CMDA and Rhodes University launch new website
Local Economic Development - South Africa

An inititiative of Cato Manor Development Association and
Department of Geography, Rhodes University

CMDA in conjunction with academics at Rhodes University has set up a web site dedicated to LED projects and initiatives in South Africa. The site is database driven where LED related documents can be searched for through categories and keywords. Anyone involved in LED projects can submit documents to the website for inclusion in the database. There is also a comprehensive contact list of LED operaters nation wide.

Local Economic Development is one of the key features of our contemporary era. In a world characterized by constant change, the overlapping forces of globalization, decentralization and democratization have led to the situation in which local decision-makers and citizens have gained an increasing say over economic and social development in the localities in which they live.

Local Economic Development (LED) occurs when communities, government and the business sector, usually acting in partnership, start to engage in activities to improve local social-economic conditions.

This web page has been developed in response in the increasing incidence of locality based initiatives in South Africa's cities, towns and villages and has been set-up to:

• encourage LED activities
• to share best practice
• to inform practitioners of policy, research and key events, and
• to host an LED newsletter.