Development In South Africa Research Articles

Informal finance for survivalist enterprise development in South Africa: A case study of Soshanguve Township

The majority of South Africans are trapped in poverty and high unemployment levels. Some, particularly the poor, resort to operating survivalist enterprises to cater for day-to-day expenses or meet basic needs. The underlying problem confronting many survivalist enterprises is lack of finance to develop and sustain their enterprises which is associated with collateral constraints. As a result, survivalist enterprises use informal sources of finance as channels to access such finance. The objective of this article is to determine how informal finance can mitigate this problem and propose strategic finance principles that can be used to improve access to finance by survivalist enterprises. The research adopted a case study approach based on informal finance and how it is used as an instrument for developing survivalist enterprises in the Soshanguve township situated in the Gauteng Province in South Africa. A sampling technique was employed to conduct interviews with survivalist enterprises which were randomly selected. The research findings reveal that informal finance appears to be successful through its traditional norms and customs embedded in the informal financial arrangements which mitigate collateral problems and improve access to finance by survivalist enterprises. Based on these findings, recommendations were therefore formulated based on informal finance which can be used as the first point of reference for developing survivalist enterprises in South Africa.

Electricity for development: Mini-grid solution for rural electrification in South Africa

The objective of most rural electrification programs in the developing world is to bring about socio-economic development to households. Governments have put in place a number of measures to achieve this goal. Previous studies on rural electrification programs in developing countries show that solar home systems and mini-grid systems are the dominant technologies. Assessments of a pilot hybrid mini-grid project at Lucingweni village have concluded that mini-grid projects are not feasible due to high electricity production costs. As a result efforts toward rural electrification have been focused on the solar home system. Nevertheless, previous studies of the South African solar home system program have shown that the development objectives of the program are yet to be met more than a decade after commissioning. Therefore, this study investigates the viability of a hybrid mini-grid as a solution for rural development in South Africa. Investigations were based on Lucingweni and Thlatlaganya, two rural Villages where the mini-grid and solar home system have been introduced. The mini-grid systems were designed taking into consideration available natural resources and existing load profiles. The results show that a village of 300 households needs about 2.4kWh/household/day of electricity to initiate and sustain income generating activities and that the solar home system is not capable of supporting this level of demand. We also show that in locations with hydro resources, a hybrid mini-grid system has the most potential for meeting the energy needs of the households in a cost effective manner. The assessment shows that with adequate planning and optimization of available resources, the cost of electricity production can be reduced.

The contested trajectory of applied local economic development in South Africa

Local economic development is one of the key development strategies pursued by localities in South Africa. Local economic development is a core local government mandate and one which is notionally conceptualised as allowing for the pursuit of both socio-economic redress and economic development. Despite the significant support put into applied local economic development for nearly 20 years, results have been modest and concerns about a potential over-focus on pro-poor local economic development, at the expense of simultaneously working with the private sector on pro-market interventions, have been identified as a stumbling block to the potential success of this developmental approach. This paper charts the development of local economic development policy and practise in the country before focussing on the findings of a detailed analysis of the local economic development strategies adopted by all of the country’s 278 local authorities. Findings show that most local governments are choosing a narrow band of pro-poor interventions to focus their attention on, with little support, except in the larger centres, being given to more market-focussed interventions.

Producing alcohol and other drugs as a policy ‘problem’: A critical analysis of South Africa's ‘National Drug Master Plan’ (2013–2017)

BackgroundThe strong symbolic value of illicit drug use makes it a contested issue, which attracts mixed public opinion, intense media attention and close political scrutiny. This means that the formulation of plausible, authoritative policies governing illicit drugs must navigate fraught political terrain. In a country like South Africa with its long unique history of institutionalised oppression of the black majority, the issues confronting drug policy are particularly complex and the need for carefully formulated policy responses especially urgent. Yet despite this, the area of drug policy development in South Africa has received little scholarly attention to date. MethodsThis paper explores the complexities of policymaking in the South African context by drawing on feminist scholar Carol Bacchi's poststructuralist approach to policy analysis, which focuses on how policy helps to produce the problems it purports to solve. Taking as its empirical focus, South Africa's current drug policy, the third National Drug Master Plan (NDMP), 2013–2017, the paper analyses how the policy constitutes the ‘problem of alcohol and other drugs’ (AODs). ResultsWe identify three central policy proposals through which specific problematisations emerge: (1) the proposal that drug use is a global issue requiring a coordinated policy response, (2) appeals to evidence-based policy proposals and (3) the proposal that AOD ‘use’ and ‘abuse’ be treated interchangeably. We suggest that these proposals reveal a tendency towards inflating the ‘problem of AODs’ and thus work to justify punitive policy measures. ConclusionsIn an effort to explore the implications of particular problematisations for effecting social change, we clarify the ways in which the policy may work to undermine the interests of those it seeks to aid by reinforcing stigma and marginalisation.

OBTAINING INVOLUNTARY MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTITUTIONAL DISPENSATION

The history of mental health care in South Africa has come a long way from the flawed past, where individuals who suffered from mental disabilities were treated like criminals and where social problems were blamed on and confused with mental deviance. While positive policy changes have undoubtedly been brought about by the Mental Health Care Act 17 of 2002 (MHCA), the question remains whether effect is truly being given to the upholding of rights envisaged by this Act and by theConstitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (the Constitution). While substantive issues are admittedly of cardinal importance, especially when viewed in the light of the past, due process is something which cannot be disregarded when dealing with involuntary mental health care. The aim of this contribution is to determine to what extent the MHCA upholds mental health care users’ fundamental rights, as afforded by the Bill of Rights, specifically in the process of obtaining involuntary mental health care. This will be done against the background of the history of mental health legislation and its development in South Africa as well as the procedure by means of which involuntary mental health care must be obtained under current legislation. When scrutinising this procedure it will become clear that the MHCA requires the consideration of several factors when the decision concerning the provision of involuntary mental health care is made. It will subsequently become evident that the MHCA is transparent in terms of its procedure to obtain involuntary care, specifically regarding the administrative law aspect thereof, and that it provides sufficient procedural and substantive protection for mental health care users’ rights, in accordance with the Constitution.

Analyzing the Inefficacy of Non-Interactive Legal Literacy Methods for the Community People: The Kwazulu-Natal Experience of the Family Advocate Workshops

Interactive methods are methods of teaching by explaining the contents and subject matter in plain and simple language. For community outreach workshops and legal literacy programmes, interactive teaching methods are most useful because interactive teaching method increases the retention rate of learner by a significant percentage. Despite South Africa's legacy of using interactive methods through street law programmes, the offices under the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in South Africa do not practice interactive teaching methods in their community workshops. This paper discusses the demerits of the non-interactive methods used by the offices and discusses possible suggestions for solution.

Local economic development beyond the centre: Reflections on South Africa’s secondary cities

Research on local economic development in South Africa has been dominated by reflections on the larger metropolitan areas, while secondary cities have received scant attention. This paper evaluates local economic development initiatives in six secondary cities in South Africa. It advances three arguments based on South African and international literature. First, the local economic development strategies for these cities pay too little attention to creating effective links with their rural hinterlands. Second, while globalization increases both vulnerabilities and opportunities, these cities are ill-prepared to deal with the former or benefit from the latter. Third, local economic development strategies tend to focus on cluster initiatives, which in essence are inward looking. Such strategies increase competition with the larger metropolitan areas. The secondary cities are unlikely to compete effectively with these larger areas if they continue to follow inward-looking or cluster-oriented approaches.

The Impact Of Clean Development Mechanism Projects On Sustainable Development In South Africa

Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) have achieved a certain level of cost-effective emission reductions in developing countries. In this context the uneven distribution of CDM projects in certain regions as well as the concentration of CDM projects amongst certain sectors in developing countries have resulted in the issue of whether CDM projects contribute to sustainable development in developing countries. This article examines the impact of CDM projects on sustainable development in South Africa by examining a sample of working CDM projects there and evaluating their impact on environmental, economic and social sustainable development. Based on observations during the study, CDM policy changes are reviewed, and options to enhance the sustainable development implications of CDM projects are explained.

Towards Equality and Equity in Education : Assessing an Initiative to Strengthen Teacher Professional Development in South Africa

In South Africa major educational inequalities and disparities in education are prevalent at especially historically black township schools due to the country’s history and current contexts. Teacher training evolved from the apartheid system which was characterised by deep racial and regional inequalities with poor teacher training and low admission requirements for blacks. Most currently serving teachers received their professional education from the apartheid system which adversely impacts on national assessments and equitable teaching and learning. The poor performance of learners from township schools in national and international literacy assessments prompted the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to take proactive teacher professional development (TPD) steps to address the issue of equitable teaching and learning and chronic learner underperformance in literacy in the province. This strategy to address equality and equitable learning through TPD is called the Gauteng Province Literacy and Mathematics Strategy (GPLMS). The study examines the effect of the practicing teacher professional development (TPD) on Grade 3 teachers’ understanding and experiences of the implementation of the GPLMS in selected underperforming schools in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Data on the importance and results of the programme as well as support for the GPLMS were gathered using interviews, document analysis and observation. The mentoring process stood out as the most important contributing factor for effective implementation of the GPLMS. Respondents reflected positive attitudes towards school-based Literacy teacher professional development. The fast pace of the programme, large classes, marking and lack of parental involvement were major challenges. Despite these challenges the new GPLMS provided more equitable teaching and learning opportunities and it improved the literacy assessment levels of the learners.

Sectoral collaboration networks for cardiovascular medical device development in South Africa

We present an analysis of sectoral collaboration for cardiovascular medical device development in South Africa over a 15 year period. The main objectives were to identify the nodes (organizations) and sectors that influence the behaviour of the cardiovascular device development network; to identify the types of collaboration that exist within the network; to quantify the extent of collaboration within the network; and finally to analyse the changes in overall collaboration over time. Collaboration across four sectors was considered: healthcare services, industry, universities, and lastly, science councils and facilities. Author affiliations, extracted from journal articles, were used to generate collaboration networks. Network metrics--degree centrality, betweenness centrality and graph densities--and network graphs were produced using network visualization software (UCINET) in order to identify the influential nodes and sectors, as well as to measure the extent of collaboration within and between sectors. The university and healthcare services sectors were found to make the largest contribution to the development of cardiovascular medical devices in South Africa. Collaboration between universities and healthcare service nodes was the most prevalent type of cross-sector collaboration. Universities were found to be potential key players in the transmission of information across the network, with greater potential than the remaining sectors to form new collaborations with isolated nodes, thereby enhancing device development activity. Foreign nodes played a role in connecting local nodes which would otherwise have been isolated. Overall, collaboration across sectors has increased over the 15 year period, but science councils and industry still have room to become more involved by partnering with the dominant sectors.

The Potential of Community-based Geotourism in Rural Development in South Africa: The Case of Witsie Cave Project

This paper examines the challenges confronting community-based geotourism as a tool for Local Economic Development in a poor rural community based in the Free State province of South Africa. Data were collected through interviews that were held with participants of the Witsie Cave project, local community leaders and municipal officials, as well as through the content analysis of the project’s documents. The results indicate the need to address a conundrum of intertwined endogenous and exogenous conditions as a strategy for enhancing the viability of community-based geotourism projects.

Challenges facing international projects for entrepreneurial development in South Africa

International development projects that support entrepreneurship face a number of challenges, not least because they need to integrate different paradigms. Based on the case study of a Canadian non-governmental organisation in South Africa, this paper provides an exploratory assessment of these challenges and highlights four major factors that affect the success of such international projects: transposing a northern business model to the south; developing local roots and adapting to the local context; balancing the allocation of resources between managing the project and providing services to entrepreneurs; and aligning the cultures of the private sector and international development agencies. In practical terms, the findings provide benchmarks for the success of these projects and could help improve interventions that encourage entrepreneurship in developing countries.

Higher Education Research Expenditure in South Africa

The trends and the trajectory of higher education research expenditure in South Africa since the introduction of the New Funding Formula in 2004 have been analysed. The paper also compares the level of South Africa's total gross expenditure on research and development with those of other selected economies. The findings show that following introduction of the New Funding Formula there has been a significant increase in higher education research expenditure in South Africa. It was also found that although South Africa's total gross expenditure on research and development, as a percentage of GDP, is currently the highest in Africa, it is still lagging behind countries such as China, Russia and Brazil. The study therefore recommends further investment in research and development in South Africa so that the country can achieve its vision of becoming a knowledge-based economy.

Development of South Africa’s national evaluation policy and system 2011−2014

There is a growing recognition of the complex relationship between evaluation and research, and policy and practice. Policy making is inherently political, and public administration is contingent on various factors, that is budgets, capabilities and systems other than evidence. This has evolved in the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluations (DPME) in South Africa challenging conventional ideas of communication between evaluators and policymakers and practitioners. These are characterised by monologues from evaluators to policymakers and practitioners, which are reserved exclusively for communicating the finished product. This article is a reflection of the emerging work of the DPME valuations which is investigating the relational dynamics between evaluators and programme personnel, and encouraging more interactive and diversified communication throughout the evaluation process. The article offers a public sector observation. The lessons and implications can be useful, firstly to other countries establishing evaluation systems, and also those who have an interest in enhancing the use of evidence by government agencies in developing countries.

A review of the growth of monitoring and evaluation in South Africa: Monitoring and evaluation as a profession, an industry and a governance tool

South Africa is one several African countries with an official ministry responsible for monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Some of the other countries include Ghana, Kenya, Benin and Uganda. The development of M&E in South Africa has been stymied in part by its interdisciplinary nature, trying to find roots within historically a very discipline-based higher education system. Over the last ten years, however, there has been a huge increase in the number, scope and quality of evaluations conducted in this country. Government agencies and Non-government organisations (NGOs) often using international donor funds for their own projects, have been engaged in outsourcing evaluation studies, and currently all government departments have established their own M&E units. There are statutory bodies such as the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Department for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) with the responsibility to monitor and evaluate the government’s service delivery and performance. The South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA), established in 2005, draws together M&E practitioners, trainers in M&E, development agencies as well as government officials at its biennial conferences and sustains a vibrant community via its listserv – SAMEATalk. This article reviews the growth of monitoring and evaluation in South Africa and reflects on the current or prominent nature of M&E in this country. It deliberates about M&E developing into a profession, its growth as an industry or businessand its increasing adoption as a governance tool for development in South Africa. The paper concludes with some critical reflections on the growth of M&E in South Africa.

Towards a Model for International Collaboration and Partnerships in Teacher Education in Africa: Education for Sustainable Development in South Africa

ABSTRACTEducation for sustainable development allows all to acquire the skills, attitudes, knowledge and values essential for a sustainable future. This article argues that there is an urgent need to include sustainable development aspects in teaching and learning at all levels of education. Implementing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) poses a new challenge for teachers and teacher educators. The role of international collaboration, partnerships and networking is increasingly becoming important in creating sustainable solutions towards green economies and programmes. The post-2015 global agenda for sustainable development should recognise the need for regional and international collaborations in forging lasting strategies for a sustainable future where education for all is relevant, reliable and accessible.This article proposes a model for collaboration based on analyses conducted on a project on education for sustainable development programme involving key success factors for collaboration and focussing on the local and global stakeholders and their role in enhancing ESD among teachers. For this purpose, the four partner countries: South Africa, India, Mexico and India were examined to understand how ESD is implemented; how experiences are shared; and best practices incorporated into the programme. Local and global experts (ESD-Expert-net members) who developed an international core curriculum for teachers were involved. From the pilot, four country programmes, a conceptual model of seven levels of collaboration and partnerships for education for sustainable development to enhance teacher development among local and international partners was developed. This model is proposed to serve as a framework for education for sustainable development implementation in multinational collaborations and is discussed in relation to the post-2015 sustainable development perspective.

Teachers’ Perceptions of the Impact of Continuing Professional Development on Promoting Quality Teaching and Learning

The aim of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of the impact of Continuing Professional Development on promoting quality teaching and learning. This study adopted a mixed method approach using both quantitative and qualitative research designs. Closed-ended self-administered questionnaires and interview schedule were used to collect data. Two hundred teachers were sampled through simple random sampling procedure to complete the questionnaires, while ten teachers participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The results show that teachers recognise the impact of professional development in broadening their pedagogical and content knowledge, teaching skills and strategies to improve student's learning. Results also show that teachers are undergoing professional development initiatives in order to gain financial rewards. The study concludes that teachers have positive perceptions of their professional development even though they are not being supported adequately by Department of Basic Education and their schools.The study recommends that adequate financial rewards be put in place to encourage and motivate teachers when furthering their studies as part of Continuing Professional Development. Further research into the factors influencing teachers furthering their studies as part of professional development in South Africa should be undertaken.

Living in Liminal Spaces: Zimbabwean Immigrant Teachers’ Othering in South Africa

Zimbabwean teachers are the largest cohort of foreign teachers in South Africa. This paper explores Zimbabwean immigrant teachers’ migration experiences in South Africa after fleeing from socio-economic and political strife in Zimbabwe post 2000. The data draws from the findings of two studies (one qualitative and the other mixed methods) undertaken in South Africa on immigrant teachers; teachers being a category of highly skilled professionals in demand globally. Both studies were on the nature of teacher migration to South Africa. The former study was centred specifically on Zimbabwean teachers’ reasons for migration and their experiences (undertaken in 2011) and the other more broadly on immigrant teachers’ experiences (undertaken in 2012). Bhabha's construct of diasporic identity was used as a portal to understand immigrant teachers’ socio-economic and professional experiences in South Africa. The findings revealed that Zimbabwean immigrant teachers can be conceived as nomads, experiencing multiple struggles personally and professionally, which commenced from their entry into South Africa, in their search for acceptance. Their ‘othering’ which locates them in a marginalized position results in them being treated with hostility by government officials, ignored for their contribution to educational development in South Africa and being fearful, prone to xenophobic attitudes and behavior in schools and society.

Registered counsellors’ perceptions of their role in the South African context of providing mental health-care services

Mental health-care statistics in South Africa indicate that large numbers of individuals do not have access to mental health-care practitioners and that mental health difficulties appear to be exacerbated by significant social problems. The need to combat this ever-increasing void was acknowledged by the South African government and the category of registered counsellor was created to afford a form of mental health care to disadvantaged communities. To date, it appears that registered counsellors have been somewhat unsuccessful in their attempts to fulfil their intended role. Hence, in 2011, a newly formulated scope of practice was introduced which engaged registered counsellors in the areas that would most efficiently address the mental health-care gap. The purpose of this research study was to explore the perceptions of registered counsellors regarding their role of providing mental health-care services in the South African context. A qualitative interpretive descriptive approach with a sample of 12 individuals, who are registered as registered counsellors with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, was used. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews guided by an interview schedule. Thematic analysis was used to identify the themes. The study found that the registered counsellors perceived their role as important in the context of mental health-care development in South Africa, but despite this, they also experienced negative perceptions regarding the changing scope of their role in South Africa. This manifested in uncertainty among the registered counsellors. Negative perceptions were also reported in terms of a lack of acknowledgement from other mental health-care practitioners and ignorance from the public regarding the work of registered counsellors.

Public Participation and Water Use Rights

The conservation and protection of water resources is paramount in the safeguarding of environmental rights and the attainment of sustainable development in South Africa. Although the National Water Act 36 of 1998 (the NWA) seeks to provide a framework for ensuring the sustainable use of water resources, its application has been hindered by capacity and enforcement constraints, a legacy of water pollution (primarily as a result of mining and industrial activities), and poor resource management. To aggravate this situation, the difficulties in effectively implementing the NWA are exacerbated by inadequate public participation in water use licensing processes. Public participation in environmental decision-making has increasingly received recognition for its role in ensuring administrative justice and the protection of environmental rights. While environmental legislation (in many cases) sets out procedures for ensuring that public views are taken into account in environmental decision-making processes, the judiciary has also recognised the pivotal role of public engagement in ensuring administrative justice where environmental rights are at stake. Sound public participation practices play an important role in identifying issues requiring consideration in the context of environmental assessment processes, as well as in ensuring that communities are empowered to monitor, identify and report on potential contraventions of environmental legislation. Water is a vital natural resource which is under significant pressure in South Africa. In the circumstances, effective public participation is crucial to ensuring the protection and equitable use of water resources. It follows that provision for comprehensive public engagement in water use licensing processes is integral to ensuring the sustainable management of water resources. While provision is made in the NWA for public engagement in the context of water use licensing processes, such participation is limited, and in some cases discretionary. This, in turn, has the effect of curtailing the right to an administrative appeal in respect of a decision by the competent authority to grant water use rights. This paper will explore the role of public participation in environmental decision-making with a view to identifying the shortcomings of the NWA in this regard, as well as the effectiveness of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000 (the PAJA) in supplementing the NWA's shortcomings. It will also consider the implications which recent changes to South Africa's environmental legal framework will have for public participation in water use licensing, particularly in the context of mining-related activities.