A SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN VENDA -A CASE STUDY OF THE TSHIVl:iASE TEA ESTATE by ALEXANDER ADJEI Submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the subject GEOGRAPHY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF F HANEKOM JANUARY 1995 DECLARATION - I, Alexander Adjei, declare that A Spatial Analysis of Development Projects in Venda - A Case Study of the Tshivhase Tea Estate is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. Alexander Adjei January 1995 Kles ...... 330. 968 291 ADJE ACC-8HS P.r-r.win ............. - 111111'111111 1661914 To my family for their dedication and silent support PAGE DEDICATION TABLE OF CONTENTS ll-Vl ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Vil SUMMARY Vlll FIGURES IX TABLES x KEY TERMS IN THE RESEARCH XI CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND AND METHOD Introduction Research Problem 4 Spatial Analysis 5 RESEARCH DESIGN 9 Observation of Real World Problems 9 Literature Review 9 The Structure of Geographic Research 11 Grasping the Problem I I Hypotheses 12 Collection of Data 13 Preliminary Survey 13 Pretest 14 ii .· Administration of Questionnaire 14 Problems Faced with the Research 15 CHAPTER 2 DEVELOP.MENT 19 The Meaning of Development 19 DEFINITION OF DEVELOP.MENT 19 Models in Geography 22 Growth Pole/Growth Centre Model r_.) Growth Centre Theory 24 Economic Growth Models 24 International Structuralist Models Definition of Development - A Practical Application 28 The Focus of Venda Reality 28 SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT: VENDA 29 Application 34 CHAPTER 3 DEVELOP.MENTAL REALITIES OF VENDA 36 LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES 36 The Venda People 37 Physiograpbic Regions 38 Soil Types 50 Human Resources 51 iii Economic Activities in Venda 54 Secondary Economic Activities 57 Regional Development Points 60 Venda Development Strategy 62 Development Projects 64 Capital Investment 64 Geographical Distribution 65 Incentives for Industrial Development 66 Commercial Development 68 Agriculture 69 Tourism 71 Milling 72 Problems in the Spatial Development of Venda 72 CHAPTER 4 THE TSHIVHASE TEA ESTATE 75 Introduction 75 A Case Study 76 General Characteristics 77 Geographical Requirements of Tea 78 General Requirements 80 Tea Production at Tshivhase 81 Tea Industry in South Africa 82 Human Resources Development 83 iv Spilloffs 86 Managerial Strategies 87 Community Development 87 CHAPTER 5 EVALUATION 90 Indicators Development 91 Growth Models 91 The Reality of Venda Development 91 Job Creation 92 Human Resource Development 92 Income 92 Community Development 93 Networks 93 Tea Production 93 Physical Conditions 93 Spilloffs 94 Perception of the People 94 Estate Resort 96 Transportation 96 Behaviour of the Local People 96 Attitude of Decision-Makers 97 Hypothesis 97 v The Future of the Industry 99 Recommendations 100 CONCLUSION 101 APPENDIX I Questionnaire 105-112 APPENDIX II Summary of Research Findings 113-118 BIBLIOGRAPHY 119-126 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research took longer than was expected. I was able to complete it through the inspiration and motivation given by several people, to all of whom I am indebted. However, special mention must be made of Prof PH Omara-Ojungu and ProfB Forson, both of the University of Venda, Mr M Lowan, Rector of Shingwedzi College, and Ms DA Raliphada. To Mr D. Otto of Tshivhase Tea Estate and his staff for the uncountable number of times I disrupted their schedule, Mr J Steenkamp of Sapekoe Tea Estate, Tzaneen, the officials of the Department of Agriculture, Venda, the staff of Venda National Development Corporation. [Business and Agricultural Division], especially Mr NE l11enga [Agricultural Division], and Mr R Masapu [Business Division], Thohoyandou, I am very grateful for the valuable support that made my efforts worthwhile. To Mr L Ndou and Mr M Nelwamondo of University of Venda, for assisting in conducting the interviews, Mrs S Parmanand, for the painstaking job of typing the whole project, I say thank you. Finally, Prof F Hanekom, my supervisor, for his patience, encouragement, and meticulous guidance throughout the course, I am profoundly and eternally grateful. vii SUMMARY The research was undertaken to investigate the impact of the Tshivhase Tea Estate on the space economy of Venda, the people and area ofMapate, and Duthuni, among whom the Tea Estate is established. The approach is based on principles. Principles of development theory are combined with appropriate spatial models. The development reality of Venda, together with many other development projects are analysed. Does the tea estate address the rural poverty problem? Findings are presented from a case study of Tshivhase and this proved the lack of growth and development impulses to alleviate the poverty of the rural people among whom it is located. Development is considered in terms of its possible simultaneous diffusion of economic activity and modernisation in all four dimensions of the spatial system : political, socio-cultural, economic and physical. viii FIGURES 1. Structure of Geographic Research 18 2. The Stages of Development 33 3. Core-Periphery Model of Venda 34 4. Boundaries, Districts, and Major Rivers in Venda 46 5. Physiographic Regions 47 6. National Physical Plan - Region G 48 7. Educational Background 49 8. Orientation Map 74 9. Summary of the Main Empirical Findings 103 10. Adaptation ofMiossec Model 104 lX TABLES 1. SATBVC States: Statistical Abstracts ( 1989) 3 2. Population Distribution of Venda by Districts: Population Census 1991 45 3. Population Growth 1970 - 1991 : Population Census 1991 50 4. Estimated Average Number of Persons of 15 years and Older Entering the Labour Market in Venda 52 5. Average Annual Agricultural Production in Venda (1981 - 1990) (in tons) 55-56 6. Average Annual Value of Agricultural Production in Venda (1981 - 1990 (Rand) 59 7. Capital Investment by 31 March 1987 66 8. Description of Tea Estates in South Africa (March 1992) 79 9. Rainfall Statistics 1980 - 1994 Tea plantation in South Africa 95 x KEY TERMS IN THE RESEARCH 1. Core-periphery Model 2. Community Development 3. Development 4. Development Indicators 5. Impact Assessment 6. Human Resource Development in Venda 7. Physiographic Regions in Venda 8. Plantation 9. Tea Estates 10. Miossec Model 11. Tshivhase Tea Estate 12. Growth pole 13. Spatial Analysis 14. Economic Growth 15. Tourism in Venda Xl CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND AND METHOD INTRODUCTION Before the new political dispensation, marked by the elections of April 1994, Venda was an 'independent' state of the Republic of South Africa. It now forms an administratively integrated part of the newly established Northern Province of the new South Africa. Venda, in its previous administrative identity, covered a total surface area of 6 807 square kilometres [Statistical Abstracts, 1989:83]. Within the spatio-economic frame of South Africa, Venda is located in the outer periphery, far removed from the Gauteng Province, which is the dominant urban and economic core of the South African spatial system. At the same time, Venda has weak links to it. Links in this sense refer to all networks (transportation and communications). The small population of Venda of only 525 000, compared to the former Transkei (population 3 104 000 [Statistical Abstracts, 1989:33] is the source of many serious developmental problems. It is estimated, for example, that 100 men have to support 561 children in Venda - a ratio of 1:5.61. The absorptive capacity -defined here as the ability of the economy to absorb potential labour force into the job market - of Venda was 19.9%, and unemployment stood at 34.7% of the economically active population, compared to 67.2% and 13.3% respectively for the former Republic of 1 South Africa. With reference to migrant workers (see Table I) Venda has a low percentage as compared to the former Ciskei and Transkei. This constitutes a high population pressure on the land. After the Transkei, (7.7%) Venda's dependency ratio of 5.6% is a high one. Of the units represented in Table I, Venda, with the highest unemployment ratio of 34.7%, points to a very serious development problem. From Table I, the employment opportunities in the former Republic of South Africa was very high - 67.2%. This may explain, in part, why many people migrate to the Republic of South Africa. If people in the former, nominally independent 'republics' of South Africa -the Transkei, Bophuthatswana and the Ciskei - have 67.2%, 31.8%, and 30.3% job opportunities respectively in their areas, then Venda with as low as 19.9% capacity of employment opportunities for her people needs a rapid economic development to help reduce unemployment and its associated burdens. 2 TABLE I SATBVC STATES: STATISTICAL ABSTRACTS [1989] - UNIT MIGRANT DEPENDENCY ABSORPTIVE UNEMPLOYMENT WORKERS -RATIO CAPACITY REPUBLIC OF - 1.7% 67.2% 13.3% SOUTH AFRICA VENDA 13.7% 5.6% 19.9% 34.7% CISKEI 20.5% 4.0% 30.3% 30.5% TRANS KE I 38.2% 7.7% 16.0% 30.6% BOPHUTHATSWANA 13.7% 3.7% 31.8% 32.8% From the same table, while migrant labour from the Transkei and the Ciskei stood at 38.2% and 20.5% respectively, Venda had 13. 7% of its labour force employed mostly in the Gauteng Province. This by implication means that the unemployment ratio will remain high if the economy of Venda does not improve to absorb its unemployed labour force. It might also have contributed to the high unemployment ratio of 34.7% of the economically active population in 1989, the highest listed in Table 1. 3 RESEARCH PROBLEM In order to reduce the employment problem in Venda, to raise the standard of living of the people and to develop the region, the 'government' of the erstwhile Republic of Venda established the Venda Development Corporat~on in 1979, and in 1982 the Agricultural Development Corporation of Venda, both collectively known as Venda National Development Corporation (VNDC).