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Background and objective: This study explored the socio-economic challenges women entrepreneurs face in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It further examines the specific challenges these women encounter in running their businesses. Study design: A qualitative research approach was employed and draws insights from indepth interviews with forty (40) women entrepreneurs operating in various sectors of the Gauteng SMME sector. The study used semi-structured interviews to collect data from the participants. Through these interviews, participants shared their experiences, perspectives and challenges hindering their business success in the region. The data was analysed manually using a thematic analytical technique. Results: The findings identified several key challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. These were: (i) psychological issues, (ii) managerial issues, (iii) economic issues, (iv) sociocultural issues and (v) policy issues. These challenges are often exacerbated by gender-related disparities, which have substantial implications for business sustainability and growth potential. In addition to identifying these challenges, the study explores their impacts on business sustainability, which include the inability to achieve success, limited expansion, reduced confidence, a lack of strategic planning, and closure of the business, among others. Practical implications: Through the lens of social capital theory, it becomes evident that financial support, access to mentorship, and networking opportunities are vital components needed by women entrepreneurs to achieve business sustainability in Gauteng. Conclusion and summary: This study concludes that the facilitation of gender-inclusive policies, mentorship programmes, and financial support structures is essential in nurturing a business ecosystem conducive for the success of women entrepreneurs.

In the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) business environment of today, online marketing has become crucial for connecting with customers and the community. Organisations leverage online marketing to retain and grow their customer base by fostering engagement and building strong community ties. This study explores how start-up leaders utilise online marketing systems to achieve these benefits. Targeting successful small retail business owners in India, the research involved semi-structured and face-to-face interviews, while other data sources include reviews of public documents, company websites, and social media sites. The findings reveal the strategies that start-ups use to boost sales through digital marketing. Four key themes emerged from data collection and analysis: (a) social media platforms and strategies; (b) online marketing strategies and challenges; (c) online content strategies; and (d) follow-up strategies. These findings expounded upon the digital marketing techniques employed by business organisers to increase sales, build strong customer relationships, and promote community development. The study recommended that start-ups should enhance the use of social media platforms, refining online content to better engage target audiences, address the challenges inherent in online marketing, and develop robust follow-up strategies to maintain customer relationships. The study highlights how these businesses would enhance brand recognition, drive progress, and maintain sustainability by utilising various communication networks to advance and promote products and services in the retail industry.

Government initiatives to eradicate poverty in developing countries have included establishing microfinance programs to provide microloans and credit to the less privileged living in peri-urban and rural areas where commercial financial institutions are underrepresented. The study aims to investigate the effect of the South African Microfinance Apex Fund (SAMAF) on poverty alleviation and job creation. This case study targeted 103 beneficiary firms and self-employed individuals to send them questionnaires. The data analysis was primarily exploratory and descriptive. The findings show that the majority, 87%, agreed that the loans they accessed were sufficient for their business plans and needs. In addition, they were able to create at least one additional job after receiving the loan and improve their total business income on average compared to before the SAMAF loan. However, due to the risk of non-repayment of loans by recipients living in informal settlements, most microfinance intermediary institutions were unwilling to expand their operations into such settlements. SAMAF, on the other hand, has flaws, one of which is the slow delivery of funds to microfinance intermediary institutions, which needs to be addressed. The study concludes that to address the credit needs of semi-rural and rural residents, microfinance intermediary institutions must do more to expand into these areas and adopt a more aggressive and creative approach to the development of financial products and expand their access to include more of the poorest and most vulnerable households.

Achieving clean audit reports has remained a difficult task for most local municipalities in South Africa due to financial misappropriation, mismanagement, and the inability to apply legal actions against the defaulters who misuse municipal financial resources. This study explored the meaning of financial accountability, the state of municipal accountability in South Africa, the techniques other international countries adopt to ensure municipal financial accountability, the meaning of consequence management, and the possible measures to uphold consequence management in the local municipal context. A qualitative research approach was adopted, and a traditional literature review was applied to find answers to the study problems. Findings from the study reveal that financial accountability is the process of holding role-players who handle financial resources answerable to finances entrusted to them. It was discovered that the state of municipal financial management is worsening as only 17.8% of the municipalities could achieve clean audit reports in the 2020/2021 financial year. Considering the techniques used by international countries to achieve accountability, it was highlighted that they institute a central monitoring and reporting body to oversee the municipal financial practices while the concept of oversight is held in high esteem. Furthermore, it was discovered that most municipalities in South Africa do not facilitate consequence management, which has invariably escalated financial misappropriations and other poor financial practices. The study conclude that municipalities can enhance their financial practices if the recommendations of this study would be competently applied.

Talent management refers to the attraction, selection, and retention of employees, which involves a combination of HR processes across the employee life cycle. This study explored the best practice in talent management to ensure high potential talents are employed and retained due to the rising rate of employee turnover in the South African public service. A literature review and meta-analysis were conducted to explore different authors' views on the three main objectives of the study, which are to know the competencies of talent managers in developing high potential employees; explore the mechanisms talent managers can adopt in keeping high potential employees and to reveal the best practices in talent management. Findings from the study revealed that talent management is essential in assisting the employees in advancing their skills, improving their performance, and feeling engaged and motivated, thus allowing them to achieve desired goals. The ability to facilitate good planning, decision-making, change management, interpersonal relationships, emotional intelligence, programme implementation, and learning opportunities are the competencies required of talent managers to develop potential talents. Effective communication and feedback, promotion and advancement, efficient leadership, work-life balance, good organisational culture, development and training, and organisational commitment are the competencies required of talent managers to retain talents in the organisation. Regarding the best talent management practice, the study recommended that talent managers should specify the skills they need and select from a diverse pool of candidates. Other factors include onboarding practices, learning and development, performance management, an effective reward system, and a succession plan.

Social network sites, most notably Facebook, have fundamentally transformed the way information is transferred, received, and shared by individuals and organisations. This article explores the diverse contexts in which Facebook is utilised as a knowledge-sharing instrument, along with the key challenges encountered in adopting Facebook as a knowledge-sharing instrument. It also indicates the gaps in adopting Facebook as a knowledge-sharing instrument. In a systematic literature review, 400 articles accomplishing the research objectives were identified. The findings revealed that Facebook can be used in different contexts. Greater awareness of Facebook's versatility as a platform for knowledge sharing across various domains is recommended. This article also advises that the challenges related to cost, time investment and technical expertise be addressed, and emphasises the need for education and training.

Payment for municipal services by residents in municipalities of the North West province is a challenging issue as consumer debt keeps on accumulating despite measures taken by the municipal role players to curb escalating accruals. The purpose of this study was to device a conceptual framework to disclose innovative measures municipalities can consider in their endeavor to establish a responsible payment culture for the payment of municipal services. The systems, contingency and social contract theory underpins this study. This study anticipates to find how the effective application of factors such as fiscal exchange, policies and legislation, service administration and measurement, payment knowledge and education, budget transparency, social influence and deterrence messages influence the payment culture for municipal services. In addition, the study proposes that the collaboration of traditional leaders (and other influential persons or groups) and municipal role-players, and also the application of emerging innovations and communication options could contribute towards establishing a favourable payment culture. This study also suggests that municipalities should uphold the prescripts of strategic management and strategic leadership in order to be visionary, dynamic, goal oriented, transformational and tactical to manage payment culture and strategy conflict.Keywords: Payment Culture, Strategic Management, Strategic Leadership, Payment ComplianceJEL Classifications: D83, H63

Payment of residential property rates continues to be a contentious issue among the leaseholders in South Africa. The study investigates the payment practices on residential properties in one municipality. The purpose of the study was to identify the causes of defaults in payment of rates and to proffer solutions to minimise defaults and to recover debts. Systems and contingency theories underpinned the study. A mixed method approach involving both qualitative and quantitative data was applied. The population comprised of five local municipalities, 185 268 residential leaseholders and 437 municipal workers. Data were collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Survey data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Science while data collected from the interviews were transcribed, coded and discussed. The study concluded that defaults in payment were, inter alia, caused by failure of municipalities to impress upon residents the importance of paying rates and to promote alternative payment options.Keywords: Debt Management, Communication, Municipal Financial AdministrationJEL Classifications: D83, H63