This study develops and tests a method of intervention designed to incorporate the concept of sustainable development into management strategies for the natural tropical forest, in the particular case of forest exploitation by small-scale local sawmilling enterprises. Sustainable development is defined as a development process that satisfies jointly the goals of the biological, social and economic spheres of forest management. A review of orthodox management strategies suggested that they focus on maximizing benefits in only one or two of these spheres, and are inadequate to address the requirements of truly sustainable development. The stakeholder concept, adapted from modern corporate management theory, was identified as one model with the potential to satisfy the requirements of sustainable development. A management strategy based on stakeholder theory, termed the Integrated Management Approach (IMA), was developed for the case of locally-developed sawmilling enterprises dependent on the natural forest. The IMA is an iterative process based on the following steps: (1) the definition of criteria and the collection of information to describe the system as it was intended to operate (i.e., the Technical Limit of the operation) and as the enterprise is found at the time of initial intervention (i.e., the Benchmark Situation of the enterprise); (2) development of Negotiation Aims, based on the information collected, according to which the enterprise can progress towards the Technical Limits necessary for sustainable development; (3) identification of stakeholders and (4) their stakes in the enterprise; (5) assessment of stakeholder satisfaction, and negotiation from that basis towards the Negotiation Aims; (6) monitoring and iteration as necessary. Three East African sawmill enterprises were used as case studies to develop and test the IMA. The case studies exhibit many of the social, economic and biological conditions which have hindered successful implementation of traditional management systems to the natural tropical forest. The outcomes of the IMA process for each case study were compared in terms of the rating accorded criteria for each sphere and across spheres, and of the participation and satisfaction of stakeholders. In general, all parameters increased with successive iterations of the IMA, although a major change of attitude by one of the key stakeholders in the final iteration for one enterprise reversed many of the gains previously made, thereby demonstrating one of the limitations of the strategy. The results of this study suggest that the IMA has considerable potential to progress the objective of sustainable development for the case of local sawmilling enterprises operating under frontier conditions. They also suggest that the IMA should be applicable more generally, in facilitating sustainable development for a variety of enterprises based on natural resource use.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Law, 2016. / Africa is challenged by the lack of stable modern electricity which is essential for economic and social development. Many African communities, especially in rural and sub-urban areas, are not connected to the national grid and thus constrained from developing and their continued use of traditional sources of exhaustible energy cause environmental pollution. Distributed renewable energy technologies can help to address the problem of modern energy provision in many of Africa‘s communities. Finance plays a critical role in the development of renewable energy within countries. It bridges the gap in the development of renewable energy projects (REPs). Governments‘ efforts towards developing REPs for scaled-up renewable energy to impact the energy access challenge measurably have been inadequate. Thus, this dissertation focuses on increasing the financial contribution of the private sector in developing REPs, especially within rural communities. Models of financing REPs within selected African countries are analysed, with focus on financiers‘ perspectives and governments‘ ultimate goal in financing REP development. A key objective is to bridge the gap between private sector financiers and policymakers in government in this REP financing effort. The study uses the mixed methodology approach to develop a framework through which REP development is related to the perspectives of financiers and policymakers as to enable reliable and useful research findings. Broadly, the results show that while REP financiers are mainly focused on the profitability of their investments, policymakers are mainly focused on the prospects for sustainable economic development. This divergence presents a key obstacle to the development of renewable energy within African countries. Further, results show that traditional financing methods have been largely ineffective in promoting development of REPs in African countries, hence the need for innovative financing channels to increase REP development in Africa. Also, financiers of REPs in Africa consider renewable energy to be highly risky even when supported by government policies. The fledgling capital markets in many African countries need to be further developed to provide appropriate hedging mechanisms while financing small and medium scale REPs. This study also proposes financing models that amalgamate financiers into a small ―financing consortiums‖ using project finance to fund localised renewable energy service companies (ESCOs) with expertise in finance and REP development; kind of models that spread risk among a number of investors, thereby reducing the potential risks of investments while delivering on the objective of sustainable economic development.

One of the central tenets of much current development thinking in southern Africa is that market-oriented strategies and private sector involvement must be the basis for future economic growth. This has underpinned structural adjustment and economic policy reform policies in the region over the last decade or more. It also underlies the argument for encouraging external foreign direct investment (FDI) as a motor for growth. However growing evidence suggests that such a strategy has not paid off. Economic growth rates have been disappointing, private, and particularly foreign, investment has been limited, and employment in the formal sector has fallen dramatically.1 Structural adjustment and market liberalisation have clearly not delivered the developmental benefits claimed of them, and people's livelihood opportunities have, ft seems, declined over the same period and their levels of vulnerability have increased. The increasing recognition that the standard neo-liberal prescriptions were not having the expected benefits, especially for poor people, has resulted in some rethinking about how best to redirect the benefits of globalisation and economic reform towards the poor, and how to offset some of the losses. Thus ‘pro-poor growth strategies’, ‘making markets work for the poor’ and ‘growth for redistribution' have become well-worn slogans. However, the practical and policy measures required, whereby the benefits of an engagement with a globalised economy, investment by the private sector and liberalisation privatisation measures can result in poverty reduction, remain vague.A number of issues arise. For the sceptics, questions are raised about the degree to which the turn to a 'pro-poor' markets approach is simply rhetorical gloss, added to the discredited neo-liberal paradigm, or actually a genuinely new policy perspective in its own right. It is important to differentiate between broad economic policy reform objectives (which, with some nuances, remain largely in the standard neo-liberal form) and sectoral policies which contain explicitly pro-poor elements. While retaining the argument that market liberalisation and external investment are key, such policies may include some strategic elements of state- directed intervention which boost the access of the poor to new markets and investment opportunities. It is this stance, where the state intervenes to improve access and for particular groups of people, redressing to some extent the imbalances caused by the lack of level playing fields of existing markets, which potentially sets a pro-poor perspective apart.

Continued debates on economic development, poverty eradication and the growing skeptism concerning the paradigms proposed through many decades, has led to a continued search for a paradigm that would, finally, resolve the issue of pervasive poverty in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Having implemented decentralization within government entities without any significant contribution to poverty eradication, the focus has now turned to the development agencies themselves. What are the inefficiencies in these agencies which if addressed might enable them deliver development aid more efficiently thus, providing more resources for development from being lost in the attrition of overheads? It is, therefore, argued that decentralization of development agencies will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of IFIs in delivering development aid. At the same time, decentralization reforms have been proposed as a response to the failures of highly centralized states (or organizations in this case). Empirical evidence, strongly, suggests that physical proximity and more "face-time", promotes better results-on-the-ground, delivered by staff who are better attuned to local conditions and have a better understanding of the client and their development agenda. But, will decentralization alone solve the issue of pervasive poverty? This research recognises that the factors affecting poverty are diverse and intricate and isolating just one part of the puzzle is not enough. Nevertheless, it is argues that decentralization, has a positive impact on poverty reduction thus, this study presents both practical and theoretical considerations from which policy measures can be derived. This thesis focused on establishing how the World Bank, changed its strategies through the implementation of decentralization of its operations as proposed in the ‗Strategic Compact‘, renewed the way it worked in order to maintain its relevance in the development world. The World Bank President, James Wolfensohn, proposed the Compact as a solution to the organization‘s self diagnosis that it was in distress, in a state of possible decline and was not fulfilling its mission of poverty eradication. This research, using Uganda Country Office as a case study, undertook, mainly, a qualitative review of the overall strategy of decentralization and its implementation organization wide and specifically, in Uganda. The research examined how the implementation of the strategy impacted on poverty trends in Uganda. This research found that the decentralization strategy was, fundamentally, the right one to deliver better results of the Bank‘s mission of ‗fighting poverty for lasting results‘ and its vision of ‗A World Free of Poverty‘. Contrary to the popular notion that the World Bank has been, largely ineffective in the delivery of its mission and its decentralization strategy just another one of its 'shams‘, this research established that the implementation of the strategy, although not having a direct or causal relationship, did have positive impact on poverty alleviation in Uganda. This study, therefore, makes a case for decentralization of donor organizations as a means of better delivery of the poverty eradication agenda in the developing world. The benefits though hard to measure in monetary terms are, nevertheless, real in terms of faster and better quality engagement with the clients which in turn, result into better delivery of services and programmes.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Companies are confronted with a global market that is becoming increasingly saturated. With free trade agreements allowing more competition into the traditionally lucrative Western markets and economic recessions impacting the spend-ability of these markets, there is mounting pressure to consider other market opportunities. Statistics reveal that the traditional bottom of the economic pyramid actually contains a potentially very profitable market, with a purchasing power parity of $12.5 trillion. To address this market, prospective companies will have to rethink conventional business strategies, moulded to the specific target market requirements. The gradual shift in focus to the bottom of the economic pyramid, also serves to emphasise the need of sustainable development of impoverished communities. By raising communities out of poverty, they are liberated to partake in trade, respond to opportunities and experience growth in self esteem. Whilst aid organisations play an important role in establishing this freedom, rethinking business processes could result in more sustainable impact on communities. This feeds into the concept of creating a sustainability vision, where the corporate vision should readdress not only the product but also the markets they seIVe. It should direct the company toward the solution of social and environmental problems and meet the unmet needs at the bottom of the economic pyramid. In the context of Africa's geographical, political or social milieu, it is evident that the continent offers unique challenges for engaging in trade. There are various attempts to address these, but Africa is still deemed one of the most difficult environments in which to establish operations. Africa also offers unique opportunities though, for those companies willing to rethink the conventional. Two companies saw the opportunity in malaria, a disease associated with impoverished communities. Africa has the perfect breeding ground for the P. fa/ciparum strain of malaria, which is incidentally also the most lethal. The strain has developed resistance against current medication, which makes it extremely difficult to cure and control. It is estimated that malaria costs African governments up to $12 billion per year and results annually in a penalty of 1.3% less economic growth per person than could be expected in the absence of malaria. The two companies, on different ends of the supply chain, have been reviewed in the light of the defined sustainability vision principles and the context of their strategic operations. Though not without critique, and admittedly still in the early phases of some of their processes, they have demonstrated that the concept of a sustainability vision in the African context is viable and that it is feasible to create wealth whilst serving the poor. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Maatskappye word voortdurend gekonfronteer met markte wat neig om versadig te word as gevolg van vryhandelsooreenkomste wat kompetisie stimuleer en ekonomiese resessies wat vrye kontantvloei - en gevolglik koopgewoontes - be·invloed. Daar is dus groeiende druk om voorheen ongekarteerde markte te ondersoek. Kontra verwagting toon nuwe statistieke dat die tradisionele basis van die ekonomiese piramide 'n potensieel baie winsgewende mark inhou, met koopkrag van $12,5 triljoen. Om hierdie mark te betree, word van maatskappye verlang om konvensionele besigheidstrategiee in heroorweging te neem en dit te vorm na gelang van die spesifieke konteks van hul teikenmark. Die stelselmatige skuif in fokus na die basis van die ekonomiese piramide het die noodwendige gevolg om die belang van ontwikkeling in agtergeblewe gemeenskappe te benadruk. Deur gemeenskappe te verlos uit die juk van armoede, word self-waarde gestimuleer en hulle die geleenlheid gegun om deel te neem aan aktiewe handel, wat ekonomiese groei tot gevolg he!. Welwillendheids-organisasies speel 'n belangrike rol in die opsig, maar besighede het die potensiaal om 'n meer blywende ekonomiese impak te maak. In die lig hiervan, word die konsep van 'n volhoubare visie benadruk, waar dit gestel word dat 'n maatskappy se visie beide die produk en die teikenmark in herwoorweging moet neem. Dit moet die organisasie lei om sosiale- en omgewingsprobleme aan te spreek en voorheen onvoorsiene behoeftes op die basis van die ekonomiese piramide te bevredig. Teen die agtergrond van Afrika se geografiese, politieke en sosiale milieu, is dit duidelik dat die kontinent unieke uitdagings bied vir voornemende handel. Verskeie pogings word aangewend om dit die hoof te bied, maar Afrika word steeds gesien as een van die moeilikste kontekste om besigheid in te doen. Afrika offer wel ook unieke geleenthede vir maatskappye wat bereid is om hul konvensionele banderings in herwoorweging te neem. Twee maatskappye het die geleentheid raakgesien in malaria, 'n siekte wat normaalweg met agtergeblewe gemeenskappe geassosieer word. Afrika bied die perfekte teelaarde vir die P.falciparum variant van malaria, wat toevallig ook die mees dodelike variant is. Die malaria variant het weerstand opgebou teen tradisionele voorskrif-medikasie. met die gevolg dat dit besonder moeilik is om te voorkom en te beheer. Gesaghebbende bronne skat dat malaria Afrika-regerings tot $12 miljard per jaar kan kos, en jaarliks lei tot 1,3% minder ekonomiese groei as wat verwag sou word in die afwesigheid daarvan. Twee maatskappye is geevalueer in die lig van die ge'identifiseerde volhoubare visie beginsels en die konteks van hul operasionele bedrywighede. Hoewel hulle benadering nie sonder kritiek is nie, en sommige strategiee nog die toets van tyd moet deurstaan, stel hulle goeie voorbeelde van die potensiaal om rykdom te skep, terwyl die gemeenskap in nood ook gedien word. Dit benadruk die potensiaal vir 'n volhoubare visie, ook in die Afrika konteks.

This study is an analysis of the implications of the manner of development, decision making and communication therein on Africa's development performance since the 1950s. It sought to establish the causes of development failures in Sub-Saharan Africa and to explore a way for sustainable community development. Four hypotheses were set: • First, Africa's development failures are due to cultural irrationality, as many modernisation theorists have suggested, including Goran Hyden (1980: 3-4) who asserts that "Africa's underdevelopment lies in the persistence of its pre-modern and pre-capitalist practices and structures" and Ulf Himmelstrand (1994: 25) with his "European superiority" notion; • Second, Africa's development failures are due to the exclusionary manner of development; • Third, as justification for the exclusionary manner of development, community participation in development could lead to disorder and paralyse governmental delivery capacities (Huntington, 1991), and • Lastly, community participation is untenable because communitarian values no longer exist in African communities. This study is in two parts. Part One verifies the first two hypotheses through reviewing the literature. Part Two verifies the last two hypotheses using field research data. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1999.

Thesis (MS en S)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: More than half of the population of Southern Africa live in rural areas and lead a marginal existence. They are dependant on natural resources that are to their disposal for their survival. The resources that they use are renewable but are currently exploited faster that it can be replaced. The pressure that the rural populations are placing on nature cannot be sustained. The concept of "sustainable development" came into being in 1987. The principle of this new concept was to permit development as to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development proposes a lifestyle that preserve nature as well as social and cultural characteristics of a community. The tourism industry of Southern Africa has great potential and is still growing. Ecotourism, the idea of nature based tourism that will benefit both the socio-economic circumstances of the community and conservation, have increased in the past ten years. If ecotourism is managed correctly, it can be the answer to poverty in many rural communities and at the same time conserving nature. There are organisations that concentrate on sustainable rural development and that introduce communities to the potentials and benefits of the tourism industry. There are already communities that adopted this new paradigm with great success. The aim of this study is to make people conscious to the problem of rural poverty and the impacts it has had on the environment already. Secondly the study also presents a solution to rural poverty by the development of tourism in rural communities. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Meer as die helfte van Suider-Afrika se bevolking leef in landelike gebiede en voer 'n marginale bestaan. Hulle is aangewese op die natuurlike hulpbronne wat tot hulle beskikking is vir hulle voortbestaan. Die hulpbronne is hernubaar maar word tans vinniger verbruik as wat dit vervang word. Die druk wat die arm landelike bevolking op die natuur plaas kan nie volgehou word nie. In 1987 het die begrip "volhoubare ontwikkeling" die lig gesien. Die beginsel van die konsep is om ontwikkeling te laat geskied sodat daar aan die behoeftes van die hede voldoen word sonder om die behoeftes van die toekomstige geslagte te belemmer. Volhoubare ontwikkeling stel 'n lewenswyse voor wat nie net die natuur preserveer nie, maar ook die sosiale en kulturele sy van 'n gemeenskap. Die toerismebedryf in Suider-Afrika het baie potensiaal, en is steeds besig om te groei. Ekotoerisme, die idee van natuur-gebasseerde toerisme wat kan bydra tot die verbetering van sosio-ekonomiese toestande en bewaring van die omgewing, het toegeneem in die laaste tien jaar. Indien ekotoerisme reg bestuur word, kan dit vir 'n groot deel van die landelike bevolking 'n uitkoms tot armoede bied terwyl die natuur bewaar word. Daar is organisasies wat konsentreer op volhoubare landelike ontwikkeling en wat die gemeenskap bekend stel aan die voordele en potensiaal van die toerismebedryf. Daar het reeds verskeie gemeenskappe betrokke geraak in die toerismebedryf met groot welsae. Hierdie studie is 'n oorsig van bestaande literatuur oor die rol van toerisme en spesifiek, ekotoerisme in volhoubare ontwikkeling in landelike dele.

Despite according high priority to regional economic integration and being clustered by regional economic schemes, Africa’s regional economic integration record is not inspiring. With the transformation of the OAU to the African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa`s Development (NEPAD) was adopted as the development program of the continent to drive the impetus of economic integration through trade. At the time NEPAD was adopted, regional integration schemes in Africa were facing problems of low intra-regional trade levels despite trade being identified as the engine of activity and economic growth for regional economic integration. The study was centered on Southern Africa with precise attention on SADC. Even though trade is accepted as a vital engine of economic growth and development, this is not the case with SADC. The study was looking at the contribution of NEPAD in intra-regional trade in Africa with special focus on SADC. This was prompted by the fact that regional integration is business as usual within the sub region while problems that have been confronting regional schemes are continuing unabated after the adoption of NEPAD. The study used the historical approach because it provides the study with an advantage of accessing existing literature with regards to what is really stalling intra-regional trade in SADC. The study findings noted that NEPAD has not fully addressed the problems of intra-regional trade within SADC and the continent at large. The study lastly concludes by giving a way forward for NEPAD to respond to the specific needs of SADC for the promotion of intra-regional and equitable trade.

World international trade is moving towards more free trade, through globalization and trade liberalization. These moves are guided by trade theories which state that on an aggregated level, nations involved in free trade should benefit, and further that free trade is fair. However, in practice, contradictory views have been raised, stating that free trade may not necessarily be benefiting all participants equally. Rather, other nations, especially developing nations, have become worse-off after opening up their markets for free trade. On the other hand, many developed nations have benefited substantially from free trade. Among other factors, the difference in benefits is believed to have been influenced by the types of commodities being traded (where developing nations mainly trade in primary goods and developed nations in anufactured goods) and unequal power relations (some nations for example, the EU and the US, still adopt protectionism in their agricultural sector). In order to address market imbalances resulting from free trade, Fairtrade has arisen. Fairtrade aims to improve international trading conditions in order to benefit small-scale farmers and farm workers in the developing nations. The Fairtrade organization further claims that its principles are in line with sustainable development. However, Fairtrade suffers a credibility gap because there is a lack of independent research to support their claims. To date in South Africa, there is little research examining the claims of the Fairtrade organization. In order to contribute to the Fairtrade discussion in South Africa, this study has investigated the validity of Fairtrade‘s claims that it contributes towards sustainable development. The study utilised primary data, which was collected from ten commercial farms and two small-scale farmer cooperatives located in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces that are/were Fairtrade certified. The main reason for including commercial farmers and small-scale farmer cooperatives in the study was for comparing relative impacts in the two Fairtrade structures. The data was then analysed using a sustainable livelihoods framework, which was developed in the study. The study focussed on investigating the impact of Fairtrade tools, which are minimum prices, premiums, pre-financing and support for long-term relationships, on its intended beneficiaries. Minimum prices offered to producers cover production costs and are above market prices, and Fairtrade premiums are to be invested in developmental projects. Therefore, examining the influence of Fairtrade tools on individuals and communities provides an overview of how Fairtrade influences development. The results of the study show that sampled Fairtrade beneficiaries in South Africa have witnessed substantial positive changes as a result of Fairtrade. The Fairtrade initiative has managed to empower small-scale producers and farm workers, as well as leverage development opportunities for their wider communities. It has supported organizational development in the supply chain, facilitated investment in community development projects and in business-related training. Producers, both commercial and small-scale producers, managed to access a market that offers stable prices, and have gained from minimum prices. Furthermore, small-scale farmers have been allowed an opportunity to expand their business into export markets, and enjoyed an increase in incomes. Fairtrade benefits further trickle down to non-Fairtrade community members, in the form of employment creation and community development. Despite positive effects, Fairtrade producers faced challenges, including high Fairtrade administration costs and a small market for Fairtrade commodities. The study concludes that in the face of challenges, Fairtrade brings economic, social and environmental benefits, but as compared to economic and social development, the impact on environmental development is rather limited. Even though that is the case, Fairtrade offers valuable development opportunities to producers in South Africa.

This study is a contribution to the on-going debate about the path that Africa has taken in realising the vision of its renewal. The central theme of the study is the idea of Africa's 'new partnership' with the industrialised North, which is envisaged under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Acknowledging that asymmetrical partnerships have existed between Africa and the North, particularly in the last century, the question this study poses is: to what extent does the idea of the 'new partnership' represent something new? The study argues two points. Firstly, it argues that the idea of the new partnership has become a terrain of contestation between the Africanist and the post-modernist social forces. Secondly, the study argues that it is unlikely that conceptualising the idea of the new partnership in post-modernist terms will result in sustainable development and rebirth of Africa. That is particularly the case, because post-modernity suggests a certain degree of loyalty to the prevailing and asymmetrical global order. Against this background, the study concludes that the extent to which Africa will enjoy the benefits of a truly revised partnership with the North, and thus fulfil the vision of its rebirth, will be determined, by and large, by the modalities of accommodation and struggle between these social forces.