D.Litt et Phil. / The number of slums and squatter settlements is rising globally; this is recognised as a significant problem as many of the urban poor find housing in these settlements. With the expanding slum settlements comes a serious problem for many developing nations, that of finding a mechanism to improve these informal developments. These settlements are a symptom of poor urban governance and lack of financial resources causing the urban poor to be pushed into these dwellings and find themselves on the periphery of urban society, not only geographically but socially, economically and legally. Upgrading, integration and legalisation of these housing types is necessary if these peripheral suburbs are to be developed formally. Although many governments have tried top-down approaches of upgrade, these approachs have often failed to produce results as slum upgrades often lead to displacement of the original inhabitants who are ousted into areas even further to the periphery of urban centres. This thesis looks at alternatives to viewing settlements on the urban fringe as a quandary, by using a neoliberal theoretical framework (despite its many flaws), informal property markets in townships in Johannesburg, South Africa can be seen as a catalyst for wealth creation and local economic development. This is particularly important given the historical context of apartheid in South Africa and the segregation of the majority of the population into racially exclusive slums. The post-apartheid government has rallied to improve the lives of this group of poor and dispossessed people with the provision of decent housing a key aspect of this process. A neoliberal framework for economic development was embarked upon in South Africa, with the introduction of neoliberal economic policy (namely GEAR) in 1998, South Africa embarked on a process of reform to encourage market growth. This manifest itself in the ‘Breaking New Ground’ housing policy which adopted a neoliberal stance on Housing provision, and although not removing the role of government in providing low-cost housing, it strives for a market driven housing solution. With a shortage of over 1 million houses in the city, there should be every potential market orientated low-cost housing sector, yet capital within this property sector is often referred to as dead capital with no intrinsic value. This thesis challenges that view by determining the existence of Crisylida capital in township property assets. Crisylida capital is virgining capital in the low-cost property market that could lead to the accumulation of asset capital within this property group, estimated value of Crisylida capital in Johannesburg alone is R6.3 billion. Residents in low-cost housing in Township suburbs in Johannesburg recognise economic value in their dwelling, with only 21% of participants valuing their property at less than R10 000. Further, real estate agents working the township real estate market estimate that just over 50% of properties in these areas are valued at over R200 000. Within this property environment, security of tenure plays an important role in creating not only wealth creation but equally a sense of community ownership. Houses with tenure saw 37% of respondents interested or actively participating in community projects, this compared to 13% of respondents without tenure. This thesis points to a new understanding of low-cost property in Johannesburg, South Africa as a potential market worth billions of Rands that could inject wealth into the hands of marginalised communities. This in turn could assist in fostering sustainable socio-economic urban community within disenfranchised township suburbs.

Thesis submitted to the Department of Political Studies, University of the Witwatersrand in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 2018 / Successful East Asian developmental states achieved remarkable growth in a short space of time. They intervened in their economies and also built constructive relations with business and the capitalists class. South Africa has similarly committed itself to building a developmental state and its local governments have a developmental mandate. However, local governments in South Africa suffer from a plethora of problems. In the constellation of local governments, cities occupy a different position and possess the potential to play a developmental role. The City of Johannesburg is one such city. Its developmental approach including its effort to build relations with business since the dawn of the democratic era, are examined in this thesis. The results present a mixed picture. While positive city-business relations existed, these were not deeply embedded. This was epitomised by the lack of pervasive city-wide feelings of developmental solidarity and narrow agendas that animated city-business relations. However, in line with developmental state theory, especially the twenty-first century kind that not only focuses on growth but also redistribution, the city managed to make certain positive strides. On the anti-developmental side though, the quality of its business-related growth-enhancing services such as investment-attraction lagged behind. Unlike East Asian developmental states, the city also appeared to lack the ability to significantly determine the direction of development, especially investment by the private sector. Overall, the case of Johannesburg reveals the difficulty of emulating East Asian developmental states, especially the challenge of forging lasting city-business relations against the backdrop of informal segregation and huge inherited disparities. / XL2019

Thesis (M.Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Small and Micro-Enterprises (SMEs) are considered sources of income that give people the purchasing power to meet their basic needs and improve their standard of living. Primarily, this study investigated the effects of SMEs on employment creation in Sefene Village, Limpopo Province (South Africa) with the following objectives: to determine the types, characteristics and challenges of SMEs in rural areas; to explore the management approaches for SMEs in rural areas; to examine the types and quality of employment created in rural areas; to determine the effects of SMEs on employment creation in rural areas; and to recommend measures that could enhance the effects of SMEs on employment creation in Sefene Village. The study used a literature review, interview schedule and semi-structured questionnaires. The findings of the study revealed that SMEs played a tremendous role in improving the local economic development of Sefene village. The SMEs are employment creators that have provided economic opportunities for the local people of Sefene village. In terms of employment creation, the SMEs in Sefene confronted challenges such as lack of access to finance, marketing aptitudes, markets, and lack of significant infrastructural facilities and management skills. In any case, literature and empirical data gathered at Sefene uncovered that the major challenge experienced by SMEs was a lack of access to finance. An entrepreneur can have the knowledge and skills but without funds, they are then constrained and impeded. The government institutions for SMEs ought to also target rural areas since that is where there are market potential and overwhelming poverty and unemployment. Further, the SMEs proprietors were aware of financial institutions but accessing them was a major challenge since they did not know about ways to approach them. Hence, the study has recommended that the government financial institutions needed to build relationships with the Molemole Local Municipality to extend access to their services by people who aspire to venture into SMEs. Similarly, the SMEs are major employment creators and need support from private sectors, community members, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and government institutions.

The causal relationship between financial development and economic growth is a controversial issue. For developing countries, empirical studies have provided mixed result. This study seeks to empirically explore the relationship and the causal link between financial development and economic growth in two sub-Saharan African countries between 1970 and 2006. The empirical investigation is carried out using time methods and the five most commonly used indicators of financial development in the literature. However, the causal relationship was carried out using two different methods which are the autoregressive distributed lag bounds testing (ARDL) and the vector error correction model (VECM). Using this above methodology the study first found that in both countries there is a positive and long-term relationship between all the indicators of financial development and economic growth which was proxied by the real per capita GDP. With respect to the causality test, the two methods used provide mixed results especially in South Africa. In Cameroon the study found that financial development causes economic growth using the two methods, whereas in South Africa economic growth causes financial development when the VECM method is used, while there is an independence relationship between the two variables in South Africa when using ARDL. / Economics / M.Comm. (Economics)

This study was undertaken to explore the barriers to the sustainability of the spaza shops in Atteridgeville (wards, 51, 62, 63, 68, 71 and 72) and to identify the support strategies necessary to assist these shops to grow into sustainable businesses. The study was motivated by the role and contributions of these stores in creating jobs for the majority of the previously disadvantaged people, particularly in the black township areas of South Africa. The study was exploratory, descriptive and qualitative in nature. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain data from 18 spaza shop owners. The findings from the research indicated the following barriers to be responsible for the failure of the spaza shops: lack of financial support, lack of business management skills, expensive transportation, limited trading space, crime, negative competition among spaza shop owners, and lack of cooperatives among spaza shop owners. The study recommends that spaza shop owners should ensure that they have enough savings before embarking on business and that they should also attend training in business management to equip themselves. Spaza shop owners also need to establish collaborative ventures among themselves to enable them to voice their concerns as a collective, rather than as individuals. Government, in partnership with private sector, should improve the effectiveness of its support strategies, for example by assisting spaza shops in forming cooperatives and facilitating training in business skills. It is also recommended that the government, through the Department of Trade and Industry, should continue to find out better ways to aid these stores financially. It is the researcher’s opinion that if these recommendations are followed, they could lead to the success of these stores. / Development Studies / M. A. (Development Studies)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of a Doctor of Technology: Business Administration Degree, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2014. / The study assesses the impact of trade and economic liberalisation policy reforms on the operations of selected manufacturing small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in Zimbabwe, and then compares the findings with experiences from South Africa’s SMEs. Motivation for the study was premised on two fronts. Zimbabwe and South Africa are currently faced with high unemployment rates (80% for Zimbabwe and 25% for South Africa). It therefore follows that job creation and poverty alleviation are the two pressing challenges facing the governments of Zimbabwe and South Africa. Secondly, the governments of Zimbabwe and South Africa have identified SMEs as the engines of economic growth with a special focus on addressing the twin challenges of unemployment and poverty alleviation. The roles and hopes bestowed on SMEs calls for a thriving and vibrant SME sector. On the other hand the adoption of trade liberalisation policies in the two countries has led some analysts to cast doubts on the ability of SMEs to withstand the fierce competition from established Multi-National Corporations and cheap imports. Employing a combined qualitative-quantitative approach, the study finds that trade and economic liberalisation policy had a negative impact on the operations of manufacturing small to medium enterprises in both Zimbabwe and South Africa. Cash-strapped SMEs have been strangled by resource-rich Multi-National Corporations. So dire is the situation that in the absence of significant government intervention, SMEs face an uncertain future. Compounding the matter is the fact that most SMEs in two countries are not involved in exports due to lack of knowledge and resources. The innovativeness ability of most SMEs remains very low. The study does not find significant differences on the impact of trade liberalisation policy reforms between SMEs in Zimbabwe and those in South Africa. It is recommended that the governments of Zimbabwe and South Africa need to introduce incentives to encourage SMEs to export and thus employ more people. Governments in Zimbabwe and South Africa need to factor in the transfer of technology to SMEs as one of the clauses when they negotiate the entry conditions of MNCs. In addition, the governments in Zimbabwe and South Africa must reintroduce tariffs in certain critical sectors of the economy to curtail cheap imports. It is cautioned that failure to protect SMEs could jeopardise the survival of most SMEs in Zimbabwe and South Africa, translating into increased unemployment, poverty and unequal wealth distribution.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Business Studies Unit--Durban University of Technology, 2008 / The ability of the South African Small Medium Enterprise Development Programme to promote economic growth and employment. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) offers the Small Medium Enterprise Development Programme (SMEDP) incentive grant programme to qualifying manufacturers in South Africa. The status of the progress of this incentive grant programme is unknown. The DTI alluded to an impact study in the 2004 DTI Annual Report but no further reference or publication of results of the impact study has been made. The objectives of the study are to investigate the following three criteria of the SMEDP and to develop benchmarks and recommendations for future incentive grants offered by the DTI. • Rationale for implementation of SMEDP; • Exploration of SMEDP merits; and • Measure of SMEDP success. The study is a secondary analysis design with both qualitative and quantitative components. The qualitative component allows the researcher to reflect on the process by which the incentive programme under investigation came into being, whilst the quantitative component allows for comment on the result of the process as per the markers developed in the qualitative component of the design. There were 152 sample cases used in the study. The outcome measures are the output measures stated in the Medium Term Strategic Plan which are: • The number of jobs sustained. v i • The number of jobs created. • The number of Greenfield’s projects supported. • The fixed investment in Rand terms. • The improvement in employment levels. The DTI achieved certain of the stated objectives. The empirical data analysed confirms the achievement of these objectives. There is scope for further empirical investigation for the future development of incentive grants. The contribution of the SMEDP to economic growth and employment growth is evident and such government interventions should be continued. The recommendations from the study include further investigation into the following areas to improve the benefits provided by manufacturing incentive programmes: • Limit the incentive to a specified Rand value per job created; • Volume driven turnover growth not price driven turnover growth; • The continued inclusion of expansions in future programme; and • Specified sector programmes i.e. textile sector.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of Master’s Degree in Management Sciences (Business and Administration), Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa (SA) contribute significantly to job creation, wealth, social stability and economic growth. Growth is stimulated endogenously, through motivation, while employment is a natural consequence of a larger number of SMEs as well as the expansion of small businesses into larger enterprises. Although it has been noted that SMEs are viable avenues through which jobs can be created, relatively few studies have explicitly investigated the link between intrinsic motivation and small business growth; this study filled the gap by exploring the impact of intrinsic motivation on SMEs’ growth. This is particularly important when one considers that the failure rate of SMEs in SA is very high and it is of great importance to investigate the factors that can impact on the growth of SMEs. Why some individuals are more successful in business than others is a major question in SME research. The common view is that there are a numbers of factors involved related to the entrepreneur or business owners and the business and the business environment. Building on the concept of human capital and psychological theories, this study investigated the influence of intrinsic motivational factors in SME business growth in the eThekwini Metropolitan Area, in South Africa. The target population for this study was SMEs in the furniture manufacturing sector. Based on census study, the sample size of the study was 68 owners of SMEs in the eThekwini Metropolitan Area. Both primary and secondary data sources were used in the study. A quantitative research design was adopted to conduct this research. The survey method, by way of a self-administered questionnaire, was used to collect primary data. Various techniques such as descriptive statistics, Analysis of Variances (ANOVA), factor analysis, Chi-square, and regression analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings of this study revealed that intrinsic motivational factors of SME managers positively impact on the growth of SMEs in SA. The findings further revealed that creativity and necessary entrepreneurial skills influence implementation of sustainable growth of SMEs, and the entrepreneur’s success depends on the identification of crucial entrepreneurial skills for starting a business as well as for helping the business to survive and grow in the early years. Therefore, capacity building for SME owners to sustain business growth is recommended. / M

Thesis (PhD (School of Public Management and Planning ))—University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Most of the less developed countries are engaging in development projects to address the development needs of their citizens. Yet the record of success of these projects is not high. The ‘crisis in development planning’ has been under scrutiny for some time so that ways may be found of improving the development planning process. Development planning requires reliable quantities of information of an acceptable quality. In particular geo-spatial information should be used in development planning. However, there is evidence of poor usage of geo-spatial information in development planning. There is a need to review the development planning process, in particular the decision-making process, particularly where information and knowledge are used. A proposed new development planning process is presented, emphasizing the role of information and knowledge, as well as capacity and capacity-building in a community participative process. From evidence presented in this research it is concluded that there is a significant relationship between geo-spatial information and development planning. A Geo-spatial Information Decision-making Model is developed, emphasizing the relationship between geo-spatial information, spatial knowledge and the decision-making process within the environment of the development planning process. This is an information / knowledge-centric model, with the objective of optimizing rationality in the decision-making process...

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Evidence-based policy making and results-based management aim to improve the performance of organisations, policies and programmes by enabling the accurate measurement of progress and results required for management and policy decisions. Within the notion of the developmental state, ‘Local Economic Development’ (LED) uses the development planning and implementation capacities of local government to accrue economic benefit to the locality with the aim of addressing development problems such as unemployment, poverty and market failure at the local level. While promoting the economic welfare of citizens is a critical objective of local government, the absence of specific indicators for LED measurement hampers their ability to successfully determine whether their efforts are achieving the expected results. The aim of this dissertation is to promote the systematic and committed evaluation of the results of LED interventions in South African local governments. As such, it provides guidelines for an outcomes-based monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system for LED in South Africa and presents a framework of generic outcome and output indicators for alternative LED interventions within the context of public sector monitoring and evaluation. The dissertation commences with an overview of the history of evaluation research, the conceptualisation of ‘Monitoring’ and ‘Evaluation’, and a categorisation of the alternative approaches to evaluation. It further explores best practices in instilling M&E in organisations, policies or programmes through guidelines for the development of M&E systems; designing and conducting evaluation studies; presenting findings; and developing indicators. This later provides a basis for exploring challenges in the evaluation of LED and proposing guidelines for an outcomes-based LED system. The policy framework of public sector M&E in South African government is explored before recommendations are made on the basis of good practice guidelines from the selected international systems and the World Bank. The concept ‘local economic development’ is contextualised and its manifestation in South African policies and practice explored to demarcate the roles of various role players, but local government in particular, in promoting LED. A review of LED-related literature produced a comprehensive list of potential LED interventions. These interventions were categorised into business development, locality improvement, community development, or improved governance interventions. Specific programmes and projects from practice were summarised within each intervention. For each of the identified LED interventions, generic outcome statements and objectives are formulated, followed by concrete contextual output and outcome indicators. The developed indicators are partly derived from existing indicators used to measure development results, but primarily developed from the implied end result captured in the objectives and outcome statements of each intervention. The LED indicator framework was reviewed by selected M&E and LED experts for final refinement and comments. The systematic evaluation of LED results based on well-designed evaluation studies that incorporate the strengths of the various approaches to M&E can enable the identification of the most promising, best return-on-investment LED interventions, as determined by the real, accurate results of these interventions. This can improve strategic policy and management decisions so as to maximise the limited available resources for LED and ensure the greatest positive economic and social development impact. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bewysgedrewe beleidmaking en uitkomsgerigte bestuur is daarop ingestel om die prestasie van organisasies, beleide en programme te verbeter, deur dit moontlik te maak om die vordering en resultate soos benodig vir bestuur en beleidsbesluite akkuraat te meet. Binne die konteks van die ontwikkelingstaat, maak ‘Plaaslike Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling’ (LED) gebruik van die ontwikkelingsbeplanning en implementeringskapasiteit van plaaslike regerings om ekonomiese voordele vir die lokaliteit te bevorder en sodoende werkloosheid, armoede en markmislukking op plaaslike vlak aan te spreek. Alhoewel die bevordering van die ekonomiese welvaart van burgers ‘n kritiese doelwit van plaaslike regerings is, word plaaslike regerings se vermoë om met sekerheid te bepaal of die gewenste resultate deur aksies bereik is, deur die afwesigheid van spesifieke aanwysers vir die meting van LED belemmer. Die doel van hierdie proefskrif is om sistematiese en toegewyde evaluering van die resultate van LED-intervensies in Suid-Afrikaanse plaaslike regerings te bevorder. As sulks, verskaf dit riglyne vir ‘n uitkoms-gerigte stelsel vir die monitering en evaluering (M&E) van LED in Suid-Afrika, sowel as ‘n raamwerk van generiese uitkoms- en uitsetaanwysers vir alternatiewe LED-intervensies binne die konteks van openbare sektor monitering en evaluering. Die proefskrif begin met ‘n oorsig van evalueringsnavorsingsgeskiedenis, die konseptualisering van ‘Monitering’ en ‘Evaluering’ en kategorisering van verskillende benaderings tot evaluering. Dit verken beste praktyke vir die daarstelling van M&E in organisasies, beleide of programme, om daardeur spesifieke riglyne vir die ontwikkeling van M&E-stelsels, die ontwerp en implementering van evalueringstudies, die aanbieding van bevindinge en die ontwikkeling van aanwysers te spesifiseer. Hierdie dien as ‘n basis vir die latere verkenning van die uitdagings in die evaluering van LED en die daarstel van riglyne vir ‘n uitkoms-gerigte LED-stelsel. Die beleidsraamwerk vir M&E in die Suid- Afrikaanse openbare sektor word verken voor voorstelle ter verbetering gemaak word aan die hand van die beste praktyk riglyne van geselekteerde internasionele stelsels, asook die Wêreldbank. Die konsep ‘plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkeling’ word gekontekstualiseer en die voorkoms daarvan in Suid-Afrikaanse beleid en praktyk word verken om sodoende die rol van verskillende rolspelers, maar veral plaaslike regering, in die bevordering van LED te onderskei. ‘n Oorsig van LED-verwante literatuur lewer ‘n uitgebreide lys van potensiële LEDintervensies. Hierdie intervensies word gekategoriseer as besigheidsontwikkeling, lokaliteitsverbetering, gemeenskapsontwikkeling of verbeterde regeringswyse intervensies. Spesifieke programme en projekte uit die praktyk word as voorbeelde van elke intervensie aangehaal. Vir elk van die geïdentifiseerde LED-intervensies word generiese uitkoms- en uitsetstellings geformuleer, gevolg deur konkrete, gekontekstualiseerde uitkoms- en uitsetaanwysers. Die aanwysers is tot ‘n mate afgelei van bestaande aanwysers wat aangewend word om ontwikkelingsresultate te meet, maar is hoofsaaklik ontwikkel uit die geïmpliseerde eindresultaat soos vervat in die geformuleerde doelwitte en doelstellings vir elke intervensie. Die ontwikkelde aanwyserraamwerk wat ontwikkel is, is verder verfyn op grond van terugvoer vanaf geselekteerde deskundiges op die gebied van M&E en LED. Die sistematiese evaluering van LED-resultate gegrond op goed-ontwerpte evalueringstudies, inkorporeer die sterk punte van verskeie benaderings tot LED, bevorder die identifisering van die mees belowende en lonende LED-intervensies soos bepaal deur die werklike, akkurate resultate van hierdie intervensies. Hierdie kan ‘n bydrae tot verbeterde strategiese beleids- en bestuursbesluite lewer en sodoende die beperkte beskikbare hulpbronne vir LED maksimeer en die grootste positiewe ekonomiese en sosiale ontwikkelingsimpak verseker.