Consolidating Local Economic Development in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Abstract

Since the release in 2006 of a national coordinated framework, a new policy maturity has emerged in South Africa around the planning of local economic development (LED). In this article, key issues are explored for the consolidation of LED as an important aspect of development planning in postapartheid South Africa. Five significant themes are identified as central to the consolidation of LED, namely, the linkages of LED within wider spatial planning frameworks, learning good practices for LED especially in terms of cluster development, data issues and the identification of competitive advantage, the appropriate role of LED in the context of 'the urban future', and capacity challenges facing LED.

Local economic development in Africa: Global context and research directions

“…Discerning the most promising directions for LED practice and defining appropriate policy development for LED emerged as hotly debated themes in South African scholarship (Nel, 2001a;Xuza, 2007). At the national level, consideration was given to the policy weight that might be attached to different policy choices for framing overall directions for South African LED planning (Nel, 2001a,b;Binns & Nel, 2002;Nel & Rogerson, 2005a,b;Rogerson, 2006aRogerson, , 2008. In particular, debates concentrated on the policy balance between addressing poverty alleviation and supporting 'pro-poor' development on the one hand and 'pro-growth' considerations on the Global context and research directions other.…”

In Search of Public Sector–Private Sector Partnerships for Local Economic Development in South Africa

“…Development planning in post-apartheid South Africa has accorded considerable significance to the promotion and consolidation of planning for LED (Nel and Rogerson 2005;Rhodes University et al 2006;Rogerson 2006;Patterson 2008;Rogerson 2008;Trah 2009). In recent wide-ranging reviews of the state of local government and governance in South Africa, attention was drawn to the central role of partnerships in LED planning (Delany 2008;GGLN 2008;Trah 2009).…”

Re-thinking Spatial Inequalities in South Africa: Lessons from International Experience

“…This document does not stand in isolation and should rather be seen in the context of a range of economic and spatial development instruments and policy interventions which are hallmarks of the contemporary era and which variously seek to identify and respond to persistent spatial inequalities. Importantly, these include the 2006 draft Regional Industrial Development Strategy (RIDS; DTI 2006) and a range of other strategies from Spatial Development Initiatives to cluster development support programmes, provincial Growth and Development strategies and Local Economic Development interventions which have been implemented by most South African municipalities (Rogerson 1999;Nel 2001Nel , 2002Rogerson 2006Rogerson , 2008.…”