From fortress city to creative city.

It has been argued that in terms of local economic development, the fortress city of Johannesburg is seeking to transform itself into a creative city. The initiatives which I examined in the process of assessing the potential of Johannesburg to become a centre for cultural and media excellence all had the common vision of Johannesburg at the centre of the African renaissance. Not only did the interviewees express the desire for Johannesburg to become the most competitive city in the country, they extended this desire to the whole of Africa. Private-public partnerships have been suggested as a strategy to combat the common challenge of a lack of finance, and innovative strategies have demonstrated a refusal to allow the threat of crime to dominate them. With these strategies in place, the only weakness which Johannesburg faces is the training of its residents so that there is a pool of highly skilled workers available for the ever increasing technological sophistication which many of the industries rely upon to expand. Johannesburg is primed to become the centre of cultural and media excellence in South Africa. The energy and commitment which many of the interviewees expressed almost guarantees Johannesburg the status of being the centre of the African renaissance. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A00OB018 00006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]