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

Northern Cape PSDF
Volume 2
Office of the Premier &
Department of Rural Development & Land Reform
December 2011
d) Efforts should be made to bring services for the second economy into these settlements. An
injection of funding is required to stimulate the local economy.
D.1.2 FACTORS INFLUENCING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF SETTLEMENTS
Settlements originate to meet a particular need or provide a specific service for a specific
community at an appropriate location. In this process urban settlements can be classified into a
variety of functional types. The majority of settlements in the Northern Cape fall into the group of
central places, being service centres or market settlements that meet the needs of the rural
farming community for goods and services (Van der Merwe et al, 2005). Other settlements may
have much more specific functions, such as those focussing on mining or tourism activities. It is
well known that not all settlements grow at a uniform rate or to the same size. Certain economic
functions offer more opportunities for growth and prosperity than others. Over time natural
resources may become exhausted and spatial economic relations could change due to
technological innovations or altered political and economic policies. Some urban settlements may
be adversely affected and stagnate or decline while others may flourish, giving rise to regional
inequalities and a sub‐optimal functional settlement system.
Certain growth energy is inherent in an urban settlement’s location. A town’s location with respect
to infrastructure, main transport routes, natural resource base and large population
concentrations influences its growth trend in a specific manner. Settlements are thus encouraged
where there are better living, working, marketing, labour and investment opportunities. Such
opportunities usually exist in settlements close to metropolitan centres and secondary centres as
the settlements benefit from the big city’s population concentrations, economic agglomerations,
overflow effects and positive externalities. The expansion and improvement of transport systems
have also contributed towards a reduction of distance as a barrier in the development and growth
of settlements. Small and medium‐sized settlements located on traffic nodes or along prominent
transport corridors should be among the first to intercept or channel extensive economic activities
away from the more isolated settlements.
Apart from the population migration patterns to and from settlements, there is also inherent
growth energy for a town in the natural increase of its inhabitants. In this regard the particular
demographic and socio‐economic structures (i.e. race, sex, age, occupation, income and level of
education) have an effect on the birth and death rates of a town. A large and growing population,
however, does not guarantee healthy economic growth, especially if the inhabitants are not able
to apply economic initiative and labour force productivity. If the Human Development Index (HDI)
of a settlement is very low, a large and growing population can become a huge economic burden
for a town and inhibit its development.
Probably the most prominent requirement for urban change and development is the capacity for
management and leadership by means of productivity, new strategies, new technologies and
capital investment. The quality of the human resource base and associated behaviour patterns
and leadership are important factors that can influence the growth energy of a town. Individuals,
entrepreneurs, companies and government institutions have the ability to stifle or stimulate the
growth of a settlement through their decisions. The three imperatives of sustainable development
(economic viability, social equity and ecological integrity) are equally relevant in this regard. The
strong link between the development of small settlements, the environment and the types of
agricultural development and land tenure structures should also be incorporated.
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Dennis Moss Partnership