Where do we want to be?  

All citizens in a prosperous Durban earn a decent living and support a sustainable lifestyle.

Targets How will we get there?

Strategy A: Enhancing livelihood choices and prospects of citizens, especially the poor

In a rapidly changing city, people living on the outskirts (both spatially and in terms of exclusion from employment opportunities and access to services) need to be able to explore and develop livelihood strategies.  In many cities, livelihood opportunities are reduced as a result of policy impacts, the allocation of service delivery and the behaviour of other sections of society.  This requires cities to examine their policies and implementation of services to ensure they support diverse livelihood options for poor people.  This may also necessitate changes in how individuals, government and non-government entities operate.  For example the limited electricity options provided to people living in shacks and low cost housing, preventing them from conducting small-scale businesses that requiring levels of electricity much higher than the average household demand (e.g. providing iron services).  

Strategy B: Increase level and diversity of skills that meet local requirements

Basic literacy skills are critical for successful engagement in society and for the pursuit of different livelihood practices. Additional and/or further skills may be required for specific areas of employment.  The widespread distribution of skills related to literacy and numeracy is foundational and these need to be developed to improve employability, especially amongst the young and poor.  Effective action in this field should also seek to promote formal and informal entrepreneurship; as well as an uptake of formal employment in the manufacturing, services and other sectors.  This strategy focuses on the formation of in-house, public and public-private projects promoting the creation of appropriate skills.   

Strategy C: Improving opportunities for small and medium businesses

Whilst Small and Medium Businesses (SMMEs) form an important part of employment creation and business development initiatives, many of these initiatives remain relatively inaccessible to the poor and uneducated, and many people participating in SMMEs. Policies associated with capital provision for and management of SMMEs should be re-configured to create a simpler and more user-friendly framework created (specifically aimed at empowering the poor and uneducated).  The new policy-based context should promote the availability of banking facilities and give rise to facilities for the provision of small-scale start-up capital.

Strategy D: Support local innovation and knowledge development

Societies failing to support knowledge creation and innovation are likely to be marginalised from engaging effectively with the global economy and will struggle to develop appropriate local solutions to local and global future challenges.  Evidence from other countries has shown that leaving the processes of knowledge creation and innovation to chance results in further obstacle to effective local development.  It is also clear that innovation and knowledge development requires new forms of partnership.  Innovation processes should be responsive to social goals.  For instance, the emergence of cell phones in South Africa has generated economic opportunities for many individuals who were unable to access communication services in the past.  

Strategy E: Business retention, expansion and new business growth

Responsible business development, new business formation and investment must be encouraged.  However, cities must carefully balance the imperative to attract and support growing businesses with social and environmental goals.  It is likely that sustained public commitments and new forms of partnerships with business and civil society are needed to strive towards sustainable economies.  For example, encouraging a more creative approach to waste management might require a range of many stakeholders working towards enhancing business conditions, which are aligned to waste reduction practices

Strategy F: Food Production

Global fluctuations in food production as a result of a range of factors result in high prices and food insecurity.  Successful cities have higher levels of food security as a result of more internal food production.   

What should be done?