Extra-Governmental Relations as Response Strategy to Sustainable Development Goal 1 [poverty]: Lessons from A South African Municipality

Abstract

South Africa is one of the many African countries that have displayed systemic weaknesses in their efforts to realize the United Nations' sustainable development goal (SDG) number one, which is about ending poverty in all its forms everywhere. According to the official data from the World Bank (2014) and Statistics South Africa (2022), over 55% of the South African population lives below the national poverty line. While the government remains an important player in carrying the burden presented by this challenge, it does not mean other able societal stakeholders are exempted from the fight against poverty. Understanding that poverty is more prevalent in rural settings, this study aimed to explore extra-governmental relations as a drive for intensified rural development and poverty eradication in South Africa. The study was largely qualitative and used municipalities in the Mopani region of Limpopo province to argue for more involvement of external stakeholders like the business community and private sector in promoting the general welfare of communities in rural areas. As demonstrated in the paper, South Africa's efforts to eradicate poverty can only materialize when there is an intensified rural development drive that is supported by those in the business sector, but this should also consider a number of conditioning factors that the government, especially at local levels, has to create. The strength of this paper lies in its transdisciplinary nature, as it draws theoretical insights from both the field of development studies and public administration. Recommendations are offered towards the end of the paper.