Abstract
Like many other countries, South Africa is confronted with significant challenges such as poverty, unemployment and inequality. This study aimed to investigate the role of local economic development in job creation and other development outcomes in the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan region. It also investigated how the local economic development strategies implemented by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality assist in poverty reduction and employment creation. A qualitative approach was used in this study, with municipal officials from the local economic development unit as the chosen population for investigation.
This study employed semi-structured interviews to collect information, which was recorded using audio. Data were analysed using ATLAS.ti, and thematic analysis was conducted to identify and organise the emerging themes and sub-themes from the interviews. The research discovered that the participants had a fundamental understanding of issues such as unemployment and poverty. The results showed that the local economic development interventions had a positive impact on reducing poverty and unemployment in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. This research was significant because it shed light on how South African municipalities could utilise local economic development to tackle poverty and unemployment. The findings recommended that the municipality should focus on encouraging stakeholder participation, strengthening local businesses, increasing awareness of local economic development initiatives and hiring qualified employees.
KEYWORDS: Job creation, local economic development, poverty, unemployment, City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.