IN SOUTH AFRICA Research Articles

Optimising supply chain effectiveness among state-owned enterprises in South Africa

Background: State-owned enterprises (SOEs) play an important role in the economies of many developed and developing countries. However, most SOEs fail to provide efficient or effective public service delivery. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate how SOEs in Gauteng province in South Africa can enhance supply chain effectiveness (SCE).Objectives: In the study, the relationships are investigated between total quality management (TQM), competitive advantage (CA), innovation (IN), SCE in the selected South African SOEs in Gauteng province.Method: A quantitative design was adopted in which a survey questionnaire was administered to 863 supply chain practitioners working in SOEs in South Africa Gauteng province. Data were analysed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 27.0) and SMART PLS (version 3.0).Results: The results of the study showed that knowledge management and CA predict the establishment of SCE in SOEs in the Gauteng province. However, IN was not supported but is of significance towards achieving SCE in SOEs in the Gauteng province.Conclusion: The adoption of CA by SOEs over industry competitors is essential toward success.Contribution: The results of this study will contribute to the improvement of South Africa’s economy by enabling SOEs to establish a competitive edge in their respective industries.

Gender Inequality and Financial Inclusion in South Africa: Lessons from India

This article examines the intersection of gender inequality and financial inclusion in South Africa, focusing on drawing lessons from India’s experience. Despite progress in financial inclusion initiatives in South Africa, women face systemic barriers to accessing financial services, including discriminatory policies and cultural attitudes. Through a comparative analysis of India’s efforts to promote financial inclusion and gender equality, this article identifies key strategies South Africa can adopt to address gender-based disparities in financial access. These strategies include promoting financial literacy among women, expanding access to formal financial institutions, and implementing policies that address the unique challenges women entrepreneurs face. By applying lessons from India, South Africa can take meaningful steps towards building a more inclusive financial system that empowers women and promotes gender equality.

Factors associated with underweight, overweight, stunting and wasting among primary school-going children participating in a school health initiative in South Africa

BackgroundThe double burden of malnutrition among children remains a public health challenge in South Africa. In response, the government of South Africa developed the National Health Policy and Implementation Guidelines for school-going children in 2003. This policy was subsequently upgraded to ‘The Integrated School Health Programme’ in 2012. An element of the programme is the provision of a meal to school-going children on school days. However, evidence suggests that one-third of school-going children continue to have nutritional deficiencies. This study investigated the sociodemographic as well as the nutritional characteristics of school-going children participating in a school health initiative in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.MethodsThis was a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study involving 1,275 children (50.3% females and 49.7% males) aged 3 to 15 years. Epidemiological data on the screening of the children’s nutritional characteristics by school health nurses and school health nutritionists under the integrated school health programme (ISHP) was reviewed and analysed for the study.ResultsNearly half (50.3%) and 49.7% of the population were females and males, respectively. The average age of participants was 8.4 years old. ‘Underweight’ (p = 0.000), ‘overweight’ (p = 0.000), ‘at risk of overweight’ (p = 0.000),‘stunting’ (p = 0.000),‘severe stunting’ (p = 0.005), ‘wasting’ (p = 0.010), and ‘obesity’ (p = 0.037) were associated with the ‘schools that children attended’. School-going children’ living conditions were significantly associated with ‘normal weight’ (p = 0.000), ‘underweight’ (p = 0.000), and ‘underweight’ (p = 0.028). However, the social grant to parents/guardians had some positive effects on the percentage of children who reported ‘normal weight’ (55.4%), ‘wasting’ (1.0%), ‘underweight’ (4.0%), and ‘at risk of overweight’ (20.2%).ConclusionChronic nutritional deficiencies persist among children. Therefore, ISHP implementation must retarget specific regions of the country to ensure that national goals and gains on school-going children nutrition, are met and maintained. Indeed, considering the positive impact of the government’s social grant programme on the nutritional status of the children in this study, we recommend policy reforms that will increase parents’ and carers’ access to means of subsistence in order to meet the health and nutritional needs of children in the study communities.

Poor Performance of Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises in South Africa: What has Race and Apartheid Got to Do with it?

Small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) are expected to contribute significantly to South Africa’s socioeconomic development. Despite the various private and public institutional agencies in place to bolster the role of SMMEs, these SMMEs continue to perform poorly. The poor performance of SMMEs has been linked to race and apartheid. Through a literature review, this study explored this attribution of SMMEs’ poor performance to race and apartheid, considering that many argue that the apartheid legacy is the root of many challenges encountered by SMMEs. The results are, however, ambivalent. They suggest that, although apartheid and race remain critical issues in explaining some existing structural challenges that SMMEs encounter, their effects may have been superseded by other post-apartheid issues that undermine SMMEs’ performance. Specifically, apart from continuing influences of apartheid-era challenges such as race-based barriers to markets and access to financial support, present-day issues such as corruption, bad governance, ill-conceived business strategies, and infrastructure challenges negatively influence the performance of SMMEs. Addressing these multifaceted issues requires coordinated efforts from the government, the private sector, and other stakeholders to create a conducive environment for SMMEs’ growth and success. We, therefore, conclude that the causes of the poor performance of SMMEs in South Africa stretch beyond race and apartheid and call for an exhaustive analysis of broader issues that undermine SMMEs’ performance in South Africa.

Administrative practices for improved environmental compliance of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises in South Africa

The main constraints on SME growth in developing countries are regulations and legislation. Poor administration of environmental regulatory compliance is shown by the high number of SMEs in the manufacturing sector closing down annually in developing economies. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of administrative practices on environmental compliance by manufacturing SMEs in a developing country. This study adopted a quantitative research approach. A sample size of 215 administrative personnel and managers from manufacturing SMEs operating within Msunduzi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, was selected. Managers and administrative personnel were selected to eliminate biased answers that favor organizations and because both may have had an opportunity to enforce administrative practices that adhere to environmental regulations. The sample size was selected using a probability sampling method. The study shows that respondents agree that environmental compliance is a mandatory practice for SMEs in the manufacturing sector. Although results show that SMEs are complying with environmental regulations, they still face challenges. The study further demonstrates a disregard for the organization and storage of assessment reports by administrative personnel working in manufacturing SMEs.

Non-offending caregivers reflections on the use of a film encompassing child sexual abuse perpetrator's testimonies for potential child protection initiatives in South Africa

BackgroundChild sexual abuse (CSA) remains a challenge in South Africa, despite various legislative developments to address child abuse. Despite non-offending caregivers (NOC) playing a critical role in child safeguarding, and supporting disclosure and recovery, very little research has focused on understanding what works in assisting them in supporting child victims in South Africa. ObjectivesThe study examines the exposure of NOC who watched a short film based on the testimonies of four CSA perpetrators in therapy, with a view to exploring whether this film could be useful for CSA prevention, disclosure and support initiatives. Participants and settingA convenience sample of eight NOC attending a community support service in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. MethodsAfter viewing the film, the NOC completed a questionnaire, and were asked to discuss usefulness of film content based on perpetrator testimonials in sensitizing NOC around disclosure of sexual abuse and support of the child. Thematic data analysis combined their perceptions of sexual abuse experienced by their children/grandchildren and the effect that content of the film had on their perceptions. ResultsFive themes emerged; Awareness of CSA and available child protection programs; Views toward CSA disclosure; Emotive responses; Lessons learnt for identification of CSA and child protection; and Recommendations for future programs. ConclusionsThe process of viewing and discussing the film stimulated a shift for NOC to identify risk, facilitate disclosure of CSA, and become more supportive toward child victims. The study highlights the potential of using film to guide NOC targeted child protection and safeguarding initiatives.

Strategic decision-making in small and medium enterprises in South Africa

Background: Effective strategic decision-making (SDM) is a key element to ensure the sustainability and continuous business performance in any business. This is especially true in large organisations. Limited research has been conducted to understand SDM processes in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa.Aim: To determine whether SMEs apply SDM in their businesses and if benchmark methodologies and process can be defined for SMEs in a South African context.Setting: Participants in this research study were managers and/or owners of South African SMEs.Methods: This study employed a qualitative approach, implementing the Delphi technique. Open-ended questions were used in round one and thematic analyses assisted to identify themes. In round two, rating scales were used with the aim to reach consensus. Consensus was reached after the second round. A total of 20 SME owners and/or managers participated in round one and 10 in round two (50% drop-out rate).Results: The study reveals a benchmark SDM process, highlighting and/or validating unique activities, such as internal reasons for SDM, analysing financial information, developing alternatives, choosing an alternative that preserves the entity in terms of cost, gathering non-financial information, communication and lastly, reviewing the effectiveness of the strategic decision.Conclusion: The findings will allow SME managers and/or owners to gain insight into SDM. Such knowledge can lead to comprehensiveness in SDM, consistency in SDM activities and, ultimately, improved SDM.Contribution: The theoretical contribution includes a benchmark process for SDM in SMEs, adding to the SMEs’ SDM body of knowledge.

The non-financial reporting practices of co-operative managed enterprises in South Africa

Orientation: This paper reports on how co-operative managed enterprises in South Africa address non-financial reporting requirements.Research purpose: The purpose of the study is to obtain a deeper understanding of the non-financial reporting practices followed by co-operatives in South Africa, from the perspective of stakeholders.Motivation for the study: The benefits of co-operative enterprises can only be fully realised if the non-financial reporting is effective in describing whether the values and principles unique to this type of enterprise have been met. Although the non-financial reporting practices of co-operatives have been the subjects of many international studies, limited research has been performed from a South African perspective.Research design, approach and method: A case study approach was employed in which semi-structured interviews were conducted. Three co-operatives were selected as the case studies, and interviews were held with stakeholders, including management, employees and suppliers. A thematic analysis was performed by means of ATLAS.ti, where a codebook was developed and used to analyse interview data and to develop a findings framework. The findings were documented with reference to the framework.Practical/managerial implications: The research demonstrates that the relevance, reliability, quality and completeness of non-financial information are influenced by the co-operative’s age, size, industry, level of stakeholder participation and the reporting guidance by the co-operative preferred.Contribution/value add: This study illustrates how improving the quality of non-financial reporting of co-operatives in South Africa could enhance the achievement of their goals.

Monetary access and survival of small and medium-sized enterprises in South Africa post-COVID-19 era

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to the survival of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa, particularly in accessing necessary funding for their daily operations. This study aimed to assess the relationship between monetary access and survival of SMEs in South Africa in the post-COVID-19 era. Quantitative methods were employed to collect data from a sample of 321 SMEs in South Africa, selected through purposive technique. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS, with linear regression and Pearson’s correlation analysis determining the impact of independent factors on the dependent variable. The findings revealed a notable positive correlation between monetary access and the survival of SMEs in the post-COVID-19 era. Specifically, increased access to financial resources was associated with improved survival rates for SMEs. Furthermore, limited financial access hindered the range of services SMEs could provide and restricted their overall performance. These findings emphasize the critical importance of policymakers regularly evaluating and revising their policy actions to address the challenges SMEs face in accessing finances. By adopting effective measures to enhance monetary access for SMEs, policymakers can support their survival and enable them to thrive in the post-COVID-19 era. Finally, this study underscores the significance of monetary access for SMEs’ survival in South Africa following the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the need for policy interventions that alleviate SMEs’ difficulties in obtaining funding, enabling them to contribute significantly to economic growth and development.

Review of South Africa’s public transport system

This paper provides a review of public transport policy and strategy initiatives in South Africa for the period 1996 to 2021 and reviews the progress made in public transport provision against the policy guidelines and strategies of the 1996 White Paper on National Transport Policy, relevant strategies, and legislation.Formal public transport is increasingly losing market share against the informal minibus taxi industry. In the 2021 National Household Travel Survey minibus taxis accounted for 80.2% of work trips in 2020 compared to 67.2% in 2013 and 63% in 2003 while buses accounted for 16.6% (19.5% in 2013 and 22% in 2003) and train 3.2% (12.9% in 2013 and 15% in 2003) of work trips respectively.The research finds that a lack of policy implementation is at the center of the issues experienced in public transport in South Africa together with a lack of adequate transportation planning and financing. Most public transport users are not served by BRTs and the high-speed Gautrain services and have become largely dependent on the informal, lightly regulated, minibus taxi industry for their transportation needs. Users are dissatisfied with public transport services in the country. Policy objectives set out in government policy documents are, in general, not being achieved.

Ethical Leadership and Employee Creative Behaviour: A Case Study of a State-Owned Enterprise in South Africa

Purpose: The aim of this explanatory study was to critically understand how ethical leadership impacts employee creative behaviour as well as the creative behaviour dimensions, in a South African transport and logistics State Owned Enterprise. Theoretical framework: Leaders set the tone which has a major effect on the organizational climate and the organizational approach and the moral facet of leadership is significant because of the leader’s impact on employees and organizational conduct. Thus, this study is underpinned by the style of leadership which is ethical, since the autocratic style is often seen as lacking ethical conduct. Method: The quantitative method was chosen since a deductive approach was needed to interpret the data. The target population comprised middle and executive managers representing the leaders and low-level managers representing followers and referred to as the employees. Although a sample of 348 employees (followers) was generated using the Raosoft (2004) sample size calculator. The data from 160 respondents comprising managers and employees was collected using predeveloped questionnaires. and analysed through structural equation modelling and multiple regression techniques conducted with the Smart PLS statistical software. The reliability of the research instrument was measured using Cronbach tests, and composite reliability. Validity was also confirmed using lower-order and higher-order construct validity tests. Results and conclusion: It was confirmed that ethical leadership has a significant positive influence on employee creative behaviour, as well as with each of the creative behaviour dimensions namely: idea exploration, idea generation, and idea championing. Originality/value: The influence of ethical leadership on employee creative behaviour in South African SOEs is also not fully understood and large private corporates and government entities have been rocked by corporate governance scandals, resulting in the call for ethical leadership to save companies from collapse and astounding costs from a financial, social and human perspective. No research was conducted on the topic in South African state-owned enterprises and thus the new knowledge generated would contribute to improving leadership and making the enterprises more innovative and thus improve performance.

Secondary distribution of HIV self-test kits by HIV index and antenatal care clients: implementation and costing results from the STAR Initiative in South Africa

BackgroundPartner-delivered HIV self-testing kits has previously been highlighted as a safe, acceptable and effective approach to reach men. However, less is known about its real-world implementation in reaching partners of people living with HIV. We evaluated programmatic implementation of partner-delivered self-testing through antenatal care (ANC) attendees and people newly diagnosed with HIV by assessing use, positivity, linkage and cost per kit distributed.MethodsBetween April 2018 and December 2019, antenatal care (ANC) clinic attendees and people or those newly diagnosed with HIV clients across twelve clinics in three cities in South Africa were given HIVST kits (OraQuick Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test, OraSure Technologies) to distribute to their sexual partners. A follow-up telephonic survey was administered to all prior consenting clients who were successfully reached by telephone to assess primary outcomes. Incremental economic costs of the implementation were estimated from the provider’s perspective.ResultsFourteen thousand four hundred seventy-three HIVST kits were distributed – 10,319 (71%) to ANC clients for their male partner and 29% to people newly diagnosed with HIV for their partners. Of the 4,235 ANC clients successfully followed-up, 82.1% (3,475) reportedly offered HIVST kits to their male partner with 98.1% (3,409) accepting and 97.6% (3,328) using the kit. Among ANC partners self-testing, 159 (4.8%) reported reactive HIVST results, of which 127 (79.9%) received further testing; 116 (91.3%) were diagnosed with HIV and 114 (98.3%) initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART). Of the 1,649 people newly diagnosed with HIV successfully followed-up; 1,312 (79.6%) reportedly offered HIVST kits to their partners with 95.8% (1,257) of the partners accepting and 95.9% (1,206) reported that their partners used the kit. Among these index partners, 297 (24.6%) reported reactive HIVST results of which 261 (87.9%) received further testing; 260 (99.6%) were diagnosed with HIV and 258 (99.2%) initiated ART. The average cost per HIVST distributed in the three cities was US$7.90, US$11.98, and US$14.81, respectively.ConclusionsPartner-delivered HIVST in real world implementation was able to affordably reach many male partners of ANC attendees and index partners of people newly diagnosed with HIV in South Africa. Given recent COVID-19 related restrictions, partner-delivered HIVST provides an important strategy to maintain essential testing services.

Academic libraries and the actualisation of Sustainable Development Goals two, three and thirteen

This paper reports on academic libraries’ Community Engagement (CE) initiatives in South Africa and outline their potential to contribute to the actualisation of three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2, 3 and 13). The research approach adopted was qualitative using online interviews with 20 heads of libraries in South Africa and eight online focus group discussions with library staff as data collection methods. It was found that South African academic libraries’ CE initiatives can be successfully mapped out against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The results showed that through CE, academic libraries in South Africa play a role in addressing hunger, improving health and well-being and contributing to climate action, among other SDGs. CE, therefore, can play a role in SDGs that fall outside of academic libraries’ traditional teaching, learning and research support role. These results will serve as a call for academic libraries to consider participating in CE in order to contribute to development areas that they do not normally contribute to directly. This study provides unique insights on the contribution of academic libraries to SDGs. As a recommendation, academic libraries should consider mapping their CE initiatives against the SDGs.

Development, Implementation, and Process Evaluation of Bukhali: An Intervention from Preconception to Early Childhood

The Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative, an international consortium developed in partnership with the World Health Organization, is addressing childhood obesity from a life-course perspective. It hypothesises that an integrated complex intervention from preconception, through pregnancy, infancy and early childhood, will reduce childhood adiposity and non-communicable disease risk, and improve child development. As part of the Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative in South Africa, the Bukhali randomised controlled trial is being conducted with 18–28-year-old women in Soweto, where young women face numerous challenges to their physical and mental health. The aims of this paper were to describe the intervention development process (including adaptations), intervention components, and process evaluation; and to highlight key lessons learned. Intervention materials have been developed according to the life-course stages: preconception (Bukhali), pregnancy (Bukhali Baby), infancy (Bukhali Nana; birth—2 years), and early childhood (Bukhali Mntwana, 2–5 years). The intervention is delivered by community health workers, and includes the provision of health literacy resources, multi-micronutrient supplementation, in-person health screening, services and referral, nutrition risk support, SMS-reminders and telephonic contacts to assist with behaviour change goals. A key adaption is the incorporation of principles of trauma-information care, given the mental health challenges faced by participants. The Bukhali process evaluation is focussing on context, implementation and mechanisms of impact, using a mixed methods approach. Although the completion of the trial is still a number of years away, the documentation of the intervention development process and process evaluation of the trial can provide lessons for the development, implementation, and evaluation of such complex life-course trials.

Do Firms’ Growth Rates Follow a Random Walk? Evidence from Incubated Small and Medium Enterprises in South Africa

Debate on the validity of the Law of Proportionate Effect (LPE) on firm growth is ongoing decades after it was postulated by Gibrat in 1931. The theoretical model which asserts that firm growth follows a random walk has been largely tested in developed economies using data from non-incubated firms, with scanty research in developing regions like Africa. This paper, therefore, aims to address this gap by being the first to assess the validity of Gibrat's law on incubated small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa. The study utilised four-year panel data from 300 incubated SMMEs across the country, for the period between 2018 to 2021. Utilising the Law's generalised growth rate model, the generalised least square regression modelling was harnessed, using R Software. The findings, using sales as firm size proxy, confirmed Gibrat’s Law. The results showed that firm size had no effect on the sales growth rate of incubated firms, on the other hand when employment proxied performance the LPE was rejected. The findings provide important implications for both practitioners and pertinent stakeholders in the SMME sector in South Africa.

. Operational risk factors and the sustainability of small and medium manufacturing enterprises in South Africa

. Operational risk factors and the sustainability of small and medium manufacturing enterprises in South Africa

Innovative mechanisms to improve access to funding for the black-owned small and medium enterprises in South Africa

Background: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa and globally struggle to gain access to external funding. The current lending instruments used by the banks are more suitable for large enterprises than for SMEs. Financially constrained SMEs are less likely to contribute to economic growth and job creation. Small and medium enterprises in South Africa are expected to create 90% of the 11 million jobs as per the National Development Plan.Aim: The objective of this study was to deliver innovatively designed funding mechanisms through which improved access to external funding can be achieved.Setting: Participating stakeholders in this research were entrepreneurs and suppliers of funding, policymakers and experts.Methods: The purposive sampling method was used in this study where 24 in-depth interviews were conducted, and 160 survey questionnaires were recorded. Mixed-methods approach was used to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative techniques. A literature review related to entrepreneurship and capital structure theories was conducted. Thematic and statistical graphical data analyses were applied in both the qualitative and quantitative data, respectively.Results: The critical findings of this study are the blended SME funding model and the SME risk reduction model. Designing the lending instruments in a way that blends both private and public financial resources increases the risk appetite on the side of the private lending institutions.Conclusion: The proposed model requires more improved public–private partnerships. Furthermore, the findings include the need for supportive regulatory framework and embracing alternative emerging technology-enabled funding options.

Strategic communication management by NPOs in the adult-literacy sector in south africa

The Steyn and Puth (2000) model for strategic communication management has been applied bystudents and other project participants to non-profit organisations (NPOs), government institutionsand small and medium enterprises in South Africa, but organisations’ communication practiceshave not been measured against the model. This paper reports on the strategic communicationmanagement practices of NPOs in the adult-literacy sector in South Africa, as compared withthe strategic steps in the Steyn and Puth model. The aim of this study was to analyse currentcommunication practices in the adult-literacy sector of South African NPOs in terms of the normative,theoretical Steyn and Puth model for strategic communication management. The purpose wasto understand the participating NPOs’ operational and strategic communication managementcontext, since little research in this regard has to date been conducted. Recommendations forstrategic communication management and relationship building by NPOs are also made.

Mapping the field

Despite a vast array of HIV/AIDS prevention communication initiatives in South Africa, recentresearch pointed out that the general public’s knowledge level about HIV/AIDS has decreasedand that risky behaviour associated with the spread of the virus, is on the increase. This meansthat even though some successes with HIV/AIDS prevention communication have been achieved,new innovative ways of communicating about the epidemic urgently needs to be investigated. Insearch for a new direction, this article maps four forms of HIV/AIDS prevention communicationin the country. Instead of continuing on the trajectory of exploring project-based campaigns thatare initiated ‘from the outside’ (such as projects formulated by donor institutions), this articlesuggests that community-initiated HIV/AIDS prevention communication initiatives might suggesta new direction to supplement existing communication on the epidemic.

Patterns of rural innovation processes along agro-processing value chains: The case of Mopani district, South Africa

Innovation is recognized as a critical driver and component of economic growth and development. While innovation is considered crucial to solve societal problems and create opportunities in rural areas, insufficient effort has gone into examining the nature of innovation processes as they unfold in rural areas. Consequently, our understanding of the patterns of innovation by rural-based enterprises remains limited. This study uses a qualitative approach to explore the patterns of rural innovation processes within two agro-processing enterprises in South Africa’s Mopani District Municipality. Data collection was conducted on-site using semi-structured interviews with a range of interviewees located along the agro-processing value chains of the enterprises. The analysis shows that enterprises increasingly engage in adoption and adaptation of different types of innovations. These innovations complement core business operations rather than completely change them. Rural innovation is predominant in non-R&D and non-technological areas such as commodity supply arrangements, production processes and marketing strategies. Our findings provide insights into the conditions that facilitate innovation. We suggest that innovation policy should strengthen and enhance existing local innovation capacity in rural areas. Future research on the origins and nature of rural innovation in emerging enterprises could incorporate large sample data to provide additional insight.