Rural enterprise development as a means to poverty alleviation
- Authors: Bodley, David Cyril
- Date: 2020-12
- Subjects: Poverty -- South Africa , Rural development projects -- South Africa , Economic assistance, Domestic -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/49759 , vital:41797
- Description: South Africa’s disappointing economic performance over the last decade has resulted in a socio-economic crisis, with unemployment and inequality rates being of the highest rates anywhere in the world. Furthermore, unemployment is concentrated among the young, unskilled, and previously disadvantaged population posing a considerable threat to South Africa’s new democracy. Internationally, a method to absorb job seekers into the economy is to make small business the engine-room of economic growth and development. Consequently, the South African Government has identified in its National Development Plan the establishment of small businesses as a priority, including the development of small businesses in rural and marginalised communities. As rural communities in South Africa experience systemic problems such as the lack of infrastructure, financial capital, skills and potential markets, establishing enterprises in rural settings is often more complex than those more advanced parts of the economy elsewhere where fewer constraints exist. This makes the task of establishing and growing rural entities particularly challenging, suggesting bespoke policy and support is required. This study analyses the literature to gain an understanding of economic development theory and how this intersects with and informs small enterprise development policy. It then looks at South Africa’s strategy and policy framework pertaining to enterprise development. Specifically, the literature examines the role of rural enterprise development to establish whether this enables people to move out of poverty or further entraps people in poverty. The study collates data from a rural and marginalised community through observation and interview techniques. Firstly, multiple in-depth interviews were conducted with nineteen entrepreneurs in a rural community to collect data on business opportunities and explore the type of support entrepreneurs would require from government. Secondly, a focus group interview was conducted with entrepreneurs that had ii experienced institutional support to understand how well current policy and programmes support rural enterprise development. The primary data was analysed in conjunction with the literature on economic theory and enterprise development using the technique of triangulation to avoid logic leaps and formation of false assumptions. The insights and findings from the analysis reinforced certain facts within the body of knowledge pertaining to enterprise development, but there were also some interesting new insights that emanate from the data. South Africa has been able to introduce a wide range of policy initiatives and has multiple programmes and strategies to support small enterprise development. It has achieved firm success and impetus as well as experiencing certain failures. The study clearly highlights both and makes recommendations to improve policy promoting rural enterprise development as a means to alleviate poverty. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Management Sciences, 2020
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- Date Issued: 2020-12
Exploring the use of mineral corridors and stranded ore deposits in order to alleviate rural poverty and effect environmental and social change through a proposed rural development corridor in South Africa
- Authors: Baartjes, Joan Charlaine
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Mines and mineral resources -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Poverty -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Rural development projects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Geology)
- Identifier: vital:11517 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/389 , Mines and mineral resources -- South Africa , Rural poor -- South Africa , Poverty -- Economic aspects -- South Africa , Rural development projects -- South Africa
- Description: South Africa has less than 1 percent of the global land surface, yet it is ranked highly in terms of remaining mineral resources. Mineral wealth has not translated into a better life for all. Poverty, however, abounds; particularly in the rural areas and this study seeks to identify a solution or partial solution to this situation. The study combines two critical areas, Mineral Based Rural Development, and Mineral Based Enterprise Development and draws from it a model for Mineraldriven Rural Economic Development viable for all parts of South Africa. This study comprised research on a national scale and thus covered a section of each of South Africa‟s nine provinces. It investigated the conditions in rural and urban centres, and geologically, it traversed examples of Archaean, Proterozoic and Phanerozoic formations. The field visits deliberately set out to look at some of the lowest value commodities; typically the only minerals available to the surrounding rural communities. This was done to see if a case could be made for even the lowest value commodities which are often found furthest from the large markets. This study indicates that for a rural area to be able to compete nationally or internationally, it is important to be competitive so that the area can participate in the economy. The creation of regional competitive areas allow for the focusing of strategies and funding for targeted rural projects. Enterprises, typically the product of entrepreneurial activity, are required to increase economic intensity and activity. xxvii The goal of poverty reduction, has been identified by government so that enterprises, as products of economic development, can be focused on the situation. Interviews conducted by the researcher indicated that part of the problem to overcome is the bureaucracy created by government which hinders enterprise development. Recommendations are made that government should exempt rural enterprises from some of the compliance hurdles. This will serve to accelerate rural development. An important aspect of urban enterprises is that they have access to labour without too many problems. Thirteen developed or developing corridors were visited of the five types of development corridors identified. It was found that those in areas of high poverty (for example the corridors of the Eastern Cape) are difficult to develop and make self-sustaining. The corridors linked to any point of Gauteng (Johannesburg or Pretoria) are more robust, although the relatively short length of the corridor is not an indicator of effectiveness. The key recommendations made include the completion of a national rural mineral-asset audit; the use of the information to demarcate rural-regions that can be developed as nationally and internationally competitive regions; the establishment of a rural Resource and Training Academy(ies) so that skills are developed close to areas where they will be deployed; provision of an easier way to launch mineral-based rural enterprises and incentivise these for accelerated development; and the development of an indigenous body of knowledge to mine small scale deposits
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- Date Issued: 2011
An investigation of ICT project management techniques for sustainable ICT projects in rural development
- Authors: Pade, Caroline Ileje
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Educational technology -- South Africa , Information technology -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Project management -- South Africa , Rural development projects -- South Africa , Rural development projects -- South Africa -- Case studies , Rhodes University Mathematics Education Project , Dwesa ICT Project
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:1140 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002769 , Educational technology -- South Africa , Information technology -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Project management -- South Africa , Rural development projects -- South Africa , Rural development projects -- South Africa -- Case studies , Rhodes University Mathematics Education Project , Dwesa ICT Project
- Description: Poverty alleviation by means of rural development has become a priority among developing countries. In turn, rural development may be significantly enhanced and supported by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the use of which is highlighted by the emerging importance of information and knowledge as key strategic resources for social and economic development. An analysis of rural case studies where ICTs have been introduced, suggests that there are a number of barriers and constraints that are faced when taking advantage of these technologies. These include access to infrastructure, limited formal education, insufficient training and capacity building, financial and political constraints, and social and cultural challenges. These challenges threaten the success and sustainability of rural ICT projects. Sustainability is key to the effectiveness of a rural ICT project; therefore it is important to understand the concept and categories associated with ICT project sustainability in rural areas. The categories of sustainability which include social and cultural, institutional, economic, political, and technological, reveal critical success factors that need to be considered in the implementation and management of rural ICT projects. The project management discipline acknowledges the importance of understanding the project’s environment, particularly environmental factors associated with rural communities. The complexity of the environment therefore implies the need for a project to be undertaken in phases comprising the project life cycle. Project management practice for rural ICT project sustainability can therefore be examined, adapting the traditional project life cycle to a rural ICT project. A Rural ICT Project Life Cycle (RICT-PLC) that is sensitive to the critical success factors of sustainability is therefore proposed. In order to further investigate the phases of the life cycle of a rural ICT project, two case study investigations are explored: the Dwesa ICT community project, and the Rhodes University Mathematics Education Project (RUMEP) (MathsNet). A multiple case study analysis confirms the practices associated with the RICT-PLC model, and identifies additional characteristics, phases and practices associated with rural ICT projects. Finally, an enhanced RICT-PLC model is developed, that sets sustainability guidelines for ICT project management in rural areas and identifies the people, environments, technologies, systems, and requirements for ICTs to support rural development activities.
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- Date Issued: 2007