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In this study, we argue that there are unemployed information sector graduates who could benefit greatly from infopreneurship if more awareness and popularization of the practice were achieved. The purpose of this study was to investigate the status and development of infopreneurship in Nigeria and South Africa. The study focused on information-based businesses owned by graduates from LIS and other related fields in selected cities in Lagos State and Oyo State in Nigeria and Kwazulu Natal in South Africa. This study adopted the interpretative/qualitative method or approach. Both interviews and observation were used to gather information from the respondents and business sites. The respondents were identified through non probability sampling techniques, specifically purposive and snowball sampling. The target population was chosen from a list of registered small and medium information-based businesses as well as LIS graduates practicing infopreneurship in sampled cities in Nigeria and South Africa. Information-based business owners and graduates from LIS and related information disciplines were picked from eight (8) distinct fields/disciplines, namely: information communication technology (ICT); mass media/communication; telecommunication; libraries; archive and records management centers; publishing and printing sectors; computer science; and LIS education. The findings revealed that infopreneurship is a growing practice in the sampled cities. The sampled respondents revealed that there were more similarities than differences in infopreneurship in the two countries, and that there were more information-oriented businesses owned by IT and computer science graduates than library and information science/studies graduates. It was observed that most business products and services are ICT-oriented, such as software and hardware installation, tracking services, troubleshooting, web design, programming, CCTV installation, and online TV, among others. The study recommends the popularization of infopreneurship in the two countries and in computer science, media, communication, and Library and Information Science (LIS) schools. More government support is also recommended.

This article maps my journey as a scholar engaged in the research of youth morality (located in the Global South); as a beneficiary of injustice having grown up as a white South African; as a navigator of complex personal histories (discovering my mixed race family origins); and arriving at restitution as a career research focus. It reflects on the experience of being turned inside out through examining personal and political locatedness in moral research and how these change as new discoveries are made. It also explores feelings of professional exclusion despite being the recipient of a privileged Northern hemisphere education and shows how the topic of restitution addresses some of the inherent tensions in my personal life, whilst offering potential for redemptive North-South partnerships. Moreover, researching restitution in global contexts of moral injustice, across the Global North-South divide, has the potential to expand the internationalisation of scholarship on morality and moral education. (Contains 1 note.)

This paper proposes a human capabilities approach for evaluating student learning and the social and pedagogical arrangements that support equality in capabilities for all students. It outlines the focus on valuable beings and doings in the capability approach developed by Amartya Sen, and Martha Nussbaum's capabilities focus on human flourishing. For both, education is understood to include both intrinsic and instrumental aims and to be foundational to other important capabilities. A method for applying the capability approach to evaluating what students said about their own learning is suggested, and from this a list of valued functional capabilities is then outlined. The multi-dimensionality of the approach is emphasised and its relationship to economic opportunities and human security. Finally, generic graduate outcomes are considered but rejected as not being the same as capabilities.

Globalisation of the world economy has intensified migration in the twenty-first century. Professionals are vulnerable to transnational migration and the trend is for professionals from developing countries to fill labour gaps in developed countries. South Africa's (SA) inclusion in the world labour market suggests that she is not immune. She is losing workers in five fields: health, teaching, engineering, accounting and information technology. Whilst, research has focused on migration in health and science there is a dearth of literature on teacher migration. This article provides a discussion of migrant teacher heterogeneity and complexity of their thinking by focusing on the migration of South African teachers to the United Kingdom (UK) and their return. Three aspects of teacher migration are discussed: teachers' motivations for leaving SA, their experiences in the UK and their reasons for returning. The study revealed two cohorts of teachers leaving SA to pursue socio-economic and career opportunities abroad. In the UK migrants were bombarded by conflicting experiences in schools and society. Poor student discipline, loneliness and climate led to a stream of return migration, but within a year remigration was being considered. The article concludes by calling for further research to contribute to a greater understanding of teacher migration.

Social housing offers a way of promoting upward mobility and urban integration by improving people's access to economic and social opportunities. These are prominent goals of South Africa's social housing programme. In practice, household advancement tends to be taken for granted rather than deliberately pursued or monitored. We review survey data for 1632 households across ten social housing projects and find modest evidence of social mobility and racial integration. One reason for this is that other considerations have taken precedence during implementation. We conclude by identifying various ways of reaffirming the transformative goals of social housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of xenophobic violence toward foreigners has hindered South Africa’s ambition to become a developmental state since 2007, when the concept of a “democratic developmental state” was first endorsed during the African National Congress (ANC) conference in Polokwane. This ambition has also been thwarted by the inability of the post-apartheid regime to provide adequate and sustainable services to the citizens. Xenophobia has disrupted economic growth and has contributed to poor service delivery in local municipalities, thus leading to social protests. The developmental state depends mainly on a solid balance of economic growth and human development. It also leans on the capacity of the state to establish policies that address poverty and promote the expansion of solid economic opportunities. In this endeavor, migrants increase economic growth and make it sustainable, increase productivity, and promote the labor market. They also promote the labor force and human capital, economic growth, and public finance, thus enabling the realization of a developmental state. However, xenophobia has limited migrants’ contributions to economic growth and social well-being in South Africa. It has destructive effects on South Africa’s economic structure and growth, thus affecting the delivery of adequate services that would enhance its ability to achieve a developmental state. The paper recommends that there is a need for South Africa to understand that xenophobia affects economic growth and the service delivery framework. To address the prevalence of xenophobia and achieve its ambition of a developmental state, South Africa needs to hasten its responses to curb xenophobia and integrate migrants into economic opportunities. The paper adopted a qualitative research methodology and conceptual and document analysis techniques to collect data that enabled the achievement of the above assertions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines patterns and trends in household food security in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, from 2010 to 2019. We use data from a household panel nested in the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System. Findings indicate that there have been improvements in household food security in this rural setting over the last decade. By polychoric principal component analysis, an aggregate food security index was constructed and we observed a small, yet important, proportion of households (7.8%) that remained chronically food insecure. An ordered probit model was used to estimate the determinants of food security. Findings reveal that the observed differences in household food security status are as a result of differences in socioeconomic status. We therefore recommend that focus must be placed on identifying economic opportunities and empowering the chronically food insecure households if universal household food security is to be attained in rural South Africa and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future scenarios of a changing climate are not only an integral part of climate research, but they are also part of media coverage on climate change. Such reporting affects how people imagine the future to be, as well as their current and intended behaviors. Hence, this article made use of a quantitative, manual content analysis with qualitative and automated approaches for sample construction, to analyze the framing of climate futures in journalistic media across four countries (Germany, India, South Africa, and the United States; n = 1 010). Four frames were identified: "Solutions to climatic and social consequences", "Distant threats to humanity", "Economic opportunities", and "Distant threats to ecosystems" – these frames describe different climate futures, with only a few differences between Global North and Global South countries. Implications for climate change communication will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations (UN) has come up with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for its 2030 vision. One of these SDGs deals with the need for all countries to promote gender equality. The gender equality goal is premised on empowering women and girls with various economic opportunities. The assumption is that in many countries, including in South Africa, women and girls are marginalised socially, culturally, economically, and politically. To this end, it should be noted that the South African constitution promotes equality for all persons. It also provides for fair labour practices. Labour statutes such as the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (LRA), the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 (EEA) and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997 (BCEA) provide for, inter alia, the realisation of gender equality in the South African workplace. This includes promoting a health balance between work and care obligations for women. While gender equality is a noble goal, its pursuit exposes some of the underlying inequalities that have not been fully addressed in South Africa. Historically, labour rights have been skewed against African or black men in the South African workplace. In the euphoria of a democratic South Africa, the new push has been to promote equality of men and women in the workplace. This tends to overlook the fact that African men have hardly enjoyed work-care obligations. In this regard, the South African labour laws offer very little for the African men. Consequently, little has been done to provide men with better work-care conditions in the South African workplace. Thus, despite efforts to promote gender equality, women still disproportionately shoulder the care burden in South Africa. This article provides that a lot needs to be done to promote gender equality and balance how the rights of both women and men are protected in the South African workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progressive attitudes towards cannabis consumption have resulted in many countries decriminalizing its use. South Africa is only the third African country to liberalize the recreational consumption of cannabis, potentially raising both societal concerns and economic opportunities for the country, including the development of cannabis tourism. This paper synthesizes the contemporary literature – drawing on experiences and best practices associated with cannabis decriminalization and its moral regulation within tourism. With reference to effectively balancing the economic benefits of cannabis decriminalization versus its contentious social ramifications, the paper is a concerted effort to identify actionable and socially grounded solutions to sustainably managing the cannabis decriminalization-tourism nexus for the government and tourism practitioners in African tourism destinations such as South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s there has been a steep increase in the number of women migrating from rural to urban areas in search of economic opportunities. The movement of women to urban areas has affected children as they depend on their mothers for their primary care. The aim of this study is to shed insights into childcare arrangements among migrant mothers in an urban township in South Africa. Data was collected from in-depth interviews with 20 migrant mothers in Imbali. Mothers are concerned about the care and well-being of their children and as a result, they are opting to relocate with their children. Traditional methods of care that were provided by grandparents or extended family members in the past are no longer an option for many mothers. All the mothers relied on either formal or informal childcare facilities within the community. The mothers wanted their children to be cared for in early childhood facilities that they felt were conducive for their development. However, lack of finances were a major challenge and this had an impact on the type of care facility that the mothers used. Some of these facilities are not seen as suitable due to a number of factors including safety, limited play equipment, and an unhygienic environment. Therefore, it is recommended that community-wide efforts in providing childcare should be explored in order to support single mothers in urban areas who have migrated to improve their economic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is a global crisis and is more pronounced in the African continent. South Africa is not exempt from this epidemic and has continuously tried to address it by making poverty alleviation a fundamental component of its national goals. The situation is dire at a municipal level due to the lack of adequate finances, resources, and skills. This article attends to poverty rate in the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE). Thereafter, it was considered that there are significant poverty alleviation policy frameworks established by and/or utilised within the CoE. Such frameworks include the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), Local Economic Development (LED), and the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP). The article aims to discuss these frameworks and examine the gaps causing ineffective implementation of poverty alleviation strategies at the local government level in South Africa. The article adopts a qualitative research approach and offers a desktop analysis of information compiled through literature review. The article recommends that: local community members need to receive preference in CoE economic opportunities; the CoE should adequately monitor the distribution of social grants; and offer training programmes for capacity building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic waste (e-waste) recycling presents an opportunity to reclaim materials trom a secondary resource and to create jobs and other economic opportunities. E-waste consists of various materials such as metals, plastics, glass, and other chemical substances. Some of these materials are hazardous if processed or disposed of improperly. Therefore, e-waste is classified as hazardous in South African law up until the hazardous components are removed. With the appropriate infrastructure and technology, a large portion of materials contained in e-waste can be reclaimed, and any adverse impacts of irresponsible management prevented. The private sector has played a proactive role in shaping the South African waste economy, and the government is taking strides to draw up enabling regulatory frameworks. Through a literature review and stakeholder engagements, this paper unpacks the organisation of the South African e-waste recycling industry. We consider whether the legal environment drives a common vision for a circular e-waste economy and probe the barriers to e-waste recycling across the value chain. The findings indicate that the development of the e-waste recycling sector in South Africa is dependent on a robust collection network and the enabling of local end-processing, refining, and manufacturing capacity. The availability and quality of input material and the development of local refining and manufacturing capacity are co-dependent and should be addressed simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Ovett Nwosimiri argues in a paper he published in 2021 that affirmative action and preferential hiring policies are no longer appropriate for South Africa because of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The case he makes is that since COVID-19 has impacted people of all races, there should no longer be any consideration of race in hiring policies and practices. He claims that continued preferential hiring practices unfairly discriminate against non-designated groups. I argue that this claim presumes that the pandemic has been a devastating but equalizing force in economic opportunity and participation for people in South Africa. I show that this claim is simply false and that the falsity of his claim undermines Nwosimiri's case. Nwosimiri does not take account of the false premise his case is founded on because of his inappropriate methodological choice to ignore empirical evidence that has bearing on his argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information exchange is a process through which information, experience and skills are exchanged among stakeholders. While previous studies acknowledge that Visitor Information Centres (VICs) exchange information with various stakeholders, it remains unclear how this exchange contributes to economic opportunities for tourism businesses. The objective of the study is therefore to ascertain whether the information that VICs and tourism businesses exchanges contributes to economic opportunities. A survey was distributed to tourism businesses listed in the databases of government-owned VICs in South Africa. The results show that VICs and tourism businesses exchange information and that this exchange generates economic opportunities for businesses. The results also identify factors in the information exchange process that are predictors of economic opportunities. Based on the results, VIC staff should use the exchange of information as a platform through which they may generate economic opportunities for businesses. In their exchange of information, VIC staff should understand the information needs of tourism businesses and provide them with visitor-support information that is extensive, useful and according to their preferences. Consequently, staff can contribute to government's plan of improving the lives of businesses in areas in which they operate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport is a known national barrier for people with disabilities in South Africa. It is similarly identified as a barrier in learnerships and economic opportunity programmes. This article discusses the extent to which transport is a barrier during learnerships for students with disabilities. The Department of Transport administered an online evaluation questionnaire to a random sample of students with disabilities. Results were coded in terms of 'barriers to access' and 'barriers to participation'. The data were organised into themes. The collated evidence is discussed in this article. The findings demonstrated that transport barriers were present in different modes of transport and different parts of the travel chain. However, the findings also demonstrated the negative impact of transport on the learnership experience and economic opportunities. The findings indicated that inaccessible transport is an integral cause of learnership incompletion for students with disabilities, where the universal accessibility of both transport and the built environment are a prerequisite need. Most students with disabilities reported that transport was not a barrier to learnership participation or that problems with transport could be resolved. Nevertheless, it was one of the identified barriers that negatively affected learnership participation experiences. It was a significant barrier to learnership completion for students with the most severe experience of disability. The sample consisted of only 32 students and a high number of unspecified responses. Evidence from other studies indicates that transport for all persons with disabilities remains a barrier warranting further examination, because public transport has remained inaccessible for over 23 years. Further research is required to verify this study and to investigate learnership cost–benefit for all students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unprecedented effects of Covid-19 have been felt in the whole world. The impact of the pandemic has drawn sharp fault lines of the world's inequalities. Covid-19 has changed the Global North and the Global South's social life, respectively. Whilst Covid-19 appeared to spread rapidly in certain parts of the world, and it seemed as if the pandemic would spare Africa. The state of world affairs has made African governments feel uncomfortable. Some African governments have started making pronouncements given the long-standing grievances about the region's status in global affairs. African governments have seen that the threats of the spread of Covid-19 demands collective and individual action. The geopolitical tussle leaves the developing countries stranded in the new economic order. Covid-19 has shaken the foundations of various institutions and states. Africa's profound failings are noticeable in public health, food security, governance and infrastructural development. Effective coordination of the Covid-19 crisis requires functioning state institutions, application of judiciary norms, and balancing power for the practice to adapt to the realities across the African continent. The second wave of Covid-19 requires the African Union to use this opportunity to integrate its economic pillars into the Africawide response strategy by using Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the sub-regional blocs of African countries that have existed for decades. The paper concludes that various isolated efforts made by African countries to deal with the disease and the failure of the continent to adopt a coordinated effort in responding to Covid-19 remain a major challenge. It then recommends that there should be a coordinated approach that goes beyond the rhetoric espoused by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as AU Chairperson. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past two decades, Brazil, South Africa, and India have designed closer economic and political ties. Since the early 2000s, India has become an important economic and political partner for both Brazil and South Africa. International trade and foreign direct investment amongst them have expanded considerably, and closer political ties have evolved over the past two decades. This article elaborates on the increasing economic interdependence between India, Brazil and South Africa, addressing challenges, opportunities, and synergies between the three countries and their multinationals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An understanding of disability inclusive development in a country in transition is necessary if women are to access opportunities for social, economic and political development. This article explores a spirituality of disability as a participatory strategy for equalizing opportunities for women with disability's development. Qualitative research was utilized for a participatory action research study with women with disabilities over a two year period, which consisted of four phases. The collaborative study took place in informal settlements in the peri-urban outskirts of a Metropole in Western Cape Province of South Africa with a primary health care NGO and the Disabled WOmen's Development Programme of Disabled People South Africa. Convenience sampling was used by the community rehabilitation workers to identify women for phase one of the study. A total of 180 women with disabilities participated in subsequent phases through snowballing. A theme that emerged from the action learning cycles of women was a spirituality of disability, as a two-fold process of healing that lead to a renewed sense of agency and social belonging. Participation also restored hope, which enabled women to discover new choices for economic and political inclusion. A spirituality of disability was found to be integral in addressing the inequities in social, economic and political development that women with disability experienced. The implications for rehabilitation practice and community-based inclusive development are demonstrated in the values of interdependence and reciprocal relationships. An awareness of a spirituality of disability may enable connections between the women, services providers and disabled peoples' organizations to remove environmental barriers to participation at an individual, family and community level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quarter century following the historic 1994 elections in South Africa and the establishment of a democratic dispensation was a period of transformative change. During this time, nation-building efforts were undertaken as a means of promoting redress, overcoming the country's colonial, segregationist and apartheid past, and challenging traditions of racialised citizenship. Progressive legislation was adopted that challenged traditional apartheid-based norms and laid the foundation for a fairer society based on the principles of "ubuntu", encouraging a sense of community-oriented reciprocity. However, the policy choices made by the post-apartheid state have not translated into economic opportunities for millions of South Africans. Poverty, unemployment and inequality persist as pressing societal concerns, which has fostered widespread disenchantment and forced many to depend on survivalist strategies. This has created barriers to the attainment of a more caring society. The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected South African society, with a hard national lockdown triggering untold suffering and what promises to be one of the worst economic recessions. This article uses historical and current data to draw inferences about the likely impact of COVID-19 on South Africa. It considers whether the country's post-pandemic society will be characterized by a rise in materialistic values or alternatively new demands for a more humane society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does South Africa view international alliances? International relations (IR) scholars have been debating the end of alliances and the relevance of the alliance paradigm itself. South Africa presents an excellent test case for advancing these debates for three reasons. First, it has been committed to nonalignment yet engages in close and complex inter-state collaborations. Second, debates about the alliance paradigm have largely taken place in, and focused on, the Global North. And third, there is a gap in South African scholarship on this subject. This article examines the South African understanding of alliances through a systematic study of its academic and policy landscape including an analysis of 285 articles from South Africa's five most highly ranked IR journals and key policy documents produced during the post-apartheid period. The article outlines how alliances are conceptualized and operationalized. It finds that the alliance concept in South Africa departs from the traditional understanding in the Global North: alliances are often driven by mutually shared political and developmental objectives rather than an external security threat. These objectives, combined with a perception of new economic opportunities, have led to an increase in the importance of South Africa's strategic partnerships with rising powers, and reinforced its multi-alignment diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems represent complex interrelated systems monitored by economic indicators. To maximise future desired economic performance, resilience within the economic ecosystem leads to its longterm sustainability. The aim of this article is to review how resilience could be achieved for a tourism economic ecosystem to disruptive change. Resilience is a concept that defines business and government’s ability to adapt to economic disruptive change. Resilience for tourism entails ensuring the sustainability of an economic ecosystem to delineate future growth of that destination. The research is descriptive and conceptual in nature, adopting a qualitative research approach. A map of a tourism ecosystem is proposed reliant on economic indicator interpretation to realistically put forward future economic development strategies that promote overall system resilience towards economic growth. Researchers with a specific interest in tourism ecosystems may find this paper useful in understanding the complexity of interpreting economic indicators to develop future economic growth opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the value of land-based livelihoods in former bantustans of post-apartheid South Africa. South Africa, particularly the former bantustans continue to endure massive inequalities with respect to economic opportunities and poverty remains highly prevalent in the former bantustans. However, agriculture-based livelihoods (crop and livestock production) contributes to sustenance of female headed households. This study applied in-depth interviews and questionnaires to a sample of female headed households, selected using a purposive non-random sampling procedure using Cala, in Eastern Cape province of South Africa as a case study. Findings indicate that, besides farming economy dwindling in the rural areas, land-based livelihoods continue to provide a safety net for households for both consumption and generation of income. This contribution cannot be underestimated as households continue to hang on in face of ever-increasing poverty. The study concluded that it is important for the government and civil society to build on the current farm livelihoods and augment their economic value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While government housing can raise living standards for the urban poor, it has environmental impacts and contributes to urban resource consumption. In Gauteng Province, South Africa, government housing aims to improve quality of life, reduce poverty and inequality, and transform unsustainable urban forms. This paper draws on survey and interview data to explore the social justice and environmental sustainability outcomes of Gauteng's government housing programmes. The data reveal improved access to basic services and amenities. However, the developments tend to be poorly located with regard to economic opportunities, and residents are forced to explore other income generation opportunities. This paper highlights the complex interplay between justice and sustainability, where the outcomes are aligned in some instances and conflictual in others. It points to the need to move beyond linear, reductionist relationships between justice and sustainability to further the conceptual understanding of their interlinkages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to develop an artifact to measure the level of manufacturing competitiveness of a country in the global context and provide a suitable interpretation mechanism for the measured values, and to provide prescriptive solution where necessary so that the country can develop an actionable plan of program to move from the current level of global competitiveness to another such that they could provide more economic opportunities for their citizenry. Design/methodology/approach: A manufacturing competitive index (MCI) was developed which includes relevant variables to capture a country's manufacturing activity level in an economy with a balanced perspective. Reliable international sources were used. Ward algorithm was used to identify clear clusters of performance upon which competitive gaps were measured and improvement projects were identified and prioritized to obtain the best value for cluster transitional plan. Findings: This study shows that the case country is not doing as well as it wants to believe, even when the relevant technology import measures were included in the expanded metric, but also, the next level of competitiveness is achievable within the national budget if proper prioritization is done. Originality/value: The paper presents a cocktail of indexes that is more exhaustive of MCI, including both research capacity and technology import variables. It also uses clustering mechanism to provide a proper context to interpret the MCI scores in the context of peer nations. It presents a gap determination methodology and shows how priority projects could be logically selected to close measured gaps based on anticipated value from budget expenses [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing agriculture can reduce poverty, create economic opportunities in rural and peri-urban areas, and boost employment, particularly for semi- and unskilled workers. We review several successful joint ventures across South Africa which comprise a range of partnerships between smallholders, commercial farmers, agribusinesses, industry associations and government. Many of these partnerships have generated significant returns and transformational benefits. Well-designed joint ventures can complement existing government initiatives to drive more rapid agrarian transformation and increase production (Steenkamp, A., Pieterse, D & Rycroft, J, 2017. Innovative joint ventures can boost agriculture production and promote agrarian transformation. Accessed 19 February 2019). A review of international best practice provides some insights into how government can support the sector to scale-up these interventions. We argue, however, that these interventions must be supported by policy and regulatory certainty and land policies for secure property rights across a range of tenure options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide range of literature reveals that women in many African societies have historically been faced with the challenge of patriarchy and lack of freedom in their households--a challenge also mirrored in institutions of education, the economy, law and politics. This gendered position produces gendered inequalities which lead women to experience poverty more severely than men. The feminisation of poverty has over the years resulted in the feminisation of migration, which implies a change in women's migratory identities and roles, where women are increasingly migrating as independent migrants rather than to rejoin male family members. Often, women migrate due to a desire for greater autonomy and a decrease in social restrictions on their productive and reproductive bodies. They also migrate to enhance their economic opportunities and seek new survival strategies in their endeavour to cater for their family's needs and those that pertain to their being. It is against this backdrop that this article explores the experiences of migrant women and the strategies they employ as they, against all odds, renegotiate and reconstitute their gendered identities and sexual bodies in order to survive the complex realities of living in a "foreign" space. The article focuses on 15 Zimbabwean migrant women's experiences of feminised poverty that pushed them out of the boundaries of their homeland, and the sexual and gendered livelihoods that emerged as part of their survival strategies in South Africa. As the article engages with Zimbabwean migrant women's experiences prior to and after moving to South Africa, it is at work to illuminate how sexuality and migration shape and reshape one another. The article analyses the role of sexuality in gender and migration research that has not been given the pre-eminence it should in the Global South. Overall, the article reveals that the often subsumed and hidden role of sexuality in gender and migration research adds another complex layer of vulnerability to the bodies, identities and roles of Zimbabwean migrant women in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this article is to determine the economic opportunities created by African immigrant entrepreneurs in South Africa. Furthermore, it is to investigate the impact that Afrophobia has on economic opportunities created by African immigrant entrepreneurs in South Africa. Research Design & Methods: The text utilizes a mixed-methods approach that incorporates both self-administered questionnaire and qualitative in-depth interviews. Through a random sampling approach and snowballing technique, this study combines data from questionnaires of 153 participants and in-depth interviews with 12 respondents. Findings: The findings confirm that immigrant SMEs fill economic gaps by contributing to innovation and technology developments. Such commercial migrants pay taxes, thus adding to the economy of the country. Challenges faced by African immigrant entrepreneurs are not few but centre on Afrophobic and xenophobic attacks which negatively impact business operations and economic growth. Implications & Recommendations: Sound measures by the government regarding immigration could minimize existing tensions, stimulate local skills development, technology development and transfer, new business opportunities, and improve inclusion into the globalised economy. Contribution & Value Added: This study is unique in that it contributes to our knowledge and literature on immigrant entrepreneurship while particularly providing insights into African immigrants' contributions to a national economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the highest carbon-emitting nations, South Africa is working tirelessly to swiftly transition to sustainable technologies in order to strengthen its green economy initiatives. Amongst the technologies that are explored in the scientific and industrial community, biorefineries are seen as the most efficient technologies that can be used to create economic opportunities and will contribute to the advancement of a bio-based economy as they can synthesize diverse industrially-competitive products. Despite their numerous socio-economic advantages, the establishment of large-scale biorefineries in developing nations like South Africa is very scarce. Therefore, it is imperative to address the technological gaps that hinder the growth of large-scale biorefineries and provide practical solutions that could be used to solve these bottlenecks. This work provides a comprehensive review of the development of biowaste biorefinery-based technologies in South Africa. Different biowaste valorization technologies applicable to locally available organic waste streams, and the resulting market-based compounds that can be obtained from these sustainable feedstocks, are reviewed. Finally, the work provides insights into research and development needs (knowledge gaps) that should be explored by scientists and industries, as these technological solutions might propel biorefineries toward industrialization in South Africa. • A comprehensive review of biowaste biorefineries in South Africa is presented. • The biorefinery systems that are used to create new value chains are discussed. • The hurdles that hinder the industrialization of biorefineries are explored as well. • The study provides suggestions that could help surpass the current limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radical economic transformation has come to mean many different things to many different people. In recent political discourse, the concept has been utilised to symbolise the government's commitment to fast-track changes in the structure of the economy, particularly from the perspective of revisiting the ownership of wealth and resources. When loosely used, the term somehow confers upon government the agency to ensure that the ownership structure of the economy should be transformed (radically) in a manner that changes the structure and pace of economic development and fulfils the aspirations of the National Development Plan. This paper argues that the idea of radicalised economic transformation is a contested one, because economic transformation can hardly be radicalised in the sense that is being communicated in the mainstream discourse. The transformation of any economy requires painstaking mechanical and systematic remodelling of certain push pillars within several sectors, of which the higher education sector is key. Radicalising the process of economic transformation in South Africa could hardly be achieved without radical steps to transform the role, contribution and output of the higher education sector. The construction of an economic development project that brings about sustainable, meaningful improvements would require much more than a rhetoric commitment to the romantic notion of radical economic transformation. It will require dealing with built-in weaknesses of the system and picking seed pillars with a potential to inject radical change into the broader economy. It is the key argument of this paper that radicalising the transformation of the higher education sector is the real prerequisite to radical economic transformation, especially when such transformation targets more than the racial profile of university staff to also focus on output, efficiency and global competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This purpose of this paper is to explore creative forms of tourism in South African townships. The developmental potential of slum tourism is contested. One challenge is to reconfigure extant forms of slum tourism into more sustainable alternatives that emphasise combatting poverty through generating economic opportunities and upgrading slum spaces. It is argued that creative tourism has a vital potential role in reshaping slum tourism in a responsible manner.Design/methodology/approach This exploratory investigation identifies emerging examples of creative forms of tourism in two case study townships: Soweto in Johannesburg and Langa in Cape Town. Current examples and potential for future development are interrogated, and areas for further research are outlined.Findings Emerging examples of creative tourism in townships with an emphasis on creative participatory experiences, creative spaces and creative cultural events are identified. It is suggested that creative tourism offerings based on cultural resources are under-developed, and potential exists for innovating and expanding creative tourism offerings in townships as a response to latent international and domestic visitor demands.Social implications Creative township tourism provides a number of avenues for catalysing economic opportunities; ensuring that locals benefit directly, upgrading physical township spaces and offering alternatives to voyeuristic forms of slum tourism by enhancing the authenticity of visitor experiences.Originality/value A new perspective on slum tourism is offered. Creative slum tourism has not been interrogated in the existing slum tourism and creative tourism literatures. This paper calls for more comprehensive empirical investigation on creative forms of tourism in townships and also in slums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to digitally connected living should support social and economic inclusion and provide opportunities for people to improve their quality of life. Yet evidence linking digital access and quality of life is lacking. We contribute by examining the relationship between quality of life and the extent to which individuals have accessed the Internet and whether they own their devices and connectivity. The dataset covers 27 490 individuals living in the Gauteng City‐Region of South Africa. Results show that after controlling for other factors, individuals who are digitally connected exhibit significantly larger scores on quality of life indicators than individuals without access. However, 95% of individuals without access are from households below the median income category, and the odds of access are 9.85 times as large as for above median income than for those below median income. Thus, digitally connected living depends on, and cannot be disentangled from, preexisting opportunities for social and economic inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa’s foreign policy has recently been gravitating away from an appeal to Western powers towards the establishment of new friendships in the Global South, especially with Asia and Latin America. Moreover, the favouring of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) partnership and a rising tone of anti-Western sentiments have increasingly been evidenced in South Africa’s contemporary foreign policy, which are of major significance to the nature and direction of its economic-diplomatic strategy. Three broad perspectives or main arguments from this article are of special importance: First, most members of BRICS are troubled by slower economic growth, which should be of concern to South Africa’s current foreign policy stand. Second, anti-Western ideological concerns and related presumptions on the part of the South African government that the BRICS formation could potentially assume a counter-hegemonic character vis-à-vis the West are questionable and dubious. Third, South Africa stands to benefit from many networks and opportunities provided by BRICS membership. At the same time, because of its low economic growth, high levels of poverty and lack of employment opportunities, South Africa cannot afford to follow an approach of narrow interest concerning the BRICS formation and to constrain itself in its economic diplomacy. This article argues that the South African government will therefore have to consider the opportunities offered by a more nuanced and pragmatic foreign policy designed on multiple identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper was to investigate differences in male employee experiences in the light of employment equity law and a strong affirmative action drive within present-day South African organizations. This research is important as it can substantiate or invalidate perspectives and beliefs surrounding employment equity issues. A cross-sectional design was used which consisted of a stratified random sample from five corporate organizations (N = 1000). Latent variable modeling with Bayesian estimation was implemented. This paper also demonstrated the use of informative hypothesis testing and subsequent Bayes factors to directly compare the informative hypotheses, in order to show how much more likely one hypothesis is to be the correct hypothesis, compared to the other(s). The results revealed that non-designated (white male) employees experience more job insecurity than their designated (black male) counterparts, but this does not necessarily associate with more turnover intention. It was also found that when designated employees experience less career opportunities, they show more turnover intention. Furthermore, it was shown that designated employees perceive more discrimination, but that this does not associate with more turnover intention. The limitations and future research opportunities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cultural tourism is highlighted as one of the most important development opportunities for Africa. In the region of southern Africa cultural tourism is of rising significance both for tourists and policy makers. The task in this article is to provide an overview of the expanding opportunities and debates pertaining to cultural tourism development in southern Africa. In addition, a setting is provided of the existing 'state of the art' of cultural tourism research in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the first introduction of critical illness insurance in 1983 in South Africa, the product has successfully spread to some insurance markets, especially in Asian and Anglophone countries, but market penetration remains low in other countries. For this reason and because of the increasing relevance of dread diseases, the aim of this article is to provide a first comprehensive overview of challenges and opportunities associated with critical illness products for insurers. Toward this end, we first present the various product designs, as well as the developments that have taken place within the market before comparing this form of coverage to alternative insurance products in order to better assess the market potential. Based on these assessments, we thoroughly discuss the major challenges and opportunities within the market from the insurer's perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty years after apartheid was formally abolished it continues to shape South African society. Its legacy persists over and above interest in it as a perverse phenomenon. We therefore find it timely, as part of our introduction to this special issue, to review some important studies of the economic aspects, and particularly some newer research by young scholars. Since so much about the apartheid system remains unexamined, Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA) organized a workshop in March 2013 to bring together people who work on the economics of apartheid. This special issue is partly the result of papers presented at this workshop or collaborations developed there. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Staffing crisis in healthcare profession is not only a South African issue, but a global concern. Radiography is also one of the professions affected. According to records from Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) department as at 8th August 2013, there were 427 vacancies in the year 2008, 445 vacancies in 2009, 447 in 2010, 79 vacancies in the year 2011 and 81 vacancies in 2012. The vacancies in 2011 and 2012 were low because the government froze all posts that were not filled. Hospitals are thus understaffed. This study aimed to explore factors impacting on the retention of radiographers in KZN. A quantitative, descriptive survey design was used by completing an online questionnaire. The findings indicate that, in addition to the workload, radiographers were unhappy with salary and remuneration. They also stated that their expectations regarding the profession, careers progression opportunities were hindered. This was as a result of limited opportunities for professional development in the context of a limited scope of practice and over-dependence on the professionals themselves. The issue of scope of practice should be reviewed to align with the career progression which could create greater professional satisfaction and retention of radiographers within the KZN province in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, substance use services have not been provided by South African primary health care facilities, limiting access to treatment. A lack of mental health workers has slowed plans to integrate these services into the primary health care system. This has prompted calls for the task-shifting of some treatment responsibilities from mental health specialists to non-specialty health workers. We present findings from three projects that used a task-shifting approach to integrate brief interventions (BIs) for substance use into primary care. The first involved the horizontal integration of nurse-led BI services. In our three-month evaluation, we found significant reductions in substance use (p < 0.001). The second involved the vertical integration of a community health worker-delivered BI within emergency services. In a randomized controlled trial, participants were assigned to a session of motivational interviewing (MI), a five-session blended MI and problem-solving therapy (PST) intervention, or a control group. At three months, ASSIST scores were significantly lower in the MI-PST group than in the other groups (p < 0.001). In the third, we horizontally integrated a nurse-delivered BI intervention into an antenatal clinic. There was low detection of alcohol use; however, tobacco use decreased significantly following the intervention (p < 0.001). Through task-shifting, it is feasible to provide substance use services in primary health care in low- and middle-income countries. It remains unclear whether it is more feasible, acceptable, and effective to integrate these services into primary care using horizontally or vertically integrated approaches. These questions need to be answered in order to guide the implementation of these new health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in natural plant-based remedies as a source for commercial products. Around 80% of the South African population use traditional medicines to meet their primary health care needs; however, only a few South African medicinal plants have been exploited to their full potential in terms of commercialization. The opportunity for bioprospecting of plant compounds for novel pharmaceuticals remains largely untapped. Certain renowned medicinal plants of international acclaim including buchu and rooibos are currently contributing to local enterprise; however, other exciting opportunities exist for commonly used plants which have not yet reached the international arena. This paper focuses on the key research and development contributions of 10 commercially important medicinal plants of South Africa. Traditional uses, scientific validation, commercialisation developments, as well as both potential opportunities and setbacks are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa suffers from a scarcity of skills in key areas of the economy, and the higher education sector has a crucial role to play in enabling graduates to access the labour market, thus creating opportunities for households to break the poverty cycle. We argue that South Africa's survival depends on expanding access to higher education and improving both diversity and student-throughput rates. In order to overcome the legacy of legalised exclusion of the majority population from educational and economic opportunities, the country has no choice but to address issues related to the inclusion of diversity in higher education.In this paper, we outline the historical background to South Africa's higher education system during apartheid and highlight measures taken to transform the sector. Changes in the student population between 1993 and 2008 are examined, and factors hindering student diversity are discussed. Finally, two strategies aimed at contributing to access and diversity in higher education are shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study was undertaken among the rural and black communities of the Uthungulu health district of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Method: A cross-sectional community-based descriptive study was conducted. A multi-stage sampling strategy was adopted to obtain a representative sample of the communities. Results: The mean age of the population was 27 years and majority was female (54%). Among the adult population only 30% were educated, 19% were engaged in some form of economic activities while 9% were in the formal employment sector. The average monthly income per household was R1 301 (95% CI, R1 283; R1 308). The illnesses were reported by 27% of the total population over a period of one month. Notably higher rates of female individuals (29%) were sick compared to males (24%, p < 0.001). The rates of illnesses among adult females (39%) were also signifi cantly higher than among males (31%, p < 0.009). Most of them (69%) attended primary health care (PHC) clinics for medical services, while 67% reported chronic conditions. Age (OR = 1.4), gender (OR = 0.711), education (OR = 0.64) and economic activities (OR = 1.9) were found to be associated with being ill or not. Conclusion: The rural black communities are underdeveloped and deprived, which results in higher prevalence of illnesses; however, the utilisation of PHC facilities is comparatively higher than in the rest of the province and other parts of the country. Interventions to improve community health care services among the deprived population should be focused through public health strategies such as all-encompassing PHC that includes health promotion, education and basic essential amenities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under what conditions does capital in the age of globalization accept state regulation of markets instead of exercising its 'exit option' and shifting assets to less restrictive markets? This article explores this question by analysing local and foreign capital's compliance with the South African government's policy of seeking to transfer 25-30 percent of equity and management in white-owned companies to blacks in all sectors of the economy by 2014. This is part of government's overall policy of black economic empowerment (BEE) to foster the emergence of a black capital-owning class. The article argues that the relative vulnerability of states and markets to globalization pressures compels states and markets to reach a 'fateful compromise' that enhances state autonomy to regulate markets while also advancing the interests of capital.

Over the last 50 years, studies have shown a decline in the use of mountain lands, a phenomenon termed land abandonment. We investigate the causal mechanisms of land use change in a mountain catchment important for regional water supplies in the southwestern Cape of South Africa. Uniquely, we include nature-based recreational land use types typically excluded from land abandonment studies. We repeated a structured questionnaire originally conducted with landowners 38 years previously and analysed orthoimages from 1948, 1972 and 2014. To identify and contextualise causal mechanisms of change we used thematic analysis and generated narratives from in-depth interviews with landowners. The land use system in 1948 and 1972 was dominated by livestock-based, subsistence agriculture and small-scale farming. This transitioned to agricultural intensification on the lowlands and small portions of the mountains and the utilisation of mountains for non-economic nature-based recreation and ecotourism. The use of frequent small, low intensity-controlled fires was prevalent in the past. More recently, fires have been actively suppressed resulting in the build-up of biomass and the development of infrequent, extensive, high-intensity wildfires. Land use change in the mountains was driven primarily by socio-economic drivers, including socio-economic benefits related to globalisation and economic growth, and not by concerns over land degradation or resource depletion. Our findings support evidence that shows that people's responses to economic opportunities drive local determinants of land use change and highlights the importance of perceptions in driving land use transitions. We show that existing models of land abandonment are likely overly deterministic in that they do not consider social and cultural factors that may cause a landowner to continue using their land for semi-economic or non-economic reasons. While there is merit in large-scale remote sensing studies, we emphasise the importance of using mixed remote sensing and social science methods for informing models of land use change. • Land degradation/resource depletion was not the main influence of land use change. • Socio-economic opportunities and environmentalism increased nature-based recreation. • Subsistence grazing declined due to increased living standards and wealth. • The frequent use of fires for grazing declined, which increased perceived fire risk. • Growth of nature-based recreation can influence investment in mountain systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]