Butterworth : a growth pole.
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Date
1991
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Abstract
In recent times much attention has b een focussed on the spatial
development of countries, especially in those countries of the world
referred to as the Third World. Many factors have given rise to this
interest. It has arisen due in part to the important position of
development today both as a means of enhancing the wealth of man's
environment, and as a means of raising living standards.
It is also a result of the problems being experienced by many countries due to
the large spatial inequalities in development that has arisen in these
countries. In Transkei a history of racial discrimination and the
impact of its close relationship to its former colonial power, South
Africa, have combined to produce a spatial pattern of development in
which inequalities have become evident. Unfortunately, meaningful
efforts have not been evolved to manage the inequalities in such a way
as to achieve a balance in spatial development. The need therefore
exists to study the factors causing variations in spatial development
in Transkei and to suggest methods through which the evolving pattern
can be adapted to conform to, if a balance in spatial development is
to be obtained from the present pattern of inequalities.
Arising from the background given, this study set out within the
growth pole framework to examine the linkages between Butterworth, the
most industrial region in Transkei and the rest of the space
economy. Forty nine industries and a total of 645 industrial employees
of various categories were selected for the study. Linkages were
measured with respect to sources of raw materials, destination of
finished goods, origin of industrial employees and the destinations of
remittances by industrial employees. Through the use of techniques such as percentage concentration,
correlations, and regression analysis among others for the analysis of
the data, the following information emerged from the study:
(i) agglomeration economies for the industries in Butterworth are
minimal.
(ii) Linkages between Butterworth industries and the rest of the
Transkeian space economy are minimal.
The minimal agglomeration economies and linkages have been due to the
fact that industries are set up in Butterworth neither because a
market exist for its products nor that raw materials exist that are to
be utilised in production. This implies that industrial developments
as at present is not being properly guided to ensure the attainment of
a balanced spatial pattern of development. From the above findings, it has been proposed that programmes geared
towards the establishment of linkages such as the production of
raw materials for the industries will be more beneficial than the
present regional development strategy. The need for support measures
for the industries in Butterworth has also been proposed as a method
of raising their economic efficiency and hence their ability to
transmit developmental impulses to other regions in Transkei.
Description
Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1991.
Keywords
Urbanization--Transkei--Butterworth., Theses--Geography., City planning--Transkei--Butterworth., Regional planning--Transkei., Transkei--Economic conditions., Transkei--Economic policy.