WHAT WE DO AT RANIJEGA

CONSULTING SERVICES AND SPHERES OF SPECIALIZATION

RANIJEGA provides professional consulting services throughout the Southern African market and due to its past involvement in this Southern Region of Africa, has built up an extensive clientele network and established various economic databases of local and regional development circumstances.

The diversity of the training and experience of the personnel of RANIJEGA allows the firm to provide services in a variety of development and economic fields as presented below:

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

RANIJEGA specialises in economic sector analysis to identify the development potential of an economy. Sectorial comparative advantages are identified which form the basis of development guidelines for implementation.

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

The entrepreneurial development and improvement of capacity within communities are crucial in promoting local economic development and the creation of employment opportunities. In identifying the economic potential and market opportunities, the development of the small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) sector is emphasised. Our specialist Small Business Development Unit focuses on research in the following areas:

➢ Entrepreneurship Development,

➢ Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) Development,

➢ Informal Sector Development,

➢ Cooperative Development.

TOURISM SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

The tourism sector is a growing industry in South Africa and therefore offers a wide variety of investment opportunities. In determining the feasibility of tourism projects, which range from hotel and casino research to tourism training and recreational studies, the market potential is determined by means of economic evaluation techniques. RANIJEGA has developed uMkhanyakude District Municipality Tourism Plan, uMzinyathi District Tourism Strategy, Ugu District Municipality Tourism Master Plan, uPhongolo-Golela Tourism Strategy, uPhongolo-Imbube Cultural Village Tourism plan as well as numerous private sector tourism and hospitality projects.

FEASIBILITY STUDIES AND BUSINESS PLANS

A feasibility study is designed to provide an overview of the primary issues related to a business idea. The purpose is to identify any ‘make or break" issues that would prevent the project from being successful. In other words, a feasibility study determines whether the business idea makes sense. A thorough feasibility analysis provides a lot of information necessary for the business plan. For example, a good market analysis is necessary to determine the project's feasibility. The Business Plan continues the analysis at a deeper and more complex level, building on the foundation created by the feasibility study. Business plans are drawn up firstly to map out how a project will be executed and secondly, they are required when applying for funding. The purpose of the business plan is to minimise the risk associated with a new business and maximise the chances of success through research and planning.

RANIJEGA – has done a number of feasibility studies such as the Imbube Cultural Village in uPhongolo Municipality, Feasibility Study and Business Plan for TAMPO Bottle Service Restaurant in Sangton – Gauteng, Maphumulo Disaster Management and Emergency Centre Business Plan, Feasibility Study and Business Plan for Matatiele Fresh Produce Market, etc.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS

The economic and socio-economic impacts of investment and infrastructure projects such as airports, roads, water provision, electricity generation, water quality, casino development, mining investment, etc. are determined. Economic modelling techniques, such as the multiplier analysis, are usually applied in determining the impacts of projects and proposed investments.

RANIJEGA was commissioned to conduct a socio economic impact assessment for the KwaMnyandu Shopping Centre as well as the Midway Crossing Mall in eThekwini. The socio-economic situation of communities plays an important role in the participatory planning process applied in development projects. Several methods are utilised to obtain relevant and up-to-date socio-economic information of which household surveys are one of the important sources. Participative survey methods are used whereby community members are trained and equipped with surveying skills to efficiently undertake the surveys under expert supervision. The results provide a base for planning proposals, inputs towards environmental and economic impact studies, infrastructure capacity studies and feasibility analyses.

COMMERCIAL SECTOR FEASIBILITY

The feasibility of proposed retail and office facilities are determined to provide guidelines with respect to investment decisions. Unique analysis techniques are applied to accurately determine market demand for decision making, but even more important, to interpret the findings in practical development implementation guidelines. RANIJEGA undertook a retail potential assessment for the Glenwood Village Shopping Centre in Durban. The study provided a basic indication to the developer whether there is sufficient market for further development of the centre.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND INNER-CITY REVITALISATION

Revitalisation initiatives to attain economic development supported by appropriate spatial and physical infrastructure in rural nodes and CBDs are needed to reverse the general degeneration of development in those areas. RANIJEGA believes that Economic strategies are formulated to address precinct degeneration.

PUBLICATIONS

Katambwe, L. 2013. Development in practice: a reader friendly manual for public and private development practitioners.  Germany: Lap Lambert Publishing.

Public Infrastructure: An Assessment of the Development Impact of Road Infrastructure A Case Study of the Mzinyathi Access Road in the Durban Municipal Region”, Development Studies, UKZND, 2008.

Leon Katambwe Ntambwe, 2019, “the profile of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in “HOUSING FINANCE IN AFRICA, A review of Africa’s housing finance markets,” November 2019, Published by the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa.

Leon Katambwe Ntambwe, 2019, “the profile of the Republic of Madagascar, in “HOUSING FINANCE IN AFRICA, A review of Africa’s housing finance markets”, November 2019, Published by the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa.

Leon Katambwe Ntambwe. 2016. Defining he Informal Economy. in EDGE: Economic Development and Growth in eThekwini: Embracing Micro Business in the Informal Economy. 17th Issue September 2016.