Renewal of small town economies: the case of Alice, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Xuza, Phila Hlonitshwa Lorraine

doi:10.4314/ai.v35i4.22459

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…It is intriguing to note that the concern raised in 1985 by McCarthy (in Krige 1995) that small towns in South Africa were a 'research lacuna', is now, finally, starting to be addressed. The publication of a not insignificant number of papers on the topic in recent years (Atkinson 2003;Rogerson 2005, 2007;van der Merwe et al 2005;Xuza 2005;Parhanse 2007;Zietsman et al 2006;van Niekerk and Marais 2008;Halseth and Meiklejohn 2009;Ingle 2010) and the imminent release by Donaldson and Marais (2011) of an edited volume on the topic mark a clear shift in the priorities of urban geographers.…”

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confidence: 96%

Demographic and Economic Changes in Small Towns in South Africa’s Karoo: Looking from the Inside Out

et al. 2011

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This article seeks to situate the experience of demographic and economic change in South African small towns within a broader context. Drawing on international literature detailing demographic, economic and racial changes within small towns, the paper relates these trends to the Karoo region in South Africa. The research findings reveal that small towns in the Karoo are experiencing selective demographic and economic growth, which particularly favours the larger small towns. There is clear racial differentiation in the growth which is taking place and, contrary to predictions made in the 1970s, small towns in South Africa are not all experiencing absolute decline.

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confidence: 96%

Demographic and Economic Changes in Small Towns in South Africa’s Karoo: Looking from the Inside Out

et al. 2011

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“…To avert this danger and potentially to avoid reducing the development gap between larger and smaller centers, national LED policy needs to take on a specific focus on smaller centers and therein to identify suitable LED strategies and responses for these localities (Nel and Rogerson 2007). In this regard, useful and innovative new research around "small town regeneration" in the Eastern Cape potentially may have wider implications for the development of small towns in South Africa as a whole (Xuza 2005).…”

Section: Led and South Africa's Urban Futurementioning

confidence: 98%

Consolidating Local Economic Development in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Rogerson

2008

Urban Forum

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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.

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“…According to many recent researchers (such as Xuza, 2005;Satterthwaite & Tacoli, 2006), one of the key strengths of small towns is their linkages with rural areas. But while this may be the case in other parts of Africa, it is not a true characterisation of the small towns in South Africa's commercial farming areas.…”

Section: The Decline Of the Agricultural Role Of Small Townsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic decline and gentrification in a small town: the business sector in Aberdeen, Eastern Cape

Atkinson

2009

Development Southern Africa

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Small towns are a neglected topic of study but they are gaining importance in South Africa because of rapid urbanisation. This paper discusses a case study of business development and gentrification in Aberdeen, a small town in the Eastern Cape's Karoo. Although there has been a long-term decline in Aberdeen's economy, major changes are now taking place that call for more focused development policies. The findings of a 2006 business survey in Aberdeen are presented here and integrated with findings from the international literature on small town development. The paper shows that endogenous development of a small town's economy by its business sector can lead to some local economic growth; however, it needs to be assisted by judicious government investment. Aberdeen's economy will need a stronger level of municipal guidance to exploit its strengths and overcome its limitations.Small towns, local economic development, business development, Karoo, Aberdeen,

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Renewal of small town economies: the case of Alice, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Demographic and Economic Changes in Small Towns in South Africa’s Karoo: Looking from the Inside Out

Demographic and Economic Changes in Small Towns in South Africa’s Karoo: Looking from the Inside Out

Consolidating Local Economic Development in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Economic decline and gentrification in a small town: the business sector in Aberdeen, Eastern Cape

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