Communication's Role The way communication is formed and developed will have an impact on how interested people feel about the concerns discussed, as well as whether they will join - or not - in a research or development endeavour.

“Participatory development strives to involve the poor in initiatives and projects designed by outside groups in the hopes that these projects will be more sustainable and successful by incorporating local stakeholders in the project goals,” according to one of the most widely accepted definitions of participatory development.

The participatory approach to development allows community people to move from being passive recipients of external policy changes and ideological decisions to active participants in directing how development occurs in their neighbourhoods (Isidiho & Sabran, 2016:270). As a result, participatory development attempts to empower the members of a society or community

The South African constitution, according to De Villers (2001:7), establishes the foundation for a representative and participatory democratic government. The South African government strives to establish an enabling environment in which the human settlement process is people-centered, according to the department of settlements (SA,2009:12). A people-centered process that fosters successful collaborations.