The role of business support interventions in promoting spatial justice : a case study of informal economic development in a residential zone, eThekwini (Ward 68)

Abstract

The beginnings of apartheid initiated the manipulation of plans and policy to create cities which deeply entrenched segregation into the landscape of South Africa. This history of spatial exclusion is evident in the study area, Ward 68 in the South Durban Basin (SDB), with its diverse mix of industrial and residential land uses, with a proposed dug-out port planned for the area. In the three suburbs of Ward 68, some homes were spaces in which business was conducted. The diverse land uses, which has introduced formal and informal changes to space, have an impact on the people living and working in this area. In efforts to address the injustices of apartheid, South African strategy and legislation have included support to informal businesses; the National Informal Business Upliftment Strategy (NIBUS) serves as an example. This study uses the term “Business support interventions” (BSI) to describe the diverse approaches to providing financial or non-financial support to businesses. These interventions enable and strengthen informal businesses in residential zones, that is, home-based enterprises (HBE). The appropriateness of BSI and their effect on the quality of local spaces needed to be explored. Inadequate spatial orientation of BSI reduces the impact of HBE projects and programmes in townships. The mixed methods approach to this research includes a methodological design that uses qualitative and quantitative data. This research aims to contribute towards both practical methods for understanding the spatial-economic condition of local urban spaces, and towards providing more nuanced data and knowledge to BSI and urban management in the eThekwini Municipality (Durban). Distinctive challenges for the urban environment are related to the city’s spatial- economic disparities. A spatial justice lens and a case study approach have allowed for a critical investigation of how spatial logic can be applied to collaboratively address challenges of informality in urban spaces.