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The port sectors in a country play an important role in its economy. This paper presents an input-output analysis on how the port sectors impact a concerned economy using the South African case. Moreover, this paper reports how a rectangular Supply and Use Table system of national accounts can be converted to a traditional square symmetric matrix type system. A range of models, such as demand-driven, supply-driven and price models, were derived for the estimation. From these models, the production effect together with the forward and backward linkage effects, price change effects and employment effects were estimated to determine the impact of port sectors. The overall forward linkage effect of the port sector was 0.97 and the backward one was 0.48, indicating that the port sector does not appear to use other sectors much in producing its activities whereas the port sector is used relatively more by other industries owing to its relatively high forward linkage effect. The overall impact effect of the port sector per unit shortage on all other products was found to be 1.1705. Therefore, one unit shortage in the port sector would have incurred a 17% loss to the entire economy in 2002. Leontief׳s price model was used for the scenario that what would occur if the price of port sector׳s cost was increased by various ranges from 5%, 10% and 30% to 50% and 100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper draws on a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to evaluate the extent and causes of income inequality in South Africa after 1994. In doing so the paper extends the CGE-modelling approach in South Africa by incorporating dynamics into the comparative static CGE model used by the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa. The 1995 Social Accounting Matrix for South Africa prepared by DRI-WEFA SA (Pty) Ltd. (now Global Insight Southern Africa) is used as database. The results from the paper is consistent with evidence from recent household and firm-level surveys in South Africa and supports labour market reform coupled with social security as instruments to achieve more equitable outcomes from globalisation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Assessment of water footprint sustainability indicators and economic water productivities is regarded as a cornerstone of the world’s sustainability goal and the reduction of the fresh water scarcity risk. These assessments are gaining much prominence because about four billion people face severe water scarcity, globally. Attaining sustainable and economically efficient water use goals requires a thorough assessment of all the existing sectors that use water. This paper examined the water footprint and economic water productivities of dairy products in South Africa for the periods 1996–2005 and 2006–2013 using the water footprint network assessment methodology. We found the total water footprints of all the selected dairy products in South Africa to be higher than the global averages are. During the period of 1996–2005, South African dairy producers utilized more green water in their dairy production. The production of butter and cheese products, whether grated or not grated, powdered or not powdered, blue-veined and cheese of all kinds had the highest total water footprints among all the dairy products in South Africa. Dairy production under a sole grazing system has high water footprints and low economic water productivities, relative to mixed production systems, for the period 2006–2013. With blue water becoming scarcer in South Africa, it is time for dairy livestock producers to shift their production to a system that is highly productive and has low water footprints. The water footprints of most of the dairy products for period 2006–2013 have reduced by varying amounts, relative to 1996–2005, which shows that water users along the dairy industry chains are managing water cautiously. Our findings have revealed dairy products that have high economic water productivities, and suggest that profit maximising and environmentally sustainable dairy producers and water users should integrate both blue water sustainability and economic water productivity indicators in their production decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007, the South African government embarked on an ambitious program to subsidise installation of 1 million solar water heaters (SWH) by 2014. The program has subsequently stalled in 2015 after falling short of its target and SWHs are now commercially available without subsidies. This paper investigates the economic attractiveness of SWHs for chosen municipalities across South Africa, by establishing a “base case” scenario of an average SWH, a low density housing hot water consumer profile and average historic economic data. The effect of varying a selection of parameters, such electricity price, discount rate, mortgage rate, SWH efficiency and price, fuel price inflation and household size on the base case payback period is studied. The error associated with the use of such an average profile is estimated. The longest and shortest payback period for each of the varied parameters is displayed for the municipalities under study. It is found that the average payback period of 8 years in South Africa exceeds the SWH warranty period by three years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: While attention to the socio-ecological and political economic influences on health grows, there remains a paucity of political ecological analyses of health (King, 2010). At the same time, the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Global South demands new conceptual and pragmatic engagements with their modifiable risk factors. Drawing on the example of South Africa, this paper argues that alcohol consumption might usefully be theorised in political ecological lexicon as a “disaster”. To do so, it draws attention to the upstream causes of vulnerability, rather than just the downstream effects of risky drinking. This reorientation is needed for sustainable, publicly acceptable alcohol policies. To realise this, it draws on Blaikie et al.’s (1994, 2003) political ecological approach to risk, vulnerability and coping and, more specifically, applies their Pressure and Release model to explore liquor as a situated “disaster” in South Africa’s Western Cape province. In so doing, it aims to mark out an under-explored research agenda that considers alcohol as a pervasive governance dilemma. In addition, it also reflects on the model’s utility as a means of communicating findings that might reorient policy discussions on alcohol control in both South Africa and countries of the Global South. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents results from a survey of waste management authorities aimed at identifying the opportunities and constraints associated with implementing economic instruments (EIs) for solid waste management (SWM) in South Africa (SA). Almost all respondents felt that EIs could lead to reduced waste generation and increased diversion of waste from landfill to recycling, and that they should eventually be implemented in the field of SWM in SA, although opinions varied as to the appropriate timeframe for implementation. The general consensus was that a number of fundamentals had to be in place first, including promulgation of the Waste Management Bill (which has since been promulgated as the Waste Act), political will, education and awareness, capacity and infrastructure development, cost recovery in waste management practices, and enforcement of existing instruments, such as the Minimum Requirements for landfill design and operation. Based on these and other issues raised by respondents, a number of recommendations are made for further research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SEA has been described as being more about process than about product. Yet very little research has been conducted to gain a better understanding of how SEA processes perform within developing country contexts. To address this gap in knowledge the research underlying this paper aimed to evaluate the quality of SEA processes within the South African context against specifically designed key performance indicators. Comparison of the different data patterns revealed general SEA process features as well as three broad models, namely the ‘stand alone’, ‘central to decision making’ and ‘integrated’ models. The research results suggest a particularly poor performance in terms of process quality for the SEA case studies investigated. Moreover, it shows that there is no one understanding of SEA process within the South African context. The main limitations related to a weak understanding of the decision making processes SEA aimed to inform, as well as an inability to incorporate flexibility into process design. To take the debate forward it is proposed that SEA follow-up and effectiveness research be explored to determine which of these models (if any) ultimately contributed to influencing decision making and promote sustainability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rapid urbanisation has resulted in an increase in urban poverty in the developing world. In response, some governments in developing nations are increasingly considering urban agriculture to combat poverty. However, understandings of formal intervention to link small scale urban food producers to urban markets are still limited. This paper will present findings from a tentative study of the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market; a farmers'' market located in Johannesburg, Gauteng province, South Africa. Results from a survey of urban farmers suggest that a free market economy may not provide equal benefit between large and small scale urban producers. Key findings reveal that beneficial relationships and risk-sharing mechanisms are key for urban producers to access this urban market. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent policy recommendations have called for increased research efforts to inform the design of cost-effective interventions to address the shortage of health workers in rural areas. This paper takes forward the recent use of Discrete Choice Experiments to assess the effects of potential incentives to attract nurses to rural areas. The analysis relies on data collected in South Africa between August and November 2008. Effectiveness measures derived from Discrete Choice Experiments are combined in a Markov model to derive the long-term effects of policies, and costs are evaluated with secondary data. Measures involving the selection of more nursing students who are more likely to accept positions in rural areas are shown to be the most cost-effective interventions. If such policies could not be implemented, the next best options are to offer preferential access to specialist training to nurses willing to work in rural areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recent work on assessing household food insecurity has focused mainly on experiential-based measures using qualitative survey questions. In this paper, we employed two quantitative measures to estimate prevalence rates for household food insecurity in South Africa. One measure, termed food poverty, assessed whether the amount spent by a household on food was inadequate to purchase a low cost food plan. Low energy availability assessed whether the food energy available to a household, through its purchases and home production, was less than the sum of its members' recommended energy intakes. The 1995 Income and Expenditure Survey, a large representative survey of South African households (n = 28,704), was used for this secondary data analysis. Results showed that 43% of households were in food poverty in October 1995, and 55% had a low energy availability. These indicators allowed classification of households into four groups: food poverty only; low energy availability only; food insecure on both measures; and food secure. These groups differed on various aspects of household food consumption, suggesting that these indicators can be used to target different types of interventions to meet specific needs. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses showed that households that were food insecure on both measures were more likely to be in rural areas, have low incomes or large household sizes, and be headed by Africans or individuals of mixed ancestry. These patterns of food insecurity were corroborated by previous research on income poverty and nutritional status, suggesting that food poverty and low energy availability are useful, quantitative indicators for assessing food insecurity in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the declining levels of respect for teachers in two communities in Cape Town, South Africa. Education has been identified as a key area of reform and redress, but a critical skills shortage and under-resourced schools are hindering progress. Data from current and former teachers illustrate how the social and institutional capital of education is being replaced by a focus on economic capital, undermining the prestige of teaching as a career. These problems reflect trends elsewhere in the world and require action to prevent further shortages in education. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There has been growing interest in the application of institutionalist perspectives in the health economics literature. This paper investigates the institutionalist notion of social value and its use in economic evaluation with particular reference to a program to address HIV/AIDS and gender violence in Southern Africa (IMAGE). Institutions are the rules that govern the conduct between individuals, groups and organisations. Their social value stems from their capacity to reduce the uncertainty in human interactions thereby both reducing transaction costs and, importantly, enabling the initiation and sustainability of various activities (instrumental value). Furthermore, institutions tend to be formed around certain ethical positions and as a consequence, act in binding future decision making to these positions (intrinsic value). Incorporating such notions of social value within a conventional welfare-based measure of benefit is problematic as institutional development is not necessarily consistent with individual utility. An institutionalist approach allows for these additional domains to be factored into economic evaluation. IMAGE is an intervention to reduce gender violence and HIV through microfinance, health education and community development, and involves significant initial investment in institution-building activities, notably through training activities with program staff and community members. The key to employing an institutionalist approach to the evaluation of IMAGE is in understanding the nature of those actions that can be seen as institution-building and determining: (1) the instrumental value of follow-up activities by appropriate amortisation of transaction costs over an horizon that reflects the economies gained from the intervention; and (2) the intrinsic value of any transformation in the community through a cost-consequences approach informed by an a priori conceptual model. This case study highlights how health sector interventions can effect institutional changes and how these are captured within a theory-based economic evaluation framework. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes aspects of a research project which used linguistic and intertextual analysis of student writing to investigate the relationship between the academic curriculum and student voice in a first year economics course at a South African university. I argue that the discourses and practices of first year university economics textbooks provide a model of literacy practices which contradict many of the literacy practices of the discipline of economics. The first year economics textbook in particular, rather than exposing students to a variety of arguments and encouraging the development of critical reading skills appropriate for academic contexts, tends to be single voiced. This gives the impression of consensus in the discipline and it may encourage rote learning and plagiarism. This argument is supported with data from a research project. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The rapid development of water resources in the Olifants river basin in South Africa, while stimulating economic growth, paid little attention to equity considerations among different users. Some 90% of the population of the basin was excluded from access to water when the present pattern of water allocations was developed. The recently enacted and very progressive water law aims at ensuring greater equity in access to water so that the benefits accruing from different water uses will be felt by a larger number of users. This paper examines the implications of water reallocations on water use and productivity at the basin level with a special focus on opportunities for revitalizing and expanding smallholder irrigation systems that are currently performing poorly and in many instances going out of production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Chinese manufacturing exports to Sub-Saharan Africa challenge South Africa's economic influence in the region. To evaluate this, the paper develops and applies a conceptual framework that distinguishes between the intensive and extensive margins of Chinese export competition. South African exports of new and existing manufactured products to Sub-Saharan Africa are found to have been negatively affected by Chinese competition relative to exports from other countries. Consequently, South Africa's exports to the region in 2010 were 20% lower than they would have been if they had been affected to the same degree as other countries. The crowding-out effects are found to be strongest in medium- and low-technology products. Overall, the data suggest that Chinese exports of manufactures have diminished South Africa's participation and economic influence in the region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examines the relevance of the concept of self-reliance inthe context of rural community economic development in South Africa.Whilst changing global and local circumstances oblige impoverished communities to become more pro-active in the enhancement of the quality of their lives, they nevertheless cannot ignore basic market forcesand the need for an appropriate level of external assistance. Four community-based agricultural ventures in South Africa's former Homelands are examined. A comparison between the four schemes permits an assessment to be made of what such community ventures require if they are to succeed and have a meaningful impact on job creation and povertyalleviation. The role of external support agencies and access to markets in each case features prominently in the assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1994 the new South African government started a policy process inthe fisheries sector. It was acknowledged that although the fisheries resources were reasonably well managed, the distribution of wealth and power within the fisheries was extremely uneven in favour of a few white-owned companies. A large national commission (FPDC) with members from all stakeholders worked out recommendations that later were turned into a White Paper and eventually into a new fisheries act. South Africa's new fisheries policy is based on a modified ITQ system, which to a large degree accommodates existing owners. New entrants have been offered a small part of the available resources and some state support in a transitional period -- a result falling far short of the expectations of the formerly dispossessed groups. Our key concern is to explain why institutions, in this case fisheries management institutions, change so slowly, even in a 'revolutionary' context. The evident paradox in the case of South Africa is that the state, which was supposed to represent 'the solution' in terms of a new and more equitable fisheries policy has turned into being 'the problem'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]