A role of industrial development zones in poverty alleviation: A case study

According to the Sustainable Development Goals, numerous countries are making every effort to alleviate poverty among their citizenry by 2030. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate how Industrial Development Zones (IDZs), specifically in the province of KwaZulu Natal (KZN), contribute towards the alleviation of poverty in South Africa. Almost half of South Africa's population still lives in poverty, despite the abolishment of the oppressive apartheid regime since April 1994. The majority of the populace is impoverished. KwaZulu Natal is one of the most affected provinces by poverty in the country. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine how KZN IDZs contribute to alleviate the level of poverty in this province. A qualitative approach was adopted to gather data from the participants of the study. i.e., KZN EDTEA officials, IDZ managers, economic and business analysts, and community members. The triangulation strategy was adopted to analyse the gathered data. The IDZ annual reports were considered to enhance the gathered data and the findings of the study. It was concluded that the IDZs serve to the communities is limited and primarily driven by business interests. They have an inadequate number of projects and activities to help the community because they are profit driven. Foreign Direct Investments influence employment rates because most of the money earned by IDZ enterprises is taken advantage of by foreign investors. Therefore, proper recommendations have been provided by the study.