Christian M. Rogerson

The impact of the South African government's SMME programmes: a ten-year review (1994–2003)

This article critically reviews the impacts of the first ten years of the national governments small, medium and microenterprise (SMME) programmes. In particular, the evaluative focus is in terms of impacts in relation to a range of policy objectives, including poverty alleviation, job creation and the enhancement of national economic growth as part of post-apartheid reconstruction. Key findings relate, inter alia, to the weak state of official data for undertaking impact evaluation; the fact that the SMME economy exhibits only a weak contribution as regards employment creation because most SMMEs do not grow; and, the fact that existing government SMME programmes largely have been biased towards the groups of small and medium-sized enterprises and, to a large extent, have bypassed microenterprises and the informal economy.

Pro-Poor local economic development in South Africa: The role of pro-poor tourism

This paper describes features of the emerging nexus in South Africa between tourism, poverty alleviation and local economic development (LED) interventions. The South African experience of evolving a strong pro-poor focus in LED planning is distinctive in the international context of writings on LED. Pro-poor LED is increasingly the outcome of the application of measures and programmes that are linked to the approach of pro-poor tourism in both rural and urban areas of South Africa. Two studies are presented of Alexandra township, Johannesburg and the Madikwe Game Reserve in North West Province as examples of pro-poor tourism as a form of pro-poor LED. It is argued that the growth of pro-poor tourism initiatives in South Africa suggests that the country is currently a laboratory for the testing and evolution of new approaches towards the planning of LED that potentially will have relevance for other countries in the developing world.

Tourism, business linkages and small enterprise development in South Africa

Although considerable attention is given to the prospects for developing small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africas tourism economy, very little relevant research has been undertaken in this regard. In this article, the findings are presented from over 60 detailed interviews conducted with key enterprises and entrepreneurs involved in tourism, outsourcing and small enterprise development in South Africa. The aim is to examine opportunities for outsourcing and business linkage development in South Africas tourism economy, and to investigate the difficulties that confront the tourism SMME economy through examining the status of business linkages between large tourism enterprises and SMMEs in South Africa. The South African research is located within the context of existing works on tourism and small enterprise development in developing countries.

Urban Poverty and the Informal Economy in South Africa's Economic Heartland

The paper describes urban poverty and the informal economy in the economic hub of South Africa, the Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging region (which includes Johannesburg). Its findings show the limited possibilities for using the informal economy as a means of resolving pressing issues of poverty in South Africas cities. After an introduction about the post-apartheid governments Reconstruction and Development Programme, the paper describes the scale and nature of urban poverty and the causes of its growth and the growth and changing complexion of the informal economy, including the rapid growth of “survivalist” enterprises and the links between the formal and informal economy. This includes a consideration of what constrains the informal economy and the links between supporting the informal economy and addressing poverty.

Local economic development in Africa: Global context and research directions

This paper locates local economic development research and practice in Africa in a global context. It provides an overview of the international development of local economic development (LED), of its contested definitions and theoretical status, and of existing scholarship on the topic of LED policy and practice specifically across sub-Saharan Africa. Currently there is much more LED research available for South Africa than for the other sub-Saharan African countries. The paper highlights the need for this imbalance to be redressed.

In search of the African miracle: debates on successful small enterprise development in Africa

Abstract The aim in this article is to examine the ingredients of ‘success’ in the small enterprise development experience of Africa. More specifically, it seeks to review and selectively highlight issues of the successes of the African small enterprise development experience and to identify the key factors or agents of change with a focus upon the record of sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, this paper focusses on identifying (1) the elements of successful enterprises, (2) the ingredients of successful clusters of enterprises, and (3) the best practices of policy support for small enterprise development in Africa, in terms of both finance and business development services.

Poverty and Sustainable Cities in South Africa: The Role of Urban Cultivation

Abstract Urban agriculture is increasingly seen as a major means of supplementing incomes in the cities of South Africa. In light of that nations transition to a non-racial democracy, the particular task of the paper is to review the potential and policy implications of urban agriculture in the context of national initiatives for post-apartheid reconstruction. To reach these objectives, findings of household surveys are presented on the nature, methods and problems of production of groups of urban and peri-urban farmers. Income surveys supplemented by participatory techniques are used to gather further information on the problems faced. These major problems include gaining access to land with secure title for cultivation, finance, machinery, transport, crop security and the need for support services. The policy implications which emerge are then discussed.

Tourism and local economic development: The case of the Highlands Meander

Local economic development (LED) planning is of major policy importance in post-apartheid South Africa. Although issues surrounding LED have attracted considerable policy attention, one neglected theme has been the role of tourism as a lead sector for LED. The aim of this article is to examine the planning and workings of one tourism-led LED initiative in South Africa. The case study is that of the Highlands Meander in Mpumalanga province, where five towns are collaborating in their LED initiatives in order to promote the areas tourism products. A key finding is that this growing tourism initiative is currently not benefiting local black communities. Recommendations are offered for developing a pro-poor tourism initiative.

Urban tourism in the developing world: The case of Johannesburg

Urban tourism has attracted a growing literature in the context of cities in the developed world. In this article, the role of urban tourism is explored in the developing world setting of Johannesburg. As in the case of the developed world, in Johannesburg the promotion of urban tourism is linked to economic regeneration and urban economic development. Johannesburgs tourism economy exhibits distinct geographical and sectoral clustering, with business tourism being the most vibrant subsector for tourism development. New development initiatives by both provincial and local government are seeking to further enhance the role of tourism in Johannesburgs economic development.

Local economic development and urban poverty alleviation: the experience of post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract Urban poverty is a policy issue of growing significance in post-apartheid South Africa. In terms of the new Constitution the developmental role of local governments is given considerable attention. Against a background analysis of the best practice of local anti-poverty strategies in the developing world, this paper reviews the experience of eight case studies of local economic development (LED) initiatives. The case studies review a cluster of research findings from South African metropolitan areas (Midrand, Port Elizabeth, inner-city Durban, Khayelitsha and Winterveld) followed by issues from secondary cities (Nelspruit, Harrismith) and small towns (Stutterheim). A key conclusion from the experience of post-apartheid South Africa is that LED practitioners are currently struggling to find means to integrate their LED initiatives with the task of poverty alleviation.