The Graduate School of Business and Leadership (GSB&L) held a highly successful webinar on the Future of Local Economic Development (LED) with robust dialogue on bridging global practices and local experiences and re-imagining the role of municipalities in driving inclusive development.

The three speakers were Mr Glen Robbins, an independent specialist economic development researcher/advisor and a part-time academic; Mr Petrus van Niekerk, Senior Advisor: Economic & Regional Development (SALGA), and Mr Khanyiso Walaza, Chief Director at the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) (KZN).

The webinar was organised by Dr Mlondli Vilakazi, Manager of the Regional and Local Economic Development Project (RLED) in the GSB&L. The project is a collaborative initiative which is managed jointly by the Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (EDTEA) of the Provincial Government and the GSB&L.

The webinar was opened by Mr Patrick Mbokazi, a Deputy Director at EDTEA, and moderated by Professor P S Reddy, a public sector specialist attached to UKZN’s GSB&L.

The webinar attracted participation from local municipalities, provincial departments, development finance institutions, academia, community organisations and members of civil society.

The event demonstrated strong interest in the RLED, but also active stakeholder involvement in key LED themes such as institutional capacity, funding mechanisms, professionalisation, rural inclusion and development, community-based economic development, and the role of technology in modernising LED practices. 

There was vigorous and enthusiastic engagement with speakers fielding questions and inputs related to the LED framework. The deliberations were generally thought-provoking, touching on themes such as resource pooling, district roles, economic diversification, professional standards, technology integration and community involvement in LED processes.

Key themes emerging from the deliberations, included: Access to Materials and Information; Institutional Roles and Capacities at the District and Local Levels; Professionalisation and Depoliticisation of LED Practice; Technology and Artificial Intelligence in LED; Community-Based and Cooperative Economic Development Approaches, Large-Scale Project Development and Municipal Resource Leveraging.

The webinar generated a high level of engagement among a diverse group of participants, with questions and comments reflecting strong interest in the LED framework and a desire for practical, implementable strategies to enhance local economic development in South Africa.

Key themes included the need for innovative and creative funding mechanisms, strengthened institutional capacity, professional standards, integration of technology, community-driven models, and strategies to achieve scalability in LED interventions.

Words: NdabaOnline

Photographs: Supplied