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Intersectionality has gained a great deal of academic purchase within the social sciences but there is still a need for further conceptual and methodological innovation and clarity. As such, this study uses paid domestic labour as a case study to apply Billig et al.'s (Ideological dilemmas: A social psychology of everyday thinking, 1988) notion of ideological dilemmas to explore the common sense that paid domestic workers draw on to position themselves as women and workers. The analysis highlights how participants use (often contradictory) themes of common sense when speaking about their place in the household through dilemmas of servitude, belonging, and intimacy. Speakers draw on gendered ideology, not as a fixed set of ideas, but rather as a mobile discursive resource that can be deployed in situ, allowing them to justify, subvert, and evaluate social positions of domestic womanhood. The study provides both a conceptual window and a robust method for studying nonessentialist intersectionality through ideological dilemmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa has one of the highest prevalence rates globally for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Despite this, few interventions are routinely available for countering the adverse effects of perinatal drinking. The current study used the ADAPT-ITT framework to guide the development of a behavioral intervention with remote alcohol use monitoring and provision of financial incentives contingent on alcohol abstinence for people who are pregnant and postpartum. The study aims to maximize the intervention's relevance, acceptance, and effectiveness in reducing alcohol use during pregnancy and lactation, ultimately improving maternal and infant health outcomes in South Africa. Thirty-two in-depth interviews with people who were pregnant and 16 key-informant interviews with clinic and community members were conducted to help inform the intervention. The adapted intervention was pretested with 20 people who were pregnant or breastfeeding, and additional feedback was obtained from the community collaborative board. While there was widespread support for the intervention elements, some concerns were raised, including perceived high street value of a monitoring device, access to mobile phones to use such a device, frequency of monitoring, cheating when using a remote monitoring device, devices being lost or stolen, and the sustainability of long-term monitoring. The adapted intervention combines alcohol monitoring-based contingency management with text-based health promotion and information on where to access services tailored to maternal populations ready for testing in feasibility and efficacy trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of mobile phones across the world has contributed to the rise of mHealth interventions as a complementary means for improving health outcomes in areas where health facilities are limited. However, community members who do not own or have access to mobile devices feel excluded from such interventions. In this paper, we seek to understand and explore engagement strategies that support the inclusion of non-mobile phone owners in mHealth interventions. We conducted a review of mHealth and community engagement literature to gauge the strategies different studies have employed to engage non-mobile phone owners and users. We further reflected on two Southern African case studies from health and citizen engagement sectors to gain insights on ways non-mobile phone owners may feel included in mHealth interventions. Through a process of thematic analysis, we have identified three areas that mHealth implementers could draw from when designing more inclusive mHealth interventions. These strategies include the need for sensitising communities, using multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral collaboration, and embracing a braided approach to communication technologies. We hope that this paper will inform mHealth project implementers on different strategies they can use to include community members, regardless of whether they own mobile phones or not. [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]

This study examined the causal relationship between ICT, income inequality and economic growth in South Africa using data from 1990 to 2021. Three measures of ICT were used in the study, namely fixed telephone lines subscription, mobile cellular subscriptions and the proportion of people using the internet to the total population. Employing the autoregressive distributed lag approach, the study found a unidirectional causal flow from income inequality to ICT across all measures of ICT employed. Another unidirectional causal flow from economic growth to ICT was found in the short run when ICT was measured by fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular. When internet access was used as a measure of ICT, a bidirectional causality between internet access and economic growth in the short run and a unidirectional causal flow from internet access to economic growth was confirmed. Across all three measures of ICT, no causal relationship was confirmed between economic growth and income inequality. The study points to the importance of economic growth in increasing ICT access and the crucial role that internet access has on economic growth in South Africa. Policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local governments play an important role in the development of the livelihoods of local communities in South Africa. Local governments are responsible for the provision and delivery of basic services such as running water, proper sanitation, clean energy, waste removal, and decent housing. Public participation (PP) is arguably an essential element of local democracy through which local communities can contribute to improved service delivery. The current study focused on assessing the role of PP in service delivery in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. This was done by adopting a descriptive research design. Data on the factors affecting PP were collected from four different community groups (i.e., citizens, businesses, municipal managers, and ward committee members), using questionnaires and interviews. The results showed that information about PP is obtained via radio, television, newspapers, and mobile phones. Generally the initiatives relating to the ‘Batho Pele’ principles are acceptable in the Ekurhuleni community. Furthermore, concerning the quality of the services delivered by the municipality, the findings established that citizens agree that the municipality is aware of the service quality offered in the EMM. Although some citizens agree with the quality of the service delivery, some of them believe that the process still lacks consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many infants in low-resourced settings at high risk of infectious disease morbidity and death are deprived of the immunological and nutritional benefits of breast milk, through an attenuated duration of breast milk exposure. South Africa has one of the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rates in Africa, with 8% of infants under 6 months of age. We assume that breastfeeding is sustained among women living with HIV receiving weekly text messages and motivational interviewing and that this contributes to improved infant health outcomes. Objectives: (1) To evaluate the effectiveness of a combined intervention of mobile phone text messaging and motivational interviewing in promoting (a) exclusive breastfeeding and (b) any form of breastfeeding, until 6 months of child age, compared to usual care, among mothers living with HIV. (2) To evaluate the effectiveness of a combined intervention on (a) reduction in all-cause hospitalization and mortality rates and (b) improvements in infant linear growth, compared to usual care, among HIV-exposed infants aged 0–6 months. Methods: We are conducting a clinical trial to determine whether text messaging plus motivational interviewing prolongs breastfeeding and improves infant health outcomes. We are recruiting 275 women living with HIV and their HIV-exposed infants at birth and randomly assign study interventions for 6 months. Statistical methods: Breastfeeding rates are compared between the study groups using a standard proportion test and binomial regression. Survival endpoints are presented using Kaplan–Meier survival curves and compared between the study groups using the Cox proportional-hazards regression model. The count endpoint is analysed using the Poisson random-effects model and mean cumulative function. We use mixed linear regression models to assess the evolution of infant growth over time. The maximum likelihood method will be used to handle missing data. Discussion: The study findings may facilitate decision-making on (1) whether implementation of the breastfeeding policy achieved the desired outcomes, (2) interventions needed to sustain breastfeeding, and (3) whether the interventions do have an impact on child health. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05063240. Pan African Clinical Trial Registry PACTR202110870407786. Oct. 1, 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study empirically analyse the lived and individual experiences of internet use time among postgraduate students in a period where the line between the virtual and real is blurred. The infusion of the internet in higher education has not only facilitated the production of new knowledge but has also led to reports of internet addiction among many users during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. This study aims to evaluate the level of internet addiction among postgraduate students and the supportive information services role that librarians could provide. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, 279 postgraduate students completed a quantitative survey targeted at all the postgraduate students at a university campus in South Africa. Data was collected using an adopted internet addiction test questionnaire. The data was descriptively and inferentially analysed. Findings: As many as 61 (22.7%) are always online, with most of the respondents, 112 (41.6%) spend 10 h or more on the internet daily. Laptop computers at 44.7% emerged as the primary electronic device used by postgraduate students for accessing the internet, surpassing the prevalence of mobile phone usage. On internet addiction level, internet use time had a statistically significant relation with problematic internet use levels in respondents. These results suggest that the increased uncontrolled internet use could negatively interfere with productive academic work of postgraduate students. However, based on the inferential statistical results, it can be concluded that academic use of the internet does not contribute to increased levels of internet addiction. The study recommends that librarians should provide literacy education and resources on how to use the internet safely and responsibly, including tips on setting boundaries, managing time online and productively using online information resources. Originality/value: The study assesses problematic internet use among postgraduate students and provides suggestions on supportive information services that librarians could provide in an era where many library information services provision and higher education are hinged on the internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though there are high and growing levels of penetration of mobile telephony in South Africa, there is little research into how mobiles are used in romantic relationships to 'keep tabs' on partners and inter alia into how those involved in such relationships may be attempting to achieve and maintain privacy. Using the relational dialectical framework, I study how surveillance and privacy related power dynamics are played out in romantic relationships of a selected undergraduate student cohort at a South African University (n=182). The dialectical framework provides the appropriate empirical lens for investigating how romantic partners deal with the need to stay both private and public in the wake of instant messaging application WhatsApp. The study sought to understand how adolescents in these romantic relationships deal with mobile privacy conflicts that are brought on by perpetual contact through WhatsApp. Through a quantitative survey, purposive sampling with a confidence level of 95 per cent and 5 per cent margin of error was utilized in selecting the respondents. Exploratory factor and regression analysis shows that rules for managing WhatsApp communication are important for romantic relationship well-being (SD=1.434), albeit not necessarily linked to relational satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyse whether having a mobile phone impacts chances of getting employed. We use five waves of panel data from the National Income Dynamic Survey (NIDS), which was conducted in South Africa between years 2008 and 2017. In the estimation we include a vector of observable individual and household characteristics and account for unobserved heterogeneity amongst individuals. The estimation results suggest that mobile phone ownership has a positive impact on the change in employment status from unemployed to employed. On the other hand, ownership of a computer by a household and computer literacy do not increase the likelihood of getting employed. The average probability of becoming employed increases from 54.2 % when no one among unemployed adults has a mobile phone to 57.4 % when all of them have a mobile phone, which is an increase of 5.9 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown measures to limit exposure to the virus greatly impacted healthcare service delivery. This study examined how healthcare workers' use of technology to deliver maternal and perinatal mental healthcare in South Africa changed, and how they experienced these changes in their practice. Participants were invited to complete a self-reporting questionnaire distributed online to healthcare workers working with mothers and infants across South Africa. Sixty-six participants (n=66) completed the survey. All healthcare workers had access to mobile phones and made use of these to interact with patients. Since the national lockdown in March 2020, healthcare workers' use of technology in their practice has expanded. Virtual consulting as an alternative or adjunct to inperson appointments increased significantly from 22.8% pre-lockdown to 59.6% during the hard lockdown, which was sustained at 61.4% after lockdown regulations were eased. Most healthcare workers (88.9%) found the increased use of technology acceptable, and 61.4% planned to continue using a blend of in-person and virtual appointments after the various stages of lockdown were lifted. The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted how maternal and perinatal mental health services are delivered in public and private settings in SA, with an overall shift towards incorporating mobile healthcare in the form of virtual consultations as standard practice, even in under-resourced communities. This trend highlights the potential of mobile healthcare to expand the reach of perinatal mental healthcare delivery to under-serviced sectors of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on Castells' concept of space of flows to explore the role of mobile communication in mediating the flows of ideas, people and resources concerning Dwesa, a rural community in South Africa. While it is the site of an ICT-for-development project fifteen years in the making, Dwesa is representative of many contemporary South African rural realities in terms of lack of infrastructure, endemic poverty and urban migration. Mobile network coverage is almost universal, sustaining a bidirectional flow of people, resources and information between Dwesa and urban areas such as Cape Town. A critical review of the substantial body of research conducted in the area, as well as thematic analysis of social media texts and semi-structured interviews with community members, reveal that mobile phones play an important and nuanced role in arranging physical or virtual rendezvous, facilitating transfers of monetary and other resources, and enabling timeless communication and exchange of information across distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The available evidence indicates a correlation between owning consumer electronics, such as cellphones and televisions, and a higher risk of obesity and increased adiposity. However, such studies are sparse in South Africa. Thus, the aim of this study is to examine the dietary and sociodemographic factors associated with various BMI categories, including the possession of consumer electronics, among women of reproductive age in South Africa. This is a secondary study of a population registry that includes dietary, BMI, and digital use items among women of reproductive age. The data is from the South Africa Demographic Health Survey (SADHS, 2016). Of the 3363 participants included in the analysis, women of normal weight were (35.5%), pre-obese (34.5%), obese (27.1%) and underweight (2.9%). Age was found to be significantly associated with pre-obesity at a <0.05 confidence interval. Owning a cellphone was significantly associated with being underweight and had 55% increased odds (1–0.45) (OR = 0.45; 95% CI 0.26–0.77, p = 0.004). Using internet almost daily was statistically significant with being underweight and had 55% (1–0.45) increased odds of being underweight (OR = 0.45; 95% CI 0.20–1.01, p = 0.054). Owning a cellphone and internet use was found to be significantly associated with being underweight. More research is needed to understand why cellphone ownership and using internet almost daily are significantly associated with being underweight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The culture of reading and writing is highly recommended in the educational setting of primary schools in South Africa. Schools are witnessing various challenges in curriculum implementation of teaching literacy in their classroom arrangements. The purpose of this research is to investigate the difficulties encountered by foundation phase teachers in the teaching of reading and writing in the primary schools of Limpopo province. Three primary schools from the Capricorn District formed the population for the study, wherein three educators were interviewed. Convenience sampling was used in the identification and selection of the participants. The study adopted an explorative participatory qualitative method to explore the literacy difficulties faced by teachers through interviews. Teacher opinions were recorded by cell phones and transcribed to identify themes. The content analysis of the interview data transcribed led to the development of themes and patterns for discussion. The findings under discussion highlighted the Foundation Phase teacher incompetency, lack of knowledge in phonics teaching, overcrowded classrooms, SIAS and lack of parental involvement. An intervention strategy is suggested and solutions to the challenges under investigation are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize plays a significant role among rural farming households in South Africa. The study therefore estimated the drivers of maize cultivars' selection choices among rural farming households focusing on the commonly grown cultivars from the study area (Landrace and genetically modifies [GM] maize). A cross-sectional survey of 650 respondents randomly selected from Port St Johns and King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipalities of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were used. Descriptive results revealed that a significant number of the respondents from the study area (65%) were growing Landrace maize cultivars, followed by GM maize (31%), improved OPVs (3%) and conventional hybrids (1%). Multivariate Probit regression estimates show that GM maize cultivars' selection is positively influenced by the amount of rainfall (1% level), household size (5% level), education (1% level), size of arable land (10% level) and access to cell phones (5% level), whilst negatively influenced by the employment status (5%). Conversely, the selection of Landrace maize cultivars is negatively influenced by the of amount rainfall (1% level), education (1% level), income (10% level), access to cell phone (10% level) and radio (10% level) whilst positively influenced by the number of livestock (5% level). The study therefore argues that GM maize cultivars may be meaningfully promoted in high rainfall areas, focusing on arable land sizes and targeted awareness campaigns. The promotion of Landrace maize cultivars may be targeted in low rainfall areas in a mixed farming setting to enhance the complementarity of maize and livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While well-resourced schools have the advantage of better equipping their learners for online learning, which includes online reading, learners in rural and township schools are at a disadvantage, resulting in the academic exclusion of many learners. In 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst to promote and accelerate the online reading process, which is currently emerging as the predominant reading behavior among learners in South Africa and the rest of the world. The aim of this paper is thus to investigate and understand the online reading preferences and challenges of Grade 8 English First Additional Language (EFAL) learners from three schools in an underdeveloped and under-resourced township located in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The paper was quantitative in nature. A survey questionnaire was used to obtain data from the purposively selected research sample that consisted of 303 Grade 8 EFAL learners, and the data were analyzed quantitatively. The findings indicated that most of the learners access online texts through their mobile phones, owing to the absence of computers both at home and at school. Furthermore, the findings showed that most of the learners experienced challenges concerning online reading in English. Subsequently, almost half of the learners who participated in the study indicated that they needed assistance when they engaged in online reading in English for academic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the transnational family practices among Zimbabwean migrant women living in South Africa. The study draws on polymedia theory to examine two sets of research on Zimbabwean women in South Africa. The first set of research results, conducted in 2011, using in-depth interviews with 10 Zimbabwean refugee mothers living in Hillbrow, looks at transnational family practices and discusses intergenerational support from adult children to elderly parents and between grandparents and grandchildren. Building on this, the second set of research results on 10 Zimbabwean women living in South Africa examines how platforms such as WhatsApp, Mukuru and Malachia are key to experiencing a sense of intimacy and virtual care, particularly among Zimbabwean transnational families. As mobile phones increasingly evolve, there is a continuous need for up-to-date research on contemporary transnational family practices, and comparing these two data sets, over a 10-year period, shows how transnational care practices evolve over time. The findings reveal several examples of care practices toward their children, siblings and elderly parents who remained in Zimbabwe and to maintain a sense of togetherness. Findings indicate that transnational family practices are not free from challenges and issues such as Internet access, connectivity and affordability, which remain core issues for both the migrant women in South Africa as well as the families left behind in Zimbabwe. This article contributes to international literature about women migrants from countries of the South and for the African continent about intergenerational relationships and care practices in transnational families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses Individual Deprivation Measure data from Indonesia and South Africa to demonstrate the effects of coverage bias associated with mobile phone-based sampling and data collection approaches that restrict sampling frames to those who own or have access to a mobile phone – a increasingly common method. Analysis of this data demonstrates substantial differences across multiple living standards indicators and demographic characteristics between those who own a mobile phone, individuals with access to a phone and those who neither own nor access mobile phones. This paper highlights the implications of such sampling approaches, and calls for the explicit consideration of the limitations of inferences that can be drawn from qualitative and quantitative analyses because of these substantive differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased urbanization against the backdrop of limited resources complicates city planning and the management of functions, including public safety. The smart city concept can help, but most previous smart city systems have focused on utilizing automated sensors and analyzing quantitative data. In developing nations, limited resources make using the mobile phone to enable the crowdsourcing of qualitative public safety reports from the public a more viable option. However, there is no best practice for analyzing such citizen reports for a smart city in a developing nation. Given the rise of megacities in developing nations, many of which struggle to provide access to vital resources, this study developed and tested a model for guiding the analysis of unstructured natural language texts instead of traditional sensory data. In the study, citizens engaged with the project and 663 usable reports were received. Following a design science approach, the model was developed through an extensive review of related literature, and assessed and refined by observing the associated model prototype. This study emphasizes that a city‐specific ontology needs to be developed and that natural language processing should be its focus, specifically within the larger context of our smart city qualitative data analysis (SCQDA) model. Together, these aspects enable this study to contribute practically, as we prove that cities in developing nations can improve the lives of their citizens using that which is already at their disposal instead of specialized (and often expensive) sensory networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellphones have impacted on people's intimate sexual relationships. Using the framework of relationship formation, maintenance and ending, we explore how cellphones and attendant social media have impacted on relationships among a group of young women living in urban informal settlements in Durban, South Africa. We conducted in-depth repeat interviews with 15 women enrolled in the Stepping Stones and Creating Futures trial, as well as group discussions and light-touch participant observation. Our data show that cellphones and social media are central to women's sexual relationships and allow women greater control over relationships – particularly their formation. However, cellphones and social media also enable greater control and monitoring by partners. In this study, cellphones were central in establishing (or not) trust in relationships, as well as being gifts, sometimes given by men to demonstrate love, but often becoming a snare for women who then struggled to end relationships because the phones 'remained' the property of the man. We conclude that while cellphones have created new spaces and opportunities for women's agency, overall the wider social and material forces of women's existence were deeply constraining and were the main driver of patterns in women's relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper explores the gender disparities in accessing and using information and communication technologies (ICT) in various local municipalities in South Africa. A statistical technique called small area estimation (SAE) is utilized to improve the accuracy of the estimates. It involves using both the 2016 Community Survey (CS2016) and the Population Census 2011 (PC2011) and applying methods such as the log-transformed spatial Fay-Herriot (FH) and the hierarchical Bayes spatial FH models. According to the results, the digital statistics estimates generated by the SAE methods at the local municipality level are more precise and efficient than the direct design-based estimates. In other words, combining the CS2016 and PC2011 datasets with the spatial information resulted in more precise estimates. The results also indicate a digital divide between men and women. Specifically, South African men tend to use the internet more than women. However, disparities in cell phone ownership have diminished at the national level, and the gap in some local municipalities, such as Kheis, Midvaal, Kgatelopele, Thabazimbi, and Karoo Hoogland, is >30 %. The results provide evidence of the digital gender divide within South African households at the local municipality level. Indeed, as the Fourth Industrial Revolution is now underway, the analysis of digital statistics can provide policymakers with a clear picture of South Africa's readiness level to welcome this revolution. • The digital gender divide was examined at the local municipality level in South Africa. • The 2016 Community Survey and the 2011 Census datasets were combined by utilizing SAE models. • The spatial Fay-Herriot (FH) and the HB spatial FH models were taken into account. • Men in South Africa tend to use the internet more frequently than women. • The gap in the ownership of cell phones has decreased on a national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ensuring protocol visit compliance and maintaining high participant retention remain critical elements of clinical trials. In the HVTN 702 HIV vaccine trial, Setshaba Research Centre in Soshanguve, Tshwane, South Africa, experienced challenges in communicating with participants to remind them about their study visits. In order to improve participants adhering to their study visits, and study retention, we aimed to identify challenges in mobile communication, and to establish preferences in communication methods and interest in receiving study information via cellphones. Methods: We conducted a paper-based survey among HVTN 702 HIV vaccine trial participants at Setshaba Research Centre. The survey comprised of dichotomous and scale questions and was completed voluntarily and anonymously. The questions included those on their primary form of communication (calling, SMS and WhatsApp), the best time of day for the site to communicate with them, whether they were interested in receiving regular general study information updates via their cellular phone, how often they changed their cellular phones and/or network, whether they experienced any challenges with their cellular phones and what these challenges were, if any. All participants scheduled to visit the clinic from February to May 2019 were invited to participate. Thus, 90 of 380 (24%) participants enrolled by May 2019 were surveyed. Results: The majority (68%) of participants were 26−35 years old and almost three-quarters (73%) were female. Almost all participants (99%) had a personal cellphone. Half of the participants experienced some challenge related to cellphones, these being poor network signal at home (12%), battery running flat frequently (11%), sharing their phone (9%), lack of data (9%), challenges with use of applications (6%) and their cellphones being unreliable (3%). Annually, 20% of participants made a single or multiple network changes. Communication preferences were calls by site staff (80%), SMS (16%) and WhatsApp (3%). Most preferred to be contacted in the morning (49%) or afternoon (31%). Site contact was rated as 'very helpful' (87%), and 97% were interested in receiving regular general study information updates via their cellphone. Conclusion: Despite participants owning cellphones, there are still technical challenges, for example, network signals, battery-charging and applications. The majority of participants preferred being called rather than communicating by text messages or WhatsApp. Future studies need to include addressing participant challenges in maintaining contact and training of participants on use of cellphone applications to optimise communication. Noting the preferred time of day for participants to be called might improve the likelihood of making contact with them. The willingness to receive updates will aid in keeping participant interest high and enhance retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protection of children from harmful online content is upheld in international and domestic legal instruments. In South Africa, children enjoy the right to privacy, freedom of expression and protection from exposure to abusive and exploitative materials when they go online. However, in recent years, many South African children have been involved in creating and distributing harmful and illegal messages through the Internet. This prompts the question of whether the South African legal framework is adequate to protect children and shield them from cyberbullying or sexting. This study re-examines the ability of South African anti-cyberbullying laws to protect children online. Cyberbullying takes many forms, and therefore, this study is confined to sexting--the participation in communicating nude pictures through mobile phones. This study is based on the purposive sampling of several well-known cases of sexting that occurred within the South African schooling environment. The findings of the study confirm the view that South African anti-cyberbullying laws are less effective in curbing children's participation in sexting. In addition, children's creativity with new age-technologies has tended to complicate and undermine efforts to protect the same children from the harms of sexting. The study concludes that many South African parents appear ill-equipped to teach their children to handle safe sexting and to protect these children from becoming victims of the frequently disastrous consequences of sexting, which may even include suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present policy in South Africa is for healthcare users to report adverse drug reactions through medical practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, or veterinarians. This study aimed to develop a web-based application as an interventional tool for reporting adverse drug reactions. The software will also serve as an educational program to create awareness and encourage reporting by healthcare users directly to the pharmacovigilance authority. Previous studies were carried out by reviewing directs reporting in Africa to survey the view of healthcare users on direct reporting in South Africa and methods of direct reporting. Findings from these studies resulted in the development of a user-centred web application. Heuristic evaluation (n=3) and smallscale usability testing was carried out. The objective (task success rate) and subjective (system usability scores) metrics were used to test the usability of the application among participants (n=22). This was followed by redesigning the application before the final presentation. An easily accessible digitalised adverse drug reporting web-based application named SA-VigiApp® was developed. It has health information tips as an educational intervention. The initial heuristics evaluation affirmed that the web application has Six (6) out of the 10 items on Nielsen's Heuristic checklist. A total of 22 participants aged 18 and above were recruited for small-scale usability testing. Majority of the participants (n= 11; 50%) accessed the web application with the use of android mobile phones while others used computer laptops (n=6; 27.3%), iPhones (n= 4; 18.2%) and tablet (n=1; 4.5%). The mean task success rate was 84.2% with 7 out of 11 tasks completed successfully. The usability score was 76.7%. The application was redesigned following the responses and comments from the usability testing. Results suggest that participants rated this application as usable. The redesigned application has all the main features for adverse drug reaction reporting and user's acceptability that will be useful for a prompt rate of report submission. It will also serve to create awareness and inform users on medication-related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reflecting global norms, South Africa is associated with high levels of cross-border and internal population mobility, yet migration-aware health system responses are lacking. Existing literature highlights three methodological challenges limiting the development of evidence-informed responses to migration and health: (1) lack of engagement with the process of migration; (2) exclusion of internal migrants; and (3) lack of methodologies that are able to capture 'real-time' data about health needs and healthcare seeking experiences over both time and place. In this paper, we reflect on a four-month pilot project which explored the use of WhatsApp Messenger - a popular mobile phone application used widely in sub-Saharan Africa - and assessed its feasibility as a research tool with migrant and mobile populations in order to inform a larger study that would address these challenges.Method: A four-month pilot was undertaken with eleven participants between October 2019 and January 2020. Using Survey Node, an online platform that allows for the automatic administration of surveys through WhatsApp, monthly surveys were administered. The GPS coordinates of participants were also obtained. Recruited through civil society partners in Gauteng, participants were over the age of 18, comfortable engaging in English, and owned WhatsApp compatible cell phones. Enrolment involved an administered survey and training participants in the study protocol. Participants received reimbursement for their travel costs and monthly cell phone data.Results: Out of a possible eighty eight survey and location responses, sixty one were received. In general, participants responded consistently to the monthly surveys and shared their location when prompted. Survey Node proved an efficient and effective way to administer surveys through WhatsApp. Location sharing via WhatsApp proved cumbersome and led to the development of a secure platform through which participants could share their location. Ethical concerns about data sharing over WhatsApp were addressed.Conclusions: The success of the pilot indicates that WhatsApp can be used as a tool for data collection with migrant and mobile populations, and has informed the finalisation of the main study. Key lessons learnt included the importance of research design and processes for participant enrolment, and ensuring that the ethical concerns associated with WhatsApp are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Covid-19 has become a major issue of academic and social discourses. Lives, livelihoods, communities and businesses have been seriously disrupted by its dramatic spread across the globe. Statistics reveal that 55 countries are affected in Africa and South Africa is the most affected with 1.55million out of 4.32million cases in Africa, as at April 8, 2021. The pandemic has prompted a number of responses from governments, individuals, business organisations and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) to inventive and reduce the impact on public health and economic challenges. Although some of these were taken as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, their contributions appeared to go beyond their traditional CSR efforts. This paper seeks to establish the extent of Coca-Cola and Mobile Telephone Network’s (MTN) responses to the challenges of the pandemic in Nigeria and South Africa. Data used were extracted from grey literature and online search to examine the two companies’ corporate social responsibility in health emergency situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ubiquity of cellular phone (cellphone) use in young people's daily lives has emerged as a priority area of concern for youth mental health. This study measured the prevalence of depression and its association with high cellphone use among youth in Soweto and Durban, South Africa. We analysed cross-sectional, baseline survey data among youth aged 16–24 who participated in a dual-site cohort study, 'AYAZAZI', conducted from 2014 to 2017. The primary outcome was depression using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, with a score of ≥ 10 indicating probable depression. Cellphone use was measured via self-reported average number of hours of active use, with 'high cellphone use' defined as daily usage of ≥ 8. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the independent relationship between high cellphone use and probable depression, adjusting for potential confounders. Of 425 participants with a median age of 19 years (IQR = 18–21), 59.5% were young women. Overall, 43.3% had probable depression, with a higher prevalence among women (49.0% vs. 34.9%, P =.004). Nearly all (94.6%) owned a cellphone. About one-third (29.5%) reported spending ≥ 8 hours per day using their cellphone (39.3% of women vs. 14.9% of men, P <.001). In the overall adjusted model, youth reporting high daily cellphone use had higher odds of probable depression (aOR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.16–2.90). In gender-stratified models, high daily cellphone use was associated with probable depression among women (aOR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.47–4.31), but not among men (aOR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.35–2.16). Among a cohort of South African youth, we found a high prevalence of probable depression and high cellphone use (30%). The findings indicate a need for intersectoral initiatives focused on meaningful mental health support for South African youth to support positive growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/Purpose The paper's objective is to examine the challenges of using the mobile phone to mine location data for effective contact tracing of symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and asymptomatic individuals and the implications of this technology for public health governance. Background: The COVID-19 crisis has created an unprecedented need for contact tracing across South Africa, requiring thousands of people to be traced and their details captured in government health databases as part of public health efforts aimed at breaking the chains of transmission. Contact tracing for COVID-19 requires the identification of persons who may have been exposed to the virus and following them up daily for 14 days from the last point of exposure. Mining mobile phone location data can play a critical role in locating people from the time they were identified as contacts to the time they access medical assistance. In this case, it aids data flow to various databases designated for COVID-19 work. Methodology: The researchers conducted a review of the available literature on this subject drawing from academic articles published in peer-reviewed journals, research reports, and other relevant national and international government documents reporting on public health and COVID-19. Document analysis was used as the primary research method, drawing on the case studies. Contribution: Contact tracing remains a critical strategy in curbing the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa and elsewhere in the world. However, given increasing concern regarding its invasive nature and possible infringement of individual liberties, it is imperative to interrogate the challenges related to its implementation to ensure a balance with public governance. The research findings can thus be used to inform policies and practices associated with contact tracing in South Africa. Findings: The study found that contact tracing using mobile phone location data mining can be used to enforce quarantine measures such as lockdowns aimed at mitigating a public health emergency such as COVID-19. However, the use of technology can expose the public to criminal activities by exposing their locations. From a public governance point of view, any exposure of the public to social ills is highly undesirable. Recommendations for Practitioners: In using contact tracing apps to provide pertinent data location caution needs to be exercised to ensure that sensitive private information is not made public to the extent that it compromises citizens' safety and security. The study recommends the development and implementation of data use protocols to support the use of this technology, in order to mitigate against infringement of individual privacy and other civil liberties. Recommendations for Researchers: Researchers should explore ways of improving digital applications in order to improve the acceptability of the use of contact tracing technology to manage pandemics such as COVID-19, paying attention to ethical considerations. Impact on Society: Since contact tracing has implications for privacy and confidentiality it must be conducted with caution. This research highlights the challenges that the authorities must address to ensure that the right to privacy and confidentiality is upheld. Future Research: Future research could focus on collecting primary data to provide insight on contact tracing through mining mobile phone location data. Research could also be conducted on how app-based technology can enhance the effectiveness of contact tracing in order to optimize testing and tracing coverage. This has the potential to minimize transmission whilst also minimizing tracing delays. Moreover, it is important to develop contact tracing apps that are universally interoperable and privacy-preserving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of AIDS & Behavior is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Background: Sexually transmitted infection patient-initiated partner notification (PN) approach has been implemented over a decade in South Africa, however, use and update by patients has been limited. This study assessed the perceived use of patient-initiated PN by using referral slips and measured the level of acceptability of provider-initiated PN by using short message service (SMS) to the personal mobile phones of sexual partners. Methods: A formative evaluation approach using a quantitative survey amongst 722 minibus taxi drivers in nine major taxi ranks in Tshwane Municipality, Gauteng Province. STATA IC version 13 was used for data analyses. Results: The mean age of the participants was 37.2 years (59%) were single, 59.5% had multiple sexual partners, 52.2% did not use a condom during the last sexual act, 42.8% reported inconsistent use of condoms and 65% tested for HIV in the past 12 months. The majority (98.2%) understood the importance of PN, but 51% would prefer telling a sexual partner face to face. Perceived easiness of delivering a PN slip was 69.1%, and 93% would use a PN slip received from a partner. Acceptability of provider-initiated PN by using an SMS was 62.7% and about a third (32.5%) were not in favour of provider-initiated PN by SMS. Twenty four point 7 percent (24.7%) preferred patient-initiated PN and 24.3% preferred provider-initiated PN. Conclusion: Preferred patient-initiated and provider-initiated PN was almost equal, hence, the provider-initiated PN should be augmented to support the current patient-initiated PN to increase the overall STI notification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In South Africa, high attrition rates throughout the care continuum present major barriers to controlling the HIV epidemic. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions may provide innovative opportunities for efficient healthcare delivery and improving retention in care. In this formative research, we interviewed 11 patients and 28 healthcare providers in North West Province, South Africa, to identify perceived benefits, concerns and suggestions for a future mHealth program to deliver HIV Viral Load and CD4 Count test results directly to patients via mobile phone. Thematic analysis found that reduced workload for providers, reduced wait times for patients, potential expanded uses and patient empowerment were the main perceived benefits of an mHealth program. Perceived concerns included privacy, disseminating distressing results through text messages and patients' inability to interpret results. Participants felt that an mHealth program should complement face-to-face interactions and educational information to interpret results is needed. Providers identified logistical considerations and suggested protocols be developed. An mHealth program to deliver HIV test results directly to patients could mitigate multiple barriers to care but needs to be tested for efficacy. Concerns identified by patients and providers must be addressed in designing the program to successfully integrate with health facility workflow and ensure its sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participatory interventions with men and boys to transform masculinities are increasingly common to improve health and reduce intimate partner violence and HIV-related risk. Yet, despite this, there has been little consideration of how facilitators' own masculinities shape interventions. In this analysis of Stepping Stones and Creating Futures, a gender-transformative programme delivered to young men (aged 18-30 years) in urban informal settlements in Durban, South Africa we explore how facilitators' masculinities were employed to engender change in the masculinities of participants. We argue facilitators had to negotiate two tasks existing in some tension, the first, overt and the main aim of the programme: namely, challenging elements of the youthful masculinity at play in the lives of participants, such as exerting violent power over women. A second task was more covert: namely, establishing facilitators' credibility 'as men' in order to do this work with participants. Through strategies including clothes, mobile phones, jokes and storytelling, facilitators demonstrated to participants their 'successful' masculinity and could then engage with participants around emotions, non-violence and consistent condom use. This enabled facilitators and participants to undergo a limited processes of change, without 'compromising' their sense of masculinity, and without fundamentally challenging men's patriarchal privilege. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores students', preservice teachers' and inservice teachers' perceptions of the contributions and challenges of using participatory visual methodologies (PVM) to enhance HIV education in rural schools. Drawing on findings from three research projects conducted in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, four positive contributions are identified: 1) novelty, fun and engagement; 2) amplifying youth voices; 3) the facilitation of teachers' reflexive learning; and 4) the production of local resources in under-resourced schools. Challenges include: 1) limited technology access; 2) teacher discomfort; and 3) resistance to PVM integration. Teachers and young people, especially in under resourced rural settings, can benefit from integrating such methodologies into their responses to HIV and AIDS. However, sustainable integration must rely on choosing the most appropriate participatory visual methodologies given the technological resources available in school. The paper concludes with recommendations to optimise participatory visual methodologies integration into rural school-based HIV responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The HIV epidemiology in South Africa reveals stark age and gender disparities, with young women being the most vulnerable to HIV acquisition in 2017. Evaluation of HIV exposure is a challenge in HIV prevention research. Intermittent in-clinic interviewer-administered risk behaviour assessments are utilised but may be limited by social desirability and recall biases. We piloted a mobile phone application for daily self-report of sexual risk behaviour in fifty 18–25 year old women at risk of HIV infection enrolled in HIV Vaccine Trials Network 915 (HVTN 915) in Soweto, South Africa. Through a mixed-methods investigation, we explored barriers and facilitators to completing daily mobile phone surveys among HVTN 915 study participants and staff. Methods: We analysed quantitative data on barriers and facilitators to mobile phone study completion collected during the larger HVTN 915 study as well as two post-study focus group discussions (FGDs) with fifteen former participants with a median age of 24 years (IQR 23–25) and six individual in-depth interviews (IDIs) with HVTN 915 staff. FGDs and IDIs utilised semi-structured interview guides, were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated to English. After coding, thematic analysis was performed. Results: The main facilitator for daily mobile phone survey completion assessed across 336 follow-up visits for 49 participants was the daily short message system (SMS) reminders (93%, 312/336). Across 336 visits, 31/49 (63%) retained participants reported barriers to completion of daily mobile phone surveys: forgetting (20%, 12/49), being too busy (19%, 11/49) and the survey being an inconvenience (15%, 9/49). Five main themes were identified during the coding of IDIs and FGDs: (1) facilitators of mobile phone survey completion, such as daily SMS reminders and follow up calls for non-completers; (2) barriers to mobile phone survey completion, including partner, time-related and technical barriers; (3) power of incentives; (4) response bias in providing sensitive information, and (5) recommendations for future mobile phone based interventions. Conclusion: Despite our enthusiasm to use innovation to optimise sexual risk assessments, technical and practical solutions are required to improve implementation. We recommend further engagement with participants to optimise this approach and to further understand social desirability bias and study incentives in sexual risk reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from qualitative and survey research with young people in 24 locations (urban and rural) across Ghana, Malawi, and South Africa expose the complex interplay between phone ownership and usage, female empowerment, and chronic poverty in Africa. We consider gendered patterns of phone ownership and use before examining practices of use in educational settings, in business and in romantic and sexual relationships. While some reshaping of everyday routines is evident, in the specific context of female empowerment we find little support within our sites for the concept of the mobile phone as an instrument of positive transformative change. The phone's application in romantic and sexual relationships demonstrates particularly strongly the way phones are complicit in constraining women's empowerment and points to potential wider repercussions, including for educational and entrepreneurship trajectories. Women's agency is still mired within wider structures of patriarchy and chronic poverty: existing inequalities are being re-inscribed and reinforced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the relational experiences of young Setswana-speaking adults in South Africa in relation to older persons' use of mobile phones and highlights implications for older adults' care. Research was conducted qualitatively with 14 (9 women and 5 men) young Setswana-speaking adults (19 to 25 years of age) participating in the Mmogo-method®. Findings revealed older persons' needs for mediation from young adults in order to use mobile phones and to contact people. Young adults provided instrumental support for older persons in relation to mobile phone usage but the subjective impact of these interactions determined the nature of relational interactions both for young adults and older persons. Focusing on the young adults, if a negative impact had been experienced, they ignored older persons' care needs or retaliated. In contrast, if the impact had been pleasant, young adults provided assistance unconditionally. A significant implication of the findings is that relational dynamics in moving for control in intergenerational relations involving mobile phone usage challenged the traditional complementarily-defined relationship of older persons leading and young adults assuming a submissive position. Consequently, a constant struggle for control between older persons and young adults around mobile phones interfered with assistance that might have been provided for older persons. Subjective experiences of relational interactions either led to a delay in care for older persons or increased the probability of providing care. Implications for social work practice and the training of social work students are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informalization and casualization have been twin meta-trends in African development over the last several decades. However these processes are also now being articulated with, and altered by, processes of virtual accumulation and informationalization, giving rise to what some have called Uberization. What does the rise of the 'sharing' economy mean for employment practices and labor relations and conditions in Africa? This paper examines the implications of this phenomenon through a case study of 'ride sharing' operations in Cape Town. It finds hollowing out of the formal sector and the creation of a new (in)formal sector, where drivers are engaged through use of a mobile phone applications, but are still liable for taxes to the state. This has led to the emergence of a new form of 'virtual capital' which extracts 'value' from assets it doesn't own, and labor it doesn't manage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has transformed HIV infection from a universally fatal disease to a medically manageable chronic illness. We conducted a Phase-I test of concept intervention trial to examine feasibility and potential efficacy of behavioural self-regulation counselling designed to improve care retention and cART adherence. The intervention was culturally adapted from client-centered evidence–based interventions that are grounded in behavioural self-regulation theory and available in the US. The intervention adaptation included enhancements to directly address HIV stigma and alcohol-related sources of nonadherence. Fifty patients receiving cART in Cape Town, South Africa were randomised to receive either: (a) five weekly cellphone-delivered sessions of stigma and alcohol-enhanced behavioural self-regulation counselling or (b) a contact matched control condition. Participants were baseline assessed and followed for two weeks post-intervention, with 94% of participants retained throughout the study. Participants receiving the intervention significantly improved cART adherence from baseline-to-follow up and improvement was significantly greater than the control condition. Behaviours related to stigma and alcohol use that impede cART adherence were significantly reduced, and there was uptake of adherence improvement strategies. The current study supports the potential efficacy of relatively brief behavioural self-regulation counselling delivered by cellphone in a context of differentiated care in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A higher proportion of people living with HIV (PLWH) smoke compared to the general population, but little information exists about the prevalence and correlates of smokeless tobacco use among PLWH. In South Africa, dry powdered tobacco is inhaled nasally as snuff.Methods: A cross-sectional survey among PLWH attending three HIV clinics was conducted. Snuff use was assessed via self-report and urine cotinine.Results: Given the low (3%) prevalence of snuff use among men, analysis was restricted to n = 606 nonsmoking women living with HIV. Half (n = 298, 49%) were snuff users, the majority of whom (n = 244, 84%) had a positive urine cotinine test. In adjusted analysis, snuff use was negatively associated with higher education (relative risk [RR] 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39, 0.77) and mobile phone ownership (RR 0.83; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.98), and positively associated with ever having tuberculosis (TB) (RR 1.22; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.45). In adjusted analysis, with current TB as the outcome, snuff use was marginally statistically significantly associated with a twofold increase in odds of a current TB diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] 1.99; 95% CI: 0.98, 4.15).Discussion: A high proportion of nonsmoking South African women living with HIV use snuff, which was a risk factor for TB. Additional research is needed to understand the relationship between snuff, TB, and other potential health risks.Implications: PLWH have a higher prevalence of smoking than their seronegative peers, but there is a paucity of research on smokeless tobacco use in this population, especially in low-resource settings. TB is the leading cause of death among PLWH, and with improvements to HIV treatment and care, PLWH are at greater risk of tobacco-related diseases. We report an extremely high prevalence of snuff use among women living with HIV in South Africa. Further, in this population snuff use is positively associated with ever having a TB diagnosis, as well as currently having TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between cryptocurrency, internet, mobile phones, financial inclusion, and financial sector development in China, India, Nigeria, and South Africa for the period 2009–2017 using fully modified ordinary least square (FM-OLS) and causality analysis. The empirical results show that cryptocurrency, internet usage, and mobile subscriptions have a significant positive relationship with financial inclusion and financial sector development, suggesting that countries with higher levels of cryptocurrency, internet usage, and mobile subscriptions have higher levels of financial inclusion and financial sector development. This finding is further buttressed by the causality analysis which shows that cryptocurrency, internet usage, and mobile subscriptions cause financial inclusion and financial sector development in the four countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 2014 a scandal broke out when a sculpted rabbit was discovered in the ear of a nine-metre-tall statue of Nelson Mandela which stands before the Union Buildings, South Africa's governmental headquarters in the capital of Pretoria. The sculptors were summarily asked to remove the rabbit, but not before the controversy surrounding it went viral. Freedom of expression, effectively routed out, now faced the strong arm of the African National Congress, the government in power, which condemned what it construed as a perceived threat. That a rabbit should generate such conflicting points of view, when associated with the country's most iconic figure, Nelson Mandela, is the impetus for this essay. A decade prior to this scandal its author noted that 'South Africa's finest talent is its ability to draw a rabbit out of a hat and call it history'. It is this rhetorical ploy, or illusory trick, which assumes centre stage in an examination of why and how democratic governance in South Africa had and continues to fail the needs of its people – the right to freedom of speech and expression. The work of one artist, Khaya Witbooi, is the linchpin upon which this discussion turns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: TB persists despite being relatively easy to detect and cure because the journey from the onset of symptoms to cure involves a series of steps, with patients being lost to follow-up at each stage and delays occurring among patients not lost to follow-up. One cause of drop-off and delay occurs when patients delay or avoid returning to clinic to get their test results and start treatment. Methods: We fielded two SMS interventions in three Cape Town clinics to see their effects on whether people returned to clinic, and how quickly. One was a simple reminder; the other aimed to overcome “optimism bias” by reminding people TB is curable and many millions die unnecessarily from it. Recruits were randomly assigned at the clinic level to a control group or one of the two SMS groups (1:2:2). In addition to estimating effects on the full sample, we also estimated effects on HIV-positive patients. Results: SMS recipients were more likely to return to clinic in the requested two days than the control group. The effect was smaller in the intent-to-treat analysis (52/101 or 51.5% vs. 251/405 or 62.0%, p = 0.05) than in the per-protocol analysis (50/97 or 51.5% vs. 204/318 or 64.2%, p = 0.03). The effect was larger among HIV-positives (10/35 or 28.6% vs. 97/149 or 65.1%, p<0.01). The effects of SMS messages diminished as the interval increased: significant effects at the 5% level were found at five and 10 days only among HIV-positives. The second SMS message had larger effects, albeit not significantly larger, likely due in part to lack of statistical power. Conclusions: At 2 U.S. cents per message, SMS reminders are an inexpensive option to encourage TB testers to return to clinic, especially when worded to counter optimism bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ICTs have revolutionised agricultural information services at every level in the agricultural sector, thus impacting rural development and catalysing poverty alleviation strategies. This has largely been the case with small-scale farmers in rural areas in developing countries where mobile technologies have penetrated more than most other ICT tools. However, in some of the farming environments, mobile phone use is largely driven by agricultural extension workers. This paper seeks to examine the way mobile phones are used for information access in situations where agricultural extension workers are a critical intermediary in the agricultural information services. Interviews were conducted with 10 randomly selected farmers who were part of the Dzindi irrigation scheme. The findings were that from the variety of information available to the farmers the most important source was the extension officer. The extension officer and the radio were indicated to be the most reliable independent sources of information. The other sources, such as the radio, family members, and friends, suppliers of chemicals, books and magazines, were only considered reliable if the information could be verified or vouched for by the extension officer. Increasing the information handling skills of extension officers, training of farmers to use smart features of their phones and promoting the usual face-to-face communication and use of conventional methods, which is what usually gives rise to the mediation of mobile phones, were recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is evident that the mobile phone industry is facing significant growth. The introduction of cheaper mobile phones in South Africa has intensified competition between mobile companies. A number of studies have been conducted in other countries on brand preference for mobile phones, but there remains a gap in knowledge with regard to the South African market. It is important to academically research factors influencing consumer brand preferences and its rhetorical implications when purchasing mobile phones, to understand these preferences, and what consumers consider when making such purchases. The rationale for the study was to provide insights for local marketers into the factors consumers consider most when looking at mobile phone brands. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to understand brand preferences for mobile phones amongst students at a selected higher educational institution in South Africa. The study adopts a quantitative research approach and is descriptive and cross-sectional in nature. The research population was made up of students studying at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), where convenience sampling was used on a target population of 378 students. The results were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 24.0 software. The findings show that brand popularity, prices, product attributes rhetorically affect mobile phone brand preferences amongst students. The results also showed that there were some product attributes that did not influence these preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]