Catching the Development Train: perspectives on 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' development in post-apartheid South Africa

David Bek, Tony Binns, Etienne Nel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Government policy in post-1994 South Africa, whilst upholding the principles of community participation and development, has been firmly wedded to a neoliberal growth agenda. This paper critically examines whether one element of that new growth agenda, that of Spatial Development Initiatives, has catalysed both ‘bottom-up’ development and also meaningfully assisted micro-entrepreneurs through more ‘top-down’ interventions. The paper focuses on two specific projects, namely the Saldanha Steel Plant and the Paternoster Fish Market, which have been components of a Spatial Development Initiative in the Western Cape. The serious constraints faced by communities in engaging with opportunities for socio-economic upliftment is clearly a cause for concern, and it is suggested that a careful re-evaluation of South Africa’s development paradigm is urgently required.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)22-46
Number of pages25
JournalProgress in Development Studies
Volume4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2004
Externally publishedYes

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