Abstract
M.Com. (Local Economic Development)
The research explored enterprise development through business social responsibility, focusing on opportunities for the mining sector to contribute positively in growing the local economy of the hosting communities. Enterprise development and promotion are presently proceeding at a very slow pace, even though there are guidelines as to what should be done to accelerate development in the mining communities. A Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment model is available to assist local government, the mining industry and communities to pursue this initiative. Presently, local governments are faced with challenges as regulators. The Department of Mineral Resources often does not want to avail the social and labour plans submitted by mines, as these reports are still treated as very confidential documents, thus it makes it difficult for municipalities to engage with mines. Therefore, the municipalities have to depend on mines to provide them with a copy of the social and labour plans and sometimes some information is edited or removed by the mines with the municipality knowing about the changes.
This research has shown a need for the development of a model that will assist in the acceleration of enterprise development in the local hosting communities. The research seeks to address the issues necessary for successful development of local small, micro and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) or suppliers through business social responsibility.