Thinking regionally: Aviation and development implications in the Karoo region, South Africa

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on regional economic development in South Africa, across provincial political jurisdictions. The article argues that remote hinterlands can be more usefully understood as forming an integrated whole, rather than functioning as the poor rural cousins of their provincial metropoles. This article considers three propositions: that key transport projects (such as airports) may unlock regional development; that this may stimulate regional spatial integration; and that this may spur the South African government to address its weak regional planning system. All three propositions are speculative, drawn from the international literature, but they contribute to an argument for greater spatial coherence in South African planning in rural regions. The argument is illustrated with reference to the Karoo region of South Africa, and the potential of a new airport to impact on regional economic dynamics. Furthermore, the article argues that such impacts will require new regional planning systems, which are currently absent from the South African political system.

KEYWORDS:

• Aviation
• rural development
• airports
• transport
• Karoo
• Beaufort West
• tourism
• planning

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the contributions of Mr Peter Myles (Tournet) and Dr Deidre van Rooyen (Centre for Development Support, University of the Free State, South Africa).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. See http://www.info.gov.za/aboutsa/transport.htm Accessed 25 March 2014.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands [grant number PKP ODA 03/2012].