Industrial decentralization has formed a central element of state regional policy under South Africa's apartheid government. Increasingly, the government has attempted to justify this policy by linking it to international theories and precedents regarding regional development and the use of growth poles. This paper examines the potential efficacy of decentralization policy as a tool for promoting regional development in South Africa. It concludes that, in general terms, the policy has failed to meet the expectations of its proponents. Its continued emphasis in this country suggests that the motives underpinning the policy lie outside the field of regional development.
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