A case study of four small-scale job-creation projects in Philippolis and lessons for local economic development projects in small towns

Abstract

This article deals with the lessons learned from four small scale job-creation projects as part of the local economic development in the town of Phillipolis located in the southern Free State. The Free State Rural Development Programme (FSRDP) of the Department of Social Work of the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein planned and executed the four projects. They consist of a washing project, a rusk project, a coffin and carpentry project as well as a printing-press project. It was found that in most cases, the people involved were merely interested in obtaining an income; and a fixed job was more attractive to them than a private business with the numerous risks attached to it. The project leaders had insufficient experience to deal with the management and the distinctive problems associated with income-generating projects and thus all came to a standstill.