Integrated Rural

2023
Development Sector

Strategy

agriculture, land reform

& rural development
Department:
Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACRONYMS ii
DEFINITIONS iii
PART A: BACKGROUND OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA SINCE DEMOCRACY
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. OBJECTIVES OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT 5
3. CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT 5
4. POLICY ENVIRONMENT 6
4.1 Global perspective 6
4.2 National perspective 6
PART B: INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY, KEY PILLARS AND
GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK
1. PROBLEM STATEMENT 11
2. OBJECTIVES OF THE INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY
(IRDSS) 11
3. SIX (6) PILLARS DRIVING RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE REVITALISATION
OF THE RURAL ECONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA 11
PILLARS DRIVING AND SUPPORTING RURAL DEVELOPMENT 12
PILLARS 1 – 3: DRIVING RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE REVITALISATION OF THE RURAL
ECONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA 12
3.1 PILLAR 1: INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE AND INVESTMENT 12
3.1 Agriculture and Agro-processing 13
3.2 Water and Irrigation Schemes 13
3.3 Basic and Higher Education Infrastructure 14
3.4 Mining 14
3.5 Sustainable Human Settlements 15
3.6 Roads, Rail, Port and Transport Logistics 15
3.7 Energy and Electricity 16
3.8 Sustainable Environment, Climate Change, Rehabilitation and restoration
of wetlands 16
3.9 Science, Innovation, Digital Economy and Connectivity 17
3.10 Tourism 17
3.11 Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sports 17
PILLAR 2: INDUSTRIALISTION, ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AND JOB CREATION 18
PILLAR 3: EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 19
PILLARS 4 – 5 SUPPORTING RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE REVITALISATION
OF THE RURAL ECONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA 20
PILLAR 4: PROVISION OF BASIC SERVICES 20
PILLAR 5: LAND AND AGRARIAN REFORM AND TENURE SECURITY 21
PILLAR 6: SOCIAL, COMMUNITY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 21
4. GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IRDSS 23
4.1 Political Leadership and Oversight 23
4.2 Administrative Leadership 24
4.3 Role of Traditional Councils 25
4.4 Role of Private Sector and Investors 25
4.5 Role of Key Stakeholders 26
5 PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING 26
6. CONCLUSION 28
REFERENCES 29
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Diagram illustrating the economic structure of rural South Africa 2

Figure 2: Percentage of households benefitting from social grants 2

Figure 3: Urban vs Rural: Labour market stability and churn 3

Figure 4: Evolution of rural development since Democracy: 1995 to date 4

Figure 5: Drivers of rural development: Pillars 1 – 3 11

Figure 6: Drivers of rural development: Pillars 4 – 6 12

Figure 7: IGR Implementation Framework 23

Figure 8: Planning and Implementation Framework 24

Figure 9: Pillars of the IRDSS as aligned to the Invest Rural Master Plan 25

Figure 10: Coordination Framework 27

Figure 11: IRDSS Action Plan 27

i
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

Figure 12: Key tasks for local government 36

ACRONYMS

AAMP: Agriculture and Agro-processing Master- AU: African Union

plan
BNG (2004): Breaking New Ground
CAADP (2003): Comprehensive African Agricul- CRDP (2009 – 2019): Comprehensive Rural De-
tural Development Programme velopment Programme
CHP (2004): Comprehensive Housing Plan
DALLRD: Department of Agriculture, Land Re- DDM (2021): District Delivery Model
form and Rural Development
DPME: Department of Planning, Monitoring and DSD: Department of Social Development
Evaluation
DTIC: Department of Trade, Industry and Com- ERRP: Economic Reconstruction and Recovery
petition Plan (2019)
ICT: Information and Communication Technol- IDP: Integrated Development Plan
ogy
IGR: Inter-Governmental Relations
IRDSS (2000 – 2010): Integrated Sustainable Ru- ISRDP (2001 – 2010): Integrated Sustainable Ru-
ral Development Strategy ral Development Programme
LED: Local Economic Development MTSF: Medium-Term Strategic Framework
MFMA: Municipal Finance Management Act, NATMAP 2050 (2010, 2015): National Transport
2003 (Act No. 56 of 2003) Master Plan
NISED (2022): National Integrated Small Enter- NDP (2012): National Development Plan
prise Development Masterplan
NRDS (1995): National Rural Development Strat- NSDF (2022): National Spatial Development
egy Framework
PADP: Public Arts Development Programme PFMA: Public Finance Management Act, 1999
(Act No. 1 of 1999)
PGDS: Provincial Growth and Development RDF (1997): Rural Development Framework
Strategy
RDSPs: Rural Development Sector Plans
RID: Rural Infrastructure Development SDGs (2015): Sustainable Development Goals
SIPS: Strategic Integrated Projects SOM: Social organisation and mobilisation
SMME: Small, medium and micro-enterprises SPLUMA: Spatial Planning and Land Use Man-
agement Act, 2013 (Act No. 16 of 2013)
STATS SA: Statistics South Africa UN: United Nations

ii
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

DEFINITIONS

DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT An intergovernmental and cross-sectoral plan setting out a long-

MODEL (DDM) term strategic framework to guide investment and delivery in the
district and metropolitan spaces. The DDM is anchored in the de-
velopment of the “One Plan”.
NATIONAL SPATIAL DE- An instrument to guide spatial development planning and the
VELOPMENT FRAME- land-use management system.
WORK (NSDF)
RURAL AREAS As per the approved National Spatial Development Framework
(2022), rural areas are regarded as areas outside cities and towns.
Economic activities in these areas are in most cases intrinsically
tied to natural resource use and/or beneficiation, and consists
of agriculture, fishing, forestry, nature conservation, eco-tourism
and mining. In South Africa, there are rural areas that are densely
populated, but without (1) the distinct and diverse nodal areas of
dense economic activity in the secondary and the tertiary sectors,
or (2) the amenities typically associated with urban areas, which
is a remnant of colonial and apartheid spatial planning and the
creation of Bantustans.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT According to the approved National Spatial Development Frame-
work (2022), rural development is planned intervention aimed at
improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people
living in rural areas.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT The RDSPs are envisaged as sector plans within the IDPs. RDSPs are
SECTOR PLANS (RDSPS) expected to be integrated with existing national, provincial and
municipal plans (district and local), processes and priorities.

iii
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

PART A
Part A
BACKROUND ON RURAL
DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA
SINCE DEMOCRACY
1. INTRODUCTION
The South African rural landscape is characterised by high levels of poverty, poor spatial planning,
landlessness and overcrowding in former homeland areas. These areas are also devoid of economic
opportunities for the disadvantaged majority, a lack of basic infrastructure such as access to water,
electricity and roads, and a lack of skills, experience and rural finance. These challenges still facing
rural areas and rural development in South Africa are underpinned by the historical and political
context of the pre-1994 era. After the transition to democracy in 1994, the main challenge for ru-
ral development was to end the marginalisation of the rural poor. That, in turn, required significant
changes in access to resources, including land and water; significant improvements in the provision
of education and skills; transformation of market institutions to make them serve smaller producers;
and improvements in rural infrastructure and other government services.

According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) (2016 – 2021), migration from mainly rural provinces has
increased and rural populations have declined by 15% in the last twenty years. Approximately 33,7%
of the South African population live in rural areas; Gauteng gained more than a million additional
people by 2021, while the Eastern Cape and Limpopo had demonstrated the highest outmigration
figures of close to 1 million people collectively from 2016 to 2021.1 The emergence of new informal
settlements in the major metros without the relevant supporting infrastructure, economic incentives
and other social services provides a bleak future for youth and other vulnerable groups. The rural
population has therefore significantly declined in the last decade, down from 37% in 2012 to 32,5%,
or 19,48 million people2 largely due to migration and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Three
million of these are children and approximately 9,1 million rural households are headed by women.

Much of this population lives in poverty and has poor access to social services such as education
and healthcare. In response to the state of rural South Africa, the government, private sector and
civil society have acted to socio-economically uplift rural communities through “rural development”.
South Africa’s rural geography needs to also be considered through its history. Due to the creation
and maintenance of “Bantustan Homelands” during the apartheid era, rural areas occupied by the
majority black population in these homelands received an extremely disproportional level of finan-
cial support and infrastructure development compared to rural areas occupied by white farmers.
This distortion in levels of infrastructure development remains evident to the current day and contrib-
utes heavily to the poor economic conditions in rural areas that were in previous homeland areas.

Agriculture and mining are traditionally thought to be the foundations of rural economies as these
sectors tend to be the key drivers of external investment into rural areas. While this chiefly refers to
commercial agriculture, it is worth noting that subsistence agriculture plays an important role in meet-
ing the needs of residents in rural areas. Traditional areas, where subsistence agriculture is primarily
practiced, has the potential to progress into commercial agriculture and massify production. This will
require an improvement in infrastructure (such as roads, ports and dams) and production support;
therefore, this option for rural development has the potential to lift a substantial amount of unem-
ployed and economically inactive amount of the rural population out of their current dependency
on social grants into becoming economically productive, through using the asset of land that they
have access to that currently lies fallow. Beyond agriculture and mining, there are also several other
components of the rural economy that can be leveraged for rural development.

While secondary sector activities such as manufacturing, processing and construction are most often
developed in urban or peri-urban settings, they also form an important economic driver in rural and
semi-rural areas. In terms of the tertiary sector, there are crucial activities that support rural commu-
nities in the form of both local business and chain stores. Overall, all these components of the rural
economy are interconnected and connected to industrial activity and the urban economy. The
reciprocal relationships and various connections between sectors will be discussed, as illustrated in
the following figure.

1
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

Figure 1: Diagram illustrating the economic structure of rural South Africa

As illustrated in the diagram, the two key inflows of support for social infrastructure, aside from ex-
ternal investment, are international or local aid and government programmes. In terms of aid, there
are a myriad of multilateral, bilateral and local non-governmental organisations such as the United
Nations Development Programme, the Belgian Development Agency and the Rural Development
Support Programme, which have programmes in areas of rural South Africa with the aim of contrib-
uting to rural development.

In terms of government intervention, there are various schemes and programmes that support the
rural economy. One of government’s largest contributors to the social infrastructure of rural areas
is the social grant scheme, which includes financial stipends for old age pensions, child support,
care dependency, war veterans, to foster child support and people with disabilities. A total of 50,6%
of households in South Africa are receiving at least one grant, the majority of which reside in rural
areas. This is demonstrated by the provincial illustration of percentages of households benefitting
from social grants. As illustrated in the figure below, provinces with a higher rural population such as
Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Eastern Cape have a higher proportion of households receiving social
grants. This shows that social grants play an important role in supporting the social infrastructure of
rural economies.

% of households benefitting
from social grants by province

63.3 65.1 65.8

59.7
50.6 54.6 50.4 53.4
38.4 38.7

RSA EC FS GP KZN LP MP NW NC WC

Figure 2: Percentage of households benefitting from social grants

2
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

As economic activity in rural areas has increased, there has been an increasing demand for tertiary
sector services. Historically, these services have been provided by local businesses through spaza
shops or farmer’s markets, however, this landscape is changing. Between 1962 and 2009, 160 retail
centres were developed nationally in township and rural areas, generating approximately R34 billion
worth of business sales. While the emergence of malls in rural areas has provided employment, chain
stores have threatened previously owner-run retail outlets in rural areas. To promote rural develop-
ment, the District Development Model Plans must address these tensions by facilitating adequate
support for rural businesses to innovate and adapt to the changing environment.

In South Africa, employment levels were already much lower in rural areas than in cities, as measured
in February before the COVID-19 crisis hit. The labour markets of the metros were much stronger with
60% of all adults (aged 18 years and older) holding a job, compared to 43% in rural areas. According
to estimates from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), the impact of the crisis has eroded about
a decade-worth of jobs growth (Statistics South Africa, 2020). The rate of unemployment in the met-
ros increased to 37% in April 2020 and then fell slightly to 35% in June 2020. In contrast, unemployment
in the rural areas shot up to 48% in April 2020 and continued to climb even higher to 52% in June 2020.
Figure 3 shows the proportion of adults in each type of area who were employed throughout expe-
rienced intermittent spells of employment (they had a job for at least one, and at most five, periods
out of the six covered by the survey) or were never employed over the last 13 months. The differences
across the settlement categories are large and statistically significant. There was relative job stability
in the metros and a high level of attrition, or “churn”, in the rural areas as people moved in and out
of temporary jobs.

Adults living in the metros were much more likely to be in steady employment in every period than
adults elsewhere. 35% of adults were consistently employed in the metros, compared with 27% in
towns/cities and only 16% in rural areas. Conversely, 39% of adults in the metros had intermittent em-
ployment, compared to 44% in towns/cities and 53% of adults in rural areas. Seasonal employment
tends to be more common in rural areas, affecting tourism and hospitality industries as well as agri-
culture. In other words, although rural areas appear to have experienced a strong recovery in the
quantity of jobs, many of these appear to have been temporary. Although metro jobs have still not
fully recovered, their jobs have been more secure than those elsewhere.3

100%

90%
80%

70%
60%

50%
40%

30%
20%

10%
0%
Metro Cities/Towns Rural
Never Employed Temporary employed Always employed
(0 out of 6 periods) (1-5 out of 6 periods (1-5 out of 6 periods

Figure 3: Urban vs Rural: Labour market stability and churn4

3
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

In a 2021 report, the United Nations Children’s Fund states that rural areas have suffered the greatest
and had intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has shown in the statistical increase of stunt-
ing (One in three children) and malnutrition amongst children under five years. Rural areas have sig-
nificantly higher stunting rates (27%) than urban areas (24%).5 Food and nutrition security are central
to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by 193 countries around
the world in 2015, including South Africa.

There has not been adequate industrialisation in rural areas, whereas development has been bloom-
ing in urban and some peri-urban areas. Agriculture is often equated with primary production and a
failure to link that to profitable linkages of inputs and output marketing, financial and other services,
value adding, tourism and hospitality enterprises. Infrastructure development in the rural areas must
be geared to support the changing shape of agriculture and other sustainable industrial activities.
Progress in terms of creating new employment opportunities focusing on smallholder and land re-
form farms and underutilised farmland, exports and agro-food value chains has been slow in terms
of the NDP target of creating 969 500 new jobs by 2030. There was a decline in employment in the
agricultural sector until 2011, and a net gain of only 27 000 jobs created since 20116. The agricultural
sector was the only sector that gained employment during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the sector
is the third-smallest sector with 844 000 employed. Unemployment has risen to 13,9 million while youth
unemployment is currently at 4,8 million.7

While several strategies, frameworks and programmes have been introduced since 1994, with the
objective to address challenges facing rural communities including provision of basic quality ser-
vices, rural economic development through agrarian reform and mining, land reform and infrastruc-
ture development, some progress, though limited, has been recorded.

Figure 4: Evolution of rural development since Democracy: 1995 to date

4
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

The Integrated Rural Development Sector Strategy (IRDSS) seeks to draw lessons, successes and
weaknesses identified in the implementation of the above-mentioned strategies, frameworks, pro-
grammes and plans for rural development, taking forward the implementation of the Comprehen-
sive Rural Development Programme encompassing intergovernmental and sector interventions in
the 44 districts and eight metros in a collaborated and coordinated effort through the District Devel-
opment Model and Rural Development Sector Plans, focusing on key pillars enabling rural economy.

This will be anchored by the six pillars detailed in Part B of the strategy.

2. OBJECTIVES OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Rural development seeks to:

i. Address the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment in rural areas;
ii. Improve the quality of lives of rural communities by accelerating the implementation of the Na-
tional Development Plan and the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to end poverty
and hunger, improve productivity, food security and creating jobs;
iii. Revitalise rural economy through investment and development of rural infrastructure includ-
ing road and transportation, agriculture and agro-processing, mining, digital economy, ocean
economy, tourism, arts and culture, water and irrigation schemes, public health and education,
amongst others;
iv. Promote support of rural enterprises and cooperatives to promote self-sustainability and active
participation in the economic value chain;
v. Contribute to effective land administration and land spatial planning, and increase human set-
tlement, land productivity and industrialisation;
vi. Provide quality education and skills development; and
vii. Implement youth and women development and empowerment programmes.

3. CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR RURAL

DEVELOPMENT
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) forms the foundation for all rural develop-
ment-related activities. All three spheres of government share a common constitutional duty to pro-
vide basic and other services to the people and communities within their areas of jurisdictions in
terms of Section 41(1b) of the Constitution.

In terms of Chapter 14, schedule 4, part A of the RSA Constitution, rural development falls under
functional areas of concurrent national and provincial legislative competency. At a national level,
the function is located within the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
(DALRRD) mandated for policy, strategy, legislation, programmes, and oversight in respect of imple-
mentation and reporting. At provincial level, the function is located under Provincial Departments of
Agriculture and Rural Development.

Chapter 7 of the RSA Constitution (Section 152) also mandates local government to perform its pow-
ers and functions by:
• Providing a democratic and accountable government for local communities;
• Ensuring the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner (Integrated Develop-
ment Plans (IDPs);
• Promoting social and economic development (Local economic and social development plans
and programmes;

5
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

• Promoting a safe and healthy environment; and
• Encouraging and facilitating involvement of communities and community organisations in the
matters of local government.

4. POLICY ENVIRONMENT
4.1 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
The 17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): (1) Eliminate Poverty, (2) Erase
Hunger, (3) Establish Good Health and Well-Being, (4) Provide Quality Education, (5) Enforce Gen-
der Equality, (6) Improve Clean Water and Sanitation, (7) Grow Affordable and Clean Energy, (8)
Create Decent Work and Economic Growth, (9) Increase Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure,
(10) Reduce Inequality, (11) Mobilise Sustainable Cities and Communities, (12) Influence Responsi-
ble Consumption and Production, (13) Organise Climate Action, (14) Develop life below water, (15)
Advance life on land and (16) Peace, justice and strong institutions and (17) Build partnerships for
the goals and the African Union (AU) framework documentation directly relate to key rural develop-
ment-related perspectives, goals and implementation modalities that South Africa has committed
itself to. These commitments form part of the framework informing the formulation of policy options
for rural development coordination.

From an African perspective, the most important constituent parts dealing with and/or impacting on
rural development are the: (i) New Partnership for Africa’s Development (2002); (ii) Malabo Decla-
ration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved
Livelihoods and Nutrition Security for Inclusive Economic Growth and Sustainable Development in Af-
rica (2014); (iii) Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (2003); (iv) AU Agenda
2063 (adopted January 2015) and (v) African Free Trade Agreement (signed in March 2018).

4.2 NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The White Paper on Reconstruction and Development, 1994 8sets out the initial plans of the govern-
ment to orientate its activities fully and effectively towards these goals. The White Paper gave rise to
the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) as the policy instrument which was to direct
the progress of the transformation strategy. The RDP envisioned a comprehensive rural development
programme that must raise incomes and productivity, encouraging the use of land for agricultural,
other productive or residential purposes, as well as ensure security of tenure for all South Africans re-
gardless of their system of land holding. The provision of rural infrastructure, enterprise development,
basic support services and skills development were deemed as crucial markers to define rural devel-
opment.

All 13 chapters of the National Development Plan (NDP) impact on rural development, but Chap-
ter 6 (Inclusive Rural Economy) identifies four key guiding points for effective rural development,
namely, (i) Rural communities require greater social, economic and political opportunities to over-
come poverty; (ii) To achieve this, agricultural development should introduce a land reform and
job-creation/livelihood strategy that ensures rural communities have jobs; (iii) Ensure quality access
to basic services, health care, education and food security; and (iv) Plans for rural towns should be
tailor-made according to the varying opportunities in each area. Intergovernmental relations should
be addressed to improve rural governance.

6
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

Furthermore, the National Development Plan (2011) states that South Africa faces similar rural de-
velopment challenges as Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRICS countries) and therefore a brief
assessment was made of the approach towards rural development followed by these countries,
summarised as follows:
• Rural development in all of these countries is primarily focused on agriculture and related activ-
ities to enhance agro-processing and promote food security. The agricultural sector is therefore
the backbone in rural development, food security and job creation initiatives (sustainable liveli-
hoods). While stabilising and developing agriculture as a unique economic sector in terms of its
overall competitiveness, effort is then made to diversify the rural economic basis by way of rural
industries.
• Quality of life is improved by means of providing access to basic infrastructure, social amenities
and health care facilities for rural communities.
• Social development is enhanced by means of local skills development programmes (investment
in people).
• Rural development is furthermore managed by way of a participatory approach, developed
for the local people by the local people and focusing on local solutions to local challenges. It is
also clear that the scale of rural development plans is determined by factors such as functional
climatic regions, village/community demographic profiles, soil potential/commodity regions, etc.
rather than administrative boundaries. For example, the rural development plans for India are
based on climate regions, while the homogeneity among rural villages is a key criterion in China.
Chapter 6 of the NDP further states that rural economies will be activated through investment in in-
frastructure development and service delivery, a review of land tenure, service to small and micro
farmers, a review of mining industry commitments to social investment and tourism investments. It
further promotes substantially increasing investment in irrigation infrastructure in the Makhathini Flats
and Umzimvubu River Basin, creating tenure security for communal farmers, especially women, inves-
tigating different forms of financing and vesting of private property rights to land reform beneficiaries
that does not hamper beneficiaries with a high debt burden. Other chapters of the NDP playing an
important role of contributing and complimenting the implementation of Chapter 6: An Integrated
and Inclusive Rural Economy are: Chapter 1: Drivers of change including science and technology
as a key pillar of development; Chapter 3: Economy and employment; Chapter 4: Economic infra-
structure; Chapter 8: Human settlement; Chapter 9: Improving education, innovation and training;
Chapter 10: Promoting health; Chapter 11: Social protection; Chapter 12: Building safer communities
and Chapter 13: Building a capable state.

The National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF), approved by Cabinet in March 2022, provides
the national spatial vision to inform regional development and identifies which towns are the best
located and most viable in supporting the regional development of their rural spaces. The need for
appropriate supporting transport and communication links, including national corridors and local
access roads, is also stressed. The coordination of targeted development at different levels around
identified towns as envisaged by the NSDF and supported by the NDP and the Integrated Urban De-
velopment Framework (IUDF).9 To focus future spatial development, the NSDF proposes a hierarchy
of urban settlement nodes that are linked by a network of national spatial development corridors
and a Regional-Rural Development Model. This model uses a system of regional anchor towns, linked
through a network of transport, communication and utility services and is supported by and linked to
a network of service points, including small service centres and rural service settlements as the settle-
ment focus for the development of productive rural regions.10

7
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has so far developed industry master
plans in seven sectors that seek to drive South Africa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan,
namely Automotive; Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leather (CTFL); Agriculture and Agro-processing,
Sugar; Poultry; Steel and Metal Fabrication; and Furniture. These master plans are in various stages of
implementation. Together, these industries account for 6% of South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product
(GDP), 25% of exports and employ nearly 700 000 workers.11 These master plans aim to build dynamic
firms and local industries’ capabilities by:
• Reducing the proportion of imported intermediate and finished goods;
• Improving the efficiency of local producers; and
• Developing export competitive sectors that can expand the sales of South African made prod-
ucts on the continent and beyond.
These plans are industry social-compacts, in which each partner is expected to contribute, shifting
away from a state-centric approach to a partnership model. They will play a crucial part of the Eco-
nomic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP), 2019, under the industrialisation pillar.

While agriculture traditionally has played a large role in the development of the rural economy, the
implementation of other master plans relating to manufacturing and industrialisation in sectors such
as Steel and Metal, Automotive, Furniture, Forestry, Tourism, Retail-Clothing, Textiles, Footwear and
Leather as well as the Cannabis, Renewable Energy and Mining and Beneficiation must be actively
pursued as part of reigniting rural development.

8
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

PART A
Part B
INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR
STRATEGY, KEY PILLARS AND GOVERNANCE
FRAMEWORK

10
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

1. PROBLEM STATEMENT
The Integrated Rural Development Sector Strategy (IRDSS) seeks to address the following problems:
(i) triple challenges of high poverty levels, inequalities, discriminatory practices and inequitable dis-
tribution of income resulting in high levels of urban migration; (ii) Lack of common understanding of
rural development mandate by various government and non-governmental stakeholders; (ii) Lack
of investment in and maintenance of road, rail and communication infrastructure to revitalise rural
economic development through industrialisation, agricultural production, mining, processing and
value chain management, and access to markets; and (iii) Poor intergovernmental relations and
rural governance guided by the District Development Model (One Plan), resulting in non-integrated
and non-coordinated interventions by the three spheres of government departments and private
sector addressing socio-economic challenges in rural areas located in the 44 districts and eight met-
ropolitan municipalities.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

(IRDSS)
The objectives of the Integrated Rural Development Sector Strategy are to:

i. Provide a guiding framework and principles for executing government’s vision, plans and budget
relating to rural development and the revitalisation of the rural economy through the Compre-
hensive Rural Development Programme and Rural Development Sector Plans.
ii. Effective utilisation of all funding instruments across all spheres of government to foster an inte-
grated approach to the revitalisation of the rural areas.
iii. Institutionalise rural development and strengthen intergovernmental sector coordination through
the District Development Model (One Plan) with clear monitoring and reporting systems. Compel
all sector departments in all spheres to share their plans and budgets for implementation through
the DDM One Plan.
iv. Accelerate investment in and maintenance of critical infrastructure: road, rail and port basic
services, digital connectivity, education, health and human settlement infrastructure to revital-
ise rural economic development and facilitate industrialisation, agricultural production,
agro-processing, value chain management and access to markets.
v. Support integrated spatial planning, land use management and economic integration.

SIX (6) PILLARS DRIVING RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE REVITALISATION OF

THE RURAL ECONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA

Figure 5: Drivers of rural development: Pillars 1 – 3

11
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

Figure 6: Drivers of rural development: Pillars 4 – 6

PILLARS DRIVING AND SUPPORTING RURAL DEVELOPMENT

PILLARS 1 – 3: DRIVING RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE REVITALISATION OF THE RURAL

ECONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA

PILLAR 1: INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE AND INVESTMENT

The National Development Plan highlights the essential nature of infrastructure to accelerate eco-
nomic growth, promote inclusive growth and increase employment, providing citizens with improved
quality of lives and boosting the economy. This pillar seeks to accelerate the implementation of ERRP
and the Strategic Integrated Project (SIP) as part of the National Infrastructure Plan, especially SIP
11 that focuses on agro-logistics and rural infrastructure. The transport infrastructure network system
including road, rail, air and sea are crucial in logistics from one point to another and key in enabling
movement of people, goods and services.

Acceleration of investment in rural socio-economic infrastructure in rural areas is a crucial pillar to

improve community access to basic services and increase the overall efficiency and competitive-
ness of the rural economy. This includes maintenance of public buildings, transport infrastructure and
logistics, rail and port concessions, water infrastructure, human settlement, education and public
health, amongst others. Access to rural road, rail and port infrastructure is a key driver of the South
African economy. For this reason, the road network must be developed and maintained in such
a way that it supports the national development objectives of reconstruction and recovery plan.
Rehabilitation and repair of rural roads infrastructure must be prioritised, particularly, farm, village
and ports access. The integrated infrastructure development aimed at transforming rural economy,
productive land utilisation; job creation and entrepreneurial opportunities through socio-economic
public infrastructure advances development.

In all infrastructure interventions, coordination between government and private sector is crucial to
ensure maximum benefits accrue to rural communities. Below are some of the priority infrastructure
investment and development for rural areas to foster rural development and rural economy:

12
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

3.1 Agriculture and Agro-processing
The NDP introduced a three-tier growth strategy with the biggest opportunity for growth and devel-
opment identified in (1) the underutilised farming land in the former homeland areas and land reform
projects (2) the expansion in production of export-led high value crops and investment in integrated
value chains and (3) in the drive for inclusive growth and job creation in the agro-processing sector.
The NDP clearly identified the opportunity for agriculture and agro-processing to be the engine of
growth in rural and less developed areas of South Africa where it is typically the biggest employer of
labour and capital; this is operationalised through the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan
202212

Existing agri-parks must be strengthened by accelerating the construction and operationalisation of

sustainable Farmer Production Support Units, Agri-hubs and Rural Urban Market Centres as a stepping
stone to revitalise rural economy and support agro-processing, industrialisation, logistics and market
access for various commodities. In addition, the infrastructure and services will support systems for
farmers in biosecurity and use of early warning systems, phenotyping, remote sensing and smart tools,
etc. Agriculture also provides the largest upstream and downstream employment and economic
growth multipliers of any sectors in the economy. Pillar 2 of the Agriculture and Agro-processing Mas-
ter Plans focusses on Creating Enabling Infrastructure and seeks to accelerate the development and
maintenance of infrastructure – on- and off-farm, rail, roads, storage, water and deep-sea ports and
cross-border ports for exports into the region.

These infrastructure projects will be fully or partially funded by various departments working with pri-
vate sector investors while playing a sourcing and facilitation role based on project requirements in
others.

3.2 Water and Irrigation Schemes

South African rural communities continue to experience problems of water service provision. Water
infrastructure and irrigation schemes remain crucial to provision of basic access to water for rural ar-
eas. Through the National Water Resources Strategy (2022)13 aligned to the NDP, substantial increase
investment in irrigation infrastructure in the Makhathini Flats and Umzimvubu River Basin and through
improved infrastructure and service delivery to activate rural economies through:
• Improved water supply programme;
• Accelerated Community Infrastructure Programme;
• Water Allocation Reform; and
• Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant.
The proposed Water and Sanitation Policy on Privately owned land (2022)14 compels government to
provide access to basic level of water and sanitation service to those residing on privately owned
land including rural farm dwellers. This is vitally relevant to Communal Property Associations, trusts and
communal areas established through land reform programmes. In addition, the smallholder irrigation
schemes (SIS) are pivotal in sustaining livelihoods and creating employment in rural communities of
South Africa. According to the NDP, 1,5 million ha under irrigation (which produce virtually all South
Africa’s horticultural harvest and some field crops) can be expanded by at least 500 000 ha through
the better use of existing water resources and developing new water schemes. The country’s com-
mercial agriculture production is heavily dependent on irrigation with only 12% of the land consid-
ered suitable for growing rain-fed crops and less than 3% is considered truly fertile. As there is limited
arable land, the only feasible way to grow the agricultural sector is through irrigation.

The implementation of these policies and programmes are finalised to accelerate infrastructure de-
velopment and investment in rural areas for access to water for household, farming and commercial
use and crucial in the achievement of revitalised rural economy.

13
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

3.3 Basic and Higher Education Infrastructure
South Africa has 11 252 schools in rural areas across the country and of these, 3 060 are secondary
schools and 8 192 are primary schools.15 Most of these schools are in Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal
and Limpopo. The country has a total of 5 153 multi-grade schools in the rural areas. There is a back-
log in terms of the eradication of mud-schools, where there are 582 in Eastern Cape alone.16 Rural
children are also underserviced in terms of early childhood development centres. There are 42 420
Early Learning Programmes where 60% are urban and 40% are rural.17

The Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative was instituted by the Department of Basic
Education to build new schools in line with the National Infrastructure Plan 205018. In line with the
plan, the school infrastructure backlog grant should be used to accelerate eradication of mud-
schools and provision of basic services such as water and sanitation, and electrification of rural pub-
lic schools is essential for human dignity. In addition to maintenance of existing infrastructure and
replacing school buildings constructed with inappropriate materials, such as mud, it is vital to provide
water and sanitation to schools that do not have these facilities to meet the minimum norms and
standards for school infrastructure.

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) infrastructure and efficiency grant; uni-
versity infrastructure and efficiency grant; infrastructure of institution teaching facilities and student
housing infrastructure construction, repairs and maintenance must be prioritised including quality
provision of bulk services and sanitation, amongst others.

There should be collaboration between the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Department of
Education and Training (DHET) and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPW&I) to
strengthen and accelerate infrastructure development in the sector in rural areas in line with the
National Infrastructure Plan 2050, which ensures compliance with regulation relating to Minimum Uni-
form Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure mandated by the South African Schools
Act, 1996 (Act No. 84 of 1996). The objectives of the regulation are:
• To provide minimum uniform norms and standards for public school infrastructure;
• To ensure that there is compliance with the minimum uniform norms and standards in the de-
sign and construction of new schools and in additions, alterations and improvements to existing
schools when these regulations are published; and
• To provide for timeframes within which school infrastructure backlogs must be eradicated.

3.4 Mining
According to Stats SA (2021), the mining industry is a crucial pillar of South Africa’s economy and
contributed approximately R219,5 billion (US$ 12,8 billion) in 2021 to South Africa’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). Most profitable South African mines are situated in the areas of the country that are
home to traditional communities and are governed in terms of customary law. Protection of current
land use of people living on and using communal land should be in line with the Interim Protection of
Informal Land Rights Act, 1996 (Act No. 31 of 1996) and the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Devel-
opment Act, 2002 (Act No. 28 of 2002).

The White Paper on Minerals and Mining Policy for South Africa, 199819 and the Mineral and Petro-
leum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act No. 28 of 2002) govern the minerals and mining sector
including infrastructure development on land for the establishment of a mine or it’s decommissioning
where necessary. This includes the development of social and labour plans in partnership with the pri-
vate sector that stipulate how affected communities that border the mines, mainly in rural areas and
land under custodianship of traditional councils should be developed and position them as active
players in the socio-economic beneficiation including business development, job creation, provision
of basic services such as housing, primary health care, education and skills, sports and other services.

The Exploration Strategy for the Mining Industry of South Africa (2022)20 in line with the Integrated Re-
source Plan (2019) recognises crucial minerals and metals that are essential for responding to the shift
towards the green economy (e.g., batteries for electric vehicles and solar and wind energy), low car-
bon economy and digitisation, amongst others. As mining for the green economy expands, the need

14
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

for improved infrastructure in relation to road and rail transport systems, public transport systems, wa-
ter supply and water resources, wastewater management, solid waste treatment and disposal, elec-
tric power generation and transmission, telecommunications and hazardous waste management
systems should form part of the DDM and spatial plans for these potentially new mining ventures.

3.5 Sustainable Human Settlements

In 2004, Breaking New Ground (BNG): The Comprehensive Housing Plan (CHP) for the Development
of Integrated Sustainable Human Settlements policy21 and plan was approved by Cabinet. The CHP
provides for programmes that promote the development of the entire residential property market, in-
cluding the development of low-cost housing, medium-density accommodation and rental housing;
stronger partnerships with the private sector; social infrastructure and amenities. As part of the CHP,
government provides a 40 m2 house to qualifying households earning less than R3 500 a month. The
BNG policy incorporates the following key principles:
• integrating subsidised, rental and bonded housing;
• providing municipal engineering services at a higher level and being applied consistently
throughout the townships;
• providing ancillary facilities such as schools, clinics and commercial opportunities; and
• combining different housing densities and types.
As part of the Comprehensive Housing Plan, the Rural Housing Programme extends the housing sub-
sidy scheme to rural areas of communal tenure and require confirmed tenure rights through the
processes prescribed by the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development through
the Upgrading of Land Tenure Rights Amendment, 2021 (Act No. 6 of 2021), which provides for up-
grading and conversion into ownership of certain rights granted in respect of land and transfer of
tribal land to full ownership of tribes and related matters. To complement this, the RHP addresses the
process and requirements for development and subsidies for communal land.

Acceleration of the development of Agri-villages22 and rural human settlements for farm workers and
farm dwellers including climate-smart eco-tourism villages is important for rural development.

3.6 Roads, Rail, Port and Transport Logistics

South Africa has the tenth longest road network in the world. This includes unproclaimed roads of ap-
proximately 750 000 km. Roads and transport infrastructure is a crucial catalyst of logistics, economic
development and growth. It is also equally crucial for the rural economy; it creates employment and
reduces rural to urban migration, which consequently leads to loosing critical skills and capacity.

Government has invested billions of rands building roads across the length and breadth of this coun-
try including in some rural communities. However, the backlog in roads infrastructure remains a
source of concern for communities, farmers, small businesses and commercial businesses. Through
the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) and the Provincial Roads Maintenance
Programme, the Department of Transport has commissioned new road construction, upgrading and
rehabilitating old roads and maintaining the existing ones. Despite the investment, challenges persist
adversely impacting on the livelihood of rural people.

As part of the National Transport Masterplan 2050 (2010) (NATMAP)23, the Rural Transport Strategy
for South Africa, 200724 aims to develop a balanced and sustainable rural transport system by sup-
porting local infrastructure and services. The emphasis must be placed on improving access roads,
developing passable roads, and addressing neglected infrastructure and corridors that are linked
to markets and other social services. This strategy acknowledges that agriculture and farming are
the main sources of economic development in rural areas and must be strengthened by providing
freight logistical support to boost their productivity.

15
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

The rural transport infrastructure development programme must include all transport-related infra-
structure, including proclaimed district or feeder roads to village-level roads and un-proclaimed
non-motorised infrastructure such as tracks, trails, paths and footbridges as part of the Welisizwe Rural
Bridges Programme25 that committed to building 95 rural bridges per year.

Greater collaboration between the Department of Transport through SANRAL, the Department of
Public Works and Infrastructure, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Develop-
ment, PRASA, TRANSNET and the Department of Cooperative Governance through MISA is important
in improving the rural road, rail and port infrastructure.

3.7 Energy and Electricity

Infrastructure to enable provision of energy and electricity in rural areas is crucial for improving quali-
ty of lives and public safety. This is also one of the basic services due to citizens and residents of both
urban and rural areas. The 1998 Government White Paper on Energy Policy26 detailed a policy of re-
structuring and liberalisation of the electricity supply industry (ESI). An Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)
was developed and updated in 2019 to support the implementation of the policy.

By far the biggest portion of the IRP27 until 2030 comprises wind and solar photovoltaic power, backed
up with flexible generation in the form of gas-to-power and battery energy storage. This reflects the
fact that this is the preferred option that delivers reliable, dispatchable electricity at least cost, with
least water use and lowest emissions, while creating the most jobs and meeting South Africa’s cli-
mate change commitments. There is also a growing realisation by rural electricity customers that
they need to work on self-generation to supplement their grid electricity needs, as well as to wheel
power for their own use from external sources of distributed generation, e.g., increased use of biofu-
els, solar and wind for farming operations.

3.8 Sustainable Environment, Climate Change and Rehabilitation and Restoration of Wetlands
The National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS)28 provides a common vision of climate
change adaptation and climate resilience for South Africa, and outlines priority areas for achieving
this vision. It draws on South Africa’s National Climate Change Response Policy (2011)29, the NDP
(2011), the adaptation commitments included in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), sec-
tor adaptation plans, provincial adaptation plans and local government adaptation plans.

The intervention by the NCCAS is central to sustainable rural communities as it seeks to provide guid-
ance across all levels of government, sectors and stakeholders affected by climate variability and
change. It should serve as the country’s National Adaptation Plan and fulfils the commitment to its
international obligations under the Paris Agreement. Its strategic objectives, interventions and out-
comes include: (i) reducing human, economic, environmental, physical and ecological infrastruc-
ture vulnerability and build adaptive capacity (ii) a Climate Services system that provides climate
products and services for key climate vulnerable sectors and geographic areas; (iii) a vulnerability
and resilience methodology framework that integrates biophysical and socio-economic aspects of
vulnerability and resilience, (iv) mainstreaming of adaptation responses into sectoral planning and
implementation and (v) capacity and awareness for climate change responses, amongst others.
Investing in high quality, climate-resilient public infrastructure including transport, stormwater, waste-
water, water and energy is crucial to sustainability, extended lifespan, and creating a more adaptive
energy system to reduce dependence on a centralised system and increase distributed generation
in rural areas.

As part of NCCAS and the Working for Wetlands Strategy (2006)30, the rehabilitation and restoration
of wetlands is important to ensure infrastructure development and maintenance that involve plug-
ging artificial drainage channels to drain wetland areas for land use purposes and constructing struc-
tures (gabions, berms, weirs) to redistribute water to more natural flow paths and prevent erosion.

16
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

3.1.9 Science, Innovation, Digital Economy and Connectivity
There are several interventions that are to be prioritised as indicated in The White Paper on Science
and Innovation (2019)31 and the Decadal Plan on Science and Innovation32 indicates several inter-
ventions that should be prioritised to strengthen local innovation systems and production to support
identified priority local economic sectors (as indicated in the strategy) to broaden economic par-
ticipation and particular inclusion of youth, women, persons with disabilities and other marginalised
groups.

To realise the objective of unemployment rate reduction and activate local economic development
in rural areas and townships, the ERRP aims to reduce data costs and expanding broadband access
to low-income households that will require digital infrastructure investment. All sectors of the econ-
omy have adopted ICT to enhance productivity, enlarge markets and reduce operational costs
(OECD, 2014). Most rural communities’ digital connectivity has an impact on the quality of life, ac-
cess to basic services and ability to connect with the world for jobs, trade and investment. Priority
must be given to installation of broadband expanded network and mobile infrastructure to transform
the rural economy with greater potential for manufacturing and small enterprise development. Use
of ICT and innovations enhances government’s ability to fulfil its mandate, e.g., through the scaling
up and capacitating of rural service desks. In addition, integration of satellites, drones and sensors
technologies are driving crop monitoring improvements and diseases diagnosis, the applications of
digital technologies for the agricultural sector to drive competitiveness while addressing several pro-
ductivity challenges.

3.10 Tourism
The White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa, 199633 contends that
prime tourism attractions are not located in the city centres but rather in rural areas. It also outlines
the concept of responsible and sustainable tourism in relation to infrastructure development to foster
tourism. The Rural Tourism Strategy, 201234 makes provision for tourism.

The Rural Tourism Strategy, linked to the National Tourism Sector Strategy, 201735, provides for a blue-
print for the tourism sector which plays a key role in rural economy, job creation and investment
attraction. The underdevelopment of rural infrastructure, including the airport operations, impacts
directly on rural tourism. Enhancing and sustaining infrastructure linkages to tourism products and
facilities is important to boost rural economic development.

3.11 Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sports

The White Paper on Art, Culture and Heritage (1996, 2016)36 indicated that there is a need to un-
derstand and capitalise on the heritage richness of rural zones. The Department of Sport, Arts and
Culture has developed a Public Art Development Programme (PADP) to strengthen and grow the
arts, culture and heritage sector. The PADP’s objective is to assist local organisations that are oper-
ating in the public art environment and to provide more opportunities for creative arts practitioners,
organisations and government to showcase creativity in the public space, either on a permanent
or temporary basis. This programme will enable the creative arts sector to stabilise and consolidate,
providing access to work and experience, build capacity, transfer skills and create linkages to sup-
port infrastructure, e.g., parks.

The White Paper on Sport and Recreation37 and its resultant National Sport and Recreation Plan
(2011)38 outlined the role of municipalities to provide physical sporting facilities in their respective
areas of jurisdiction. The Build for Sports and Recreation Programme under the department was a
mechanism used to ensure delivery of these facilities until the introduction of the Municipal Infrastruc-
ture Grant in 2004.

The Rural Sport Development Programme, 2016 was also launched to develop and invest in previous-
ly disadvantaged communities, especially rural communities. The development programme focuses
on five sporting codes, namely netball, football, rugby, cricket and athletics and to actively promote
women and persons with disabilities with proper infrastructure development, skills development and
funding to support these codes.39 The implementation of these programmes in rural areas should be
accelerated to realise rural development and rural economy.

17
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

PILLAR 2: INDUSTRIALISTION, ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AND JOB CREATION

The National Integrated Small Enterprise Development (NISED) Masterplan, 202240, is a high-level stra-
tegic framework for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME) development and targeted sup-
port, following the White Paper on the Integrated Strategy for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship and
Small Enterprise, 199541.

The NDP envisions that most of the jobs in the future will be in SMMEs. This is not a novel idea. It is widely
acknowledged that South Africa faces a severe shortage of skills, and especially “hard” artisanal skills
and high-end professional skills. With a relatively large young population, it is important that South
Africa gear up youth skills development to match the needs of a fast-changing world with new ap-
plications to business processes and skills demands for high-tech jobs. This can be enhanced through
existing youth programmes such as the National Rural Youth Service Corps Programme, Harambee
Youth Employment Accelerator, National Youth Service Programme and other youth programmes
across the country and through partnerships with youth structures.

To support the NISED, the Department of Small Business Development has implemented the Township
and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme (TREP), which is a dedicated programme to transform and
integrate opportunities in townships and rural areas into productive business ventures. Rural small
and medium enterprises (SMMEs) and cooperatives should be integrated into the economic value
chains.

Below are some of the current government programmes and initiatives should enterprises require
upscaling in line with the ERRP of strengthening localisation to repurpose the South African manufac-
turing sector and strengthen local procurement, job creation and enterprise development in rural
areas:
• Rural Cooperatives and Enterprise Development Programme as part of the Agriculture and
Agro-processing Master Plan facilitates, strengthens and supports existing cooperatives from pri-
mary cooperatives and enterprises into commodity-based secondary cooperatives to increase
agricultural production, value adding and agro-processing to be linked to markets for profit-
ability and sustainability of the agricultural sector. Rural enterprise development can also be
linked to the school nutrition programmes and catering for the prisons. Other forms of non-farm
employment (this includes small commercial and support enterprises (e.g., small processing and
packaging industries), tourism and mining with a focus on equitability and inclusivity, robust levels
of organisation and technical adaptability).
• The Working for Water Programme for the removal of invasive alien plants that pose a threat to
the country’s water security, agricultural productivity and biodiversity.
• Working for Wetlands is aligned and implemented through the Expanded Public Works Pro-
gramme (EPWP). This government-wide initiative was set up to draw significant numbers of un-
employed people into the productive sector of the economy, gaining skills while they work and
increase their capacity to earn an income. Working for Wetlands pursues its mandate of wetland
rehabilitation and wise use in a manner that maximises employment creation, supports small
emerging businesses and transfers skills to its beneficiaries.
• Expanded Public Works Programme and Community Works Programme target those groups most
excluded from the mainstream economy, with particular emphasis on rural women, youth and
people with disabilities in short- to medium-term infrastructure projects like road maintenance.
• Rural Tourism as outlined in the InvestRural Strategy. Economic prosperity in rural communities
lies in harnessing manufacturing of indigenous products to stimulate entrepreneurship and small
business development and create jobs.

18
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy will identify projects with the greatest geological
potential over the next five years and provide both technical and financial support to these projects
until feasibility stage, if positive. This initiative, possibly a public-private partnership (PPP), is set to tar-
get junior exploration companies with at least 51% ownership by previously disadvantaged persons.
Undeveloped rural provinces present considerable opportunities for rural communities in relation to
the exploration and mineral development for minerals such as copper, nickel, chrome, cobalt and
lithium.

Other departments working with provincial and local government should develop concrete initia-
tives to strengthen industrialisation and enterprise development which contributes to reducing the
high level of unemployment and poverty.

PILLAR 3: EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Investment in human capital such as skills, technological and institutional capacity is crucial to sup-
port sustainable development in rural areas. Chapter 9 of the NDP and the National Skills Develop-
ment Plan 203042, 2019, sets a range of skills development objectives to be met by 2030 as indicated
below:
• Expand the college system with a focus on improving quality. Better quality will build confidence
in the college sector and attract more learners. The recommended participation rate in the TVET
college sector of 25% would accommodate about 1,25 million enrolments;
• Provide 1 million learning opportunities through Community Education and Training Colleges;
• Produce 30,000 artisans per year by 2030. This can be linked to the various youth programmes in
the rural sector;
• Increase enrolment at universities by at least 70% by 2030 so that enrolments increase to about
1,62 million from 950 000 in 2010;
• Increase the number of students eligible to study towards maths and science-based degrees to
450 000 by 2030;
• Increase the percentage of PhD qualified staff in the higher education sector from the current
34% to over 75% by 2030;
• Produce more than 100 doctoral graduates per million per year by 2030. This implies an increase
from 1 420 in 2010 to well over 5 000 a year; and
• Expand science, technology and innovation outputs by increasing research and development
spending by government and through encouraging industry to do so.

The Department of Higher Education and Training developed The National Skills Development Strate-
gy, 201643, and recognised that, given the urban bias of South Africa’s rural economic development,
adequate attention has not been paid to rural economic development and provision of skills for
rural development. Given the fact that government has prioritised rural development, the skills de-
velopment system must increase its focus and attention on the industry-needed critical skills for rural
development and rural economy. This strategy recognises that a distinction must be made between
training of rural people and skills for rural development. The former approaches have tended to prior-
itise training rural people as a feeder to urban migration, while the latter will aim to train rural people
for rural economy.

The Department of Basic Education adopted the National Framework on Rural Education (approved
in 2022)44 that outlines five pillars to ensure rural learners receive quality education through improve-
ment of curricula (inclusion of agriculture, heritage arts, sports and culture), improved teacher re-
tention packages and scaling up the training and employment of rural education assistants from
the community. The strategy is also linked to the Municipal Support and Intervention Plans for the
improvement of transport infrastructure, scholar transport, school nutrition programme and improved
safety of rural learners who more than often utilise unsafe roads or bridges to commute to school.

19
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

PILLARS 4 – 5 SUPPORTING RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE REVITALISATION OF THE RURAL
ECONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA

PILLAR 4: PROVISION OF BASIC SERVICES

In line with Chapter 6 of the NDP, provision of quality basic services, particularly education, water
and sanitation, electricity, health care and public transport and roads are essential to realise the
goal of creating and building well-functioning and supported communities to enable them to ac-
tively participate in economic opportunities. This allows them to develop their communities further
through remittances and the transfer of skills, which will contribute to the local economy.

Local government must aim to provide basic services to all households living within its area, including
in main towns, small towns, villages, on farms and in rural households. This implies all households within
the main town’s urban edge must have:
• Access to potable water (minimum standard is a communal tap within 200 m from the house-
hold);
• Access to electricity (connected to a grid-based system or have an off-the-grid based system);
• Access to sanitation (no bucket system, system on household erf); and
• Access to refuse removal (weekly service).

The Department of Cooperative Governance (DCOG) and National Treasury developed Municipal
Support and Intervention Plans (MSIPs) in 2022 for support and intervention packages for distressed
municipalities in basic service delivery.

To improve the functioning of municipalities to better serve communities by getting the basics right,
the Department of Cooperative Governance is tasked to build and strengthen the capability and
accountability of municipalities. As part of the InvestRural Strategy, 202045, municipalities and tradi-
tional councils are to work collaboratively on programmes that seek to reduce the sanitation back-
log by delivering safe and dignified toilets to rural homes, schools and clinics; off-grid sanitation and
energy in rural areas. The key task is to capacitate district and local municipalities to carry out their
constitutional mandates of provision of basic services to rural communities and strengthen mechanisms
for collaboration and partnership between traditional councils and municipality to achieve this task.

Prioritising the Small-Town Regeneration Strategy, 202146, seeks to create a spatially enabling environ-
ment by following a broad-based approach to local social development that will bring about equi-
table economic growth through cooperative, coherent and responsible governance, and strength-
ened institutional mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation and data management.47

A National Rural Safety Strategy, 201948, aims to address rural safety as part and parcel of an integrat-
ed and holistic day-to-day crime prevention approach based on the principles of sector policing,
which addresses the needs of the entire rural community, including the farming community. CPFs
have been established at police stations, including stations in rural areas. The promotion of safety
and security in rural areas that adequately deal with human, property and food protection is vital for
rural, social and economic stability. Chapter 12 of the National Development Plan refers to “Build-
ing Safer Communities” and states that all vulnerable groups; including women, children and rural
communities, should enjoy equal protection and their fear of crime should be eradicated through
effective, coordinated responses by the police, business, community and civil society. Chapter 12,
“Building Safer Communities” under the heading, “Rural Safety”, states that access to justice and the
safety of rural and farming communities demands special attention.

To improve rural safety and decrease crime, there need to be a continuous moral regeneration
programme and revival of values system, whether in society or human values, targeted through the
schools and in collaboration with civil society and traditional leaders. Traditional courts still form an
important part of the administration of justice in much of rural Africa, including South Africa.

20
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

Traditional courts should strongly feature as institutional support in part to alleviate pressure on the
court system and to support the implementation of moral regeneration programmes and provide
dispute resolution mechanisms in their areas.

PILLAR 5: LAND AND AGRARIAN REFORM AND TENURE SECURITY

Chapter 6 of the NDP indicates that a differentiated rural development strategy should focus on
agricultural development based on successful land reform, employment creation and strong en-
vironmental safeguards. To achieve this, irrigated agriculture and dry-land production should be
expanded, with emphasis on smallholder farmers where possible.

The current economic situation in communal areas is also a direct result of unresolved land tenure
rights, communal boundaries and land administration related issues which government is address-
ing through appropriate regulatory and policy framework. Conferring tenure rights to land reform
beneficiaries and adopting an approach that recognises a diverse range of communal land and fi-
nancial support is addressed in detail as part of the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy, 200649, State
Land Lease and Disposal Policy, 201950, National Policy for Beneficiary Selection and Land Allocation,
202051 and other land related legislation and procedures.

The Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture released a report that recommend-
ed the establishment of a Land and Agrarian Reform Agency (LARA) with some of its functions in-
cluding rural development. The panel’s report also proposed to fast track restitution cases, negotiate
compensation, and expropriate rural land that is hopelessly indebted, abandoned, underutilised, or
solely speculative. The report does not explicitly address the traditional leaders’ Indaba Resolution
(2017). The report does, however, recognise the position of the National House of Traditional Lead-
ers―that in rural areas land is a sacred heritage, that land reform should respect the lived experienc-
es of traditional communities, and that there is a need to secure and protect customary land rights.52

PILLAR 6: SOCIAL, COMMUNITY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

The NDP calls for an innovative approach that promotes active citizenry; social and economic in-
clusion; people-driven development and development of the people’s capabilities to lead the lives
they desire. Sustainable communities require a bottom-up community-driven participatory approach
that places people at the centre of development. Such an approach to rural development requires
an active citizenry. Active citizenship rests on expanding capabilities, supporting households as the
basic units of production, and ensuring inclusive and participatory processes of decision making. As
highlighted by the NDP, only within a capable state that is supported by an active citizenry can de-
mocracy thrive and deepen. Active citizenry would also require timeous access to information, and
in rural areas, access to information enables people to access public or private services, e.g., social
grant applications, birth and identity documents and so forth.

The largest social assistance programme provides direct income support in the form of grants to the
elderly, children, war veterans and people with disabilities. The Social Assistance Amendment Act,
2020 (Act No. 16 of 2020) further provides for payment of benefits to child-headed households and
social relief of distress in the event of a disaster. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, this assis-
tance was extended to all unemployed people as a temporary relief. The largest percentage of
households receiving grants were from the more rural provinces of Eastern Cape (60,6%), Limpopo
(58,2%) and Northern Cape (55,9%).53 These social assistance programmes must be coordinated with
the economic interventions mentioned under Pillar 1 so that reliance on social grant remittances can
be decreased.

Empowering rural people to actively participate in rural development initiatives requires social or-
ganisation and mobilisation (SOM) for collective action, which is the cornerstone of sustainable rural
development. The SOM process is pivotal for engaging key stakeholders and motivating rural com-
munities to participate in rural development activities. This can be executed through participatory
processes through existing legislated community and local government structures such as ward com-
mittees, district councils, etc. This may include support for the development of community-based
plans that should be integrated into the RDSPs and IDPs.

21
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

The White Paper on Social Welfare (1997)54 institutionalises community development and mandates
the Department of Social Development (DSD) to lead and guide the sectors in the practice of com-
munity development. The Community Development Programme seeks the empowerment of rural
local communities; strengthens the capacity of people as active citizens through their community
groups, organisations and networks; and the capacity of institutions and agencies (public, private
and non-governmental) to work in dialogue with citizens to shape and determine change in their
communities. In addition, through the National Development Agency Amended Act, 2003 (Act No.
6 of 2003), it contributes towards eradication of poverty and its causes by strengthening civil society
and community-based organisations to play an active role in identifying and meeting needs of poor
communities and strengthening capacity of these civil society organisations to provide direct ser-
vices to poor rural households.

The project of Nation Building, which is a Constitutional imperative as espoused by the democratic
South Africa championed by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture with other sector depart-
ments, should seek to promote a cohesive society, particularly in rural areas by promoting dialogues
on matters that divide the nation to find solutions, including dealing with contemporary agendas
such as patriarchy in society, gender-based violence and femicide and other social ills bedevilling
our society. These dialogues should assist the nation to understand the meaning of the Constitution
declaration that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, United in Our diversity”. Accelerated efforts
should be made to unite our society by uniting under the flag, the national anthem and the elevation
and use of all official languages to be spoken and used in private, public and in business as part of
enriching our diversity. The programme should include the following:
• Community mobilisation for social action, social cohesion, and as part of skills development for
communities, civil society organisations, families, households and individuals;
• Community dialogues to identify assets and potential and to develop plans for communities;
• Development of community-based plans to drive potential poverty alleviation projects; and
• Implementation of social sector programmes to provide specialised social services such as school
nutrition, mass literacy, victim empowerment and community-based care.
To further support rural development, the sectoral departments in the social security cluster have
to work in collaboration to foster social cohesion and nation building. Arts and culture should be
revived in rural areas and used as a tool of mobilisation, using music, poetry, theatre and other forms
of artistic expressions; these can unite the nation with a common programme of a Nation Building
project with the aim to transform the heritage sites to include all history of South Africa or link to it. The
Rural Sports Programme is to be accelerated to ensure that rural communities should have access to
sports facilities to promote wellness and social cohesion and align to the health, education, econo-
my, social upliftment and nation building. The Department of Basic Education and the Department
of Sports and Recreation should strengthen collaboration to reintroduce sport in schools.

4. GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IRDSS

In line with the system of Cooperative Government detailed in Chapter 3 of the Constitution and
Chapter 6 on provinces as well as the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act, 2003 (Act No. 13
of 2005), which provides for a framework for national government, provincial governments and local
governments to promote and facilitate intergovernmental relations, the national and provincial line
function departments will provide support as mandated in terms of the relevant national and pro-
vincial sector legislation and the Constitution. The existing general designation of roles between the
spheres of government will be maintained, and the mandate of local government to deliver will be
supported by the line function departments. The IRDSS recognises the significant delivery recorded
in rural development, but its impact has been limited due to fragmented and uncoordinated ap-
proach by various stakeholders investing in rural areas to date.

22
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

Chapter 13: Building a capable state and Chapter 14: Fighting Corruption of the NDP identifies a ca-
pable state that requires effectively coordinated state institutions with skilled public servants who are
committed to the public good and capable of delivering consistently high-quality services, while pri-
oritising the people in the achievement of the nation’s developmental objectives. This vision requires
a state that has the capacity to formulate and implement policies that serve the national interest
and address the root causes of poverty and inequality.55

The institutional arrangements for the implementation of the strategy will be in alignment with existing
structures, providing strategic reinforcement of capacity where required to harness and leverage
the full potential of government, its social partners and stakeholders as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7: IGR Implementation Framework

4.1 Political Leadership and Oversight

4.1.1 At a national level, the minister of the mandated national department serves as the national
champion providing strategic guidance and political oversight on outcomes, budget, policy,
legislation, strategy, setting norms and standards, overall coordination of the implementation
of national directives and reporting at national level.

4.1.2 At provincial level, the premier serves as the provincial champion providing strategic guid-
ance and provincial oversight working with the Member of Executive Committee responsi-
ble for rural development in the province to ensure implementation of the IRDSS, CRDP and
DDM plans in all districts. Institutional support across the province relating to the various rural
development and rural economic development programmes including all chapters of the
NDP, consolidation of reports to National Office and monitoring and evaluation of provincial
performance must also be provided.

4.1.3 At the district level, the district mayor, as the chairperson of the District Intergovernmental
Forums, works with district champions from national government to lead on matters related to
the provision of basic services, by-laws, integrated development plans and local economic
development programmes. In addition, they must ensure implementation, monitoring and
performance reporting of the Rural Development District Sector Plans.

23 INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

2023
Figure 8: Planning and Implementation Framework

4.2 Administrative Leadership

4.2.1 At a national level, the director-general of the mandated national department is responsi-
ble for implementation of outcomes, policy, legislation, strategy, budget monitoring and
evaluation and overall coordination of the implementation of national directives. This in-
cludes the implementation of the IRDSS and related policies and programmes.

4.2.1 At a provincial level, the director-general in the Office of the Premier, working with the Head
of Department mandated for rural development, is responsible for provincial outcomes, bud-
get, policy, legislation, strategy, monitoring and evaluation and overall implementation of
provincial directives and priorities. In addition, provincial representatives must participate in
the District Intergovernmental Forums for purposes of integrated planning, implementation,
monitoring and reporting.

4.2.3 At a district level, the district municipal manager as the chairperson of the technical District
Intergovernmental Forums and the local municipal manager are responsible for provision of
basic services, by-laws, integrated development plans and local economic development
programmes. In addition, they must ensure implementation, monitoring and performance
reporting of the Rural Development District Sector Plans.

4.3 Role of Traditional Councils

4.3.1 The institution of traditional leadership is recognised in Chapter 12 of the Constitution, Section
212(1). The Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act (TKLA), 2019 (Act No. 3 of 2019) makes
provision with respect to traditional and Khoi-San communities in South Africa. It sets out the
procedure and criteria for the recognition of traditional communities and leaders. A kingship
or queenship, principal traditional community, traditional community, headmanship, head-
womanship and the Khoi-San community must transform and adapt customary law and
customs relevant to the application of this Act so as to comply with the relevant principles
contained in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution, in particular by (a) preventing unfair discrimi-
nation; (b) promoting equality; and (c) seeking to progressively advance gender representa-
tion in the succession to traditional and Khoi-San leadership positions. The Act also establishes
the Commission on Khoi-San Matters.

24
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

4.3.2 The InvestRural Master Plan, 2020, is traditional leaders’ response to finding solutions for local
economic development in rural areas. The six strategies of the InvestRural Master Plan are
also aligned to the six pillars of the IRDSS as follows:

Figure 9: Pillars of the IRDSS as aligned to the InvestRural Master Plan

4.3.3 Working with and participating in District Intergovernmental Forums to ensure integration of
objectives and programmes of InvestRural in the District Development Plans.

4.4 Role of Private Sector and Investors

4.4.1 The private sector is well positioned to invest in infrastructure development and maintenance
as a key leaver for rural economy. A suitable type of public-private partnership model would
need to be considered to stimulate local and international investor confidence in agro-pro-
cessing, localisation of production to substitute imports and to contribute to reducing the
unemployment rate.

4.4.2 As part of the ERRP, the private sector will be targeted to partner with government on invest-
ment and catalytic projects contributing to rural development and the rural economy. The
interventions would be aligned to the programme of the District Intergovernmental Forum.

4.5 Role of Key Stakeholders

Empowering rural people to actively participate in rural development initiatives requires social or-
ganisation, mobilisation and facilitation for collective action, which is the cornerstone of sustainable
rural development. The collaborative process is pivotal for engaging key stakeholders and motivat-
ing rural communities to participate in rural development activities. This can be executed through
participatory processes through existing legislated community and local government structures such
as District Development Model Committees and Ward Committees, amongst others.

Relevant stakeholders and affected communities should be mobilised around specific socio-eco-
nomic programmes. The roles of stakeholders will differ at various points of planning, implementa-
tion and management. Stakeholder mobilisation will take account of the fact that government had
entered the targeted communities before and that communities may have had limited returns and
benefits from the engagement. In line with the Intergovernmental Relations Framework, 2013 (Act
No.13 of 2013) and the DDM, all rural development must be planned and implemented working
together with the Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, district and local

25 INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

2023
municipalities, relevant provincial and national sector departments, traditional councils and com-
munities. Proper stakeholder management and social facilitation processes must be undertaken. The
institutionalisation of coordinated delivery and integration at local level will be the most important
performance indicator; planning, implementation and monitoring, which is demand-driven, in each
district is energised by a bottom-up approach and ownership by the rural communities. A broad
range of stakeholders has been identified and will be stratified to balance spatial or sectoral require-
ments:

Rural communities Rural women and youth Traditional leaders

Famers and Farm Workers Civil Society and NGOs Religious leaders/organisations
National Government Provincial Government Local Government
Organised Business Academic Institutions Development Institutions
Investors Donor Agencies

5. PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING

The IRDSS will be planned and implemented by sector departments in the three spheres of govern-
ment working with private sector, traditional councils, civils society and rural communities. As part of
the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, the Rural Development District Sector Plans will
detail actual projects by government-wide sector departments to be implemented in all 44 districts
and eight metropolitan municipalities contributing to the revitalisation of the rural economy in line
with the six pillars of the strategy.

To promote integrated governance by all three spheres of government on rural development and
rural economic development interventions at district level, the Rural Development District Sector
Plans will be monitored through the District Intergovernmental Forums and District Development
Model Hubs. An overarching national rural development coordination information system (NCIS) will
be developed for planning, reporting, monitoring and reporting in line with the IRDSS. The basis of the
monitoring will be measurable performance indicators designed for the RDSPs, and then aggregat-
ed at provincial and national level.

Quarterly and annual progress reports are to be submitted to various IGR political and technical fo-
rums at national, provincial and local government levels. Figure 9 below depicts the key tasks for the
effective implementation of the IRDSS through the DDM.

26
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

Figure 10: Coordination Framework

Figure 11: IRDSS Action Plan

27
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

Figure 12: Key tasks for local government

6. CONCLUSION

The Integrated Rural Development Sector Strategy (IRDSS) confirms the need for integration, coor-
dination, interdependence, continuity and change. It is aligned to the National Development Plan
and ERRP and complements national, provincial and local government sector strategies and plans
contributing to rural development and the rural economy implemented through the District Devel-
opment Model.

The strategy is built on six key pillars, three key enablers and three supporting rural developments and
the rural economy. In addition, the strategy acknowledges that rural development is a transversal
function and cannot be executed successfully without the collaboration amongst a variety of social
partners and the participation of rural communities. It therefore confirms the crucial need for scaling
up multi- and cross-sectoral programmes, including through partnerships between the public and pri-
vate sector as well as civil society and rural communities. Successful implementation of the strategy
will have a significant impact in improving access to basic services as well as realise the objectives
of the ERRP and accelerating job creation, reducing poverty, hunger and malnutrition, crime and
social protection in rural areas.

END.

28
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

REFERENCES

1
Statistics South Africa, 2022, Mid-Year Population Estimates [Link]
2
StatsSA, 2020, 2021: General Household Survey, Government of South Africa and World Bank, 2022, Rural Population: South
Africa [available online: [Link]
3
Visagie J & Turok I, 2020, Rural–urban inequalities amplified by COVID-19: evidence from South Africa, [available online:
[Link]
4
Ibid.
5
StatsSA, 2022, [available online: [Link]
6
Bureau for Economic Research, 2020, South Africa’s Progress towards its development objectives: 2020 assessment report,
Stellenbosch University
7
ibid
8
Government Gazette No: 16085: White Paper on Reconstruction and Development 23 November 1994, Government of the
Republic of South Africa, Pretoria
9
C Green, J Maritz, E Van Huyssteen , M Oranje And Z Sogoni (2021), A Regional Model For Equitable Social Service
Delivery: Settlement Prioritisation And Supporting Infrastructure To Foster Rural Well-Being, Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR( [available online: [Link]
[Link]]
10
Ibid.
11
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, 2022, Media briefing statement: Deputy Minister Ms. N Gina: Sectoral
Masterplans bearing fruit, creating jobs, transforming the economy, 23 May 2022, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
12
Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, 2022, The Agriculture and Agro-processing Masterplan,
Government of South Africa, Pretoria
13
Department of Water and Sanitation, 2022, The National Water Resources Strategy, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
14
Department of Water and Sanitation, 2022, Draft Water and Sanitation Policy on Privately owned land, Government of
South Africa, Pretoria
15
Parliamentary Monitoring Group, 2015, Rural schooling / multi-grade schools/ farms schools / non-viable schools; inclusive
education implementation; special needs schools: Department Briefing
[available online: [Link]
16
Member of the Executive Council (MEC) Mr. Fundile Gade, May 2021, in a parliamentary question reply IQP 13 of 202.
17
Department of Basic Education, 2021, Briefing to the Portfolio Committee on Education on the ECD Census 2021,
Parliamentary Monitoring Group [available online: [Link]
18
Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, 2022, The National Infrastructure Plan 2050, Government of South Africa,
Pretoria
19
Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, 1998, The White Paper on Minerals and Mining Policy for South Africa,
Government of South Africa, Pretoria
20
Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, 2022, The Exploration Strategy for the Mining Industry of South Africa,
Government of South Africa, Pretoria
21
Department of Human Settlements, 2004, Breaking New Ground: The Comprehensive Housing Plan for the Development of
Integrated Sustainable Human Settlements Policy, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
22
Some of these agri-villages were identified in 2016 during the Operation Phakisa on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural
Development 2016 process.
23
Department of Transport, 2016, The National Transport Masterplan 2050, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
24
Department of Transport, 2007, Rural Transport Strategy for South Africa, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
25
This programme is run by the DPWI and the South African National Defense Force (through the Army Engineer Formation).
26
Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, 1998, The White Paper on Energy Policy of the Republic of South Africa,
Government of South Africa, Pretoria
27
Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, 2019, The Integrated Resource Plan, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
28
Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, 2019, The National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Version UE10
13 November 2019, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
29
Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, 2011, National Climate Change Response Policy, Government of South
Africa, Pretoria
30
Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, 2002, Working for Wetlands Strategy, Government of South Africa,
Pretoria

29
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY

31
Department of Science and Technology, 2019, The White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation, Government of
South Africa, Pretoria
32
Department of Science and Technology, 2019, Framework for the Science, Technology and Innovation Decadal Plan,
Government of South Africa, Pretoria
32
Department of Tourism, 1996, The White Paper on the Promotion and Development of Tourism in South Africa 1996,
Government of South Africa, Pretoria
33
Department of Tourism, 2012, Rural Tourism Strategy, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
34
Department of Tourism, 2017, National Tourism Sector Strategy, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
35
Department of Arts and Culture, 2016, The Revised White Paper on Art, Culture and Heritage, Government of South Africa,
Pretoria
36
Department of Sport and Recreation, 1994, The White Paper on Sport and Recreation, Government of South Africa,
Pretoria
37
Department of Sport and Recreation, 2011, National Sport and Recreation Plan, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
38
Government Communications, 2016, Development Programme to uplift rural sports,
[available online: [Link]
39
Department of Small Business Development, 2022, The National Integrated Small Enterprise Development Masterplan,
Government of South Africa, Pretoria
40
Department of Small Business Development, 2022, The National Integrated Small Enterprise Development Masterplan,
Government of South Africa, Pretoria
41
Department of Higher Education and Training, 2019, The National Skills Development Plan 2030, Government of South
Africa, Pretoria
42
Department of Higher Education and Training, 2016, The National Skills Development Strategy, Government of South Africa,
Pretoria
43
Department of Basic Education, 2022, The National Framework on Rural Education, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
44
National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, 2020, InvestRural Masterplan 2020, Pretoria
45
Department of Cooperative Governance, 2021, Small Town Integrated Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021,
Government of South Africa, Pretoria
46
Ibid.
47
South African Police Service, 2019, The National Rural Safety Strategy, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
48
Department of Land Affairs, 2006, Implementation Plan for the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy, Government of South
Africa, Pretoria
49
Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, 2019, State Land Lease and Disposal Policy, Government of South
Africa, Pretoria
50
Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, 2020, National Policy for Beneficiary Selection and Land
Allocation, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
51
Department of Traditional Affairs, 2017, Indigenous and Traditional Leaders Indaba with Government and Stakeholders
2017, Birchwood Conference Centre, Gauteng Province, from 28 May to 02 June 2017, Government of South Africa,
Pretoria
52
Statistics South Africa, 2020, General Household Survey 2019, Government of South Africa, Pretoria
53
Department of Social Development, 1997, The White Paper for Social Welfare, Government of South Africa, Pretoria

30
2023

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT SECTOR STRATEGY