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Urban-Econ:NIKELA
Urban-Econ:NIKELA
A niche consultancy providing advisory services in the skills, emerging technology and resource efficiency space
Published Jul 6, 2023
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People have always sought innovation, more efficient ways of working, and improved livelihoods. This can be seen in how the nature of work has changed since the first Industrial Revolution. Development does not fall like “manna from heaven”. It requires practical and innovative measures that are context-based and taken in a timely manner. Additionally, it is driven by the economy, which – in turn – is driven by the nature of work.
Certain economists argue that development is a product of intentional human action. It cannot be achieved without systematic data collection, organisation, and analysis (Ezell and Andes, 2016). Therefore, it is impossible to talk about development and innovation without considering how best to undertake research.
Research is important for enabling economic growth and plays a large role in policy formation. In addition, research is essential for projecting how the nature of work is likely to evolve and thus in helping a country to prepare for this evolution. The World Bank (2023) notes that through investing in research, China’s economy improved to a point where its people have seen significant improvements in health, education, and other services. The United States of America, South Korea, and Rwanda are a few other countries that have invested in research and, as a result, have seen GDP growth. Furthermore, research is considered central to bringing about meaningful development in Africa.
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Research played a paramount role during COVID-19 as it helped bring about policies geared to helping South Africa manage the pandemic. This was witnessed in the government’s response to the SMME challenge during COVID-19 through the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) (South African Government, 2020). In his 2022 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the need to cut down on red tape and announced an additional support scheme for SMMEs (de Silva, 2022). Therefore, to enhance self-reliance and sustainable collective development, it was declared that the focus should be on the creation of sustainable economic activities. The ERRP would not have been possible, nor would it reach its mandate in the absence of thorough research.
As mentioned above, the nature of work is changing. Therefore, there is a need for South Africa to explore how it should position itself in relation to this shift. Adapting to change in the workplace will require skills planning, skills repurposing, upskilling, and reskilling. Experts will have to undertake contextual research.
Urban-Econ:Nikela (Nikela) is a research consulting firm- that has worked with the government, private institutions and development organisations- whose contribution towards development is conducting rigorous and good-quality research that will yield future-focused solutions. The company name comes from a Nguni (Xhosa/Zulu) word meaning to contribute, offer, pass to, give, or donate. Born out of Urban-Econ Development Economists, with a track record of more than 35 years, and a committed team, we contribute towards skills development, enterprise and entrepreneurship, new and emerging industries, environmental economics, implementation efficiency, and people-centred development.
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