Volume II - The Northern Cape Provincial Spatial Development ...

Table 2.1 Development Potential Categories suggested by the NSDP
Category Description
Innovation and experimentation Research and development and the application of technology to
production processes.
Production of high-value, differential goods All forms of production that focus on local and/or global niche
Production of labour-intensive, massmarkets
such as manufacturing, and some specialised agricultural
or natural resource-based products.
Industries in this category, such as iron and steel producers, and
produced goods
agricultural and mining activities, are highly dependent on
proximity or good, cheap transport linkages, to the huge volumes
of natural resources that they use in their production processes, as
well as the availability of greater numbers of unskilled and semiskilled
labour.
Public services and administration
Activities in this group tend to take place in larger towns and
cities with significant public-sector employment and
Retail and private sector services
consumptions, supporting private-sector activities.
These consist of retail, catering and personal services, both formal
and informal. These are major components of any economy and
of large employers of skilled and semi-skilled workers in most
advanced economies. Such activities flourish in diverse
settlements with large populations.
Tourism These diverse set of activities, while generally less spatially
focused than, the manufacturing and services sector, are
nonetheless all dependant on a tourist-attractions (e.g. ecoscenery,
culture, heritage); good transport routes; safety; and, in
certain cases, high-quality medical services, restaurants, retail
outlets and hotels.
.
These categories were developed to (i) enable an identification of areas of economic
significance and enable comparison between areas; (ii) highlight key characteristics and the
diverse and unique attributes of localities; and (iii) provide signals as to which sectors and
institutions need to be supported to ensure the maintenance and growth of the areas of
demonstrated economic significance.
In order to identify the development potential of the respective urban settlements, the NSDP
recommended the creation of a composite spatial profile of resource potential, existing
economic activity and human needs. The results of such an analysis should be translated in
specific potential categories. From such an analysis, broad guidelines can be put forward:
• The further concentration of people in need in low potential areas should not be
encouraged. Where possible, people should be assisted through social investment to
become more mobile so that they may choose to move out of such an area.
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