Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the past decade the government of South Africa has launched various initiatives to stimulate the economy in general, but more specifically to economically and socially empower previously disadvantaged communities. Initially these initiatives have been very broadly defined, but are increasingly fitting in with the concept of Local Economic Development (LED). The concept of LED is not new; in fact, research has shown that LED initiatives have been successfully implemented in various countries in the world with needs and problems very similar to those of South Africa. This study focuses on the Eden District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa and more specifically on the relation between LED and the construction industry. To answer some relevant questions relating to this topic, a questionnaire has been distributed to the agents of LED in the major municipalities of the district. The survey was divided into four main sections, which dealt with issues relating to both the construction industry and local economic development. The responses in general reflected what could be observed in practice. Due to the current relatively high economic growth in South Africa the regional economies also experience good economic growth. Focusing on the issue of Local Economic Development, it is important to note that the economy of the Eden District is driven by the tourism and public services sectors. Taking the cue from the survey responses, the deduction has therefore been made that the construction industry, consisting of the building and infrastructure subsectors, is driven by the demand for housing and public services. The construction industry was therefore not a driver of economic development, but more a 'secondary' industry, that would benefit from sustainable growth and development in the primary economic sectors. Therefore it is important that managers and agents of local economic development should consider the issue of sustainability when deciding on empowerment and development initiatives. Sustainable development can only be achieved when development initiatives are focused on sectors of the local economy that are the 'primary' industries in the region, and therefore less susceptible to fluctuations in the global and South African economy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die laaste 12 jaar het die regering van Suid Afrika verskeie inisiatiewe van stapel gestuur met die doel om die ekonomie te stimuleer, en meer spesifiek om voorheen benadeelde gemeenskappe en individue op maatskaplike en ekonomiese gebied te bemagtig. Aanvanklik was hierdie inisiatiewe slegs breedweg gedefinieer, maar algaande het dit in meer doelgerigte konsepte ontwikkel, waaronder die konsep van Plaaslike Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling (PEO). Hierdie konsep is egter nie nuut nie, en 'n kort literatuurstudie het getoon dat PEO-inisiatiewe reeds met sukses geimplementeer is in verskeie lande met behoeftes en probleme baie soortgelyk aan die van Suid Afrika. Hierdie studie fokus op die Eden Distriksmunisipaliteit in die Wes-Kaap provinsie van Suid Afrika en meer spesifiek op die verband tussen PEG en die konstruksie-industrie. Ten einde sekere relevante vrae te beantwoord, is 'n vraelys aan die verskeie rolspelers in PEG in die groter Munisipaliteite in die distrik gestuur. Die vraelys het uit vier dele bestaan wat elk oor kwessies van beide konstruksie en plaaslike ontwikkeling gehandel het. Die terugvoer van die vraelyste bevestig dat die ekonomiee van die onderskeie provinsies en streke dieselfde positiewe groei ondervind as die landsekonomie in die algemeen. Indien meer spesifiek op die konsep van PEG gefokus word, dan word dit gou duidelik dat die ekonomie van die Eden Distrik hoofsaaklik deur die toerisme- en openbare dienste sektore gedryf word. Hierdie feit, sowel as die antwoorde op die vraelyste, het gelei tot die gevolgtrekking dat die konstruksie-industrie, wat uit die bou- en infrastruktuur subsektore bestaan, hoofsaaklik deur die vraag na behuising en publieke dienste gedryf word. Die konstruksie-industrie is dus nie self 'n drywer van ekonomiese ontwikkeling nie, maar in werklikheid 'n 'sekondere' industrie wat baat vind by volhoubare groei en ontwikkeling in die primere ekonomiese sektore. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat bestuurders en agente van PEG die konsep van volhoubaarheid deeglik oorweeg wanneer daar oor bemagtigings- en ontwikkelings-inisiatiewe besin word. Volhoubare ontwikkeling kan slegs suksesvol geimplementeer word wanneer ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe op die primere industriee in 'n streek gefokus word wat in die algemeen minder blootgestel is aan die sikliese beweging van die Suid-Afrikaanse en globale ekonomiee.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / Based on quarterly data for the period 1985 to 2012, this study analyses the effect of Foreign Portfolio Investment on the growth of the South African economy. In order to support the country’s economic growth, South Africa needs foreign capital in the form of foreign capital flows and these include both foreign direct investment and foreign portfolio investment. Given the low national savings rate in South Africa, foreign portfolio inflows play an important role in the sustenance of higher levels of investment and growth. The study employed the Johansen Cointegration technique to analyse the long-run relationship and the Vector Error Correction Model for the short-term interaction between variables. The long-run results illustrated that there is a negative relationship between Gross Domestic Product and foreign portfolio investment. However in the short run the results indicate a positive relationship between foreign portfolio investment and gross domestic product. These results are supported by the Granger causality test which shows that foreign portfolio investment Granger causes Gross domestic product. The findings from the study suggest that authorities should take advantage of foreign portfolio investment in the short run. However the results also suggest that foreign direct investment is another important source of capital in the long term.

This study explores fair trade in the South African wine sector. It was motivated by different opinions with regard to fair trade products and the international trading system, as well as personal interest in how to improve the lives of the workers in the South, especially women. Although more fair trade would not improve the lives of all the poor people in countries in the South, it can be a beginning of ending this major problem as well as making the international trading system more equal. Although this study was limited by time and length, it gives the reader an insight in how production of fair trade wine in South Africa is different than other non-fair trade production. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of the North, 2004 / Refer to document

M. Tech. Comparative Local Development. Department of Economics. / Local systems of innovation are defined as spatial concentrations of market and non-market agencies that combine to create new products and/or services in specific lines of economic activity. If successful, local systems of innovation bring about local economic development, building up the economic capacity of a local area in order to improve its economic future and the quality of life for its population. The aim of this research project is to study the local economy of the Amathole District Municipality using the local systems of innovation approach.

Poverty, unemployment, inequality and food insecurity are common facts of life in rural communities in the former homelands of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa despite decades of massive infusion of irrigation technology and resources into the rural economies. These problems are mostly the corollary of public policies enacted and executed over the years under colonial and apartheid regimes. Even the establishment of developmental local government and the introduction of various forms of integrated and sustainable rural development policies and programmes under the current democratic political dispensation, which began in 1994, have not brought much relief to the rural areas. Development policies and programmes have not been successful at increasing the coping strategies of the majority of the rural poor as they continue to remain outside the mainstream of development action. The persistence of socio-economic problems elicits questions regarding the appropriateness of development policies with respect to the transfer of irrigation technology to the rural poor. This study critically investigates the social and economic effects of Qamata Irrigation Scheme (QIS) on the living conditions and coping strategies of the farmers at Qamata. The outcome of the investigation is used as the context to analyse the effectiveness and appropriateness of the irrigation development and management policies in the transfer of irrigation technology to the farmers. The choice of QIS was occasioned by its position as the first state financed large-scale irrigation scheme in the late 1960s in the former Transkei which was the poorest and most populous Bantustan; Qamata was one of the poorest rural communities in the territory. Besides, QIS is one of the largest irrigation schemes in the Eastern Cape which has attracted a considerable amount of resources and public attention. It was therefore thought that the study of QIS could generate the relevant data required to evaluate the appropriateness of irrigation schemes in rural development in the province. The roles and expectations of development functionaries with reference to development policies, programmes, practices and achievements, and the living conditions, needs, aspirations and perceptions of beneficiaries were critically examined. Because rural development is a multi-faceted concept, the approach of the study was eclectic. The data which ensued was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively with chi-square test and independent samples t-test to arrive at forthright and compelling conclusions. The study revealed that rural development at Qamata is fraught with political, institutional and organizational problems. As a result, the Qamata Irrigation Scheme could not bring about the expected socio-economic development in the surrounding rural communities. Suggestions are offered on the basis of the research findings for meaningful rural development. The participation of local communities, especially women who bear the brunt of rural poverty and food crop production, in development policy formulation and the participation of the youth in irrigation farming are seen as essential prerequisites for goal oriented rural and agricultural development intervention programmes. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

The study investigated the role of local economic development in job creation in the Dimbaza Township. Despite a plethora of policy provisions to give strategic direction for the implementation of local economic development in the Republic of South Africa, in the general and local government spheres in particular, local economic development has not benefited local people in terms of creating job opportunities as envisaged. The study consulted the legislative framework governing local economic development (LED) in the Republic of South Africa, investigated the implementation of LED and how it benefited local citizens as well as the cause of failure of the LED intervention strategies, and also provided recommendation to enhance the implementation of local economic development. Scholarly articles provided valuable insights on the centrality of local economic development in socio-economic development. A qualitative approach was used to enable the researcher to explain local economic development and show how it influenced job creation and well-being of the local citizens of the Dimbaza Township. Purposive sampling was chosen as the method to select cases that were informative for this study and to create an understanding of the research problem. Respondents mainly included the ward committee members and ward councillors, who are instrumental in the implementation of local economic development in their respective wards. Self-administered interviewing schedules were used to glean information and to obtain the views, opinions and ideas about the extent of the challenges regarding the topic of discussion. The study found that, despite policy interventions on LED, unemployment levels remained persistently high due to the poor conceptualisation and understanding of LED, the lack of adequate funding and support and the reduction of LED stature from job creation to poverty alleviation projects. Based on the above findings, the study recommended the following: (a) institutionalisation of LED, (b) strengthening intergovernmental cooperation and partnerships, (c) development of a coherent LED strategy, (d) improving stakeholder capacity and participation so that intervention strategies are not externally imposed, (e) strengthening accountability and responsibility, (f) provision of adequate funding for LED interventions, and (g) the establishment of a local economic development agency (LEDA).

The study provides an econometric analysis of the impact of economic growth on the matric pass rate in South Africa. The model used provincial pass rates from the year 2008 to 2013 as well as the economic growth rates of each province from the same period. A panel data random effects model was used to run the model and produce the results. An extensive literature review was conducted to analyse the pass rate in the Eastern Cape which has been the lowest in South Africa for some years. The results of the model suggest that economic growth in the different provinces has a positive effect on the matric pass rate except for the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The model also produced a low R2 indicating that economic growth does not sufficiently explain the matric pass rate in the different provinces and other factors which were not included in the model are important.

The South African automotive industry has experienced significant growth since its first inception in 1995. South Africa’s trade relations with other countries has facilitated the growth of this sector. Government introduced programmes that encouraged growth in the sector, namely the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) and the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP). South Africa as the catalyst for development in Africa needs to continuously strive to integrate with other developed countries to and promote Foreign Direct Investments into the continent. The development of the industry requires organic growth to ensure that it remains sustainable. The research problem addressed in this study is to establish the role government plays in ensuring a sustained growth of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the automotive sector. The establishment of this statement is imperative to the growth of automotive investments by multinationals in South Africa. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) are positioned in three of the country’s eleven provinces. The Eastern Cape region has been known to be the automotive-hub of South Africa with a GDP that is driven by the secondary automotive sector consisting of multinational OEM giants such as Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA), General Motors South Africa (GMSA), Ford Motor Company, FAW and Daimler. South African OEMs are required to lobby at the principal companies before a new model can be built in the country. Lobbying involves offering competitive logistics costs to build models in South Africa. Stakeholders led by government are required to actively participate in these negotiations to sustain the industry in the country. One of the ways this can be achieved is through formulation, integration and alignment of strategies between all stakeholders. Stakeholders involve private sector and public sector working together. South Africa has achieved an open-country perception to foreign investors through the APDP. The problem statement was accurately explained and expressed clearly and sub-problems were identified from areas in the main problem that required further analysis. Literature has revealed that South African ports are considered to be the most expensive in the world and that there is a lack of port and rail integrated infrastructure. Providing a complete supply chain for logistics will result in increased FDI for South Africa. The governmental entities’ support will allow the OEMs an opportunity to increase investment in South Africa thus creating employment and adding value to the GDP of South Africa. The South African component manufacturer’s sector has grown intensively creating sustainable jobs for South Africans. The industry is structured in such a way that there is a multiplier-effect reaction to macro-economic conditions. A comprehensive literature review was executed to understand the nature and extent of the global automotive industry, the South African automotive industry, the regions that host OEMs, the Motor Industry Development Programme and the Automotive Production and Development Programme. A primary research instrument was constructed, in the form of a questionnaire, to test themes which were highlighted in the literature review which can influence the sector’s competitive advantage. A questionnaire was distributed with the assistance of industry representatives in the Transport and Logistics sector. There was consensus on many issues regarding the current structure of the South African automotive industry. Specifically, the importance of rail, efficiencies, prices and value-added services needed in the industry to attract FDIs as well as the readiness of the Port of Port Elizabeth with regards to being positioned as an automotive-hub for Sub-Saharan Africa.

This study examined the impact of financial liberalisation on economic growth in South Africa. The study used quarterly time series data for the period 1980 to 2010. A vector error correction model was used to determine the short run and long run effects of financial liberalisation on economic growth in South Africa. The other explanatory variables considered in this study were government expenditure, investment ratio, public expenditure on education and trade openness. Results from this study revealed that financial liberalisation, government expenditure and public expenditure on education have a positive impact on economic growth while trade openness negatively affects economic growth in South Africa. Policy recommendations were made using these results.