College of Economic and Management Sciences
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ECS4867: Development Economics
Assignment 2, 2026
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ECS4867
Module Code:
Development Economics
Module Name:
Rural Development Policy and its Role
Essay Topic: in the Socio-Economic Development of
a Developing Country
Assignment 2
Assignment Number:
30 July 2026
Due Date:
50
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for ECS4867, Development Economics, UNISA 2026
, UNISA | ECS4867 Rural Development and Socio-Economic Development
Contents
Introduction 3
1 Question 1: Policies to Address Rural Development 3
1.1 1.1 Land and Agrarian Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 1.2 Rural Infrastructure Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 1.3 Agricultural Support Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.4 1.4 Human Capital Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.5 1.5 Social Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.6 1.6 Institutional Reform and Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.7 1.7 Critical Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2 Question 2: Rural Development as Challenge and Imperative in South Africa 6
2.1 2.1 Conceptual Framework: The Dual Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2 2.2 Why Rural Development Is a Persistent Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.3 2.3 Why Rural Development Is Nonetheless Central to Development . . 7
2.4 2.4 Critical Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Conclusion 9
Reference List 10
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