AIPA was established to address the urgent need to integrate back South Africans into the mainstream of the formal sector of the economy of post-apartheid South Africa.
The project was focused on APIA undertaking research aimed at influencing policies to facilitate integration of black South Africans into the economy, and advance the training of black South Africans into the economy and advance training to enable them to effectively participate in the economy. AIPA also sought for regional economic integration. The research was in seven priority areas, namely, macroeconomic research, labour market skills and skills development, development of black entrepreneurship, black empowerment in agriculture, urbanization and black integration in the urban economy, industrial manufacturing and mining and regional development. Other project components included a training programme, promotion of African economic cooperation and fellowship and networking.
