Sedibeng engages stakeholders on Local Economic Development Strategy

15 September 2026 | Vereeniging

The Sedibeng District Municipality, in partnership with the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG), convened a stakeholder engagement workshop on the development of the Sedibeng District Municipality Local Economic Development (LED) Strategy at the Vaal Teknorama Museum in Duncanville, Vereeniging.

The workshop formed part of the stakeholder engagement and strategy formulation phase of the LED Strategy development process, giving stakeholders an opportunity to consider the findings of the Sedibeng District Situational Analysis and contribute to the strategic direction of the district's economy.

The programme included presentations from the Gauteng Department of Economic Development on "Building a Modern Economy: Sedibeng's Innovation Pathway Aligned with the GCR Development Plan," and from the Vaal Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on "The Vaal's Competitive Edge in Re-Industrialisation."

Sam Lazarus of LazDev presented the key findings and strategic implications of the Sedibeng District Situational Analysis, laying the groundwork for the stakeholder discussions that followed.

Delegates then took part in working sessions on strategic direction and economic priorities, programmes and projects, project prioritisation and readiness, and implementation arrangements. These sessions were designed to generate practical input for the Strategy, including a shared vision and strategic objectives, priority sectors and value chains, spatial priorities, proposed programmes and projects, and the ranking of projects by readiness for implementation.

Discussions also addressed the institutional and partnership requirements needed to support implementation, including lead institutions, supporting partners, infrastructure dependencies, and coordination arrangements.

Addressing attendees, Acting Municipal Manager Atwell Sijadu said: "It's important that we do not get married to our past ideas. We need to remain flexible in our solution-finding and open to new ways of tackling old problems if we are to build an economy that truly works for Sedibeng's residents."

Cllr. Nkubi Mokoena, MMC for Local Economic Development and Tourism highlighted an outcomes-driven approach, noting that "the success of this strategy will ultimately be measured not by the document itself, but by the real opportunities, businesses, jobs, investments, tourism experiences and improved livelihoods that it helps create."

The input gathered through the workshop will feed into the continued development of the Sedibeng LED Strategy, helping ensure it responds directly to the district's economic conditions, opportunities, and implementation requirements. The municipality will now proceed to the next phase of the LED Strategy process, incorporating stakeholder input into the strategy formulation.

Reflecting on the day, Klippies Kritzinger of the Vaal Business Chamber said the session had been "well attended and well facilitated, but it will be a waste of time if it doesn't translate into sustainable business enterprises and job creation." He added that the "rehabilitation of ageing infrastructure remains our biggest challenge in Sedibeng in the short term."