UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)
College of Human Sciences
⋄
DVA3701: ASSIGNMENT 7
Semester 1, 2026
⋄
Module Code: DVA3701
Module Name: Development Theory
Assignment No.: Assignment 7
Due Date: 17 April 2026
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for DVA3701: Development Theory
at the University of South Africa.
, UNISA | DVA3701 NICs Developmental Model and South Africa
Introduction
The developmental trajectory of East Asia between the 1960s and the 1990s is one of the
most studied and most contested episodes in the history of economic development. In
roughly thirty years, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong transformed themselves
from largely agrarian or trade-dependent economies into industrial powerhouses with per
capita incomes rivalling those of Western Europe. The speed and scale of this transformation,
and the central role played by an interventionist developmental state, made these Newly In-
dustrialised Countries (NICs) a reference point for development theory that has never quite
faded.
South Africa presents an instructive contrast. Despite being the continent’s most industri-
alised economy, South Africa has been unable to replicate the NIC developmental trajectory.
It remains caught in a configuration of structural unemployment, persistent poverty, and slug-
gish growth that thirty years of democratic government have not fundamentally altered. This
essay critically discusses the statement that the NIC developmental model was successful in
East Asia, and that South Africa lacks the capacity to emulate it. The analysis draws on Evans
(2014), Kieh (2015), and Seekings (2015), and proceeds in three sections: a historical overview
of the NIC model; a balanced assessment of its successes and challenges; and an account of
why the model is most likely to fail or face significant obstacles if transplanted to the South
African context.
Page 1 of 13
College of Human Sciences
⋄
DVA3701: ASSIGNMENT 7
Semester 1, 2026
⋄
Module Code: DVA3701
Module Name: Development Theory
Assignment No.: Assignment 7
Due Date: 17 April 2026
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for DVA3701: Development Theory
at the University of South Africa.
, UNISA | DVA3701 NICs Developmental Model and South Africa
Introduction
The developmental trajectory of East Asia between the 1960s and the 1990s is one of the
most studied and most contested episodes in the history of economic development. In
roughly thirty years, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong transformed themselves
from largely agrarian or trade-dependent economies into industrial powerhouses with per
capita incomes rivalling those of Western Europe. The speed and scale of this transformation,
and the central role played by an interventionist developmental state, made these Newly In-
dustrialised Countries (NICs) a reference point for development theory that has never quite
faded.
South Africa presents an instructive contrast. Despite being the continent’s most industri-
alised economy, South Africa has been unable to replicate the NIC developmental trajectory.
It remains caught in a configuration of structural unemployment, persistent poverty, and slug-
gish growth that thirty years of democratic government have not fundamentally altered. This
essay critically discusses the statement that the NIC developmental model was successful in
East Asia, and that South Africa lacks the capacity to emulate it. The analysis draws on Evans
(2014), Kieh (2015), and Seekings (2015), and proceeds in three sections: a historical overview
of the NIC model; a balanced assessment of its successes and challenges; and an account of
why the model is most likely to fail or face significant obstacles if transplanted to the South
African context.
Page 1 of 13
