Local Economic Development (LED) is an approach towards economic development which allows and encourages local people to work together to achieve sustainable economic growth and development thereby bringing economic benefits and improved quality of life for all residents in a local municipal area. 

As a programme, LED is intended to maximise the economic potential of all municipal localities throughout the country and, to enhance the resilience of the macro-economic growth through increased local economic growth, employment creation and development initiatives within the context of sustainable development. The “local” in economic development points to the fact that the political jurisdiction at a local level is often the most appropriate place for economic intervention as it carries alongside it the accountability and legitimacy of a democratically elected body.