ABSTRACT

Business parks have increasingly become part of Cape Town’s industrial built environment over the last 25 years. It signifies a shift from large industrial premises to smaller units in communal industrial settings. This paper investigates the types of business activities found in the business parks using the conceptual underpinnings of location theory and industrial cluster theory. Online and fieldwork surveys of the businesses found in 49 business parks in Cape Town, South Africa, were conducted to compile a database of businesses and their activities. Each business was classified using the South African Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes to establish which economic sectors are represented in the business parks. It was found that the predominant economic sectors in business parks were the wholesale and retail trade, which included the repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods and catering and accommodation, as well as the financial sector consisting of banking, insurance, real estate and business services. Manufacturing activities and commercial, social and personal services were also well represented. The findings indicate that business parks are the popular location for retail-orientated businesses and small manufacturing concerns and affirm the growing importance of the professional and business service sectors. The paper lays the groundwork for further investigation into the multi-scalar economic linkages of firms in business parks in Cape Town.

摘要

过去 25 年来，商业园区日益成为开普敦工业建筑环境的一部分。它标志着从大型工业厂房向公共工业环境中较小单位的转变。本文利用区位理论和产业集群理论的概念基础，研究了商业园区中的商业活动类型。对南非开普敦 49 个商业园区的企业进行了在线和实地调查，以编制企业及其活动的数据库。每个企业都使用南非标准行业分类 (SIC) 代码进行分类，以确定商业园区中代表的经济部门。研究发现，商务园区的主导经济行业是批发和零售业，其中包括机动车辆、摩托车、个人和家庭用品维修以及餐饮和住宿，以及包括银行、保险、房地产和商业服务在内的金融部门。制造业活动以及商业、社会和个人服务也得到了很好的体现。调查结果表明，商业园区是零售导向型企业和小型制造企业的热门地点，并证实了专业和商业服务行业日益增长的重要性。本文为进一步调查开普敦商业园区企业的多尺度经济联系奠定了基础。房地产和商业服务。制造业活动以及商业、社会和个人服务也得到了很好的体现。调查结果表明，商业园区是零售导向型企业和小型制造企业的热门地点，并证实了专业和商业服务行业日益增长的重要性。本文为进一步调查开普敦商业园区企业的多尺度经济联系奠定了基础。房地产和商业服务。制造业活动以及商业、社会和个人服务也得到了很好的体现。调查结果表明，商业园区是零售导向型企业和小型制造企业的热门地点，并证实了专业和商业服务行业日益增长的重要性。本文为进一步调查开普敦商业园区企业的多尺度经济联系奠定了基础。