in developing countries have recently started to focus on retention and aftercare programs to stimulate local economic development. Buffalo City, through the success of its collaboration with key corporates like Mercedes Benz South Africa, could leverage local growth for the development of the economy through the establishment of collaborative agreements with existing investors. A robust investment promotion and aftercare program could serve to attract new investors, while promoting reinvestment from within current investors. The main aim of the study is to investigate whether the establishment of an official public and private sector partnership will not only serve to attract investment but will also provide critical aftercare and reinvestment services. In addition, the study examines key aspects relating to investment promotion and aftercare to review the learning gained to establish Buffalo City as an investment destination. It further engages diverse stakeholders who share their experiences of investment promotion and aftercare in Buffalo City. The research reviews investment promotion agencies like Wesgro and Durban Investment Promotion Agency. This study examines investment in Brazil, who like South Africa has a huge population dependant on grants, and Vietnam, who like South Africa is faced with huge infrastructure challenges. The research also reviews Malaysia's visionary move to facilitate business development which positioned Malaysia as one of the 20 best economies in the world. The literature review also explores Tangier, a Moroccan City, which like Buffalo City has a river port which facilitated economic development providing local inhabitants with modern infrastructure and amenities, unlocking the economic potential of the city. Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies are used in this study to address nine research questions to determine whether current Buffalo City investors are satisfied and how the city is positioned as an investment-friendly destination. The analysis of the literature was incorporated into questionnaires for the face-to-face interviews and self-administered surveys for the respondents. An electronic questionnaire will be used as the main instrument to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The questionnaire will consist of both closed-ended and open-ended questions. Respondents will select a single option which is for calculation of statistical information and percentages of various types. Closed-ended questions thus enables the researcher to arrive at opinions about a product or service in a more efficient manner. Open-ended questions will be used at the end of the questionnaire to elicit accurate feedback and recommendations from the respondents as well. Ranking will be used to ascertain which six factors in order of importance respondents regard as most crucial in relation to service delivery. The findings from the research illustrates that Buffalo City does not have an official public and private sector partnership with a dedicated focus on aftercare services. This is demonstrated by 54,5% of respondents who indicate that they have a good relationship with BCMM, while the remaining 45,6 do not believe BCMM is competent. It is interesting to note, that 63,3% of respondents perceive Buffalo City to be an investor friendly destination, while 36,4% do not believe this to be the case. This further demonstrates the critical need for an effective aftercare program. The findings from the data also suggests that by improving basic service delivery, repairing roads, introducing cleaning and greening programs, improving public amenities, upgrading infrastructure and engaging with stakeholders, Buffalo City will not only position itself to retain current investors but will also attract new investors who will create jobs and enhance the economic growth and development of the city. The city will need to adopt a more robust and focused approach to investment promotion and facilitation in order to compete and succeed in both national and global markets. Buffalo City has to ensure that policies, regulatory frameworks and basic service delivery are enhanced to enable to improve the city's investment offering. The city has to focus on the establishment of a dedicated investment aftercare program not only to attract new investment, but also to retain current investors. Buffalo City needs to identify its competitive advantage as an investment destination, to meaningfully participate in foreign direct markets and to grow the local economy. The city must restructure and reorganize the regional ambition of investment winning and job creation to position itself as an attractive investment destination with a competitive business environment.

The agriculture and manufacturing sectors have been identified and prioritized by the Zambian government as sectors that could contribute significantly to poverty reduction through industrialization and creation of employment. The cotton textile industry is one such industry that cuts across the two sectors. This research paper focuses on the cotton textile industry in Zambia, with specific emphasis on Mulungushi Textiles Limited that was reopened by the Republican President, His Excellency, Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu in August 2016 after having been closed for about a decade. To this end, the main objective of the research paper is to analyze the economic viability of revamping Mulungushi Textiles Limited by focusing on determinants of viability which included; production cost, government policies and strategies, and institutional arrangements, among others. The study analyzes mainly qualitatively both primary and secondary data. Primary data was principally sourced through interviews and observations, while secondary data was through online and physical sources such as books, reports and other written publications. From the research findings, Mulungushi Textiles Limited factory machinery is obsolete and dilapidated to fully operationalize the business strategic units of ginning, spinning, weaving, dyeing and printing, garment production and cooking oil processing. The study recommends that the factory should undergo a complete overhaul in the long run and in the short run, resume garment production which was identified to be a low hanging fruit. The study concludes that, with the right investment, policies, strategies and concerted efforts from both the public and private sectors, revamping Mulungushi Textiles Limited is economically viable and has great potential to contribute to the government's efforts in promoting inclusive growth through poverty reduction, particularly in rural areas where poverty is mostly prevalent.

Designed to be in line with the then government's apartheid policy, the manpower training system created a highly polarised national skills development system characterised by huge socio-economic inequalities, and an unemployment and poverty problem that was defined along racial lines (McGrath, 1996). The defeat of apartheid in the 1990s meant that the new government desperately needed to address these socio-economic challenges. It needed to do so while also trying to catch up with a rapidly globalising world economy characterised by rapid change, unprecedented competition, new technology, fast-growing emerging markets, workforce diversity, and a demand for new skills. The Draft 1997 Green Paper on Skills Development Strategy for Economic and Employment Growth in South Africa advocated for a state-driven national skills development system in partnership with firms, labour and a range of public and private training providers (Republic of South Africa, 1996: 62). The Green Paper led to the promulgation of a number of skills development legislations including the Skills Development Act (SDA) (No. 97 of 1998). The SDA envisaged Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) to act as key agencies in the delivery of skills development and workplace experience seen as essential in addressing the triple challenges of inequality, unemployment, and poverty (Republic of South Africa, 1998). Despite this new bold vision, SETAs have been relentlessly criticised for failing to respond to the demand for medium and high skills in an inclusive manner because of a crisis in governance and administration, poor planning, and corruption (Marock, Harrison-Train, Soobrayan & Gunthorpe, 2008; Barclay, 2012; Scott & Shuttleworth, 2007). SETA Boards tend to be riven with conflict as a result of their often opposing expectations and mandates, and the infighting spills over to executive managers and to the rest of the organisation. Boards that are preoccupied with internal power struggles are wont to lose focus on their fiduciary duties which revolve around the implementation of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) (Scott & Shuttleworth, 2007). Even though optimum value can be derived from having institutional arrangements that are geared to the implementation of projects supporting organisational strategy, one in three of all strategy implementations fail as there is often a major rift between strategy (as designed by principals) and the actual projects (as implemented by agents) (Buys & Stander, 2010). Levy (2014) theorised that where the public is linked to service delivery nodes via politicians and policymakers who are in turn linked to service delivery providers, it is crucial to align the goals of agents with that of their principals. The SETA arrangement is, nonetheless, unique in that Board members are appointed by the Minister of Higher Education and Training in their capacity of representing a particular constituency such as a union or a business association. Even so, stakeholders must work together to optimise joint benefits and minimise their temptations to otherwise shirk, free ride or pursue selfish goals.

The African continent possesses a wealth of natural mineral resources. Arguments have been put forward that these natural mineral resources can be one of the potential solutions to unlocking the challenge of underdevelopment and pervasive poverty in many African countries. Understanding how African countries can gain greater benefit from these mineral resources was the emphasis of this dissertation. Focus was placed specifically on the Mozambique natural gas sector. A case study methodology was employed with the purpose of determining whether Mozambique could gain greater participation in its natural gas value chain. Empirical and theoretical literature around mineral resources management including leading theories such as the resource curse were reviewed as key points of departure. A detailed analysis of historic natural gas projects executed in Mozambique, the legislative framework, contracts, and institutional and capacity demands then followed as a core part of the analysis. Finally, the study leaned on in-depth interviews with industry experts to understand the legal, policy, and technical barriers that could hinder Mozambique from gaining greater participation in the natural gas value chain. Key findings of the study pointed to the inadequacies of existing laws and contract provisions to deliver the vision of greater participation, barriers to entry such as high upfront capital requirements, and internal institutional and technical capacity gaps exemplified by the reliance on external technical assistance from partners such the World Bank. The study concluded that greater participation in the natural gas value chain could not be achieved through Mozambique legislating its way into upstream and midstream activities alone, rather, a progressive approach to gain greater participation was required, initially starting with increased participation in downstream activities through domestic gas to unlock industrialisation.

Co-government arrangements are a necessary evil that provides political parties with an opportunity to take office, exercise power and share the spoils of power. My dissertation examines the reforms and principles that are most useful in co-government arrangements, which are characterised by unstable, complex and sometimes predatory political environments, to ensure that governance and developmental gains can be achieved. Using case studies of the co-government arrangements in three local municipalities, all based in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and led by an array of small opposition parties, I make two arguments. Firstly, senior public officials can act as a countervailing platform to achieve governance gains by implementing a range of reforms and principles. The most pertinent of these being to make concessions in coalition arrangements that have a kingmaker and by implementing a functional political-administrative interface to protect the integrity of the powers and functions delegated to both arms of the municipality. Secondly, political principals with mixed interests can effectively cooperate to find joint gains. Some of these reforms and principles require that forums be put in place to encourage effective communication to expedite decision making that enable governance gains, while the coalition agreement should have comprehensive terms to guide the rules of engagement of the parties in the co-government arrangement. Coalition led governments at a municipal level can thrive if coalition partners communicate effectively, act in goodwill towards a common goal and uphold credible commitments to serve with integrity.

Do technical solutions override or fast track institutional reforms? This study interrogates the extent to which Zambia’s newly introduced Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) is addressing the procurement challenges [for essential drugs and medical supplies] in the Ministry of Health (MoH). A brain child of the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA), the e-GP is but one of the components of the wider procurement reform agenda. The e-GP was introduced with the intention of enhancing efficiency, effectiveness and Value for Money (VfM) in public procurement. Since 2016, ZPPA has been piloting the approach in selected Procurement Entities (PEs), a combination of sector ministries and state parastatals. Based on review of project documentation, publicly available data, and interviews from key stakeholders; the study explores and interrogates the contextual and institutional challenges characterising the e-GP design and pilot implementation phases, and the extent to which these realities impact the achievement of the intended outcomes. A fair amount of information from interviewees was provided under conditions of confidentiality, thus individuals are not often identified. It is perhaps too early to ascertain the extent to which the e-GP is realising the intended objectives. This is partly explained by the project’s slow start, occasioned by delayed procurement which had knock - on effects on the overall project’s pace. An interrogation of the history and political economy of Zambia suggests however that it is the opaque challenges bordering on the political economy which is the single most binding constraint to reforms; defining the process, the pace and outcomes. The design of the e-GP was generic and non-participatory. There is no evidence to suggest that the process had provided opportunity for PE’s to define and customize the problems that mattered for them to be addressed by the e-GP. Instead, the e-GP seems to have been sold to PEs as a best practice solution. Because of the deep incentive fabric at both organizational and individual levels, the project seems to have some traction. Effort of various actors does not appear to be supportive of each, often latently contradicting each other. Project progress is held constant by the relative ability of the ZPPA to push some strands of work within some pilot PEs. This relative ability of the ZPPA shields the low levels of acceptance and questionable authority within PEs and among actors. Progress on the e-GP appears like a façade of success; suggestive of isomorphic mimicry.

This paper looks at the evolution of urbanization in Zambia. The country has a population of just over 15 million people with about 35% living in urban areas. The population in the urban areas is projected to increase driven by both natural population growth and rural-urban migration. This population growth is expected to put pressure on the provision of services in urban areas. The country has been implementing a decentralization programme that is meant to devolve vital tasks to the local authority. If this happens, the local authorities will have the pressure of ensuring that people in their cities have decent standards of living. The localized city development index will assist local authorities with information to use in assessing their performance. The index adopts the Alkire Foster multidimensional measurement approach.

The timeline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) elapsed in 2015, global indicators showed that Africa still accounts for almost half of all child deaths globally and has the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. By the year 2015, Africa as a continent was unable to meet the maternal and child health MDG targets. This study seeks to retrospectively compare, the progress made on the maternal and child health related Millennium Development Goals namely: MDG4- Reduce child mortality and MDG5- Improve Maternal Health, in Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. Indicators show that, only Rwanda was able to achieve the maternal and child health MDGs. Specifically, the study provides a contextual understanding of the policy interventions implemented by Rwanda, despite starting from a lower base in comparison to Burundi and Uganda due to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The study also sought to understand how broad governance indicators specifically, government effectiveness and control of corruption vary between the three countries: Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda as well as their impact on maternal and child health trends. The study illustrates how Rwanda’s governance is underpinned by a system that is strongly hinged on ideological clarity, good leadership, country ownership for effective policy execution and enforcement of accountability through home grown solutions like imihigo. The integration of imihigo within the health sector has, in addition to other innovative interventions, like the implementation of the Community Health Insurance Policy, deployment of over 60,000 community health workers, innovative use of ICT in health like rapid short message service (sms), drones among others. In contrasting the governance of the health sectors in Rwanda and Uganda, one of the striking differences is that in Rwanda, there are strong linkages between the local and central levels for policy implementation and evaluation, and between the health sector and finance ministry. These are indicative of strong intra-governmental accountability. Uganda on the other hand, despite having good laws and policies in place, still faces poor implementation and lack of strong accountability mechanisms, due to low levels of ownership. The contrast is also sharply illustrated by Rwanda’s higher score in the indicative measures of “government effectiveness and control of corruption”. In short, better quality governments usually have positive effect on development outcomes thanks to overall efficiency in the delivery of public services. Specific recommendations include for Uganda to generate good local governance, effective implementation of decentralisation, follow through of policies and enforcement of accountability for performance failures, the use of community health workers to address existing scarcity of health sector personnel as well as the adoption of ICT policies to support the implementation of health interventions.

Soon after independence, in 1964, Zambia’s urbanisation proceeded very rapidly presenting significant housing problems to the independence government. In the last five decades, Zambia’s Capital City, Lusaka has been growing most rapidly. Unfortunately, most of this growth has been in informal settlements on insecure land because most residents cannot afford formal lowincome housing. Since 1964, government has undertaken several initiatives to bridge this low-income housing crisis. These include; providing complete housing, providing housing subsidies, providing serviced land, enacting new laws, establishing new institutions and even giving away housing for free. But all these initiatives, designed around the ruling political party governance system, have not yielded the desired results. As a result, the urban housing backlog which was estimated to be around 24,000 housing units at independence may now grow to over 3.0 million by 2030 if urgent action is not taken. Government has an opportunity to transform the urban housing sector by addressing weaknesses in the current laws and institutions, providing specific support to low-income households and encouraging private sector involvement. In all this, government must remember that context matters.

South Africa is ranked number one in the world as the most unequal society by the World Bank. Inequalities are largely manifested in income, education and spatial arrangements, as well as access to opportunities and public services. My dissertation examines the impact of the City of Johannesburg's Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, and the transit-oriented development programme, known as Corridors of Freedom, in transforming the mini-bus taxi industry; providing safe and reliable public transport to previously marginalised communities; and to mitigate the legacy of apartheid spatial planning. The research examines the policy objectives of the Rea Vaya BRT system as part of the larger Corridors of Freedom capital programme, which aims to create development nodes to densify the City and improve mobility, and in turn enhance social integration. The research outlines the implementation of Rea Vaya over the past ten years, and explores the impact of the service on the City's commuters and the mini-bus taxi operators. A key argument of the paper is that while anecdotal evidence exists that the Rea Vaya BRT functions optimally, an evaluation study of the City's continued public investment is critical to ascertain whether the project is achieving its intended socio-political and economic objectives.