Regional development in the Southern African development area

Abstract

This article draws the conclusion that the present regional development strategy is an improvement on the previous policy of industrial decentralization, both in terms of its stated objectives and its achievements, but that it does not fully come to grips with the development problems of the Southern African development region (SADA). In spite of some very sound objectives on which the strategy is based, it still focuses too much on the development of growth points (or IDPs) and industrial development. Growth centre strategies have, however, only met with limited success, both internationally and in South Africa. A more comprehensive and bottom‐up approach to regional development is called for, but it will not be possible to finalize the regional development policy before clarity is reached on the future political dispensation of South Africa.

Notes

For the purpose of this paper, the Southern African development area includes South Africa and the independent and self‐governing national states.

The views and interpretations expressed in this paper are those of the author and should not be attributed to the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

This article is based on a paper, ‘Regional development in the Southern African Development Area: Theories, prominent features and strategy options’, delivered at the thirteenth biennial Conference of the Economic Society of South Africa, Durban, 19September 1985. Because the article by Thomas in this edition of Development Southern Africa deals with alternative strategy options for regional development, this article does not cover that ground.

Head: Regional and Urban Development, Department of Policy Research, Development Bank of Southern Africa.