South Africa’s knowledge-development policy nexus: Implications for place-based development in the Eastern Cape Province

The contribution of universities, knowledge and innovation to development has moved to the foreground of national and regional policy and practice. More successful nations and regions show a close alignment between knowledge policy and socio-economic development. However, in peripheral regions, this link is less well articulated for place-based development. This paper interrogates this relationship within the South African and Eastern Cape regional context. Using core tenets from the learning region concept, I show how the role of knowledge has gained significant traction in the national knowledge and development policy landscape. Using evidence from the broader Amathole region in the Eastern Cape, I highlight some of the challenges within the knowledge-development policy nexus. In the main, weak knowledge and social capabilities undermine place-based innovation, interactive learning and ultimately development. The paper concludes that although the University of Fort Hare can serve as a development agent in the region, a continuously reflexive and engaged policy making process of learning, networking and institutional embeddedness is critical.