In an effort to guide related national strategy, the Academy of Science of South Africa has launched a report entitled Local Economic Development in Small Towns, Housing Delivery and Impact on the Environment. This report represents a holistic investigation into the elements of poverty in South Africa, and ways in which it can be addressed. It brings all the elements of poverty together and critically addresses them as a whole, looking at its distribution in South Africa, and assessing the opportunities for local economic development in small towns to bring relief to suffering communities.

A group of South Africa’s top academic minds came together in the Committee on Science for Poverty Alleviation workshop in June 2008 to examine the issues surrounding poverty alleviation in South Africa. More resources for development are available in rural areas as opposed to the metropolis. The panel thus focused on developmental opportunities for in small towns. 

A number of concerns were addressed: the value of agriculture, population issues in these areas, infrastructure and resource development, as well as the creation of a culture of entrepreneurship in the youth. 

The report is the product of a forum-type study of science-and technology-based approaches to the alleviation of poverty in South Africa (one of the five new “missions” of the National R&D Strategy adopted by Cabinet in 2002). It is the second in a series to be delivered by the Committee, following the highly acclaimed Science-based improvements of rural/subsistence agriculture published in 2006.