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Economic Complexity and Employment Expansion: The Case of South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Haroon Bhorat
  • Haroon Bhorat
  • Arabo Ewinyu
  • Kezia Lilenstein
  • Chris Rooney
  • François Steenkamp
  • Amy Thornton

    (University of Cape Town
    Director and Professor)

Abstract

Economic complexity refers to the magnitude of productive knowledge or capabilities embedded in society (Hausmann, Hidalgo, Bustos et al., 2011).1 Capabilities are akin to specialised bytes of knowledge distributed across individuals in society. The level of productive knowledge is not that contained within any individual, but rather that contained across the many individuals comprising society. When brought together through organisations and markets, these individual bits of knowledge bring into effect economic diversity. Economic diversity is reflected in a diversity of increasingly complex products (and services)2. The more productive knowledge a country has, the greater the diversity of products it can produce by combining these bits of knowledge, and thus the more complex it is.

Suggested Citation

  • Haroon Bhorat & Haroon Bhorat & Arabo Ewinyu & Kezia Lilenstein & Chris Rooney & François Steenkamp & Amy Thornton, 2019. "Economic Complexity and Employment Expansion: The Case of South Africa," Working Papers idrcdprusouthafrica, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    • Handle: RePEc:ctw:wpaper:idrcdprusouthafrica
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Haroon Bhorat & Christopher Rooney & François Steenkamp, 2019. "Building Economic Complexity in Africa," Working Papers 201906, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    2. Caitlin Allen Whitehead & Haroon Bhorat, 2021. "Understanding Economic Complexity: An Application to the MER Sector," Working Papers 202105, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    3. repec:thr:techub:10026:y:2021:i:1:p:488-501 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Christian Estmann & Bjørn Bo Sørensen & Benno Ndulu & John Rand, 2022. "Merchandise export diversification strategy for Tanzania: Promoting inclusive growth, economic complexity and structural change," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(8), pages 2649-2695, August.
    5. Justin Visagie & Ivan Turok, 2022. "Firing on all cylinders: Decomposing regional growth dynamics in South Africa," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 90(1), pages 57-74, March.
    6. Andres Fortunato, 2022. "Getting Back on the Curve South Africa’s Manufacturing Challenge," CID Working Papers 139a, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    7. Haroon Bhorat & Francois Steenkamp & Caitlin Allen & Robert Hill & Christopher Rooney, 2019. "Building Economic Complexity in the South African Fibrous Plant Economy," Working Papers copwp201904, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    8. Richard Chauke & Thobeka Ncanywa, 2021. "Infrastructure development and economic complexity in South Africa. Running title: Can infrastructure development influence economic complexity?," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 26(1), pages 488-501, Decembrie.

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