Agri-tourism spatial development initiatives in South Africa: Are they enhancing rural livelihoods?

This paper examines an attempt to kick-start economic growth through the promotion of agriculture and tourism in an impoverished rural region of South Africa. It analyses the Spatial Development Initiatives (SDIs) being implemented by the South African government, with a specific focus on the Wild Coast agri-tourism SDI. The Wild Coast example highlights many of the problems which arise in attempting to combine rural economic growth with pro-poor objectives.