Landscape In South Africa Research Articles

The Nexus between Data, Information and Knowledge during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Navigating the Knowledge Management Landscape in South Africa

This viewpoint paper is based on desktop research focusing on the discourse of knowledge management (KM). We explore the situation in South Africa with reference to this global COVID-19 apocalypse that the world is being confronted with. By using a qualitative research approach, the concepts of data, information and knowledge are unpacked in the context of this pandemic. KM is evident in the creation, storing, using and effective sharing of information and knowledge in light of COVID-19. The sharing and dissemination of information are, however, technologically orientated as advances in this realm continue to elevate opportunities for transforming KM. All information that has been created and is available to inform society about the virus is shared and distributed through technological means such as electronic and print media, the Internet and social media. As people adjust to the new normal, they will have a hefty repository of pandemic stories, enriched with new vocabulary about the virus and centred on the three concepts of data, information and knowledge. Understanding this new terminology plays a key role in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Incorrect use of this vocabulary can lead to misinformation and could endanger the lives of others. Both the public and government now need “moral knowledge” about the pandemic in the fight against this virus.

Assessment of homegarden agroforestry for sustainable land management intervention in a degraded landscape in South Africa

AbstractAgroforestry‐based sustainable land management (SLM) interventions provide opportunities for tackling land degradation and its associated socio‐economic issues. Agroforestry is not a guaranteed SLM fix as every agroforestry practice is not automatically relevant to each context. It is critical to identify key considerations for ensuring a good fit between agroforestry and the receiving environment. This study identifies and analyses key factors for assessing the context‐specific suitability of an agroforestry practice for SLM using a case‐study of homegarden agroforestry in a degraded catchment. An analysis of biophysical and socio‐economic characteristics of the catchment covering land degradation, SLM aspirations of residents, agriculture and agroforestry activities was conducted through literature review, field observations, GIS and remote sensing, stakeholder engagement and a questionnaire survey. Considerations in agroforestry practice assessment for SLM include agricultural and SLM objectives, which at our study site were increased crop production and arresting soil erosion. Availability of requisite resources, namely land, water and fencing; stakeholder interest in the tree and/or crop planting, species of interest and suitability of the species for the biophysical conditions should also be assessed. We propose a framework for systematically working through the relevant factors and assessing the suitability of an agroforestry practice for SLM intervention in a specific context. Based on the framework, homegarden agroforestry is an appropriate SLM intervention as it could meet stakeholders' SLM and agricultural objectives. Identification and systematic assessment of relevant factors are critical for ensuring the acceptability of agroforestry practice in a locality and the sustainability of associated SLM interventions.

AN INVESTIGATION ON THE CHALLENGES OF DECOLONISING SOUTH AFRICAN HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Ponte Academic JournalMar 2022, Volume 78, Issue 3 AN INVESTIGATION ON THE CHALLENGES OF DECOLONISING SOUTH AFRICAN HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULUMAuthor(s): Jeremiah MadzimureJ. Ponte - Mar 2022 - Volume 78 - Issue 3 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2022.3.8 Abstract:South Africa (SA) like all other former colonized African countries, is grappling with the politics of the challenges regarding decolonizing its higher education curriculum. There are perceived number of various probable challenges to decolonizing the higher education curriculum in South Africa. One of the perceived probable challenge is that of various differing views about what the concept ‘decolonizing the curriculum’ means. This challenge can be addressed by investigating views from various key figures in the higher education landscape in SA. An investigation about the various views of key figures in the SA higher education landscape about the challenges of decolonizing the higher education curriculum was conducted using in-depth interviews with a selected sample of research subjects. This research project was strictly qualitative. Among other things, the study also found that one of the challenges relates to the resistance from lecturers and managements of certain disciplines in various institutions in SA to implementing policies that seeks to decolonize the curriculum. Also, the unsurprising finding was the differing views about the concept ‘decolonisation of the curriculum’. This study underscores the importance of adequate understanding of the concept ‘decolonisation of the curriculum’ which will in turn help illuminate the challenges of decolonizing the curriculum in Higher education. The findings in this article may help anticipate challenges faced by the higher education institutions and curriculum developers. Furthermore, they can help in informing the conceptualisation the curriculum in SA higher education environment Download full text:Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Username Password

The Footprint and sustainability of Private Higher Education Institutions in South Africa

The current Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI) landscape in South Africa is developing rapidly, with over ninety private tertiary institutions registered with the Council for Higher Education (CHE). However, stakeholder perceptions of these PHEIs are generally negative, primarily due to the negative perceptions of the qualification obtained from the private institutions by both parents and students and questions around the sustainability of the institutions in the long run. Media reports, lack of Department of Education (DHET) support and funding, and minimum, if any, marketing and advertising from the PHEI are factors cited for these firmly entrenched perceptions from the general public. Both emerging and international markets drove the article, countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, India and Brazil; not as a comparative study, but more as a literature review on how tertiary education is managed in the private sector in these countries. In addition, developing countries and emerging markets needed to be considered in light of their experience in sustaining private education entities. The subsequent investigation of these markets proved invaluable in terms of providing similarities and, in some instances, huge differences, which contributed to establishing the critical drivers for sustaining PHEIs in South Africa. Knowing which dimensions the branding of a PHEI should focus on nullifying the negative perceptions associated with a PHEI is paramount.

The scope of childhood cancer in South Africa: A response to 'Childhood cancers in a section of the South African private health sector - Analysis of medicines claims data'.

Childhood cancer is an under resourced medical field that is emerging as a great healthcare concern in low- and middle-income countries such as South Africa. Therefore, reporting data in this field that may inform policymakers should be representative of the subject matter. This article aims to discuss why medicines claims as an indicator for incidence, as per an article published in 2020, is not representative of childhood malignancies in the South African setting. Literature to support the commentary were sourced using Pubmed, Google scholar, and data presented by members of the South African Children’s Cancer Study Group (SACCSG). Private medical aid coverage in South Africa between 2002 and 2018 varied between 15.5% and 18.2%. Of these, 9.5% were children under 18 years and 3.5% were under the age of six. Only 13.5% of children were treated in private paediatric oncology units during 2015. The limitations in the study were the variable medical aid coverage, the disproportionate age representation, and lack of reliable indicators for measurement and calculation of incidence. Utilising one medicines claims data base to evaluate the incidence of childhood cancer in South Africa is not representative and cannot inform policy.ContributionThis article highlights the importance of accurate registration of childhood cancer diagnoses, especially when data and conclusions based on these results inform policy. The study highlights the limitations of extrapolating general conclusions based on data representing only a small sector of the childhood cancer landscape in South Africa.

The business rescue practitioners’ professionalism: are we there yet?

Purpose and context: The purpose of the study was to explore the construction of professionalism in a multiple professional bodies (MPB) landscape in South Africa (SA) and demonstrate how this construction can be used to enhance a professional accreditation regime. Professional accreditation has become a pre-requisite for business rescue practitioners (BRPs). The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) licensing is linked to multiple professional bodies’ knowledge and practices but are not generic. This study was guided by one key question: How do PBs providing BRPs construct professionalism, and to what extent can the existing construction of professionalism facilitate the development of a professional accreditation regime? Research design and methods: A qualitative research design used required researchers to use four consecutive steps, namely (a) interviewing member services’ managers at four professional bodies (PBs); (b) systematic content analysis of codes of professional conduct and policy statements to identify constituent professionalism notions; (c) a systematic search of the literature to identify notions of professionalism mentioned in definitions and explanations of the construct; and (d) analysis of notions of professionalism using the constant comparison procedure to reveal critical themes. Results: A total of 90 separate notions of professionalism were identified in the 192 scholarly papers included in our study. The identified themes within business rescue practitioner (BRP) professionalism (emphasising relational aspects) point to practitioner dealings with (i) clients (business rescue candidates); (ii) government and others; (iii) the PB; and (iv) oneself to gain the essence of occupation. There is fragmentation between the constructed conceptualisations of professionalism among PBs, leading to an incoherent and inconsistent expert accreditation regime. Practical implications and value: The results from the indicated exploration steps were used to advance a programmatic framework to construct professionalism in an MPB landscape and set a future research agenda. The results also show that business rescue practitioners’ professionalism cannot be attained in a multi-professional body setting with an integrated professional accreditation framework.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO ENGAGE IN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

The law regarding collective bargaining in South Africa has been interpreted in two ways; the Labour Relations Act (LRA) refers to a duty to bargain collectively, while the Constitution refers to a right to engage in collective bargaining. These two interpretations have been subjected to judicial criticism (SANDU v Minister of Defence 2003 3 SA 239 (T) I; SANDU v Minister of Defence 2004 4 SA 10 (T) II; and Minister of Defence v SANDU 2007 1 SA 422 (SCA) III (hereafter “SANDU I, II and III”)). These cases are relevant in terms of the courts’ interpretation of collective bargaining as a duty or freedom. They are currently the main cases dealing with this issue in South Africa. This has created doubt as to whether the distinction provides an acceptable basis to use the terms interchangeably, both by the courts as well as those involved in collective bargaining. The purpose of this paper is firstly to sketch the landscape of South Africa’scollective bargaining jurisprudence, touching on the current legislation and secondly to give an overview of why collective bargaining is a necessary tool to balance power in the workplace. I shall examine the discourse as to whether the term “collective bargaining” creates a duty to participate (which can mean compelled) in collective bargaining on the part of the employer, as opposed to a right to engage in collective bargaining (which is voluntary). Lastly, the author will attempt to show the thread of how the courts have answered the question in case law.

Preparing for advanced practice radiation therapy in South Africa: Conceptual and curricular considerations.

The higher education landscape in South Africa has recently changed with the new National Qualifications Framework, leading to the introduction of four-year degrees in all four radiography disciplines. Additionally, there have been developments in the extension of roles in radiography, while the need for interdisciplinary practice has also been emphasised. The Professional Board for Radiography and Clinical Technology (PBRCT) of the Health Professions Council of South Africa is currently revising the scope of the profession which will now include extended roles. However, the extended role concept in radiation therapy has not received the attention similar to Diagnostic/Medical Imaging. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to provide concept clarification and key considerations for developing a postgraduate curricular framework for training radiation therapists to practise in the envisaged extended roles. For this narrative review, a Boolean search for advanced practice and role extension in radiation therapy was done on all databases (43) available on EbscoHost to source for peer-reviewed articles published between January 1950 and September 2020. A total of 17 articles met the inclusion criteria and were used to frame the discussion. Advanced practice emerged as the more suitable concept as it goes beyond an extension of tasks to include critical characteristics that are necessary to drive transformation in the local social, professional and educational arenas. It is envisaged that some of the key points discussed in this paper could assist the PBRCT in thinking about the implementation of the proposed extended roles for radiation therapists in South Africa.

Green roofs and stormwater runoff quality in the urban landscape in South Africa

A number of sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS), such as green roofs, are being developed and implemented in cities around the world to help reduce stormwater runoff and improve stormwater runoff quality. This study compares the water quality of green roofs with that of conventional roofs in the eThekwini region, South Africa. Samples of stormwater runoff from the different green roof systems on the eThekwini Green Roof Pilot Project were collected to test their level of contaminants and pollutants. The tests focused on all physical, aesthetic, chemical, and microbiological determinants pertaining to stormwater runoff. For all tests, the level of contaminants and pollutants were measured against the South African Water Quality Guidelines Volume 7 for Aquatic Ecosystems. The data revealed significant variations in pollutant concentrations between the green roofs and the conventional roof. Moreover, runoff water quality varied across the various roof types, which may indicate that the substrate composition has the greatest impact on green roof performance regarding rainwater quality. Overall, the results suggest that these green roof systems do not have the ability to filter pollutants out of stormwater runoff, but rather increase their levels of concentration.

The construction of occupational professionalism among business rescue practitioners supplying professional bodies

Purpose of the research: To identify and explore the construction of professionalism in a multiple professional bodies (MPB) landscape in South Africa (SA) and demonstrate how such construction can be used to enhance professional accreditation regime. Design of research and methodology: The study used a qualitative research design. This required five consecutive steps of (a) interviewing member services managers at four professional bodies (PBs); (b) systematic content analysis of codes of professional conduct (CPCs) and policy statements to identify constituent professionalism notions; (c) a systematic search of the literature to identify notions of professionalism mentioned in definitions and explanations of the construct; and (d) analysis of notions of professionalism using the constant comparison procedure to reveal key themes. The results in (a) through to (d) were used to advance a programmatic framework to construct professionalism in an MPB landscape. Research results: The construction of professionalism is linked to services rendered and competencies in the MPB landscape. The existing licensing regime encapsulates the increased importance of the MPB landscape, leading to a shift away from a conventional conceptualisation of professionalism in a single professional body (PB) setting. A total of 90 separate notions of professionalism were identified in the 192 scholarly papers included in our study. The identified theme within BRP professionalism (emphasising relational aspects) point to practitioner dealings with (i) clients (business rescue candidates); (ii) government and others; (iii) the PB; and (iv) oneself to gain the essence of occupation. There is fragmentation between the constructed conceptualisations of professionalism among PBs, leading to an incoherent and inconsistent expert accreditation regime. Practical implications and value: The findings of the study are useful in the integration of practitioner learning and development practices in the PBs whose members serve as BRPs. BRP is a regulated occupation and requires a distinct professional accreditation framework (PAF) to integrate multidimensional professionalism in the MPB landscape. Approaches to enhance accreditation should consider delineating BRP services and task from interview results from a community of practitioners. The PAF will structure the construction, investigation, and documentation of occupational professionalism required by the licensing authorities. It will also help delineate BRP as a discipline worth of academic and professional pursuits with known competencies.

Branding private higher education institutions in South Africa through the evaluation of current branding models

The current Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI) landscape in South Africa is developing at a rapid rate, with over ninety private tertiary institutions, registered with the Council for Higher Education (CHE). However, stakeholder perceptions of these PHEIs are generally negative, largely as a result of the negative perceptions of the qualification, obtained from the private institutions by both parents and students, and questions around the sustainability of the institutions in the long run. Media reports, lack of Department of Education (DHET) support and funding, as well as minimum, if any, marketing and advertising from the PHEI are factors, cited for these firmly entrenched perceptions from the general public. The article was driven by both current and emerging branding models as a benchmark for value-added branding of PHEIs in South Africa. International markets, in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, India and Brazil are included; not as a comparative study, but more as a review of literature on how tertiary education is branded in the private sector in these countries. In addition, developing countries and emerging markets needed to be taken into consideration in the light of their experience in sustaining private education entities. The subsequent investigation of these models proved invaluable in respect of providing similarities and, in some instances, huge differences, which contributed to the establishment of a generic value-added branding model critical for sustaining PHEIs in South Africa. The knowledge of which dimensions the branding of a PHEI should focus on to nullify the negative perceptions associated with a PHEI is paramount.

Reflections on COVID-19 and the viability of curriculum adjustment and delivery options in the South African educational space

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic brought unprecedented changes leading to ‘business unusual’ in all facets of life and livelihood on a global scale. The restrictions on gathering, social distancing and lockdown measures necessitated by the need to curtail its spread, had, and still have an enormous impact on the educational sector as indeed all spheres of life. These measures implied a change in the traditional modus operandi of curriculum and delivery options for educational institutions in South Africa in the bid to continue academic sessions. Hence, a transition of educational institutions from physical interactions to virtual meetings and the need to evolve curriculum contents and delivery. Aim: With the peculiarity of the South African socioeconomic and political space, this article assessed the viability of curriculum change and delivery options (e-teaching and learning) for both students and instructors in the higher institution and the varied implications. It drew from discourses around the theory of localisation within educative context to create a more student-centred approach especially with the situation of less physical contact. Setting: The discourse is set within the South African educational space. Method: Considering the novelty of Covid-19 research and the challenge of contact, the study adopted a participatory action desktop research method to collect and analyse secondary data. The article vividly discussed how institutions transitioned to a localisation of frameworks and policies to ensure successful academic sessions. Results: The educational landscape in South Africa is still plagued with historical antecedents of social injustice, funding, and resource allocation as well as the ever-present pressure of making education affordable to majority of local students. Also, the weakness of the online teaching methods to the physical contact method for learners and practitioners could be summed up into the issues of connectivity, technical knowledge, and attention span. Conclusion: The conclusion enumerated the need for the implementation of policies and frameworks on proper utilisation of online systems to adjust to the demands of less contact-based approaches in favour of virtual approaches. The study called for adequate consideration to issues around the localisation of teaching and learning techniques considering the peculiarities of South Africa with focus on the opportunities, feasibility, and challenges of online measures especially for those in economically disadvantaged spaces.

Bridging the health inequality gap: an examination of South Africa\u2019s social innovation in health landscape

BackgroundDespite the end of apartheid in the early 1990s, South Africa remains racially and economically segregated. The country is beset by persistent social inequality, poverty, unemployment, a heavy burden of disease and the inequitable quality of healthcare service provision. The South African health system is currently engaged in the complex project of establishing universal health coverage that ensures the system’s ability to deliver comprehensive care that is accessible, affordable and acceptable to patients and families, while acknowledging the significant pressures to which the system is subject. Within this framework, the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship works to pursue social impact towards social justice in Africa with a systems lens on social innovation within innovative finance, health, education and youth development. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the capacity for social innovation in health with respect for South Africa, and to highlight some current innovations that respond to issues of health equity such as accessibility, affordability, and acceptability.MethodsDifferent data types were collected to gain a rich understanding of the current context of social innovation in health within South Africa, supported by mini-case studies and examples from across the African continent, including: primary interviews, literature reviews, and organisational documentation reviews. Key stakeholders were identified, to provide the authors with an understanding of the context in which the innovations have been developed and implemented as well as the enablers and constraints. Stakeholders includes senior level managers, frontline health workers, Ministry of Health officials, and beneficiaries. A descriptive analysis strategy was adopted.ResultsSouth Africa’s health care system may be viewed, to a large extent, as a reflection of the issues facing other Southern African countries with a similar disease burden, lack of systemic infrastructure and cohesiveness, and societal inequalities. The evolving health landscape in South Africa and the reforms being undertaken to prepare for a National Healthcare Insurance presents the opportunity to understand effective models of care provision as developed in other African contexts, and to translate these models as appropriate to the South African environment.ConclusionsAfter examining the cases of heath innovation, it is clear that no one actor, no matter how innovative, can change the system alone. The interaction and collaboration between the government and non-state actors is critical for an integrated and effective delivery system for both health and social care.

Travel Stokvels, Leisure on Lay-by, and Pay at Your Pace Options: The Post COVID-19 Domestic Tourism Landscape in South Africa

As the world came to a relative standstill during the initial stages of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly all countries having enforced some kind of COVID-19 regulations, the global tourism economy was one of the hardest hit. Travel bans and border closures resulted in many tourism businesses having to enter business rescue or shut down indefinitely. This new economic climate forced the tourism economy to imagine a new reality and to consider a negotiation of its revival in a post-pandemic world. Coupled with the impact on tourism itself, the pandemic resulted in a subsequent economic crisis, which unarguably, impacted upon travel, particularly leisure tourism. The South African tourism sector is no exception and will need to explore several avenues in addressing this new status quo. With domestic tourism being a weighty component of many countries’ tourism economies, it serves as an important building block for the resurgence of the industry. This is especially the case in a time when uncertainties are particularly prevalent for the re-emergence of international travel. Therefore, domestic tourism in South Africa has been a key starting point as travel restrictions have slowly started to lift, a context, which has been highlighted in current debates amongst South African tourism stakeholders. This paper explores the potential opportunities for opening up tourism to cash-strapped South Africans by specifically addressing their savings and travel cultures and prospects for future travel. The paper presents a desktop review of the recent introduction of savings and payment schemes available to travellers in South Africa, with particular focus on travel stokvels, leisure on lay-by and pay at your pace options.

Mapping the Colorectal Cancer Screening Scientific Landscape in South Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis to Identify Inequalities

Background This paper maps scientific publications to identify areas of CRC screening that are currently receiving greatest emphasis in South African research, as means, to identify the inequality in CRC screening research. Reviewing the publications can assist to identify research funding and research capacity gaps. It can also identify potential for collaboration of authors and institutions to reduce the inequalities. Methods We used bibliometrics to identify and map the scientific publications on CRC screening related to South Africa (SA).The search utilised three databases, namely: Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed to identify articles published between January 2000 to August 2020. We identified the document by type, research areas, journal type, affiliated countries and research organisations, authors with most publications, and funding sources. Results Forty-eight of the 368 publications were included for bibliometric analysis. Of these, there were 88% original articles; 6% were reviews; 4% were books and 2% were abstracts of meetings. The top CRC screening research areas were oncology (21%); gastroenterology and hepatology (13%), public, environmental, occupational health (13%) and genetics and heredity (13%).The top four journals that have published the CRC screening related to South Africa were the South African Medical J. Surgery (10%); South African Medical Journal (7%); Clinical Genetics (5%) and Colorectal Diseases (5%). 19% of articles were published in 2019. There were 28 (58%) articles with first authors from South Africa. There were ten publications without funding declared (21%). The top five research organisations from South Africa that published the most CRC screening research were University of Witwatersrand (36%); University of Western Cape (18%); University of Pretoria (14%); University of Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal (11%). Conclusion Research and development of novel CRC screening technologies cannot be overemphasised, as catalyst for diverse screening alternatives that are less invasive, affordable and accessible to all those in need to expand access, coverage and increase uptake at local level. Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Bibliometric; Screening; Colonoscopy; Scientific landscape; Inequalities; Cancer; South Africa.

The Cyber Threat Landscape in South Africa: A 10-Year Review

The world is witnessing a rise in cyber-related incidents. As information technology improves and the reliance on technology increases, the frequency and severity of cyber incidents escalate. The impact is felt globally, and South Africa is not immune to the effects. The country’s fast-paced technological evolution continues to increase the attack surface within the cyber domain. The increased attack surface is confirmed by recent cyberattacks affecting well-known and established South African organisations. This article reviews findings from an evaluation of South Africa’s cyber threat landscape that analysed 74 cyber incidents identified as occurring between 2010 and 2020. The 74 incidents are categorised according to incident type, affected sector, perpetrator type, and motivation. It is found that the most common incident type is data exposure, the most-affected sector is the public sector, the most prevalent perpetrators are hackers, and the most common motivation is criminal. The article makes recommendations about how South Africa can reduce the risk factors in its cyber threat landscape.

Elusive Pursuit of Reconciliation and Development in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Debates on whether reconciliation is taking place and particularly the issue of inclusive development continue in South Africa. Reconciliation is understood as a process whereby different population groups in South Africa peacefully coexist and restore amicable relations which were fractured by colonialism and apartheid. Inclusive development has to do with the socio-economic transformation that involves, or rather benefits all the peoples of a country. Socio-economic transformation is considered slow since the dawn of democracy, with nation-building, development, freedom, and related objectives having suffered in post-apartheid South Africa. The notions of justice and inclusivity require comprehensive analysis, especially many years after the formal end of apartheid in 1994. The paper examines development and reconciliation, in seeking an explanation for what appears to be a changing political landscape in South Africa, epitomised by the decline in the number of votes that the governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), is receiving since 2009 while the Economic Freedom Fighters, a relatively new party, is gaining traction. It is argued that the slow pace of inclusive development and weak reconciliation are compromising the ANC, resulting in the evolution of the political landscape in South Africa. Essentially, the inability to improve reconciliation has resulted in weak inclusive development and makes it difficult for South Africa to become a nation.

Structure of the sunflower plant breeders’ rights landscape in South Africa

Varietal innovations and protection of plant breeders’ rights (PBRs) contribute to the development of any crop’s ability to produce higher yields relatively consistently. Producing yields under adverse weather conditions and the overall characteristic of drought tolerance, make the sunflower an attractive crop for producers in dryland production regions. The main objective of this study was to give an overview of the structure of the South African sunflower breeding programme, focusing on the construction of PBRs and the leading players in sunflower breeding and seed production in South Africa. We compiled a detailed database of sunflower varietal innovations in South Africa from 1979 to 2019 using various sources such as the South African Grain Laboratory, the Department of Agriculture’s Plant Variety Journals and the Crop Estimation Committee. This data set was then analysed using descriptive statistics and trend analysis to determine the main trends in ownership of PBRs and sunflower varieties. We looked at the inclusion of new sunflower varieties on the national variety list for sunflower varietal improvements in South Africa over this period. A total of 76 PBR sunflower varietal applications were lodged for the period – an average of 1.9 applications per year. The principal applicants for varietal inclusions on the national variety list were Pannar with 102 varieties (23.8%), Pioneer seeds with 51 varieties (11%), Saffola seed with 42 varieties (9.8%) and Agricultural Research Council with 10 varieties (2.3%). In order for breeders to benefit from their investment in research and avoid exploitation of their work, they need to be protected and receive returns on their investments. Innovation can be stimulated by proper collaboration between the private and public sectors, aided by broader variety sector legislation that encourages all players to invest.
 Significance:
 
 The study addresses the absence of empirical proof on the patterns and trends of sunflower varietal improvements in South Africa.
 The study provides evidence on the evolution of varietal rights, the extent of varietal rights granted, and which sunflower varieties were included on the national variety list and the breeders and owners of the varieties.

Sentinel-2 time series based optimal features and time window for mapping invasive Australian native Acacia species in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

The spread of invasive Australia native Acacia tree species threatens biodiversity and adversely affecting on vegetative structure and function, including plant community composition, quantity and quality worldwide. It is essential to provide researchers and land managers for biological invasion science and management with accurate information of the distribution of invasive alien species and their dynamics. Remotely sensed data that reveal spatial distribution of the earth’s surface features/objects provide great potential for this purpose. Consistent satellite monitoring of alien invasive plants is often difficult because of lack of sufficient spectral contrast between them and co-occurring plants species. Time series analysis of spectral properties of the species can reveal timing of their variations among adjacent species. This information can improve accuracy of invasive species discrimination and mapping using remote sensing data at large scale. We sought to identify and better understand the optimal time window and key spectral features sufficient to detect invasive Acacia trees in heterogeneous forested landscape in South Africa. We explored one-year (January to December 2018) time series spectral bands and vegetation indices derived from optical Copernicus Sentinel-2 data. The attributes correspond to geographical information of invasive Acacia and native species recorded during a field survey undertaken from 21 February to 25 February 2018 over Kwa-Zulu Natal grasslands landscape, in South Africa. The results showed comparable separability prospects between times series of spectral bands and that of vegetation indices.Substantial differences between Acacia species and native species were observed from spectral indices and spectral bands which are sensitive to Leaf Area Index, canopy chlorophyll and nitrogen concentrations. The results further revealed spectral differences between Acacia species and co-occurring native vegetation in April (senescence for deciduous plants), June-July (dry season), September (peak flowering period of Acacia spp) and December (leaf green-up) with vegetation indices (overall accuracy > 80 %). While spectral bands showed the beginning of the growing season (November–January) and peak vegetation productivity (February-March) as the optimal seasons or dates for image acquisition for discriminating Acacias from its co-occurring native species (overall accuracy > 80 %). In general, the use of Sentinel-2 time series spectral bands and vegetation indices has increased our understanding of Australian Acacias spectral dynamics, and proved that the sentinel-2 data is useful for characterization and monitoring Acacias over a large scale. Our results and approach could assist in deriving detailed geographic information of the species and assessment of a spread invasive plant species and severity of invasion.

The ethicolegal framework relevant to human faecal microbiota transplants in South Africa: Part 1. A legal vacuum.

The legal regulation of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in South Africa (SA) is currently unclear. The purpose of this article, the first of three in a series, is to explore the nature, role and clinical application of FMT in SA in order to determine, from a legal perspective, the appropriate regulatory pathways governing FMT as a procedure that may combine approaches for the treatment of drugs, human tissue for transplantation, or clinical treatment as part of the practice of medicine. FMT has been shown to be a novel, safe and effective treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Stool banks are instrumental in enabling access to FMT for patients and clinicians and help to catalyse research in the microbiome. However, the regulatory landscape in SA remains unclear. Microbial therapies such as FMT are necessary, especially in a time of rising microbiome-associated inflammatory diseases and increasing resistance to traditional antibiotics. FMT is now considered as part of the standard of care for recurrent CDI overseas, but is currently only being used for research purposes in a minority of clinical cases of CDI in SA. This article, which lays the foundation for consideration of this question in three parts, suggests that the relevant regulatory system would depend on the categorisation of human stool as tissue, the exact composition of the FMT, how it is administered to patients, and the relevant levels of manipulation of the stool for FMT-derived products.