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Purpose: This paper aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on office space in Johannesburg. This study further explores the role of changing work practices in the office sector in South Africa because of the pandemic and its impact on future office space use planning and management. Design/methodology/approach: To understand the footprints that the COVID-19 pandemic has left on the office space market in Johannesburg, this study uses semi-structured interviews, which were administered to corporate office users, and a thematic analysis was adopted to understand the views, perspectives and expectations of office users. Findings: The study showed that space users perceive COVID-19-induced remote working as having benefits, opportunities and challenges. A notable shift in office space utilization has emerged, with employees increasingly opting for roles that permit remote work. This newfound flexibility, accommodating both on-site and remote work, often makes working from home more appealing than traditional office environments that may no longer align with users' preferences for office spaces. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited to Johannesburg, South Africa, and may not apply to other African markets. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted, and analysis and results were deduced; this may be considered a limitation of this study. Practical implications: The pandemic's impact has brought about irreversible changes, compelling policymakers and business leaders to strategize and prepare. This proactive stance aims to prevent avoidable challenges for employees and companies during future pandemics. A thoughtful approach to the post-pandemic world can usher positive changes in the office and property sector. This includes the coexistence of both remote work and on-site working models. Originality/value: This paper provides valuable insight into some of the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa that are essential for future office space use planning and management. The insights from this study extend the literature and provide novel knowledge based on an office sector in the "global south." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of scientific research on renewable energy in Africa, a rapidly growing field driven by the need for sustainable and accessible energy solutions. It highlights Africa's role as a hub for renewable energy innovation, with local researchers collaborating with global institutions to address the continent's unique energy challenges. This synergy is enhancing energy access in African communities and contributing to the global advancement of renewable technologies. The study meticulously examines 3,109 scientific publications from the Scopus database, spanning from 1979 to 2022. It analyzes the evolution, geographical distribution, and impact of these publications, with a focus on international collaborations and scientific output. Findings indicate that South Africa leads in productivity with 962 publications and hosts the top affiliating institutions in this domain. The study also reveals an exponential increase in renewable energy research, particularly from South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom, emphasizing the need for more collaborative efforts and knowledge exchange globally. This analysis provides critical insights into the current landscape of renewable energy research and pinpoints areas ripe for further exploration and development in this vital sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mine closure is a growing concern in mining countries around the world due to the associated environmental and social impacts. This is particularly true in developing countries like South Africa where poverty, social deprivation and unemployment are widespread and environmental governance is not strong. South Africa has 230 operating mines located in diverse natural and social settings. Over 6 million people live in urban and rural mining host communities who will be significantly affected by mine closure. The national, provincial and local governments need guidance in identifying high-risk areas and relevant policy and programmatic interventions. This paper describes the development of a quantitative mine closure risk rating system that assesses the likelihood of mine closure, the risk of social impact and the risk of environmental impact of mine closure for every operating mine in the country. The paper visualises the high likelihood of closure and environmental impacts for numerous coal and gold mines, and the significant social risks in the deprived rural platinum and chrome mining areas. The rating system was tested with 10 mines and 19 experts, and the resulting maps are communicated in an online South African Mine Closure Risk and Opportunity Atlas. The risk ratings could be used in mine closure planning and management by mining companies, consultancies, governments and affected communities. While this risk rating system has been designed for South Africa, the methodology and framework could be applied to any mining country in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a life-threatening, chronic, autoimmune disease requiring long term subspecialty care due to its complex and chronic nature. Childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) is more severe than adult-onset, and the cSLE population in South Africa has been reported to have an even higher risk than patients elsewhere. Therefore, it is critical to promptly diagnose, treat, and manage cSLE. In this paper, we aim to describe and evaluate barriers and enablers of appropriate long-term care of cSLE South Africa from the perspective of caregivers (parents or family members). Methods: Caregivers (n = 22) were recruited through pediatric and adult rheumatology clinics. Individuals were eligible if they cared for youth (≤ 19 years) who were diagnosed with cSLE and satisfied at least four of the eleven ACR SLE classification criteria. Individual in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted between January 2014 and December 2014, and explored barriers to and facilitators of ongoing chronic care for cSLE. Data were analyzed using applied thematic analysis. Results: Four barriers to chronic care engagement and retention were identified: knowledge gap, financial burdens, social stigma of SLE, and complexity of the South African medical system. Additionally, we found three facilitators: patient and caregiver education, robust support system for the caregiver, and financial support for the caregiver and patient. Conclusion: These findings highlight multiple, intersecting barriers to routine longitudinal care for cSLE in South Africa and suggest there might be a group of diagnosed children who don't receive follow-up care and are subject to loss to follow-up. cSLE requires ongoing treatment and care; thus, the different barriers may interact and compound over time with each follow-up visit. South African cSLE patients are at high risk for poor outcomes. South African care teams should work to overcome these barriers and place attention on the facilitators to improve care retention for these patients and create a model for other less resourced settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Electronic clinical decision-making support systems (eCDSS) aim to assist clinicians making complex patient management decisions and improve adherence to evidence-based guidelines. Integrated management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) provides guidelines for management of sick children attending primary health care clinics and is widely implemented globally. An electronic version of IMCI (eIMCI) was developed in South Africa. Methods: We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial comparing management of sick children with eIMCI to the management when using paper-based IMCI (pIMCI) in one district in KwaZulu-Natal. From 31 clinics in the district, 15 were randomly assigned to intervention (eIMCI) or control (pIMCI) groups. Computers were deployed in eIMCI clinics, and one IMCI trained nurse was randomly selected to participate from each clinic. eIMCI participants received a one-day computer training, and all participants received a similar three-day IMCI update and two mentoring visits. A quantitative survey was conducted among mothers and sick children attending participating clinics to assess the quality of care provided by IMCI practitioners. Sick child assessments by participants in eIMCI and pIMCI groups were compared to assessment by an IMCI expert. Results: Self-reported computer skills were poor among all nurse participants. IMCI knowledge was similar in both groups. Among 291 enrolled children: 152 were in the eIMCI group; 139 in the pIMCI group. The mean number of enrolled children was 9.7 per clinic (range 7-12). IMCI implementation was sub-optimal in both eIMCI and pIMCI groups. eIMCI consultations took longer than pIMCI consultations (median duration 28 minutes vs 25 minutes; p = 0.02). eIMCI participants were less likely than pIMCI participants to correctly classify children for presenting symptoms, but were more likely to correctly classify for screening conditions, particularly malnutrition. eIMCI participants were less likely to provide all required medications (124/152; 81.6% vs 126/139; 91.6%, p= 0.026), and more likely to prescribe unnecessary medication (48/152; 31.6% vs 20/139; 14.4%, p = 0.004) compared to pIMCI participants. Conclusions: Implementation of eIMCI failed to improve management of sick children, with poor IMCI implementation in both groups. Further research is needed to understand barriers to comprehensive implementation of both pIMCI and eIMCI. (349) Clinical trials registration: Clinicaltrials.gov ID: BFC157/19, August 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assess site-specific surface shortwave radiation forecasts from two high-resolution configurations of the South African Weather Service numerical weather prediction model, at 4 and 1.5 km. The models exhibit good skill overall in forecasting surface shortwave radiation, with zero median error for all radiation components. This information is relevant to support a growing renewable energy sector in South Africa, particularly for photovoltaics. Further model performance analysis has shown an imbalance between cloud and solar radiation forecasting errors. In addition, cloud overprediction does not necessarily equate to underestimating solar radiation. Overcast cloud regimes are predicted too often with an associated positive mean radiation bias, whereas the relative abundance of partly cloudy regimes is underpredicted by the models with mixed radiation biases. Challenges highlighted by the misrepresentation of partly cloudy regimes in solar radiation error attribution may be used to inform improvements to the numerical core, namely, the cloud and radiation schemes. Significance Statement: This paper provides the first comprehensive assessment of high-resolution site-specific NWP forecasts of surface shortwave radiation in South Africa, exploring clouds as the main drivers of prediction biases. Error attribution analyses of this kind are close to none for this part of the world. Our study contributes to understanding how cloud and radiation schemes perform over South Africa, representing a step forward in the state of the art. In addition to the scientific interest, the capabilities developed through this work may benefit the second largest economy of the continent. In a country where energy security is of critical relevance, the availability of useful and usable weather information is paramount to support its industry and socioeconomic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decolonial discourse continues to challenge Eurocentrism and, among other things, raises profound questions about culture and religion or their unreceptive interactions. Conversely, both culture and religion remain products of the social context in which they are located. Some have even gone so far as to conceptualize religion as a form of culture, or vice versa. Historically, however, in societies such as South Africa where dominant religions such as Christianity emerged with distinct Eurocentric cultural identities, the interaction of culture and religion remains a stumbling block. South African scholars have commendably long debated the inherent conflict between cultural practices and religion, and their impact on social bonds. The above picture, however, calls for further exploration or understanding of the intricate interaction between culture and religion. Consequently, several questions arise: Can one belong to a Western religion and practise African culture? Can an African traditional monarch belong to a Western religion, in particular Christianity? What are the implications of mixing indigenous culture with foreign religion in our society? What are the decolonial boundaries between African religion and Christianity? Can there be a healthy interplay between indigenous culture and Christianity? Can African Christianity be tamed into an indigenous cultural expression? Consequently, this paper encompasses responsive academic insights into the cultural--religious collision, particularly in the light of the recent coronation of the Zulu king in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings: Deciding whether to allow employees to work remotely or flexibly is becoming increasingly difficult due to the pitfalls of either choice. But forcing employees back into the office is causing considerable backlash. Originality/value: The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the scoping review will be to understand and describe risk factors associated with surgical site infection (SSI) in an orthopaedic surgery population in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa. This paper describes the protocol that will be used for the scoping review. Method: A comprehensive literature search will be conducted using MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase and Cochrane Libraries to identify articles meeting the inclusion criteria, including both published and grey literature, in order to provide a broad overview of the reported risk factors associated with patients who have undergone an orthopaedic surgery with an outcome of SSI within 90 days of a procedure. Additional studies will be sourced by exploring the reference list of included eligible studies. By using a combination of the Population, Exposure, Outcome framework, terms and synonyms related to each category, in different variations, along with Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) in the search strategy, identified comprehensive and relevant literature for the scoping review. Results: It is anticipated the results will provide a baseline of risk factors that will inform the development of a risk assessment tool for clinical use. Conclusion: This protocol will inform the development of a scoping review to describe factors associated with SSIs following orthopaedic surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased urbanisation influences the morphometric traits of various species, often resulting in urban individuals being smaller than their non-urban counterparts. Urbanisation can affect fundamental eco-evolutionary patterns and impact species' ability to adapt to and occupy rapidly changing environments through morphological changes. We investigated the morphometric responses of two passerine species, the non-native house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and its native congener, the Cape sparrow (Passer melanurus), along gradients of spatial and temporal urbanisation in South Africa over a 52-year period. The house sparrow was significantly heavier, larger and in better condition with increasing urban infrastructure and lower urban vegetation cover, while the Cape sparrow showed opposing trends along these gradients. Temporally, the house sparrow's body mass increased consistently over the 52-year study period, suggesting changes in morphology were concomitant with increasing urbanisation over time. This study demonstrates distinct differences in the morphological responses of the non-native house sparrow and the native Cape sparrow to increasing urban development. These morphological responses may also underpin community-level changes caused by urbanisation, enhancing the capabilities of non-native species to thrive over their native counterparts in these environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article serves to fill a theoretical lacuna in African language literary scholarship. To date there have been very few literary geographic analyses related to South African literature and there are none that deal with African language literature. The purpose and objective of this article is to apply theoretical aspects of literary geography to an isiXhosa novel, Ingqumbo Yeminyanya. This novel, written by AC Jordan is perhaps the best known and most widely read and translated novel written in isiXhosa. The authors of this article aim to contribute to postcolonial studies by reading the novel of A.C. Jordan spatially, using Hones's conceptual framework of the novel as a spatial event, considering the complex relationship between the author, the text, and the readers. The background of the author and the historical circumstances that surround the writing of the novel are also explored to see how Jordan's own spaces are reflected in the novel through characterization and other techniques. The core focus of the article lies in the descriptions and relationship to real or imaginary or in-between spaces and places in relation to the research question, namely how space and places are depicted in Ingqumbo Yeminyanya, as part of the spatial event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation scholars disseminate their significant findings through international scientific journals. We conducted content analysis of 2,869 peer-reviewed articles on innovation in Africa, examining their origins, themes, collaborative networks, and scholarly influence. These articles, spanning the years 2015–2021, were curated from the Web of Science database across scientific, social science, and humanities journals. The findings reveal that 46.3% of these articles lacked contributions from African organizations or scholars, while 25.1% involved collaborations between African and non-African entities. A remaining 28.6% were exclusively authored by African scholars, with South African universities being the most frequent contributors. Notably, articles authored by scholars from non-African institutions garnered more citations and appeared in journals with higher impact factors. Key themes within these articles revolved around the knowledge economy, African business innovation, agricultural advancements, and the role of mobile phones in knowledge dissemination and marketing. Surprisingly, sustainability topics were notably absent. South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana featured prominently in the discussions. In conclusion, it is imperative to foster broader participation from African nations and scholars in innovation research and ensure a stronger African perspective in international publications. Additionally, as open-access publishing gains momentum, concerns about escalating publishing costs warrant attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the scholarship on youth grows, so does the focus on the predicaments youth face increases. In particular, the phenomenon of waithood, which refers to a prolonged period of transition from youth to adulthood, has been attracting much attention from researchers. This article builds upon this growing literature by examining the roles that soccer academies in Ghana and shelters for unaccompanied young migrants in South Africa play in creating, sustaining, and spreading the waithood of youth. Even though both institutions operate in different spaces and promote distinct activities, they share a mutual goal by presenting themselves as educational stepping stones for a better present and future for African youths. Nevertheless, given the gaps between what both institutions claimed to provide and what they provided in reality, we argue that they served as the root of waithood for their young residents. As the following ethnography reveals, with worsening basic living conditions, infrequent access to school, and unattainable dreams about universities and European soccer leagues, many youths in shelters and academies were left incapable of assuming adult responsibilities and enjoying adult privileges. Our findings suggest that, unlike common perception of waithood as a phenomenon that takes place after school and before formal employment, waithood is also an institution-based phenomenon that can be facilitated within the education system. Simultaneously, in contrast to the common scholarly portrayals of waithood as an individual experience, we argue that waithood is a communal social phenomenon. At South African shelters and Ghanaian academies, the period of suspension and the prolonged journey to adulthood trickled-down to wider social and familial circles. The youth's efforts to seek alternative paths for adulthood, as well as the support they get from relatives and friends, reduces the loneliness of their waithood, though their contributions are hampered by local economic and political challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics are small plastic materials often defined as those between 5 mm and 0.05 mm in size. Microplastics can have toxicological impacts on various biota, from gut blockages to the transport or leaching of toxicants used in their production or absorbed from the surrounding environment. Although microplastic research has increased significantly, microplastic research in Africa lags behind that of developed countries. South Africa is the African nation with the highest number of microplastic publications. We aimed to determine the current state of microplastic research in South Africa. A total of 46 publications on microplastics in South Africa have been produced. However, many of these publications use methods that might not be accurate in determining holistic descriptions of microplastics in the aquatic environment. Similarly, many ecologically relevant environments and species have not been investigated for microplastics in the country, including any atmospheric or terrestrial environment. We conclude that, although the research being produced in South Africa can be considered adequate, a singular standard method for sampling and assessing microplastics in South African environments is required. The production of such a standard method would be critical to use as a monitoring tool to determine and compare microplastic abundances across the country and globally. Significance: • More than 40 publications on microplastics have been produced in South Africa. • Microplastics have been discovered in multiple aquatic environments in South Africa, but have not been investigated in atmospheric or terrestrial environments. • Polymer analysis was limited in published research. • A standard method is required for comparing between studies. • Terrestrial and atmospheric microplastic studies are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa's smallholders have progressively become disengaged from farming despite their lack of alternative livelihood options, resulting in the deepening of rural poverty. Farming's reduced role in rural livelihoods represents a wider trend of deagrarianisation seen across contexts and geographies. While most literature on deagrarianisation focuses on its economic dimensions, this paper places the social and cultural dimensions of farming at the centre of its analysis to understand why smallholders are becoming less engaged in agriculture. Drawing on Habermas's concept of the colonisation of the lifeworld and on ethnographic fieldwork in four villages in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, we show how local social cohesion in farming has been undermined by a series of oppressive state policies. Recent agricultural development interventions have not managed to break with this trend, but instead continue to undermine social cohesion and reciprocity. The impacts of this loss of social cohesion in farming have been most severe for the poorest households who seldom plant their fields today. Based on our findings, we suggest that agricultural development programmes should aim to build on smallholders' appreciation of agriculture, their remaining connections to the land and their sense of solidarity, rather than focusing exclusively on stimulating the development of individual entrepreneurs. • South African smallholders are becoming disengaged from farming. • We analyse the changing role of farming in four villages in the Eastern Cape. • Past and contemporary policies have negatively impacted social cohesion in farming. • This has led to farmers being more dependent on money and/or government support. • The individualisation of farming has been particularly challenging for the poorest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Transport-related social exclusion has been studied in many countries, and from many different perspectives. In Africa, however, there is little recent research into the phenomenon, even though African cities tend to have poor transport services, urban sprawl is extensive usually resulting in long travel times and high travel costs, and certain areas experience high levels of crime. By implication, there are several factors that impact the ability of people to access economic and societal opportunities, however these are not well documented. Building on previous work from several authors, this research sought to describe transport-related social exclusion in a large metropolitan area in an emerging economy. Methods: Using a qualitative methodology, 60 interviews were conducted with City of Johannesburg residents. The data was analyzed using manual thematic and classic content analysis. Results: The study found that residents often did not have access to services due to availability, but also that economic, geographic and fear-based exclusion were particularly prevalent in the sample, although there were several other psychological exclusion dimensions, as well as information exclusion. Discussion: This study is the first recent study in South Africa to consider a wide range of commuters from varying demographic strata, thus providing a novel perspective on TRSE in amajor urban area in the country. The study recommends that policy actions be considered, taking into account the minibus taxi industry, which is often overlooked in government policy. TRSE should also be an inherent element in urban (and other) transport planning, as well as take into account the broader societal realities faced by citizens. Future research directions include conducting broader quantitative studies across a variety of urban areas in South Africa, and beyond, to determine specific TRSE dimensions in various urban areas. Policy analysis is also recommended, to determine TRSE policy gaps and align interventions with specific commuter needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]