Livelihoods and Economic Development

The promotion of more inclusive economic growth is a national priority, yet achieving this objective has proved elusive. PPT has developed and refined a range of effective and cost-efficient responses to help address this challenge. PPT’s primary focus is currently on the provision of customised business support services and training for emerging micro-enterprises, but there has historically also been a significant focus on small scale agriculture, food gardens, fruit tree establishment, participative local economic action planning, and livelihoods security.

Jobs created:	719
Trainees:	512
Enterprises Supported:	235

CAPITAL FUNDING APPROVED

Total capital funding approved:	15,204,963
No. Projects with capital approval:	39
No. hh benefiting households:	9,083

PROJECTS UNDER PREPARATION

Capital value of projects under preparation:	9,378,731
No. projects under preparation:	27
No. hh benefiting under prep:	3,187

Informal Economy Support Programme (IESP) 2013-2021

The Informal Economy Support Programme (IESP), the first of its kind in South Africa, is a specialised business support initiative. It reaches micro and informal enterprises (MIEs) in innovative, and cost efficient ways and unlocks enterprise growth and job creation through customised business support services and other structured interventions across a range of sectors (e.g. manufacturing, services, retail, food and beverage, and agriculture).

Click here for more information about the IESP.

Participative Economic Action Planning:

Participative Economic Action Planning is a facilitated process of engagement with and amongst local economic actors which enables: A) increased communication, understanding and awareness; B) increased understanding of key opportunities and assets; C) the development of practical and empowering plans focusing on producing change in key and achieve-able areas and which are locally developed, owned and driven. The local economic actors engaged are located within both the informal and formal economies and also include the public sector (e.g. key municipal personnel). A key principle is to move to a different ‘mode’ of LED which is not primarily focused on ‘projects’ and government funding but instead on creating a more enabling and supportive environment for local LED actors to ‘do it for themselves’. The process consists of a series of participative workshops which are carefully and professionally facilitated. Initial workshops are introductory and exploratory in nature with later workshops focusing on identifying / mapping assets and opportunities and developing practical plans of action with specific local actors volunteering to champion specific plans (which are typically grouped around specific areas of common interest). Support is provided to local actors in implementing plans and in overcoming obstacles they might encounter and in re-planning accordingly.

Click here for PPT’s Scope of Work for PEAP

Click here to read PPT’s Limehill Case Study.

Umbumbulu Agri Hub Project:

PPT is involved in this Agri Hub project in Umbumbulu with the objective of improving the profitability of small farmers and community growers who have limited access to capital, land and skills in the Umbumbulu sub-node of eThekwini Municipality, by means of piloting an intervention that will capacitate and add value to loosely-arranged small farmers’ groups in the area.

The project aims to facilitate improved access to markets, improved technical and business skills and a co-ordinated support service to farmers as well as providing infrastructure such as a storage facility, sorting facility, cold room and office facilities which will provide input functions, light processing and output functions of vegetable and niche crops.

Click here to read more.

eThekwini Participative Community Action Plans:

PPT facilitated Participative Community Action Planning (PCAP) in the Kenville and Redcliffe communities during 2011 as a ‘value add’ to eThekwini’s Interim Services Programme for informal settlements in the City (Click here for more). Amongst other things, the plans highlighted a range of key economic and informal enterprise issues (e.g. informal creches, spazas, taverns, craft work, traditional clothing makers). PCAP seeks to increase participation, communication, social capital formation and local decision-making. It focuses mainly on poor and vulnerable groups. It is a facilitated process which involves participants interacting, co-operating and developing their own action plans around priority issues. It also empowers local participants / groups to engage more effectively with the relevant municipal line departments and other external stakeholders around developmental agendas.

Click here to read more.

Economic Development Knowledge Resources:

NLDTF School Vegetable Gardens & Community Greening Programme:

The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) Arts, Culture and Heritage Sector awarded a grant of R929 073.10 in May 2013 towards the School Vegetable Gardens & Community Greening Programme in the Kouga/ Nelson Mandela Bay area. This programme concentrates on the establishment of 7 school vegetable gardens, the facilitation of quarterly Edu-maintenance programmes with primary school children and permaculture training for school garden care takers at these schools and the greening of 3 communities. The funding also provides for capital items such as water tanks, fencing, tools, seeds, trees, etc.

Visit the National Lotteries Board website to find out about other projects supported by the NLDTF.

Click here to visit the NLDTF website.