Search

The Drimolen Palaeocave site is situated within the UNESCO Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa World Heritage Area and has yielded numerous hominin fossils since its discovery in 1992. Most of these fossils are represented by isolated dental elements, which have been attributed to either of two distinct hominin genera, Paranthropus and Homo. This paper provides morphological descriptions for a further 19 specimens that have been recovered from the ∼2.04–1.95 Ma Drimolen Main Quarry (DMQ) deposits since 2008. This paper also discusses the two primary hypotheses used to explain Paranthropus robustus variation: sexual dimorphism, and micro-evolution within a lineage. These 19 fossils are represented by 47 dental elements and expand the sample of DMQ early Homo from 13 to 15, and the sample of Paranthropus robustus from 69 to 84. The evidence presented in this paper was found to be inconsistent with the sexual dimorphism hypothesis. Some support was found for the micro-evolution hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers teacher education for teachers of learners with severe to profound disabilities (SPD) in South Africa, in both formal and non-formal learning programmes within a disability studies in education framework. Qualitative data were collected from a range of education stakeholders including non-governmental (NGOs) and disabled people organisations (DPOs). Based on a thematic analysis, findings show limited pre-service teacher education programmes focused on teaching learners with SPD. In-service teacher training through education departments and NGOs and DPOs, is usually through basic short courses or workshops and are not complemented by on-going support. We argue for a reconceptualization of teacher education in South Africa to prepare teachers to meet the diverse needs of learners, including those with SPDs within an inclusive education context. Skills in addressing barriers to learning should be infused throughout initial teacher education, in line with the principles of universal design for learning while impairment-specific knowledge can be offered in related modules that focus on reasonable accommodation for children with disabilities. In-service education can occur in formal and informal programmes and should empowers teachers to become lifelong learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of innovation on productivity in the services sector firms in South Africa. Using a three-stage econometric model we find that service sector firms are innovative. We show that firm size, public financial support, patent protection and market sources of information have a positive impact on the decision to innovate. The level of investment in innovation significantly influences the success of both technological and non-technological innovations in service sector firms. The results find that both technological and non-technological innovations have a positive impact on labour productivity, with a greater impact from non-technological innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curriculum reform was high on the agenda of South Africa's post-apartheid governments. Yet as time passed, the initial reforms were seen as increasingly problematic, especially when pedagogical realities met policy priorities. There was reluctance on the part of policymakers to give up what was seen as the democratic imperative behind the reforms. Yet as schools struggled, public responses blamed inadequate attention to practical issues as undermining the implementation of the reforms. This perspective on curriculum implementation, blaming teachers for the failure of policy reforms, is not uncommon. This paper argues, however, that such a perspective is very often misinformed because it deflects attention from the specific nature of policies and the role of policymaking in neglecting key issues that might have better facilitated implementation. South Africa's democratic curriculum reforms were essential for dismantling a key aspect of the apartheid state. The paper highlights this point arguing that an understanding of policies rather than a focus on the failure of schools provides a better lens for understanding the trajectory of curriculum reform processes in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation in society is the cornerstone to living a meaningful, connected, and healthy life. Persons with complex communication needs, however, often have restricted opportunities to participate in everyday contexts and situations. Reasons for this include societal attitudinal barriers, as well as limited knowledge and skills about augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to enhance participation. Enhancing participation of persons with complex communication needs requires a holistic and multi-faceted approach. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with their disability-inclusive agenda provide an impetus for shaping the approach of the Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) in enhancing participation of persons with complex communication needs in South Africa. This paper aims to provide a reflective description and application of the work conducted by the CAAC in addressing the SDGs in South Africa. Research and training conducted by the CAAC is shown to be aligned to five SDGs, namely zero hunger (SDG 2), good health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) and peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16), with a focus on reaching these goals in order to benefit persons with complex communication needs. The paper demonstrates that, despite some gains in addressing the SDGs, research and clinical practice still needs to be on these and the remaining SDGs. Furthermore, there is a need to also find ways to integrate the SDGs to ensure participation of persons with complex communication needs in major life activities and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the promotional activities embraced by informal clothing manufacturing micro-enterprises (CMMEs) in the informal economy of an emerging market. Informal micro-enterprises are both income and job-generating alternatives for unemployed people in South Africa's townships. Recent research has highlighted the need to develop unique marketing strategies to address challenges in emerging markets and help CMMEs realize their true potential. A qualitative case study, which included personal interviews with 13 CMME owners and observations at a workshop with five participating CMMEs, was undertaken at a business incubation hub. The findings from this study suggested the prevalence of opportunistic self-started promotional activities and assisted promotional activities. CMMEs selectively embrace some of the methods and activities contained in the conventional, innovational and fashion entrepreneur promotional mix strategies. The opportunistic use of promotional methods resulted in the survivalist promotional mix particular to the informal CMME in an African context. This paper makes a theoretical contribution to the knowledge base of marketing literature within the informal economy context, and literature about informal clothing micro businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International trade in the 21st century operates through global value chains (GVCs). There is a growing literature on how the emergence of GVCs has changed the playing field for catch-up industrialization of developing countries. Inter-industry linkages have historically been a central aspect of catch-up industrialization. How such linkages on the country level are affected by the reality that trade is conducted via GVCs is an important research question. This paper synthesizes the theoretical elaborations on inter-industry linkages from the classic development economics literature with secondary empirical data from the East Asian industrialization experience to illustrate the importance of inter-industry linkages for the industrialization process. Using primary data from the South African automotive industry, the paper shows how the dynamics of the automotive GVC have affected domestic inter-industry linkage building in the country. The backward linkages to the domestic component manufacturing industry and to the domestic materials industries from South Africa's successful integration into the automotive GVC have been disappointing. Both local policy decisions as well as GVC-specific dynamics of follow sourcing and the proliferation of manufacturing technologies and material standards have undermined more substantial backward linkages from exports of automobiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Drama of the Peace Process in South Africa" by Sylvia Neame is a book that reflects on the author's experiences and writings during the late 1980s in South Africa. Neame, a South African historian and former member of the South African Communist Party and African National Congress, provides insights into the ANC's strategy and debates surrounding negotiations with the apartheid regime. The book includes extracts from her diaries, as well as papers she wrote during that time. While the book offers valuable perspectives on the ANC/SACP alliance and the author's efforts to shape the approach to negotiations, it may not appeal to a wide audience due to its length and lack of broader context. [Extracted from the article]

Commitment to a single, inclusive education system has been the aspiration of reform in education in a democratic South Africa as articulated in White Paper 6: Special needs education: Building an inclusive education and training system (Department of Education 2001). This article reports findings from a qualitative study which took place in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), which ascertained participants' evaluation of the extent to which the policy ideals of inclusive education, as articulated in White Paper 6 were being achieved. Findings revealed that there was evidence of inclusive education beginning to be implemented in KZN in that barriers to learning for many students were being addressed and removed. The specific provision in policy documents directed towards children with disabilities was behind schedule, however, and there was little evidence of full inclusion of students with disabilities in regular education. One component that was furthest behind in the milestones was the implementation of the information and advocacy programme. Implications and further consequences of this are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty has numerous dimensions that affect people's well-being. The literature on the concept and measurement of poverty has significantly improved from the traditional unidimensional (income/expenditure) analysis to the multidimensional concept of poverty and well-being. This paper critically compared the monetary approach with the multidimensional approach to poverty, both theoretically and based on a case study. The paper also determined the level of various deprivations suffered by a population in the rural area of QwaQwa. A sample of 404 households randomly selected was used. The analysis followed Alkire and the Foster Family of Measurements and the Spearman correlation. Results indicate that the income measure presents conservative estimates of poverty as compared to the multidimensional measure. The findings also imply a need to give priority to rural areas such as QwaQwa when implementing efforts to alleviate multidimensional poverty in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism sector is often characterized by precarious working conditions. With the aim of promoting sustainable business practices and addressing labour concerns, many tourism service providers are keen to set and enforce sustainability standards in their value chains. However, there is a contested debate on the local impacts of voluntary standards. This paper focuses on tourism labour and investigates how sustainability standards can contribute to capability building and social upgrading processes at the firm-level. It argues that most research on sustainability standards has analysed the "visible" outcomes of standard implementations while a process-based perspective is largely missing. The paper addresses this gap through a novel approach and makes both theoretical and empirical contributions. Conceptually, it integrates the dynamic capabilities approach into global value chain (GVC) research. This enhances current conceptualisations of capabilities and the understanding of upgrading processes within GVCs. Empirically, the paper investigates the South African standard "Fair Trade in Tourism" through a longitudinal, mixed-methods research design that extended over a period of eight years. The findings show how sustainability standards in tourism can contribute to capability building and upgrading at the firm-level. The paper concludes by arguing that policy makers should better resource local standard-setting organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 1966, the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (SANROC) re-emerged in exile in London. The arrival of Dennis Brutus, the coloured Rhodesian-born activist, poet, and educator, into the British capital provided the stimulus to renew calls for the exclusion of apartheid South Africa from international sport. In the years 1966–1970 that marked Brutus's exile in Britain, SANROC elevated apartheid sport to the world's attention. As this paper contends, SANROC's success in discouraging foreign contact and competition with racialist sporting organisations, teams, or individuals from South Africa rested largely on Brutus's ability to position himself at the nexus of an emergent human rights discourse that dominated the agendas of state institutions and international organisations throughout the 1960s. Brutus skilfully tethered the issue of racism in South African sport to broader discussions of human rights. SANROC's anti-apartheid activism, however broad its transnational horizons, must also be read in its national context. As this paper will further contend, a deeper comprehension of the political and racial climate of 1960s Britain is central to understanding Brutus and SANROC's experiences in exile in the years 1966–1970. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why would the long-term unemployed poor continue to insist that wage labour must remain the key path to income – even in a place like South Africa, with endemic structural unemployment and spiralling inequality? This paper explores this puzzle using in-depth qualitative data from inner-city Johannesburg to unravel the ways in which people's economic expectations are embedded in moral beliefs that equate effort and labour with deservingness and income. To make sense of such moral logics and discourses, this paper theorizes them as part of a cohesive moral economy. This shared moral economy illuminates the means though which norms of fairness, deservingness and aspiration underpin attitudes about redistribution, cash and labour, and thus influence both support and resistance to particular political agendas around radical redistributory economic reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrefutably, many countries of the developing world continue to exhibit economic investments culture primarily premised on maximizing profit and accumulating wealth for oneself. Through this phenomenon, inequality has been glaring, with rich individuals becoming richer, while the majority poor continue to languish in poverty and their human dignity being highly compromised. South Africa as a country battling with pernicious legacies of apartheid presents such a good example. The country experiences a high level of gender inequality, poverty, a culture of violence, and unemployment of women and youth. In the awake of these predicaments, we need to question the dominant exorbitant profit-making investment approaches that undermine people's dignity, freedom and self-value. This paper presents findings from social enterprises to gain insights and lessons on doing business differently. The findings are presented using a conceptual framework abbreviated as 'SISTER'; S – Service; I – Integrity; S – Sustainability; T – Teamwork; E – Excellence; R – Respect. The study emphasizes that, investing in people has to take a paradgim shift by adopting distinctive models aganist the current capitalistic philosophies. The paper emphasis on focusing on peoples' values, capabilities, talents and cultural richness to generate wealth for societal and individual development, and thus lessening the ramifications associated with self-centredness of economic investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows how four major challenges in the ocean economy is linked to the 15 global challenges and the sectors that are influenced by these challenges. The ocean is becoming a focal point in the discourse on growth and sustainable development, both at national and international levels. Human aspirations and economic growth exert pressure on the ocean and the marine ecosystem and, therefore, constitute challenges for sustaining growth and ocean economy development. This conceptual paper analyses definitions of the ocean economy, the ocean economy's contribution toward world economic growth, the 15 global challenges, and specific challenges in the South African ocean economy. Four critical challenges are highlighted, firstly, pollution, which includes environmental disasters such as oil spills and dumping at sea, secondly, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, thirdly, climate change and, finally, disease events. As both private and public sectors should address these challenges, this research identifies possible reform measures for further consideration by these sectors to find possible solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to education for undocumented migrant children in South Africa remains a significant challenge. While the difficulties related to their inability to access education within the country have been highlighted elsewhere, there remains a lack of clarity on an approach to how this basic human right can be achieved. In this conceptual paper, we draw on the distinction between equality and equity, and describe the various ways in which education has been conceptualised in the South African Constitution – which in part contributes to the existing confusion on education for various groups, including undocumented migrant children. In this paper, we critically reflect on the need to develop an integrated approach for creating a platform that allows all undocumented migrant children access to education in South Africa. We argue that an integrated approach – which entails ways through which access to education can be delivered through the lens of equity – will enhance the right to education for undocumented migrant children in South Africa. We conclude that the South African government must urgently consider this integrated approach to enable access to education for undocumented migrant children, so that they can achieve their full educational potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper uses an ongoing business-to-business (B2B) relationship perspective to establish the interrelationships between trust, commitment, and relationship satisfaction (as relational constructs) and specific assets, formalization, and opportunism (as transaction cost variables) from a buyer's perspective, framed within micro-enterprises in the business banking industry in South Africa. Data were collected via self-administered online questionnaires from 381 micro-enterprise customers of one of South Africa's major banks. We first used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess the measurement model before structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to estimate the hypothesized relationships between the study constructs. The measurement and structural models fitted the data well. The research was approached using the dual theoretical lenses of relationship marketing and transaction cost theory to investigate relationship satisfaction from a buyer's perspective. The results support the notion that, in a B2B context, relationship satisfaction is an outcome of trust and commitment, with commitment being the stronger predictor. Relationship satisfaction, in turn, was positively related to both specific assets and formalization (the relationship with formalization being the strongest), and a negative relationship between relationship satisfaction and opportunism. Since our results found commitment to be a stronger predictor of relationship satisfaction than trust (contrary to much previous research that found the opposite to be true), the paper concludes with several commitment-related suggestions for banks. Although much research exists on trust, commitment, and satisfaction, to our knowledge this study is the first using dual theoretical lenses (relationship marketing and transaction cost theory) to investigate relationship satisfaction from a buyer's perspective among micro-enterprise customers in a banking context. The insights gained from our study therefore not only address this under-researched area (micro-enterprises), but also contribute toward expanding our understanding of forming (and maintaining) banking relationships with the customers of the smallest-sized businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa's Just Energy Transition (JET) from coal to renewable energy in response to climate change mitigation policies comes packaged with social costs that these mitigation policies tend to overlook, considering their focus on carbon emission reduction. The paper argues that Social Impact Assessments (SIAs), a component of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) focused on social impact mitigation, can be a long-term approach to closing the social cost gap. Against this backdrop, the paper's arguments were informed by a literature analysis on SIAs and the Just Energy Transition, semi-structured interviews, and surveys with 230 participants, including experts, from Kriel and Carolina in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The findings point to skills development barriers such as poor school attendance, a lack of alignment between existing curriculum design and labour markets, and students' low aptitude for STEM subjects. It also identifies community sustainability issues linked to poor public participation, gender inequalities in land reform and economic participation, and culturally disruptive displacements that will intensify as the energy shift unfolds. The paper submits that SIAs, if incorporated into mainstream energy transition planning, might be a long-term approach to mitigating societal costs and can support socially responsible policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International comparative measures show that South Africa has extremely low standards in reading. A variety of programmes aimed at boosting reading have been developed, however, the effectiveness of these programmes is unclear. Prior reviews of effective reading instruction practices have focused almost exclusively on learners whose first language and language of instruction is English. This paper reviews evidence from 17 intervention studies which focused on the teaching of reading comprehension in the distinctive multilingual context of South Africa. Although in line with prior reviews, we found some evidence that reading strategy instruction including vocabulary development are features of successful interventions alongside effective teacher education and resourcing of reading. These findings remained inconclusive due to variability in the quality of research, considerable methodological variations of the studies and the limited number of studies. Research in this field requires a more rigorous scientific approach to improve the evidence base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Stuart Hall's concept of articulation and the concrete with Bridget O'Laughlin's reminder of a focus on the struggles of living labour, this paper theorizes racial capitalism in South Africa from the concrete relations of retail labour in Johannesburg. The paper examines ways in which white working class women constituted retailing, struggling for their own claims in relation to gendered family and workplace orders, which in turn conditioned how black women organized when they entered front-line service jobs in the late 1960s, which then disrupted this order to explain a very different class politics and to constitute anew these meaningful spaces. These processes happened through multiple mediations. Retail capital not only contributed to economic expansion; labour relations in shops constituted specific affective spaces as meaningful terrains of collective belonging, projecting ideologies and explaining differentiated "subjects in struggle". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two competitive approaches are dominant in the debate about the optimal strategy to cope with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Conflict-Management and Conflict-Resolution. This paper suggests looking at them as complementary. It presents four models of peacemaking. The first, the Strong Leader Model, involves drastic unilateral initiatives taken by one of the parties. The second, the Social Reformer Model, encourages domestic reforms within each of the parties. The third, the Political Elite Model, offers various forms of diplomatic interactions and is the dominant experience in Middle East peace processes. The fourth, the Public Assembly Model, proposes the creation of a major Israeli-Palestinian Public Negotiating Congress, based on the multiparty talks used in South Africa and Northern Ireland during the 1990s. This paper concludes that a multifaceted approach, which uses insights from all models in an integrated fashion, has the potential to create a momentum for a revolutionary peacemaking process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transdisciplinary research has gained traction globally for mapping pathways for sustainable urbanisation. The involvement of local communities is believed to central to knowledge co-production needed to address sustainability challenges. But working with local communities can be challenging. This paper is structured around the authors' personal reflections on undertaking transdisciplinary household energy conservation projects in Ghana and South Africa. The paper reflects on the assumptions and challenges of doing transdisciplinary research in urban Africa and suggests some guidelines for consideration when doing transdisciplinary projects. An inductive analysis of our reflections showed five key challenges: lack of integration, divergent problem identification, tensions in knowledge co-production, asymmetrical power relations, and distrust and managing expectations. We draw on our collective experiences to develop guidelines for conducting transdisciplinary research in urban Africa. These guidelines are not prescriptive but can be useful for a growing and broader audience interested in undertaking transdisciplinary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many alien tree species were introduced into grassland ecosystems in South Africa by the commercial forestry industry for paper and timber for furniture. Over decades some of these introduced species escaped into neighbouring farms and community land. Adult trees from these alien species now provide other ecosystem services, notably fuelwood. Depending on the spatio-temporal context, many of these species can also negatively affect ecosystem services. We collected interview data from commercial and communal farmers in the upper Umzimvubu catchment in South Africa to compare farmers' knowledge and perceptions of invasive wattle species invasion and their associated ecosystem services and disservices. Fuelwood and fencing poles were the most common uses of wattle by commercial (83%; 67%) and communal (99%; 49%) farmers. On the other hand, the reduction of grass cover and loss of grazing land were the most commonly mentioned negative impacts of wattles by commercial (83%; 75%) and communal (92%; 80%) farmers. Although both groups recognise the importance of wattles in providing ecosystem services, most communal farmers perceived wattles to have more negative effects than benefits. The findings demonstrate that both farmer groups highly depend on ecosystem services and are affected by disservices of wattles. However, while large-scale commercial households favour the presence of wattles in the landscape, communal households prefer complete removal of the wattles from the landscape. This may be due to lack of locally available alternative options or inability to replace or purchase ecosystem services affected by wattles from other sources or markets like commercial farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Teacher quality in primary schools in South Africa is a serious concern, and how best to prepare teachers in initial teacher education—with regard to mathematics—remains an open and vexing question. There is a confluence of challenges facing the mathematics education community in South Africa: poor conceptual understanding of mathematics amongst teachers; poor attainment in Primary Teacher Education mathematics tests at both first and fourth year levels; and few initial teacher education programmes having evidence of improving knowledge for teaching mathematics. In addition, few lecturers in initial teacher education make explicit the theoretical tenets informing their course design for mathematics. In response to the latter challenge, this paper makes explicit the design choices made in the Emergent Number Sense first year mathematics module in Bachelor of Education degrees, used across six universities in South Africa. It then theorises the choice to commence the B.Ed mathematics programmes with two pathways into number knowledge: (1) a counting pathway, making use of discrete objects or events which can be quantified by counting in ones; and (2) a measurement pathway, making use of continuous extents which can be quantified by introducing a unit of measurement. Each has a distinct metaphor, strategy for the reification of the 10 and supporting representation. This offers the lecturers using the course in their own design trials, and initial teacher educators beyond the Maths4Primary Teachers collective, a conceptual framework for this design choice, which can now be critiqued and further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence in South Africa of poor performance on word problems points to particular challenges among learners relating to difficulties with, on the one hand, making sense of mathematical word problems and, on the other, moving beyond inefficient counting based calculation methods. While many studies in mathematics education in South Africa have tended to focus on one or the other issue, in this paper our focus is on a coding model that brings both interpretation of word problems and calculation into view simultaneously. This coding model was devised to capture and summarise learner work on solving additive relations word problems across pre-, post- and delayed post-tests around an intervention focused on improving additive word problem-solving. The coding model allowed for initial quantitative summarising of learner responses in ways that facilitated the tracking of shifts in learners' interpretations of the problem, their calculations and answers, while also pointing to salient avenues for more in-depth qualitative analysis. We argue through the analysis that the coding scheme afforded a holistic view of the profiles of learners' engagement across the three tests, thus opening a path away from the tendency towards the single-focus of analyses of word problems seen in many prior studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on mathematical equivalence, and to some extent, on number structure in early grade mathematics, has shown that most students at primary and secondary levels understand these concepts instrumentally rather than relationally. The study reported in this paper uses a design research approach to explore both mathematical equivalence and number structure in a primary pre-service teacher education programme at a university in South Africa and reports on an intervention strategy intended to culminate in developing design principles comprising guidelines for the effective teaching of number structure and mathematics equivalence in primary pre-service teacher education programmes. The mixed method study comprises 70 first-year primary pre-service teachers (PSTs) and a teacher educator. The PSTs wrote pre- and post-tests, and were interviewed following the pre-test. Skemp's notion of relational and instrumental understanding guided the design of the intervention and the analysis of the data. The results from the study indicates that PSTs' understanding of the notion of equivalence is similar to what has been reported for students in schools, and that there were some learning gains in the post-test results. Based on the findings from the study in general, some emergent design principles are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explored how vulnerable, immunocompromised groups and caregivers of the elderly experienced and perceived the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely between the 5th andthe 18th of April 2020 in the three South African provinces hardest hit by Covid-19, namely Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. In total, 60 qualitative key informant interviews and one focus group discussion were conducted. Study participants expressed concerns for elderly people and people with underlying health conditions because of their increased vulnerability to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). People living with HIV expressed an increased fear of infection following the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa. The sidelining of healthcare services and stock-outs of medication proved to be an added concern in particular for vulnerable and immunocompromised groups. Overall, the data suggest that the fear of infection is ubiquitous for people who live in unstable environments such as overcrowded townships and informal settlements. Given the increased fears of infection brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the mental health of vulnerable communities and those caring for them becomes an added burden for people living in unstable environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National policy documents are important platforms for the prioritisation of social issues which is likely to spur research into the development of evidence-based practice guidelines that are effective and cost-efficient. In relation to the impact of substance abuse on the family, carefully designed policies that magnify support for the family can help lessen the burden of substance abuse on families. Using the Family Impact Lens (FIL) framework, this paper explored how family issues in relation to substance abuse are addressed within three South African policy and strategic documents: thePrevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse (PTSA) Act(2008), theNational drug master plan(NDMP; 2013–2017) and theWhite paper on families in South Africa(2012). In keeping with the framework of the FIL, we evaluated whether the policies (1) mention the effects of substance abuse on the family, (2) recognise the importance of the family in the relative’s rehabilitation and (3) address the needs of family members by providing policy directives to support families who are affected by substance abuse (affected family members (AFMs)). Although all three policies recognise that families are negatively impacted by a relative’s substance abuse, the policies are overly focussed on individual approaches to deal with substance abuse and fail to adequately address the support needs of AFMs. Research on the support needs of AFMs is warranted in addition to the evaluation or development of evidence-based strategies to support AFMs. Further implications and recommendations for policy-makers, researchers and practitioners are provided in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper introduces the possibility of asymmetry in the reaction of output growth to inflation shocks in South Africa by making use of the Markov-switching vector autoregressive model. Using quarterly data from 1969Q1 to 2013Q4, the empirical finding suggests that the reaction of output growth to inflation shocks is not only regime dependent but is also contingent on how the monetary authority reacts to such shocks. Two important regimes are identified; the high and low inflation volatility regimes. Consistent with the signal extraction theory, the output effect of inflation shocks is found to be significantly lower in the high inflation volatility regime compared to the low inflation regime. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Photovoltaic (PV) panel has received attention due to its environmental advantages; however, It has yet to achieve the desired efficiency and economic maturity. In this regard, PV tracking techniques play a pivotal role in maximizing the performance of the PV system. The main objective of this paper is to determine the optimal scenario for obtaining the highest efficiency and profitability for a rural household in Africa. The tracking options include fixed-tilt (FT), horizontal axis (HM), vertical axis (HV), and dual-axis tracker (DA) using to discover the lowest cost between LF and CC dispatch strategies. The optimal solution according to the lowest net present cost (NPC) as an optimization indicator is identified, and then sensitivity analysis is conducted to generalize the results for other technical, economic, and climate conditions. The FT-based solution indicates the profitable option with NPC, levelized energy cost (LCOE), and CO2 emissions of $13.7k, $0.258/kWh, and 281.11 kg/year, respectively. The increase in SOCmin values would escalate reliance on the DG to meet the required load, resulting in higher NPC and CO2 emissions. The highest and lowest increase of NPC by raising fuel price is found under DA and FT trackers, respectively. PV production and the renewable fraction of FT-based and HM-based hybrid systems are more sensitive to changing albedo. Comparison with the previous paper also shows that the optimal HES has $58k and $0.005/kWh lower values of NPC and LCOE, respectively, to satisfy the same load demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effects of process innovation and product innovation on firm-level employment in South Africa. We contribute through two novel extensions, analyzing how export status and the degree of novelty of innovation affect the innovation-employment relationship. We find process innovation to be more employment generating than product innovation. Furthermore, both process and product innovations have larger positive effects on employment growth for exporting firms relative to non-exporting firms. Finally, firms that introduce radical innovations that are new to the market, experience a higher positive employment effect than firms that introduce innovations that are new to only the firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the extent of "greenness" of South African REITs; and whether green investments have any significant effects on the REITs return performance at the aggregate level. It used publicly-accessible green buildings and financial data obtained from the Green Building Council of South Africa's (GBCSA) website and financial reports of 27 REITs that operate in South Africa, respectively. With only 11 REITs having green buildings in their portfolios, the results show phenomenal growth in the cumulative amount of green Gross Lettable Area (GLA) in under a decade -- from a paltry 38,133 square metres of GLA in 2013, to over two million square metres of GLA in 2021. From panel analyses, consistent regression results show that green variables were positive and statistically significant across most of the estimated models. The statistically significant results imply that increased investments in green infrastructures have positive effects on REITs' return performances. The study has implications for research and practice as far as the investments by REITs in green buildings in South Africa is concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) are not a new concept and are being used in many countries to promote healthy eating and the prevention of diet-related chronic diseases. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommended FBDGs as an approach to prevent malnutrition and promote healthy dietary behaviours in populations, taking into consideration local conditions, traditional dietary practices and socioeconomic and cultural factors whilst at the same time using evidence-based scientific principles. South Africa (SA) currently has two sets of guidelines, namely the paediatric food-based dietary guidelines and the South African FBDGs for the population aged seven years and older. The recognition that elderly malnutrition remains a major public health concern in SA led to the formulation of a specific set of guidelines for this vulnerable population group based on existing nutrition-related health issues, local dietary habits and barriers to food intake experienced by those aged 60 and above. This introductory paper on the development of the elderly food-based dietary guidelines (EFBDGs) will be followed by six technical papers motivating why these guidelines are suited to address nutrition-related issues among the elderly in SA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic at the onset of the year 2020 brought unprecedented suffering to humanity. Economic activities in virtually all nations across the globe were brought to a shuddering halt, with the third world suffering the worst effects on the economic front. The health security of nations across the globe was shaken, as nations came to terms with the surging health needs for the infected citizens. In order to grapple with the pandemic, nations took drastic measures, chief among them being the implementation of lockdowns, coupled with harsh restrictions. These measures, however, came at a cost. This paper explores the impacts of the restrictive measures that were implemented by the Zimbabwean government to combat COVID-19 pandemic. The paper interrogates these measures in the context of the national security discourse. In the analysis, the paper also makes reference to South Africa- a more developed nation and Zimbabwe's neighbour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate South Africa's implementation of educational Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which is led by Gauteng and the Western Cape Provinces, for participation in the global knowledge economy. Accordingly, the two provinces are in the forefront of educational ICT implementation aimed at preparing learners for participation in the global knowledge economy and national development. The paper uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to examine South Africa in comparison with fourteen developing countries to establish that its approach towards implementation of educational technology is not appropriate, sustainable nor effective for a developing country. Experiences of developing countries such as Vietnam, Zambia and Kenya, which are in the medium and low Human Development Index (HDI) categories, show that national technological cultures of people have not evolved into what is characterised as the 'Net Natives', which is one of the primary driving force for the adoption of blended pedagogies as an approach for implementing educational technology, to enhance participation in the global knowledge economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the pragmatic stance that the United States adopted, during the Nixon era, regarding relations with Pretoria. The Nixon administration believed that Washington needed to prioritise the protection of its own strategic and commercial interests and not become overly concerned about the domestic agenda of its global partners. The vehement anti-communism of the National Party government combined with a profitable economic relationship and the abundant mineral resources of the apartheid state dictated a need on practical grounds for closer ties with South Africa. This stance was further reinforced by Nixon's contempt for sub-Saharan Africans and lack of interest in achieving racial justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. South Africa has an enabling legislative and policy framework that promotes the protection of adolescents and young people's sexual and reproductive health and rights. Much of the literature in this field has identified discriminatory and hostile attitudes from healthcare workers as a major underlying factor to negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes for this age cohort. Not as well understood is the role of structural violence although this type of violence, through its structures of injustice and inequalities, is closely associated with stigma and discrimination. Data and sources. To contribute to closing this research gap, this paper draws on the findings of a larger qualitative study, specifically focus group discussions with young people aged 15–24 years. Results. The consequences of these attitudes within the structural violence framework are illuminated as are recommendations for enhancing access to sexual and reproductive health and services by adolescents and young people. Discussion and conclusion. Key among the latter is that young people's sexual and reproductive health needs and wellbeing should be pursued through a multisectoral approach that encompasses stigma reduction interventions involving the young people, families, and communities collaborating with healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to clean and functional toilet is quintessential in meeting children's physiological and psychosocial needs in a learning environment. However, little is known on experiences of children's access to quality toilets while in preschool institutions within urban settings of sub-Saharan Africa countries. This paper draws from a study that explored experiences of vulnerable children in early childhood development education (ECDE) institutions in underserved and informal urban settings of Kenya and South Africa. 11 urban ECDE centres were purposively selected and 17 teachers were recruited as key informants. Data was collected using an adapted infrastructural checklist, observation and conversational interviews. Findings indicated that a majority of toilets in ECDE centres were inadequate, inappropriate, poorly maintained, or had structural weaknesses which affected children's experiences of access and use of the facilities. Scheduled toilet visits as a control measure and toilet avoidance potentially exposed them to psychosocial and health risks. Insights into children's toilet facilities, managing their access in institutions located within informal and low resourced areas, and investment policies that target preschool children' sanitary facilities are given. Suggestions are made for interventions for children's positive toilet experiences in poor urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating car data (FCD) reliability studies regularly report differences between FCD and benchmark speeds, called speed bias. Comparatively few studies consider factors causing speed bias. Various researchers have suggested, but not proven, that the sample of probes reporting FCD may result in FCD accuracy discrepancies between regions and sources. This paper defines a new FCD accuracy contributor – sample bias – and offers the first statistically motivated investigation of the impact that the FCD sample has on FCD accuracy, measured by speed bias. Evidence for sample bias is considered by observing how speed bias is impacted by region and FCD source. The magnitude of speed bias on freeways differed significantly between six cities in South Africa (p <.001) and between two commercial FCD sources (p =.046), from which it is inferred that sample bias does impact FCD speed bias. These findings inform the application of FCD for comparative studies and overall accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa's 2021 local government elections witnessed the lowest voter turnout since the advent of democracy. This reflects a longer trajectory of declining voter turnout. The primary objective of this paper was to discuss factors that contributed to the hesitancy of the electorate in participating in local government elections in South Africa particularly the rural perspective. The study employed qualitative approaches, designs and methods. It relied mostly on literature review and utilised document review of reports and plans in order to gather data. The findings highlight that this behaviour reflects how political parties treat the electorate once elected in municipal councils. Furthermore, elections no longer offer hope for the improvement of the lives of voters. The other factors contributing to low turnout at the polls include political, social, economic perceptions of the voters. This article recommends that multisectoral efforts be concerted to address the major challenge at hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2021 local government elections (LGE) in the Republic of South Africa once again delivered hung metropolitan municipalities – a phenomenon that became common following the 2016 LGE results. The City of Cape Town is, however, a metropolitan municipality that has experienced coalition governance since the early 2000s, while the rest of South Africa's metropolitan municipalities were governed by the ruling African National Congress from 1994 to 2016. The 2021 LGE delivered coalition governments across the majority of metropolitan councils, namely: City of Tshwane (the capital), City of Johannesburg (Africa's economic hub), Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, City of Ethekwini, and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. This paper provides a conceptualisation of 'coalition governance and politics', and key characteristics of this phenomenon in South Africa and globally. Conceptual and operational understandings of coalitions is crucial given their increasing prevalence in South Africa. Areas of cooperation, compromise, consensus and divergence among the prospective coalition partners in South Africa are also examined in the article (based on political party electoral performance trends, political ideology, policy preferences and leadership personalities and qualities). Such factors are important because they determine the likely feasibility, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of coalition governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is no longer debatable that the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 caused a resurgence in the role of the state and propelled the need for novel responses reinforced by the structural component of the state. The structural component of the state refers to the administrative power, resources and capacity of the state to mitigate the impact of the pandemic in the context of COVID-19. This paper explores the relationship between the central and local states in coordinating efforts to attenuate and respond to the pandemic, and the meaning of state-led responses for South Africa's developmental state ambition. The South African government demonstrated political willingness to utilize its structural component by distributing its administrative capacity, resources and power to all the spheres of government to fight the pandemic through its stimulus package. The country's pandemic responses reveal good implications for strengthening institutional arrangements and consolidating a well-coordinated and capable developmental state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deaf learners are among the most disadvantaged when it comes to educational outcomes in South Africa. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to explore the educational needs of learners who are deaf and use the findings as a basis from which to strengthen their education. This research employed a qualitative research design, drawing on interviews with deaf learners, teachers, school management team members (SMTs) and parents. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings reveal that deaf learners have significant difficulty in communicating with their teachers, and that teachers of the deaf in South Africa are not sufficiently trained to understand the educational needs of their learners. Recommendations regarding the strengthening of training for teachers of the deaf are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an environment of changing customer needs, technological advancement and digitization, the importance of business model innovation in supporting companies to accrue benefits from increased digitization while counteracting threats has intensified. Factors driving business model innovation could be of value in facilitating business model innovation success and accrue benefits from increasing digitization. As the factors driving business model innovation are often triggers for the next cycle, however, there is limited empirical research on factors driving business model innovation. This paper presents empirical findings on factors driving business model innovation using unstructured interviews with nine executives from five sample companies in South Africa. Main finding from the research indicate that both external and internal factors such as existential crises, serve as valuable triggers for business model innovation. Furthermore, entrepreneurial inspirational leadership and quality of staff are important conditions for business model innovation success. The study findings imply that both companies and policymakers who seek to facilitate innovation need to take into account the impact of the business model innovation triggers on business model innovation success. The main contribution of the paper is the empirical finding on factors driving business model innovation using as a lens the sample case study companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper discusses the results from the first formal needs assessment conducted in South Africa to identify university curriculum development needs for addiction science training, particularly Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). Aim: The aim of the study was to report on the current addiction science curricula available at South African universities, educator views on the need for a new specialized addiction science curriculum, and the feasibility of implementing such a curriculum. Method: A 33 item electronic survey was emailed to respondents. Results: There is no standardization in SUD curriculum content and training at South African universities. Academic staff responsible for offering SUD training and curriculum development pedagogies in addiction are inadequately trained with a lack of content expertise. The absence of clear accreditation and certification standards and protocols results in graduates of varying competency levels and no registration as an addiction professional. Conclusion: Standardized academic training in addiction science is crucial for the professionalization of an addiction workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes that the dissemination of marginal archival resources can be informed by forms of socioeconomic precarity experienced by their creators and primary subjects. To account for these modes of circulation, the author proposes the notion of a precarious archive. The concept is developed with reference to the Kewpie Collection, an official though marginal archival resource containing photographs as well as recordings and transcripts of interviews with the photographs' collector, Kewpie. The Collection depicts a group of self-described gays and girls living in District Six, a multicultural, inner-city area of apartheid Cape Town, before and during the District's physical destruction by the Nationalist government. By the early 1980s, the girls were among the sixty thousand residents forcibly removed from the District because they were legally classified 'Coloured'. The circulation of materials constituting the Kewpie Collection is characterised as precarious in two senses. First, the materials have been available to diverse uses incorporating a range of identificatory claims, often in terms in which Kewpie does not describe herself. Second, Kewpie's account of the girls' experiences of precarity has been de-emphasised and her photographs celebrated as evidence of the ability of gay lives to flourish in the lost District. The author instead reads these photographs as one example of the girls' efforts to imagine new forms of social existence in the absence of sustaining infrastructure and thereby enable liveability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author explores the context that contributed to the evolution of the South African Intelligence Community (SAIC) from political police to an independent security state during the apartheid, nondemocratic regime (1961–1994). It also assesses the circumstances that led to the demise of authoritarian rule and the reform of the intelligence apparatus. It finds that such factors as the security landscape, changes in leadership, and enabling legislation assisted the SAIC's consolidation of power as political police, morphing it into an independent security state during that period. Subsequently, leadership, liberalization measures, scandals, and inquiries contributed to the demise of the apartheid intelligence apparatus and the slow emergence of a democratically inclined SAIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the tensions and struggles over elder care that are happening in South Africa between family caregivers, care workers and the state. These struggles are experienced and expressed at the familial and community level but are best understood by examining how the state has de-funded facilities in favour of ‘ageing in place’ without any additional investment in community and home-based care support. The findings reveal that stresses on unpaid and paid carers are expressed in terms of individual failings and interpersonal conflict rather than through a socio-political contextual lens. These findings contribute to how a familialist care regime impacts the everyday personal relationships between paid and unpaid carers of older persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]