Using geospatial data analysis and qualitative economic intelligence to inform local economic development in small towns: a case study of Graaff-Reinet, South Africa

Abstract

The Small Towns Development Initiative is a collaboration between South Africa’s Department of Cooperative Governance and the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut and is supported by the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit’s (GIZ) Strengthening Local Governance Programme (SLGP). As part of the SLGP mandate to provide support and technical assistance to strengthen and improve the institutional framework for capable and cooperative local governance, research was conducted on small towns’ economic intelligence packages. This is based on the premise that public-private partnerships may promote sustainable local economic development in small towns. The SLGP initiative covered the South African towns of Bela-Bela, Graaff-Reinet, Harrismith, Komatipoort, Port St Johns and Tzaneen. The aim of the economic intelligence gathered on each of the aforementioned towns is to identify the towns’ economic growth sectors and the local economic development (LED) projects that have the potential to be quickwin, catalytic projects. This chapter outlines the various techniques used to compile the small town economic intelligence packages using the town of Graaff-Reinet in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province as a case study.