The Department of Economic Development is part of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government and has a strategic mandate of fast-tracking economic growth essential for the creation of jobs and the scaling down of poverty in the province. In line with this responsibility, the Department regularly develops and reviews its Strategic Plan which has to be translated into workable and target oriented Annual Performance Plans. These plans are a response to key socio-economic priorities of the province that are encapsulated in the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy as well as the Industrial Development Strategy – both emphasizing the need to stimulate high levels of employment through various sectors of the economy.
To ensure efficient and cost-effective implementation of all its initiatives, the Department had carefully sub-divided itself into manageable Programmes and sub-programmes that carry the full responsibility of activating specific projects and services. These include Administration; Integrated Economic Development Services; Trade and Industry Development; Business Regulation and Governance and as well as Economic Planning. All these programmes and their respective sub-programmes are clearly defined in the content of this website.
With the increasing demand for services, it has since spread its wings to cover the entire province through the establishment of district offices – providing a wide range of services including business advice to co-operatives and other small and medium size enterprises. These centres are network-linked to the head office in heart of the City of Pietermaritzburg’s central business district.
Moreover, the Department boasts four additional implementation agencies - Ithala Development Finance Corporation; Trade and Investment KZN; Dube Trade Port and KZN Growth Fund. These help provide strategic capacity for it to meet its economic development obligations. Meanwhile the establishment of the multi-modal logistics platform in form of Dube Trade Port – featuring King Shaka International Airport and adjacent industrial development zone on northern outskirts of Durban, is of the Department’s highlights. This massive project would have butterfly effect on the region’s economy whilst positioning KwaZulu-Natal as a highly preferred investment destination.
However, the Department is mindful of the importance of forming partnerships with other role players in the province’s economy which are inclusive of the private sector, organized labour and other civil structures. This is based on the belief that all sections of the society have to share in the process of creating a prosperous province.
Amongst visible collaborative initiatives pursued by the Department had been the Gijima KZN Local Economic Development Programme which is funded collectively by the provincial government and the European Union to assist capacitate municipalities to generate their own revenues required to provide basic services that are a bedrock for investment attraction to their localities. Indeed, there are many more partnerships that involve both local and international development agencies and these are a product of a healthy communication.
The promotion of partnerships and wooing of investment would contribute towards the reduction of extreme disparities between the two streams of the economy – the highly advanced first economy and its counterpart – the survivalist second economy. Through the list of priorities and interventions, the Department is therefore assisting those on the peripheral to advance to the next level whilst ensuring that sectors in the first economy retain their competitive edge to perform robustly in the global market.
Meanwhile, the concept of black economic empowerment is an integral part of the Department’s initiatives – hence the Provincial Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Strategy was developed in 2007. The plan, being implemented, is serving as a road map towards the establishment of a socially and economically equitable society as it attempts to bring the historically excluded communities to the mainstream of the economy in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals.
As indicated earlier on, the success of the Department in fulfilling its objectives hinges on the continuous support received from all social partners. Together, building a winning province!