Roots and reach: Place-Based processes for polycentric governance in rural South Africa
Summary. Civil society organisations in rural South Africa's former homelands enable polycentric governance and systemic change through nine interconnected place-based processes. Research with seven established organisations reveals a core trajectory from focused effort to credibility-building to learning, amplified by feedback loops and shaped by tensions between autonomy and embeddedness. The study demonstrates these organisations function as crucial nodes for rural agency and innovation, requiring sustained investment.
Cite this article
Fry, A. S. L.. (2026). Roots and reach: Place-Based processes for polycentric governance in rural South Africa. Journal of Rural Studies. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104054
Fry, Anthony St Leger. “Roots and reach: Place-Based processes for polycentric governance in rural South Africa.” Journal of Rural Studies, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104054.
Fry, Anthony St Leger. 2026. “Roots and reach: Place-Based processes for polycentric governance in rural South Africa.” Journal of Rural Studies. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104054.
@article{fry-2026-roots-reach-place-based-processes,
title = {Roots and reach: Place-Based processes for polycentric governance in rural South Africa},
author = {Anthony St Leger Fry},
journal = {Journal of Rural Studies},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104054},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104054}
}
TY - JOUR TI - Roots and reach: Place-Based processes for polycentric governance in rural South Africa AU - Anthony St Leger Fry JO - Journal of Rural Studies PY - 2026 DO - 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104054 UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104054 ER -
Details
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104054
- Countries
- South Africa
- Regions
- Africa
- Categories
- policy, regional-innovation-systems, innovation-networks, general-innovation
- Added
- 2026-04-29