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

Abstract

Partnerships between the public sector and private sector are considered to be important foundations for successful local economic development (LED) planning. This article analyses the multiple challenges that need to be addressed in forging viable LED partnerships between the public sector and private sector in South Africa. The findings are examined from a national survey conducted in 2009 with 30 business chamber associations across South Africa. The results point to markedly differing perceptions of the private sector and local government towards LED, questions of trust and mistrust between private sector and the public sector, and highlight the imperative for greater dialogue in order to provide the foundations for local partnerships for promoting LED.

The role of Local Economic Development Agencies in South Africa’s developmental state ambitions

“…Despite the interdependence of the levels of government, it is local institutions that have the greatest role to play in addressing the triple challenges, due to their close proximity to the citizens and developmental challenges South Africa is facing. However, local government has been unable to meet citizens’ demands because of inherent incapacities to plan for development, with major inabilities attributed to the lack of capacity within local municipalities; insufficient skilled LED practitioners; a lack of understanding of local economies; a lack of funding for LED; and a lack of integration between local authorities, communities and businesses (Hofisi and Mbeba, 2013; Nel and Rogerson, 2005; Rogerson, 2010).…”

Governance and Policy Environment for Local Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ethiopian Experience

“…For Blakely (1989,1994), who is one of the early authors and advocates of the contemporary local economic development approach, defines LED as "a process by which local governments and/or community based groups manage their existing resources and enter into new partnership arrangements with the private sector, and/or each other to create new jobs and stimulate economic activity in a well-defined economic zone." The concept of LED is also defined as a bottom-up, territorial, decentralized (Rogriguez-pose, 2008a andRogerson, 2010b), and participatory approach to stimulate the local economy using locally available resources (Trah, 2004 andILO, 2006).…”

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

“…During the past two decades the South African experiences of promoting LED have attracted considerable scholarly interest, particularly from the community of human geographers and planners. In terms of analysis, researchers have scrutinised a range of issues including changing directions of national government policy, the record of progrowth LED interventions particularly in cities, LED experiences outside the major cities in secondary centres and small towns and the role of LED in addressing challenges of unemployment and pov-erty alleviation in South Africa (Rogerson, 1996(Rogerson, , 1999(Rogerson, , 2000Nel, 2001;Nel, Binns, 2002a, 2003Abrahams, 2003;Bond, 2003;Rogerson, 2004aRogerson, , 2004bNel, Rogerson, 2005a, 2005b, 2007Nel et al, 2009;Rogerson, 2009;Rogerson, Rogerson, 2010bRogerson, 2011aRogerson, , 2013aGunter, 2014). Other critical issues under investigation have included the role of small, medium and micro-enterprises in LED processes, governance, public procurement, sectoral partnerships, trust and relations between the private sector and local government, and the establishment and impact of local economic development agencies (Rogerson, 2003(Rogerson, , 2004a(Rogerson, , 2004b, 2010bHoughton, 2011;Rogerson, Rogerson, 2012;Lawrence, 2013;Malefane, 2013;Sibanda, 2013).…”