Rural development is a key policy area in developing countries. Its basic premise boils down to improving the economic well-being and quality of life of rural people. Best practices regarding rural development in developing countries, including Benin, China, Korea and Rwanda, that are known to have been relatively successful in reducing poverty and diversifying the rural economy showed that strong governance, institutional capabilities, active rural communities, and most importantly funding, are all essential for successful rural development. Moreover, land reform and investment in agriculture, infrastructure, education and health play a crucial role in the early stages of rural development. The aim of this study was to examine the concept of rural development as well as policy measures and best practices relating to rural development in order to formulate a rural development strategy for the rural areas of Limpopo Province. To achieve its research objectives, the study used a qualitative research method and secondary data analysis. Before 1995, rural development in South Africa was neglected, resulting in underdevelopment and impoverishment in rural areas. Post-1994, policies for rural development were adopted by the democratic government to improve the economic well-being of people living in rural communities. However, this had thus far limited success as high levels of poverty and inequalities in rural areas still prevails. Those highly affected were rural people in Limpopo Province. In 2018, Limpopo was the most predominantly rural province in South Africa, with over 80% of the population living in rural areas. The study classified Limpopo’s local municipalities into three types of areas, namely predominantly rural area (a local municipality is classified as predominantly rural area if the share of rural population in the local municipal area is above 50%), significantly rural area (that is, a local municipality where the share of rural population in the local area represents between 15% and 49% of the local area’s total population), and predominantly urban area (that is, a local municipality where the share of rural population in the local area is below 15%). Out of 25 local municipalities in Limpopo, 19 were predominantly rural areas, five were significantly rural areas and one was predominantly urban area. Findings show that, in rural areas of Limpopo, there was the prevalence of lower-wage jobs, lower educational attainment, a higher share of low-income households, and more than half of the population depended on government's social grants (including old age grant) and remittances as their income sources. Analysis indicates that educational attainment, household income levels, consumption expenditure and investment tend to be relatively lower, while the unemployment rate is higher, in predominantly rural areas. The economic structure is changing as the share of the primary sector in total Gross Value Added (GVA) is slowly declining, while that of the tertiary sector is gradually increasing. Regarding the contributions to the GVA and employment by sector in predominantly rural areas, agriculture contributed less than 3% to the total GVA, yet it is one of the top employers, contributing 13% of employment. Although mining contributed the most (23,7%) to the total GVA, it only employed 4% of the workforce. To address challenges in rural areas, a rural development strategy for Limpopo Province should contain policy tools that will promote infrastructure development for better access to education, communication, transport, safe water and other basic facilities. It should also encourage capital formation in rural enterprises; promote multi-sectoral development involving reviving agriculture, developing tourism and manufacturing sectors; and promote agro-processing and downstream mineral beneficiation; improve support and access to funding for rural enterprises; and promote the development of the green economy to create decent job opportunities. Access to land and land tenure security are a necessity to stimulate investment needed to accelerate rural development. / Economics / M. Com. (Economics)

Thesis (M.Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Development projects, including the Fetša Tlala Initiative, were designed to contribute to the National Development Plan, 2030. The objectives of this research assessed how effective the Fetša Tlala project was in improving food and nutrition security of women farmers and the degree of empowerment the project afforded them. A semi-structured interview guide was applied to 16 purposefully selected respondents during face-to-face interviews as the data collection method. The findings indicated that physical resources provided to beneficiaries contributed to the effectiveness of the project. However, the inconsistent institutional support provided by the project initiators were considered to detract from the effectiveness. The findings also revealed that the beneficiaries were empowered by the opportunities afforded through the initiative, but were further empowered by their own resilience in the face of adversity. The study concludes by recommending the continuation of the project with improved institutional support.

Thesis (MPAM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The study presents findings that examined the nature and extent of community participation in the Integrated Development Planning (IDP) processes as a means of improving local governance at the Polokwane Local Municipality. The study argues for a need to empower communities with knowledge on the available mechanism as a way of fulfilling the dream of a culture of participation. This is to increase unified perception about the value of community participation in improving local governance. However, local governance accountability can be gauged by the extent to which they practise community participation in decision-making in facing up to the challenges of the day. This is done by putting or encouraging community participation in the processes that would help face up to the challenges of the day, including the IDP processes. The study applied a mixed-methods design and a combination of thematic data analysis and Microsoft Excel (spreadsheet) to analyse data gathered. Structured questionnaires were distributed to respective community members in the selected communities: two villages of Potse and Mahlohlokwe; two townships Mankweng Unit D and Mankweng Zone 1; two suburbs - Flora Park and Ivy Park. Furthermore, faceto- face interviews were conducted with the Polokwane municipal officials responsible for IDP, municipal manager, IDP manager and councillors of selected communities. Findings of the study showed that community participation in the IDP processes was viewed as one of the ways of enabling interaction between local government and citizens. However, citizens faced challenges in the process of community participation and that impacted on the level of community participation. It should, therefore, be borne in mind that to improve local governance, it is necessary to look at the extent to which communities are engaged in the processes of improving local governance. Participation of communities in the development planning of their communities can thus help improve local governance. Therefore, community participation should be widely applied in the local government field to enable good governance and sustainable development.

MPM / OR Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies / There is a problem with the involvement of women on governance within traditional communities in South Africa. Consequently, the socio-political and cultural constraints narrow the potential of women and the otherwise untapped women contribution to the growing economy. This study investigates the involvement of women in governance within traditional communities in South Africa using the Ga- Machaka Village in Molemole Local Municipality as a case in point. Using the mixed method research approach, the study indicates that women in traditional communities are looked down upon and are disadvantaged from being part of governance and public administration based on gender terms. The study indicates that traditional communities in South Africa implicate negatively on women’s independent rights such as direct and equal opportunity to job offers. This is exacerbated by the customary inclination of women as house wives. The involvement of women in governance and public administration is somehow stifled within traditional communities as discussed in this study. / NRF

Participatory development is believed to be an essential ingredient of the development process because it enables the people to influence the policy and decision-making process. It facilitates the designing of and enhances the implementation of plans and programmes or projects and that participation results in the development of ownership and belonging among the people themselves. This feeling in turn goes a long way to ensure the success of a programme or project. This study highlights some of the elements that led to the successful implementation of an income-generating project with women. The study also demonstrates that the people's own ideas are able to command adequate levels of participation, support and commitment to enhance their ability to meet their needs. The study further looks at the ownership of the project as very important for successful implementation and that projects or programmes should be facilitated within the means of the local participants to manage and control them. The elements mentioned in this study are an essential part of participatory development and enable the people to learn to take charge of their lives and solve their own problems. The study further looks at cultural and traditional values as an essential part of human growth, because local action taken by the women is very important in promoting overall success of the project. / Social work / M.A. (SS) (Mental Health)

Participatory development is believed to be an essential ingredient of the development process because it enables the people to influence the policy and decision-making process. It facilitates the designing of and enhances the implementation of plans and programmes or projects and that participation results in the development of ownership and belonging among the people themselves. This feeling in turn goes a long way to ensure the success of a programme or project. This study highlights some of the elements that led to the successful implementation of an income-generating project with women. The study also demonstrates that the people's own ideas are able to command adequate levels of participation, support and commitment to enhance their ability to meet their needs. The study further looks at the ownership of the project as very important for successful implementation and that projects or programmes should be facilitated within the means of the local participants to manage and control them. The elements mentioned in this study are an essential part of participatory development and enable the people to learn to take charge of their lives and solve their own problems. The study further looks at cultural and traditional values as an essential part of human growth, because local action taken by the women is very important in promoting overall success of the project. / Social work / M.A. (SS) (Mental Health)

The rapid and sustained development of the rural regions of South Africa continues to pose an extraordinary challenge to the development community of the country. Policy makers continue to be overwhelmed by the lack of development in the rural areas in spite of the various efforts made to develop them. A review of the publications and development plans of the study region indicates that the planners have for long been pre-occupied with taking limited perspectives of the development planning problems. Development plans have been conceived and implemented in terms of individual sectors instead of looking at their relations with other sectors and regions. This study seeks to make a contribution to the solution of the development problems of the rural areas of the former homeland regions by demonstrating how an integrated approach to the research process and to development planning could make a difference to the lives of the rural communities. This theme is illustrated with reference to the rural energy sector and its relations with the broader regional development problems, challenges and plans of the Sekhukhune district municipality of the Limpopo Province. / GEOGRAPHY / MA (GEOGRAPHY)

Social capital, in broad terms, refers to norms, networks, trust and forms of social connections in societies that allows people to gain access to resources. This study involves a reconceptualisation of the concept of social capital. An overview of social capital literature reveals that economic needs are still dominant in both the theory and practice of development efforts that make use of social capital. It would therefore appear that the social capital paradigm is not balanced in that it does not clearly provide for the satisfaction of the diverse range of needs that people, particularly those in the rural communities, often experience. A resource-orientated approach is suggested in broadening the concept social capital to include the satisfaction of a wider variety of needs. An effort is made in the literature study, to capture the manifestations of social capital in different societies globally, with particular emphasis on community life in developing communities of the world. In addition, the discussion of social capital is deepened to include need satisfaction. A matrix of needs, as proposed by Max-Neef (1991), is used to argue that social capital would better be seen as a synergetic resource for the satisfaction of various needs. Instead of understanding social capital as a need, single satisfier, or as a `factor of production', an argument is put forward that such a conception of social capital is incomplete and inaccurate and that, instead, social capital should be understood as a multi-dimensional resource that can be used to service various needs of communities. Extensive fieldwork amongst agricultural producers in the Vhembe district of Limpopo provided ample evidence of social capital, although a precise fit with the mainstream theoretical perspectives was not found. The unusual profile of social capital reaffirmed the argument that social capital is present in different forms in rural developing communities and that social capital can best be seen as multi-dimensional because it has the ability to satisfy a wide variety of needs at different levels. Better use can be made of the concept of social capital by viewing it as multi-dimensional and linked to resources relevant to a wide variety of needs. Further research is needed if social capital is to be used by development planners. / Sosiale kapitaal verwys breedweg na norme, netwerke, vertroue en verskillende vorme van sosiale skakeling. `n Oorsig oor sosiale literatuur toon dat ekonomiese behoeftes die sosiale kapitaal teorie en praktyk domineer, veral tydens ontwilkkelingspogings wat gebruik maak van sosiale kapitaal. Hierdie studie behels `n heroorweging van die konsep sosiale kapitaal. Die sosialekapitaal - paradigma blyk ongeballanseerd te wees aangesien dit nie volkome voorsiening maak vir die verskeidenheid van behoeftes wat mense in landelike gemeenskappe dikwels ondervind nie. Deur die sosiale kapitaal konsep te verbreed, naamlik volgens die bevrediging van `n verskeidenheid van behoeftes, word `n hulpbrongebasseerde benadering tot sosiale kapitaal voorgestel. Tydens die literatuurstudie is gepoog om die manifestasies van sosiale kapitaal in verskillende samelewings van die wêreld vas te lê, met besondere verwysing na ontwikkelende gemeenskappe van die wêreld. Daarbenewens word die bespreking oor sosiale kapitaal spesifiek gekoppel aan behoeftebevrediging. `n Behoefte matriks, soos voorgestel deur Max-Neef (1991), is gebruik om te betoog dat sosiale kapitaal eerder as `n medewerkende hulpbron gesien behoord te word vir die bevrediging van verskillende behoeftes. Volgens hierdie siening word sosiale kapitaal nie beperk tot die bevrediging van enkele ekonomiese behoeftes nie. Hoewel uitgebreide veldwerk genoegsame bewyse van sosiale kapitaal opgelewer het, kon `n presiese ooreenstemming met die hoofstroom sosiaal teoretiese perspektiewe nie gevind word nie. Die ongewone profiel van sosiale kapitaal het die argument bevestig dat sosiale kapitaal as `n multidimensionele hulpbron verstaan behoord te word. Dit het die vermoë om `n wye verskydenheid behoeftes op verskillende vlakke te bevredig. Die konsep sosiale kapitaal kan beter gebruik word mits dit as multidimensioneel gesien word, asook gekoppel word aan hulpbronne wat relevant is aan `n wye verskeidenheid behoeftes. Verdere navorsing is nodig vir sosiale kapitaal om deur ontwikkelingsbeplanners gebruik te word. / Summary in Afrikaans and English / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

Social capital, in broad terms, refers to norms, networks, trust and forms of social connections in societies that allows people to gain access to resources. This study involves a reconceptualisation of the concept of social capital. An overview of social capital literature reveals that economic needs are still dominant in both the theory and practice of development efforts that make use of social capital. It would therefore appear that the social capital paradigm is not balanced in that it does not clearly provide for the satisfaction of the diverse range of needs that people, particularly those in the rural communities, often experience. A resource-orientated approach is suggested in broadening the concept social capital to include the satisfaction of a wider variety of needs. An effort is made in the literature study, to capture the manifestations of social capital in different societies globally, with particular emphasis on community life in developing communities of the world. In addition, the discussion of social capital is deepened to include need satisfaction. A matrix of needs, as proposed by Max-Neef (1991), is used to argue that social capital would better be seen as a synergetic resource for the satisfaction of various needs. Instead of understanding social capital as a need, single satisfier, or as a `factor of production', an argument is put forward that such a conception of social capital is incomplete and inaccurate and that, instead, social capital should be understood as a multi-dimensional resource that can be used to service various needs of communities. Extensive fieldwork amongst agricultural producers in the Vhembe district of Limpopo provided ample evidence of social capital, although a precise fit with the mainstream theoretical perspectives was not found. The unusual profile of social capital reaffirmed the argument that social capital is present in different forms in rural developing communities and that social capital can best be seen as multi-dimensional because it has the ability to satisfy a wide variety of needs at different levels. Better use can be made of the concept of social capital by viewing it as multi-dimensional and linked to resources relevant to a wide variety of needs. Further research is needed if social capital is to be used by development planners. / Sosiale kapitaal verwys breedweg na norme, netwerke, vertroue en verskillende vorme van sosiale skakeling. `n Oorsig oor sosiale literatuur toon dat ekonomiese behoeftes die sosiale kapitaal teorie en praktyk domineer, veral tydens ontwilkkelingspogings wat gebruik maak van sosiale kapitaal. Hierdie studie behels `n heroorweging van die konsep sosiale kapitaal. Die sosialekapitaal - paradigma blyk ongeballanseerd te wees aangesien dit nie volkome voorsiening maak vir die verskeidenheid van behoeftes wat mense in landelike gemeenskappe dikwels ondervind nie. Deur die sosiale kapitaal konsep te verbreed, naamlik volgens die bevrediging van `n verskeidenheid van behoeftes, word `n hulpbrongebasseerde benadering tot sosiale kapitaal voorgestel. Tydens die literatuurstudie is gepoog om die manifestasies van sosiale kapitaal in verskillende samelewings van die wêreld vas te lê, met besondere verwysing na ontwikkelende gemeenskappe van die wêreld. Daarbenewens word die bespreking oor sosiale kapitaal spesifiek gekoppel aan behoeftebevrediging. `n Behoefte matriks, soos voorgestel deur Max-Neef (1991), is gebruik om te betoog dat sosiale kapitaal eerder as `n medewerkende hulpbron gesien behoord te word vir die bevrediging van verskillende behoeftes. Volgens hierdie siening word sosiale kapitaal nie beperk tot die bevrediging van enkele ekonomiese behoeftes nie. Hoewel uitgebreide veldwerk genoegsame bewyse van sosiale kapitaal opgelewer het, kon `n presiese ooreenstemming met die hoofstroom sosiaal teoretiese perspektiewe nie gevind word nie. Die ongewone profiel van sosiale kapitaal het die argument bevestig dat sosiale kapitaal as `n multidimensionele hulpbron verstaan behoord te word. Dit het die vermoë om `n wye verskydenheid behoeftes op verskillende vlakke te bevredig. Die konsep sosiale kapitaal kan beter gebruik word mits dit as multidimensioneel gesien word, asook gekoppel word aan hulpbronne wat relevant is aan `n wye verskeidenheid behoeftes. Verdere navorsing is nodig vir sosiale kapitaal om deur ontwikkelingsbeplanners gebruik te word. / Summary in Afrikaans and English / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

The rapid and sustained development of the rural regions of South Africa continues to pose an extraordinary challenge to the development community of the country. Policy makers continue to be overwhelmed by the lack of development in the rural areas in spite of the various efforts made to develop them. A review of the publications and development plans of the study region indicates that the planners have for long been pre-occupied with taking limited perspectives of the development planning problems. Development plans have been conceived and implemented in terms of individual sectors instead of looking at their relations with other sectors and regions. This study seeks to make a contribution to the solution of the development problems of the rural areas of the former homeland regions by demonstrating how an integrated approach to the research process and to development planning could make a difference to the lives of the rural communities. This theme is illustrated with reference to the rural energy sector and its relations with the broader regional development problems, challenges and plans of the Sekhukhune district municipality of the Limpopo Province. / GEOGRAPHY / MA (GEOGRAPHY)