Geography And Economy In South Africa And Its Neighbours

The dismantling of the apartheid regime in South Africa caused massive transformation in both geographical and economic terms, not only in this country but also in the region as a whole. As the post-apartheid government enters its second term, this captivating volume assesses its progress in unravelling the geography of apartheid, both in South Africa itself and in its relationships with other countries in Southern Africa and Africa. It also considers the ways in which South Africa, now that it is no longer a pariah state, has begun to position itself within the current global economy. Examining South Africa’s land and agriculture, mining and minerals, manufacturing, tourism, corporate finance, the labour market and transport, the volume discusses the challenges of balancing growth and redistribution, the extent and nature of progress, change and relationships within the regional and global economy. A compelling investigation into the economics of South Africa's neighbouring states in relation to their natural resources, colonialism and inter-relationships with themselves and with South Africa leads to a focus on the region as a whole and its relations with the global economy.

In the last two decades, various states from the Global South have emerged as important players in international relations. Most popular among them is China. Brazil, India and South Africa have also taken essential roles in global and regional politics. Compared to traditional great powers, they can be labelled ’regional great powers’ or ’regional powers’ because their influence is - with the exception of China - concentrated on their neighbourhood. The impact of regions, meaning the impact of geography, on the economics and politics of regional powers is surprisingly understudied. This book analyses how geographical conditions influence the regional economics and politics of South Africa, allowing the author to delineate its region of influence.

Conference Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Tourism Research

Over the last two decades the concept and practice of Local Economic Development (LED) has gained widespread acceptance around the world as a locally-based response to the challenges posed by globalization, devolution, local-level opportunities, and economic crises. Support for local economic development is now firmly on the agenda of many national governments and key international agencies. This volume examines the debates about Local Economic Development and examines some of the unfolding experiences of LED in the developing world. The focus is upon the region of southern Africa, and more especially upon post-apartheid South Africa. LED emerged in South Africa as one of the more significant post-apartheid development options being pursued by empowered localities with the overt encouragement of national government. Elsewhere in the developing world, much interest surrounds the experience of LED in post-apartheid South Africa, which is seen as a laboratory for experimentation, innovation, and learning. The seventeen chapters in this book examine the range of LED interventions that have been the basis for experimentation in the last decade, including both pro-market as well as pro-poor interventions. Key themes include debates about the most appropriate policy directions for LED, its contribution towards sustainable development, the role of social capital, cluster support, public procurement, eco-development, good governance and tourism-led LED. The book also contains a series of detailed case studies on the implementation of LED in South Africa and the wider region of southern Africa, including analyses of LED undertaken at a variety of scales from the provincial, metropolitan, and small-town level. Until now, most research on local economic development has focused on the developed world. This volume breaks new ground in applying LED policy and practices to problems specific to the developing world. It will be of interest to scholars of development studies, urban and regional planning, human geography, and urban studies.

This book addresses the application of sustainable HRM principles within tourism in the specific context of Africa, a neglected area of study. It draws on diverse aspects of HRM, from the micro- (individual) through the meso-level (organisational) to the macro-level (policy, governmental). It also reflects the diverse challenges facing a critical area within emerging African tourism, that of its workforce. The book is substantially research-based and provides a state-of-the-art picture of emergent studies in this area, drawing on case examples from a wide-range of African contexts. As such, it provides a comprehensive resource and starts discussion in an emergent research area.

The book represents the first accessible examination of the complex connections between tourism and sustainability in southern African context. The edited book introduces relationships between tourism, sustainability and development with a range of case studies from the region, focusing especially on natural resource dependent communities in processes of transition.

As the most influential and powerful country on the entire continent of Africa, an understanding of South Africa’s past and its present trends is crucial in appreciating where South Africans are going to, and from where they have come. South Africa changed dramatically in 1994 when apartheid was dismantled, and it became a democratic state. Since 2000, when the previous edition appeared, further big changes occurred, with the rise of new political leaders and of a new black middle class. There were also serious problems in governance, in public health, and the economy, but with a remarkable popular resilience too. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of South Africa contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 600 cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the country’s politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about South Africa.