerable research has been undertaken concerning the merits, challenges and contributions of LED in South Africa only limited material is available concerning the institutional and organisational arrangements to support the implementation of LED. Using policy documents, close engagement with the key national policy-making government departments and a national survey of the activities, operational challenges, and institutional constraints facing LEDAs, the findings from this investigation provide new insight into their role in place-based development. From the unfolding South African experience the strategic establishment of LEDAs potentially can contribute to maximizing the efficiency of place-based strategies. Arguably, key findings confirm the important contribution that LEDAs can make to locality development in the global South albeit that contribution is influenced by context realities.

scholarly journals Towards regional economic development in South Africa: Conceptualising the ‘region’ associated with economic development through the Durban Aerotropolis

Urbani izziv ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol Supplement (30) ◽  
pp. 194-211
Author(s):  
Nomkhosi Luthuli ◽  
Jennifer HOUGHTON Houghton
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Regional Economic Development ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
The Social

This paper critically considers the conceptualization of the ‘region’ in regional economic development. It utilizes the Durban Aerotropolis in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa as a case of reference through which the conceptualization and underpinnings of ‘region’ associated with economic development are understood. This exercise is prompted by the nomenclatural shifts in local government from local economic development to regional economic development which is causing shifts in approaches to the implementation of economic development projects. The findings presented in this paper show that in the conceptualisation of the region in the instance of the Durban Aerotropolis, understanding the function, form and scale of a regional economic development project becomes pertinent to the social construction of the region with consequences for the project focus and implementation. In the discussion, function is examined as the purpose of a regional economic development project, form refers to the kind of economic development mechanism or strategy which could assist in fulfilling that purpose and scale speaks to the extent, reach and magnitude of the project, without which the implications are challenging practical enactment or implementation of regional economic development projects. The social constructions of region outlined in this paper thereby attest to the multiplicity of definitions which are typically based on the context in which the concept is being used and thus shows the ‘region’ inherent in regional economic development as produced through, and for, an assemblage of economic activity in space. From this we understand the region in regional economic development to be a social construct which presents itself as an assemblage of economic activity in space. Although we understand regions as spatially contingent, the theoretical and empirical conceptualisation of regions within regional economic development planning, policy–making and practice must draw on the specifics of contextuality to ensure its utility to economic development.

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