The orientation and interests of large firms are at the heart of how countries develop. However, the decisions, strategies and responsiveness of firms to government interventions for industrialisation are poorly understood in the South African context. This study focuses on assessing the impact and effectiveness of government interventions for industrialisation.

The project will study large firms and develop a system for regular tracking of their strategies and decisions. The identification of large, lead and dynamic firms (LLDs) within sectors, and the ability to engage with capabilities and points of leverage in relation to these firms, is a key priority for the DTI. As such the main areas of work forming part of this research include:

• Development of a system to track the strategies of large private and public firms that report in the public domain, which will be extended over time to major unlisted private firms.

• In-depth assessment of the main conglomerates and the large firms in critical sectors (for instance, agro-processing or construction) including unlisted companies and medium to large firms and recent entrants.

• A review of the influence of different hard and soft policy levers on the behaviour of large firms.

Policy Briefs

1. Requiring Local Content in Manufacturing:
   Insights from Transnet’s procurement of 1064 locomotives

2. Growth and strategies of large and lead firms: Food Sector

3. Growth and strategies of large and lead firms: Remgro Ltd

4. Growth and strategies of large and lead firms: Top 50 JSE firms

5. Growth and strategies of large and lead firms: Metals, Machinery and Equipment Sector

IDRP Project Studies

1. Growth and strategies of large, lead firms - Supermarkets

2. Railway Locomotives and Transnet: A Case Study

IDRP Research Project on Large Firms and System for Regular Tracking of their Strategies and Decisions:

1. Food Production and Processing Sector Assessment

2. Metals, Machinery and Equipment Sector Assessment

3. Remgro Limited Company Assessment

4. Top 50 firms on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)