<\/p>\n
Speaking to Channel Africa on Monday, Quality Control Specialist at PROXICOM Quality Control and Engineering Consultancy, Sanel’Ekhaya Ntathu, said meaningful rural development should result in rural communities progressing at the same pace as urban centres rather than being left behind.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ntathu said successful rural development would be reflected through improved infrastructure, better schools, reliable roads and expanded public services in areas that have historically received less investment. \u201cCurrently, what we are seeing is development in urban areas, but rural places or places with less foot traffic are being left behind,\u201d said Ntathu.<\/p>\n
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Despite policy commitments aimed at supporting rural communities, Ntathu believes one of the biggest obstacles remains implementation. \u201cThere are perfect policies but minimal action,\u201d said Ntathu.<\/p>\n
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According to Ntathu, many development plans fail not because of a lack of vision but because of shortcomings in execution. While governments and institutions often set ambitious targets, progress on the ground is frequently slower than expected.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ntathu also pointed to skills shortages as a contributing factor to stalled development projects. While corruption can play a role in some instances, Ntathu said gaps in technical expertise, knowledge and project management often prevent communities from benefiting fully from development initiatives. \u201cThere might be a gap in information, a gap in knowledge or even a gap in skills that is preventing meaningful development,\u201d said Ntathu.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Agriculture remains central to many rural economies and is widely viewed as a vehicle for job creation and poverty reduction. Ntathu argued that investing in skills development for small-scale farmers is essential if rural economies are to become more productive and competitive. \u201cOne of the major things that can really improve the space is upskilling, mainly focusing on training,\u201d said Ntathu.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Youth migration from rural areas to cities also remains a major concern. Ntathu said young people often leave not because of a lack of connection to their communities, but because opportunities and support systems are unavailable locally. \u201cThe main reason for leaving is that there are simply not enough facilities to support growth,\u201d said Ntathu.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ntathu added that improving access to education, training facilities and economic opportunities within rural communities could help retain young talent and stimulate local development.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Technology was also highlighted as a critical component of future growth. While digital innovation is transforming many urban economies, access to reliable internet and communications infrastructure remains limited in numerous rural areas.<\/p>\n
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Ntathu said even basic connectivity can have a significant impact on economic activity, education and access to information.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":39023,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-39022","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"World Rural Development Day, celebrated July 6, is shining a spotlight on the urgent need to improve living conditions in rural communities, where millions of people continue to face challenges linked to poverty, unemployment, weak infrastructure and limited access to essential services.","published_date":"","news_description":"World Rural Development Day, celebrated July 6, is shining a spotlight on the urgent need to improve living conditions in rural communities, where millions of people continue to face challenges linked to poverty, unemployment, weak infrastructure and limited access to essential services.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39022\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39024,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39022\/revisions\/39024"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=39022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}