In support of their industrialisation efforts developing countries are offering a number of incentives to investors in order to compensate the latter for shortcomings and handicaps resulting from the countries' development status. Do these incentives serve their purpose?

During the fifties and sixties many countries of the Third World endeavoured to set up steel Industries of their own. These efforts seem to have awakened a wide-spread desire in these countries to produce also their own motorcars. As was the case with steel production, this desire is partly...

This paper aims to redefine the term competitiveness to enhance its usefulness for the evaluation of country performance and for policy conclusions. We attempt to establish a definition that is adequate if economic policy strives for a new growth path that is more dynamic, socially inclusive and...

The state has played a major role in the most important developmental successes. This paper discusses the advances in our understanding of the role of the state in the developmental process over the past thirty years, and the contribution to those advances played by changes in economics, changes...

Industrial development remains a critical challenge for the countries of the South. In this paper, we explored the potential for South-South cooperation as a strategic tool to support industrial development in developing countries. Underscoring, the critical role of technological knowledge,...

Different bodies of literature emphasise the separate impact of the manufacturing sector and scientific capacity for competitiveness in developing countries. Scientific knowledge can increase productivity and promote innovation, while the manufacturing sector creates spillovers and generates...

Following the financial crisis in 2008 and the drop in commodity prices, the performance of firms in the manufacturing industry continues to worsen. The data released by Statistics South Africa in 2016 alludes to poor performance by firms and the manufacturing sector's continual decline to...