Community‐based development, non‐governmental organizations and social capital in post‐apartheid south africa

Abstract

Community‐based development strategies are gaining in credibility and acceptance in development circles internationally and notably in post‐apartheid South Africa. In parallel, the concept of social capital and the role of supportive nongovernmental organizations are receiving attention as key catalytic elements in encouraging and assisting community‐based initiatives. In this paper, a well‐documented initiative, the Hertzog Agricultural Co‐operative in Eastern Cape province, is re‐examined after the passage of several years to assess the impact of social capital and the involvement of a particular non‐governmental organization in ensuring the sustainability and economic survival of the project. While both elements have proved critical to the project's life‐cycle, particularly in recent years, concerns over possible dependency and project sustainability exist.

Key words:

• Social capital
• non‐governmental organizations (NGOs)
• community‐based development
• South Africa