This article critically examines the achievements and limitations of the local economic development (LED) programme spearheaded by the Cato Manor Area Based Management Programme of eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. This was a five-year pilot project, which began in 2003 as part of a broader City's Area Based Management and Development Programme. The evidence suggests that the fundamental goal of a location-specific LED, which is to integrate social and economic development, has proven difficult to achieve. While adequate human, institutional and financial capital was deployed, the impact of this intervention remained minimal. Observations indicate that the major constraints are a direct result of technocratic macro-economic policies that are imposed on local government. Inevitably, these promote rushed development that overlooks women entrepreneurs' knowledge and skills. As a contribution to contemporary discourse on L