Browsing by Author "Swanepoel, Thea Martenique"

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    Thetextiles, clothing, leather & footwear industry in south africa: an opportunity for development?
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-02) Swanepoel, Thea Martenique; Bam, Wouter Gideon; De Bruyne, Karolien; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Industrial policy formulation is fraught with challenges, and existing tools to guide such policy have been argued to be insufficient to effectively address its inherent complexity. More recently, the combination of the so-called Input-Output Product Space (IO-PS) and Location Determinant Framework (LDF) has been proposed as an improved approach to identify opportunities for industrial development and how to support these opportunities. However, these tools have not been sufficiently tested by applying them to case studies and industrial policy questions. Hence, this study seeks to evaluate these framework by applying them to the case of the South African textiles, clothing, leather and footwear (TCLF) industry. This study focuses on identifying the key activities that could support sustainable economic growth in the country. The most recent import and export data specific to the South African TCLF sectors are analysed through a combination of the lens of the IO-PS approach and then the LDF is applied. By employing the Harmonized System (HS) trade codes, the TCLF value chain is defined. The product space metrics for each classified product category are measured. The bovine leather manufacturing industry is identified as the optimal product category to further investigate by evaluating and comparing with the South African government’s current industrial policy interventions, to recognise strategic development patterns. The LDF framework is utilised to understand these optimal sectors further. The results from the application of the these tools are critically evaluated, as well as the ease of using the frameworks. This contributes to the understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the using the combination of the IO-PS and LDF for industrial policy analyses.