ABSTRACT
The experiences of the community based Local Economic Development (LED) schemes, though being more optimistic, are not without their problems. LED clearly is a reality in the study area both in terms of authority based and community based initiatives. Authority based LED, as it was applied in East London, parallels standard international practice, which often has low levels of community involvement. One of the issues regarding LED which needs to be addressed concerns the nature of the costs incurred in establishing employment opportunities through LED as compared with more traditional forms of policy intervention. From a policy perspective, a key consideration which justifies the advocacy of a refined typology is the seeming failure of LED policy positions adopted in the country to acknowledge the unique nature of South Africa’s society and economy which has a blend of features of the North and the South.
