By Ms Livhuwani Khomola
In a world where poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment continue to hinder progress across the Global South, a home-grown African innovation is demonstrating that sustainable development does not have to come from outside the continent. LABEC-CBID — Local Asset-Based Employment Creation and Community-Based Industrial Development — is emerging as one of the most practical, scalable, and transformative community development models in Southern Africa.
Pioneered by Sir Akson Potera, Executive Director of the Fastforward Community Development Centre – South Africa (FCDC-SA), LABEC-CBID is shifting the development paradigm from aid-dependent solutions to community-driven economic transformation. It is a model rooted deeply in African realities, African resources, and African resilience.
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A Model Born to Break Africa’s Poverty Paradox
For decades, Africa’s communities have lived with what development experts describe as the “poverty paradox”: abundant natural resources existing side-by-side with high unemployment, deepening poverty, and underdevelopment.
LABEC-CBID directly confronts this paradox.
Rather than focusing on theoretical or externally designed interventions, the model unlocks economic value from the assets already present within a community — land, local skills, natural resources, cultural knowledge, environmental potential, and social structures.
It then transforms these assets into community-owned micro-industries, employment opportunities, and sustainable local economies.
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Supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
LABEC-CBID aligns strongly with international development priorities and provides an African pathway toward achieving several key UN Sustainable Development Goals:
SDG 1 – No Poverty
The model creates direct income opportunities through localized economic activities, reducing household poverty and increasing self-reliance.
SDG 4 – Quality Education
Through practical skills training, youth empowerment programmes, and community learning, the model expands access to applied education that leads to real economic participation.
SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
LABEC-CBID establishes sustainable, community-led industries that create dignified employment and strengthen local economies.
SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities
By empowering communities to build their own industries, the model reduces rural-urban migration pressures and strengthens local resilience.
SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals
FCDC-SA collaborates with government agencies, youth networks, NGOs, and community organisations to scale the impact of LABEC-CBID across multiple regions.
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SADC Impact: A Growing Regional Movement
LABEC-CBID is gaining remarkable traction across the SADC region, with both current and prospective impact widely acknowledged — including in coverage by VOA Studio 7.
Zimbabwe: A New Chapter of Community Empowerment
In July 2025, the first cohort of 20 LABEC-CBID Advisors completed their training (two from each province), marking a major milestone in Zimbabwe’s adoption of the model.
Two standout examples demonstrate the model’s promise:
Lucia Maganya recently earned the Troutbeck Award in Nyanga Zimbabwe for her pioneering LABEC-CBID project — a testament to the model’s real-world impact and her dedication.
Mandlenkosi Dube, another graduate, has launched multiple LABEC-CBID projects in Gwanda’s rural communities. He is now enrolled in the Stage 2 Facilitator certification, training others while driving grassroots development.
These successes showcase LABEC-CBID as more than a concept — it is a movement that transforms knowledge into action.
South Africa: Strengthening Youth Development Through Partnership
In South Africa, FCDC-SA is advancing LABEC-CBID through strategic collaboration with major youth development platforms:
– SAYouth.mobi
– National Youth Development Agency (NYDA)
– Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator
Through these partnerships, thousands of unemployed youth gain access to LABEC-CBID training, equipping them with practical skills to create employment, start local enterprises, and lead community development initiatives.
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A Vision Funded by Leadership and Personal Commitment
One remarkable aspect of LABEC-CBID’s growth is the personal investment made by its pioneer.
Sir Akson Potera currently finances the training programme from his own pocket, demonstrating not only belief in the model but a deep commitment to Africa’s communities.
His leadership embodies a simple but powerful principle:
> “Empowerment is the beginning of development.”
By empowering individuals to identify, manage, and transform their own community assets, LABEC-CBID cultivates long-term development from the ground up — not imposed from outside.
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A Model Ready for Continental Scale
LABEC-CBID has proven its effectiveness in both rural and peri-urban settings.
Its flexibility, low-cost implementation, and community-led nature make it one of Africa’s most scalable development tools.
As FCDC-SA continues expanding its training, partnerships, and regional outreach, LABEC-CBID is positioned to become:
a cornerstone of community economic transformation in SADC,
a model for African self-reliance,
and a major contributor toward Africa’s progress toward the SDGs.
What began as a local innovation in South Africa is rapidly becoming a regional solution for poverty eradication and economic empowerment.