The aim of this workshop is to build research and policy capabilities in the South African government to better understand the dynamics of value chains and in so doing, to contribute to employment growth and productivity enhancement through upgrading.
The workshop will address the following issues:
- What are value chains? What differentiates them from simple input/output economic linkages?
- How are value chains governed, and by whom, and how does this affect the capacity to upgrade?
- What role do standards play in value chains?
- Given intense competition, how do value chains upgrade and in what directions?
- How does an understanding of value chain dynamics help firms to position themselves sustainably in various profitable end markets?
- How can value chains be aligned to support and promote policy design and implementation?
The workshop will focus on four value chains which are representative of other sectors:
- Capital equipment into the mining sector (also relevant to oil and gas and related sectors).
- Automobile assembly and components (also relevant to other assembly and metalworking
- industries).
- Clothing and textiles (also relevant to footwear, furniture and other consumer products).
- Agro-processing (relevant to a range of other soft commodity based sectors).