We focus on the services below. Please click a link for more details.

Economic Development

Economic development has become an important component of MCA’s holistic vision of achieving equitable and sustainable development.  Our approach to economic development focuses on strengthening and diversifying local and regional economies in a manner that contributes toward creating viable and sustainable living environments, enables the generation of economic and employment opportunities and ultimately improve the quality of life of all people.  We place importance on inclusive and participatory planning processes, centred on increasing the capacity of role players to become self-reliant and to build partnerships between communities, the public and private sectors.

MCA is unique in that we offer other related services within the field of development such as spatial planning and local government support. This enables us to provide services and generate products that deal with development challenges in an integrated manner that understands the space economy and recognising the complexities and nuances of public sector policies and strategies.

Local Economic Development

MCA subscribes to a sustainable livelihoods approach to local economic development and this provides a robust conceptual framework for analysing, understanding and managing the complexity of economic growth, poverty and social development.  This approach focuses on managing multiple livelihood assets including physical capital, social capital, natural capital, financial capital and human capital. This approach stresses the need for comprehensive strategies for poverty reduction and is a departure from the current emphasis on poverty alleviation, dealing with social welfare programmes with short term objectives.

Our specific expertise and experience with regard to LED include:

  • Analysis and interpretation of public sector policy dealing with economic development
  • Audit and analysis of economic activity in the first and second economy
  • Strategy development in areas such as economic sector growth, poverty alleviation, restructuring of the spatial economy, small business development and human resource development.
  • Market potential analysis that considers the viability and sustainability of projects and programmes.
  • Programme and project development and implementation
  • Establishment of economic development institutions
  • Preparation of project business plans and associated feasibility and impact studies
  • Implementation, monitoring and evaluation programmes
  • Technical mapping and support

Recent Economic Development projects:

  • Sol Plaatje Business Development Incentives, 2007
  • Eden Growth and Development Strategy, 2007
  • Ugu District Regional Management Business Plan, 2006
  • Swartland Local Economic Development Strategy, 2006
  • Beaufort West, Laingsburg and Prince Albert LED Strategies, 2006
  • George Local Economic Development Strategy, 2005
  • Provincial Growth and Development Strategy Guidelines, July 2005
  • Resource Book for Regional Management at a District Level in South Africa, October 2005
  • Regional Management Study Tour of Ugu-, Alfred Nzo- and Cacadu District Municipalities, June 2004
  • Knysna Local Economic Development Strategy, September 2002
  • Institutional Models and Guidelines for Economic Development Agencies Implementing LED in Urban Renewal Nodes, June 2002

Training and Education

MCA is well positioned to undertake training and education within the field of economic development.

  • MCA has expertise in economic development, urban planning as well as in local governance issues and these unique skills enables us to provide a holistic perspective on issues affecting economic development.
  • Cecil Madell has offered a Local Economic Development Module at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Planning School for B.Tech students for the last five years.
  • Cecil Madell is one of a few specialists with a Masters Degree in Local Economic Development
  • We are well-versed with the Participatory Appraisal of Competitive Advantage technique (PACA) as advocated by GTZ and have attended these training programmes.
  • We have presented UCT accredited programmes for municipal officials in Sustainable Human Settlements.

MCA has therefore the experience as practitioners, as well as the qualifications and skills to provide training in local economic development; economic research and analysis, participatory techniques as well as managing projects and programmes.