Institutions therefore make a strong contribution to the degree of success or failure of local economic development in South Africa (Khambule, 2014). Local economic development (LED) has been used for decades in the developed world and has become increasingly popular in developing countries since the 1990s (Meyer-Stamer, 2006).
FILLING A RANDLED GAP THROUGH COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE
This narrower definition allows for a more practical comparison of cases, from which Ansell and Gash (2008) developed a model of collaborative governance. Regional and local governments, as well as non-governmental development actors, may share the goal of economic development in a given region or sub-region; however, the variables at play in the collaborative governance model, as well as the maturity of the interaction, may affect the likelihood of achieving positive outcomes.
GOVERNANCE OF RANDLED IN THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE – EMERGING PRACTICE
Hybrid regional partnership: the South Cape Economic Partnership
In terms of institutional design, this is an innovative approach, with few (if any) examples of this type of partnership existing in the sub-national space of economic development. It remains to be seen exactly how this work plan will be financed, or to what extent it will be able to encourage co-financing from multiple sources in the region for common goals.
West Coast Economic Development Partnership
To date, in terms of the shared commitment to the partnership process and the participation of all stakeholders in the collaborative process (Ansell and Gash, 2008), it is difficult to identify measurable results of the partnership as a collective, despite the fact that individual partners may progress by achieving some jointly defined goals. This is related to the issue of trust between partners (Ansell and Gash, 2008) and the extent to which it is influenced by the form of resource contribution or funding model of the partnership as the lead institution.
Innovation helix approach to facilitate RLED: The Hessequa Innovation Helix (HIH) Initiative
The triple helix example differs significantly from the first two case studies, given its strong emphasis on creating an enabling environment and partnerships for innovation as a response to complex institutional, economic and social dynamics in the local governance sphere. It is thus subject to similar prerequisites and determinants for a successful collaboration process as the first two cases.
Case comparisons – commonalities and differences
IMPLICATIONS FOR RANDLED INTEGRATION: POLICY AND PRACTICE
CONCLUSION: DIFFERENTIATION, COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION
This relational convergence between RandLED facilitating actors could ensure more efficient and effective economic development outcomes, both for the participating localities and for the sub-region as a whole. A recommendation for future research is that cooperation arrangements for economic development and the sub-elements of effective cooperation arrangements for governance should be studied more thoroughly.
Finally, we conclude that innovative partnerships, based on collaboration and engagement between role players in the RandLED arena, should be explored in more detail, as well as recognized in subnational economic development policy and planning processes. Scoring Local Economic Development Goals in South Africa: Why Local Governments Are Not Scoring'.
Local Economic Development
Exploring the
Expanded Public Works Programme
Economic Growth Strategy
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
Third, we examine the EPWP more broadly at the national level before focusing on its implementation in the City of Cape Town. We demonstrate its importance for EEC cities (and thus LED) by reviewing two projects.
LITERATURE REVIEW: THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN LED, EGS AND PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMMES
In the following section, we pose the questions: What is the City of Cape Town's EGS?
THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN’S EGS, ECONOMY AND EPWP: A DESCRIPTIVE OVERVIEW
Point them to a progressive LED strategy, like the two successful examples mentioned above. Cape Town projects, as well as the current total contributions of the EPWP within the City.
THE EXPANDED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME: AN OVERVIEW
Institutional arrangements
The key to the EPWP is to reach the people it targets as cost-effectively as possible; The following section takes a closer look at the EPWP in the City of Cape Town and its growth over the years, with the intention of showing how the program has performed in relation to its mandate; along with the ways in which these performance levels can be used to determine whether the EPWP is indeed an important tool and contributor to the city's EGSandLED.
THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN’S EPWP: AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR THE CITY’S LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Employment/Contracting history)
These confirmatory findings place the EPWP in an important position as a contributor to the EGS, demonstrating that the program can create real opportunities at a time when other stakeholders in the economy are struggling. It is also important that it indicates that there may be irregularities/irregularities in the paying authority/structure itself.
Economic Participation)
On the one hand, the data show that there is still a high dependence on state-financed incomes (figure 11); on the other hand, that over 60 percent of income is spent in malls (36%) and spaza shops (28%), a sign that the money may not circulate effectively in the immediate communities and create local economic growth. This is compounded by the fact that most of the spaza shops are foreign-owned and do not buy from or employ local residents (a finding from a follow-up question to participants).
Skills development)
Data on income, age and level of education (Figure 15) provide the EPWP's rationale for the scheme and its target group, suggesting that people with limited skills and education have less earning potential before becoming eligible for the State Pension. or other social support. The need for skills development and further education of the participants is consequently also key to an easier exit from the program.
Contractors
CONCLUSION
While indeed the City of Cape Town's EGS has been found to be 'somewhat adequate' (South African Local Government Association (SALGA) there is plenty of room to direct the specific role of infrastructure development and competition towards industries that offer competitive advantage. The State of Local Government in South Africa: General Report Assessments of the national state of local government.
The contribution of youth in Local Economic Development and entrepreneurship in
According to the GEM (2016) report, youth only account for 9.2% of South Africa's total entrepreneurial activity (TEA). Given the context described above, the purpose of this article is to explore the contribution of young people to local economic development and entrepreneurship.
YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP
This is worrying because young people are expected to be actively involved in activities that provide employment and economic empowerment. The young people in this category are often in the transition from the security of home or education to the workplace.
YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SOUTH AFRICA
Therefore, they are more likely to run businesses that are successful than youth in the pre-entrepreneurial and nascent entrepreneur stages (Chigunta, 2002; Schoof, 2006; Oseifuah, 2010). Against this background, initiatives were implemented to develop entrepreneurial skills among young people, such as the Youth Entrepreneurship Development Strategy (dti, 2013).
CHALLENGES FACING YOUTH ENTERPRENEURS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Lack of entrepreneurship education
Lack of awareness of government initiatives supporting youth entrepreneurship
Lack of access to business development support services
Stringent government policies and regulations
RESEARCHING THE CHALLENGES FACING YOUTH ENTREPRENEURS IN POLOKWANE MUNICIPALITY
Study area
SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS
Demographic profile
Women in Polokwane Municipality may therefore be more likely to start a business at an older age group compared to their male counterparts. This is reflected in the research findings of the Polokwane survey: only 4% of respondents had access to university qualifications.
Challenges faced by youth entrepreneurs in their day-to-day business activities
Regarding the study of young entrepreneurs in Polokwane: 82% of respondents did not have access to entrepreneurship education before starting their business. Young entrepreneurs in Polokwane Municipality experienced significant challenges accessing market opportunities, with 36% of respondents citing high competition as a key factor.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Access to finance
- Access to market opportunities
- Entrepreneurship education
- Government policies and regulations
- Awareness about government initiatives to promote youth entrepreneurship
- Government and Private sector interventions to address challenges faced by youth entrepreneurs
Government policies and regulations are often perceived as problematic and do not always promote youth entrepreneurship to the extent originally envisaged. The research study reported in this article (Leshilo, 2014) aimed to explore the challenges facing youth entrepreneurship in the Polokwane Municipality.
Implementing Bus Rapid Transit in eThekwini
Challenges, Lessons and Opportunities
Local government has played a central role in this regard by using the powers and functions conferred on it under Schedules 4B and 5B of the Constitution Act 108 of 1996 (Republic of South Africa, 1996), such as land use planning, locating the development of new housing and provision of transport infrastructure and public transport services. This article outlines the process eThekwini has gone through to implement a public transport strategy in the city that will address the spatial consequences of apartheid policies and build the local economy.
BACKGROUND
One measure to address these challenges involved revising the city's transport system to create an efficient and effective public transport network (Aucamp and Shaw, 2001). The initial strategy – the Fundamental Restructuring of the Durban Public Transport System (FRDPTS) project – was developed in the early 2000s.
ROMANCING THE RAPID BUS SYSTEM
NDOT’S POLICY EVOLUTION
Although the required features of the IRPTN system are highly commendable, it also highlights the difficulty of balancing high specifications, with the affordability and sustainability of the implemented system going forward.
BUS RAPID TRANSIT
As a result of increased density around transport nodes, nearby residents are able to easily access transport because they have less distance to cover between home and transport. As a result, BRT systems were implemented without a full understanding of the significant cost of a comprehensive city-wide system.
IS BRT THE SOLUTION TO SA’S BIG CITY TRANSPORT PROBLEMS?
The eThekwini Current Public Transport Record (CPTR) (eThekwini, 2004) reflects the findings of a comprehensive research study of public transport across the eThekwini Municipality. Although more than a decade has passed, this is still the most recent record of public transport provision within the municipality5.
THE ETHEKWINI SOLUTION TO NDOT’S REQUIREMENTS
Of the factors influencing their mode of travel in eThekwini, 32% of households prioritized travel time, compared to 22.9% of households who listed travel cost as the most important (StatsSA, 2014). As a continuation of the FRDPTS, Go!Durban retained rail as the main transport mode along the corridors it served and where the passenger numbers supported rail as the desired mode (eThekwini, 2014).
INCREASING POLICY VIABILITY
Construction is currently underway on the first phase, which should be completed in 2018 (eThekwini, 2014). Since many of the above are in direct conflict with each other, difficult decisions will have to be made.
RESULTS
LESSONS
Finally, greater oversight of the system will require a higher staff allowance to oversee and monitor service quality. Furthermore, the economic benefits of reduced travel costs and reduced travel time will contribute to the city's economic growth.
