Rate In South Africa Research Articles

A bank-level analysis of interest rate pass-through in South Africa

We study the pass-through of policy rate hikes and cuts to household and corporate lending and deposit interest rates in South Africa over the period January 2009 to December 2020. We show that rate hikes are typically passed through to mortgage interest rates completely while rate cuts are not. This asymmetry is more prevalent for household than corporate mortgages. Pass-through to household and corporate call deposit interest rates is typically complete, but cheque account interest rates are highly sticky and experience weak pass-through. Our results indicate that banks’ pass-through decisions often impose greater costs on households than firms, and may blunt the stimulatory effect of rate cuts by weakening their impact on debt servicing costs and the remuneration of deposit balances.

PARTICIPANTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE EXPANDED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME TO SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS

Public Employment Programmes (PEPs), which include the South African Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), are widely recognised as important social protection tools that address the challenges of persistent unemployment and dire poverty. PEPs offer a ‘win-win’ policy option by creating jobs while simultaneously generating assets and delivering services. In South Africa, the impact of PEPs has primarily been evaluated based on employment opportunities, thus creating a gap in the comprehensive assessment of their contribution to the broader livelihood of participants beyond job creation. To address this gap, a qualitative research method was employed, utilising a snowball sampling strategy and the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework as the theoretical foundation for the investigation. The findings of this study underscore the positive contribution of the EPWP to the livelihoods of its participants. However, the study also uncovered various challenges confronting the programme, such as non-compliance with program regulations, such as payment below minimum wage rates and difficulties in meeting youth employment targets amidst escalating youth unemployment rates in South Africa. The research recommends introducing a national EPWP policy with enforcement mechanisms and youth-focused programmes while strengthening local institutions to provide services and processes to enhance the impact of these programs and create a conducive environment for beneficiaries to improve their livelihoods and escape poverty.

Agricultural Production and Agricultural Employment Rate in South Africa: Time Series Analysis Approach

South Africa's agricultural sector, despite facing high unemployment, is acknowledged for creating job opportunities. However, there is concern that the sector's adoption of technology-intensive methods may not necessarily lead to increased employment. The study aims to analyze the intricate relationship between agricultural output and employment in South Africa using time series analysis. This research employed a Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model to evaluate the link between agricultural production and the rate of agricultural employment in South Africa spanning from 1990 to 2022. The findings indicate that both variables passed levels and became stationarity at the first difference when employing ADF, and a long-term equilibrium relationship between the variables was observed using Johansen cointegration test. Over the short term, there was a significant positive correlation among agricultural production and the agricultural employment rate evidenced from ECT coefficient of 0.139 value. The results of the Granger causality tests indicated unidirectional relationship that agricultural employment Granger-causes agricultural production, signifying that agricultural employment can be used to predict the growth of agricultural production. Study recommended that policies which promote injection of funds to improve production in the agriculture sector needs to be prioritized to maintain and improve employment opportunities.

A decomposition analysis of sociodemographic factors and non-cigarette tobacco use as contributors to the change in smoking rates in South Africa between 2017/18 and 2021.

Trends data up to 2018 suggest that tobacco smoking was increasing in South Africa (SA), but only limited information is available on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the current pattern of use of tobacco and nicotine products (TNPs). To assess trends in sociodemographic patterns in the use of TNPs and the extent to which sociodemographic factors and non-cigarette tobacco use may explain possible changes in rates of TNP use between 2017/18 and 2021. Data from three waves (2017, 2018 and 2021) of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (total N=8 140) were analysed. The sociodemographic correlates of current daily and non-daily use of factory-manufactured cigarettes (FMCs), roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes, waterpipe/hubbly, electronic cigarettes (ECigs), snuff (a smokeless tobacco) and any combination of FMCs, RYO cigarettes and waterpipe/hubbly ('current smoking') in 2017/18 (pre-pandemic) were compared with those for 2021 (during the pandemic). Chi-square analyses and generalised linear models were used to compare the prevalence of TNP use between the two periods. A Blinda-Oaxaca decomposition analysis was also used to explore the roles of various sociodemographic factors, including any differences in the use of TNPs, that may explain any observed differences in smoking rates between 2017/18 and 2021. Current smoking increased significantly from 22.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 20.4 - 24.5) in 2017/18 to 27.6% (95% CI 24.3 - 31.1) in 2021 (p=0.009). Smoking of FMCs did not change significantly overall between these two periods (20.1% v. 22.1%; p=0.240), except for a significant increase among those who self-identified as black African and a decrease among those who self-identified as coloured and those currently employed. However, the use of waterpipe/hubbly, ECigs, RYO cigarettes and snuff increased significantly. Women, individuals aged <35 years and black Africans had the largest increase in waterpipe/hubbly and ECig use. A decomposition analysis showed that increased waterpipe/hubbly and RYO use explained 52% and 15%, respectively, of the increase in smoking rates, while lower employment during 2021 compared with 2017/18 explained 15% of the increase in smoking rates during 2021. The use of all TNPs continued to increase in SA, particularly among women and unemployed people. These findings have policy and practice implications for addressing socioeconomic disparities in tobacco-related diseases.

The Effects of Fossil Fuel Consumption-Related CO2 on Health Outcomes in South Africa

The consumption of fossil fuel significantly contributes to the growth of South Africa’s economy but produces carbon dioxide (CO2), which is detrimental to environmental sustainability with overall effects on health outcomes. This study sought to (i) examine the impacts of fossil energy consumption-related CO2 emissions on the under-five mortality and infant mortality rates in South Africa and (ii) analyse the causal relationship between fossil energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and mortality rates in South Africa. Linear and nonlinear ARDL bounds and the Toda–Yamamoto causality test were used to establish the equilibrium property in the long run and the causal effects of the models’ variables. Health outcome data include the under-five mortality rate (MTR1) and infant mortality rate (MTR2). Other explanatory variables include fossil energy consumption (FOC), inflation (Inf), carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), and government expenditure (GEH). It is evident from the results of linear ARDL that the first lag of the under-five mortality rate in the short run has a positive and significant impact on the under-five mortality rate in South Africa. Holding the other variables constant, the under-five mortality rate in South Africa would increase by 0.630% for every 1% increase in its lagged values. Fossil energy consumption has a positive and significant effect on the under-five mortality rate in South Africa. This significant relationship implies that a 1% increase in fossil energy consumption increases the under-five mortality rate per 1000 persons per year in South Africa by 0.418% in the short run, all things being equal. The results from the Toda–Yamamoto causality test revealed that there is no causality between the under-five mortality rate and both the consumption of fossil fuel and CO2 emissions in South Africa. The results from nonlinear ARDL presented four separate scenarios. In the short run, during increasing levels of CO2 in the initial period (lag of CO2), a 1% increase in CO2 would decrease the under-five mortality rate by 1.15%. During periods of decreasing levels of CO2 in the short run, a 1% increase in CO2 would increase the infant mortality rate by 0.66%. Again, during previous and current periods of decreasing levels of FEC, a 1% increase in FEC would increase the infant mortality rate by 0.45% and 0.32%, respectively. In the long run, during periods of increasing levels of CO2, a 1% increase in CO2 would decrease the infant mortality rate by 4.62% whereas during decreasing levels of CO2, a 1% increase in CO2 would increase the infant mortality rate by 2.3%. The risk posed by CO2 emissions and their effects on humans can then be minimised through a government expansionary policy within health programmes.

Evaluating the effectiveness of local economic development strategies within UMhlathuze Local Municipality

Local Economic Development strategies were formulated in response to the stipulations made by the national government of South Africa. The national mandate placed the responsibility on the local sphere of government to promote economic progression from a grassroots level and to contribute to developmental activities within the state. The National Framework LED has been created as a basis for the effective practice of LED in terms of implementation. This paper focused mainly on evaluating the effectiveness of Local Economic Development strategies in uMhlathuze Local Municipality within Empangeni town. This paper and its problem were developed by the researcher due to the growing unemployment rate in South Africa which mostly affects young people, more especially at the municipal level. The researcher was convinced to evaluate how the economic development strategies or initiatives addressing the issue of unemployment and assisting economic development within the uMhlathuze Local Municipality, intending to come up with mechanisms that may be put at hand to ensure the effectiveness of these strategies provided to address economic issues with the municipality. This paper employed qualitative methods to collect and analyze data. Qualitative data were collected from community members and staff of the municipality within the Department of Economic Development through the use of questionnaires. The analysis of qualitative data was done through thematic analysis. The findings of the research revealed that there is a communication breakdown between the community and the municipality to enable the community to use the opportunities for economic development. This paper recommends that the municipality needs to develop/advance communication methods to ensure that the community is informed and aware of the development opportunities that are provided by the community.

A Comparative Analysis between Intrinsic and Extrinsic Drivers of Inflation

In most economies, particularly in developing countries, addressing inflation remains a significant macroeconomic challenge. This study seeks to examine the factors, both internal and external, that contribute to inflationary trends in South Africa. To achieve this objective, the authors employ the Johansen cointegration test, vector error correction approach, impulse response function, and variance decomposition on quarterly time series data spanning from 1994 to 2022. The findings of the study provide compelling evidence suggesting that both internal and external factors play a statistically significant role in influencing inflation. However, external forces exert a greater impact on the inflationary pressures witnessed in South Africa when compared to internal factors. Notably, factors such as trade openness, exchange rates, and imported prices contribute significantly to the elevated inflation rate in South Africa. On the other hand, internal factors like sustainable government expenditure, interest rates, and net export prices prove effective in mitigating the inflation rate.

Impact of Macroeconomic Variables on Exchange Rate in South Africa

Fluctuation in exchange rate has continued to be a major treat to economic growth and maintaining its stability and competitiveness poses serious concern to government and all stakeholders. Despite series of policies and programmes undertaken by governments of various countries, exchange rate instability remains a menace. This paper evaluated the impact of some macroeconomics variables on South Africa’s Rand using annual time series data from 1970 to 2021. Multiple regression with OLS estimator was adopted for the data analysis and the results showed that exchange rate has positive relationship with interest rate while it has negative relationship with gross domestic product growth rate and net foreign trade. Although these individual relationships are not significant enough to influence the exchange rate but there is evidence the combine effect of these macroeconomic variables has significant influence on exchange rate in South Africa.

Local Government Internship: Opportunity or Exploitation?

Despite the evident increasing unemployment rates, particularly youth unemployment, the South Africa’s graduate labour force continues to grow. Recent studies show the devastating figures of graduate unemployment which grow alongside the overall unemployment rates in South Africa. Undoubtedly, unemployment mostly affects young graduates who recently graduated from higher learning institutions. Thus, internships are increasingly recognised as a bridge through which graduates can transition from higher learning institutions to the labour market. However, whether internships are good or bad for young graduates remains a debatable question. Therefore, this paper is drawn from the perspectives of young graduate interns to determine whether internship presents real opportunities for career development of young graduates or it is merely used as an exploitative tool by employers. This study adopted a qualitative approach where a total of thirty graduate interns from eThekwini Municipality participated in the semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The results indicate that most graduate interns viewed the local government internship programme as exploitative. Further results show that graduate interns are generally underpaid yet overworked in the local government internship. Workplace abuse and the lack of access to resources were reported as major challenges faced by graduate interns. These results symbolise the exploitative nature of internship programmes at the local government level. Therefore, this paper recommends appropriate systems, policies, and workplace rules to improve local government internships. &#x0D; &#x0D; Received: 23 May 2023 / Accepted: 19 January 2024 / Published: 5 March 2024

Barriers and enablers to exclusive breastfeeding by mothers in Polokwane, South Africa.

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for six months, with the introduction of appropriate complementary feeding thereafter, and breastfeeding continuing for up to 2 years and beyond, is highly recommended. This could save the lives of up to 1.4 million children each year worldwide. Despite this, breastfeeding rates in South Africa remain sub-optimal, with the recommended target of 50% by the World Health Assembly (WHA) not being achieved. The study aimed to investigate the reasons influencing mothers' practice of exclusive breastfeeding in the Polokwane municipality of Limpopo province in South Africa. A cross-sectional health facility-based quantitative and descriptive survey was conducted using a validated-structured questionnaire administered to 146 mothers. The data was analyzed using STATA. Chi-square tests were used to determine the relationship between selected demographic variables and their reasons not to breastfeed exclusively. Although 94% of the mothers had initiated breastfeeding, at the time of data collection 8% had stopped. Of those who had stopped breastfeeding, 5% did so within one month of starting. Thirty- nine percent of mothers' breastfed exclusively, while 61% practiced mixed feeding. A positive association between exclusive breastfeeding practices and the age of the mother were observed, with older mothers more likely to breastfeed. The reasons mothers stopped breastfeeding were: the mother was ill (45%) or they returned to school or work (27%). Reasons for not breastfeeding were cited as: medical conditions, not enough milk, and infant refusal to breastfeed (33%). Mothers believe that HIV-positive women should breastfeed their infants (57%), and health workers were found to be the main source of HIV information to mothers (77%). Exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months was less practiced. Infant formula and solid foods were introduced at an early age, usually within the first month of breastfeeding. This study sheds light on factors influencing the early initiation of breastfeeding and the practice of EBF as practiced in Polokwane.

The value of Association Rule Analysis in understanding serious and fatal road traffic crashes - a case study of the N4 toll road between 2015 and 2019

In spite of the fact that the road traffic crash fatality rate in South Africa is significantly higher than the global average, the characteristics and causes of road traffic crashes are still not well understood. Without a clear understanding of the characteristics and causes, intelligence-led countermeasures to reduce crashes cannot be developed or applied. The analysis of local South African road crash data is of particular importance in identifying the underlying problems responsible for the high crash rates across the country. While descriptive analyses can be used to present a snapshot of the crash problem, they are largely inadequate when it comes to throwing light on the underlying patterns and relationships between the contributing factors and causes of the crashes themselves. This paper presents a study of the use of Association Rule Analysis (ARA) on data related to crashes on the N4 between Pretoria and the Mozambican border, between 2015 and 2019, to see what added value ARA may offer to standard descriptive analyses of crash data. Apriori Association Rule algorithm was employed on the dataset to identify what contributory factors were not initially evident in the occurrence of serious and fatal crashes. ARA revealed that pedestrians, negligent driving, overtaking and single-vehicle crashes are common factors likely to be present in a serious crash. However, this study found that descriptive statistical analysis and ARA methods are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary. Where descriptive statistical analysis focuses on summarising and describing data, ARA focuses on identifying relationships and patterns within the data.

Influence of Socio-Economic Factors on Crime Among International Migrants in South Africa

The presence of immigrants in South Africa has led citizens to believe that migrants are responsible for increased crime rates in the country. This belief is a harmful stereotype that has no basis in reality, as most of the crimes are not committed by the migrants. This study explores the impact of socio-economic factors on crime rates by international migrants in South Africa from 2012 to 2017. Specifically, it focuses on examining the likelihood and association between two key variables: migrants with no formal education and crime, and unemployed migrants and crime. Through chi-square tests and multinomial regression, the study investigated whether these socio-economic factors drove criminal behavior among the international migrant population. This study obtained data from secondary sources. The study’s findings revealed that unemployment has an impact on migrants and crime rates in South Africa. The relationship showed a weak association, attributed to insufficient supporting evidence due to the low statistical power of educational status. The relationship proved to not have a strong association, lacking supporting evidence due to low statistical power on educational status. The level of education among migrants did not play a substantial role in influencing criminal behavior within the South African context. Other factors, such as social networks, cultural integration, and individual characteristics, might have a more prominent influence on criminal activities among migrants. However, addressing unemployment issues among international migrants in South Africa to mitigate the risk of criminal involvement is crucial. Policymakers and stakeholders should focus on developing effective strategies to promote employment opportunities, skills development, and social integration among migrant communities. By addressing these socio-economic factors, it may be possible to reduce crime rates and create a more inclusive society for both migrants and the host population in South Africa.

Determination of the optimum number of water meter test flow rates in South Africa

Abstract Metering errors are one of the main contributors of apparent losses, therefore the determination of the optimum number of flow rates to reproduce the meter error curve is of critical importance. The objective of this study was to determine the optimum number of flow rates suitable for testing water meters in South Africa. This was achieved by accessing data from two local studies that tested 323 used water meters over 10 flow rates. The used water meters had been removed from the field and tested in the laboratory. The data from the laboratory tests were then further analysed by recalculating the weighted error for different flow rate combinations. The optimum number of flow rates, which was found to be 7, was the combination that minimised the weighted error of the tested meters. This study therefore recommends increasing the number of flow rates prescribed by the South African National Standard 1529-1:2019 from three flow rates (qmin, qt and qp) to 7 flow rates, namely 7, 15, 30, 60, 120, 1500 and 3,000 l/h.

Globalization, entrepreneurial development and unemployment: a mediation analysis in the context of South Africa

PurposeThis study clarifies the intricate nature of globalization's impact on unemployment rates in South Africa. Given the heterogeneous views on globalization's effect on economic development, this study aims to offer a nuanced perspective. Furthermore, it aims to explore the mediating role of entrepreneurial development in shaping the complex relationship between globalization and unemployment.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs four key indicators to measure entrepreneurial development, globalization and unemployment rates in South Africa. Hierarchical regression is used to evaluate the relationship between globalization and unemployment rates, and how entrepreneurial development mediates this relationship. Additionally, both the Sobel test and bootstrapping analyses were employed to verify and validate the mediating relationship.FindingsThe study demonstrates that globalization constitutes a crucial determinant of (un)employment rates in South Africa. The study shows that entrepreneurial development, specifically in the context of established business ownership, but not total early-stage entrepreneurial activity, exhibits an inverse relationship with unemployment rates. Moreover, it was observed that the positive impact of globalization on entrepreneurial development in South Africa becomes evident as SMEs advance to the established stage.Research limitations/implicationsThe study's concentration on South Africa constrains the applicability of the results to other nations.Practical implicationsBased on the findings of this study, it is essential for emerging economies, such as South Africa, to take measures to foster a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem that can aid in the growth and international competitiveness of young SMEs.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study represents the first endeavor to analyze the potential impact of entrepreneurial development, as measured by both nascent and mature SMEs, on the correlation between globalization and unemployment.

Mental health implications of suicide rates in South Africa.

Mental health challenges are a severe issue that could lead to suicide if not properly addressed. South Africa has a significant burden of mental health issues, which contributes to the soaring rate of suicide. Adequate mental health-care provision could reduce the high suicide rate in South Africa. Since the apartheid regime, the country has made a series of efforts to improve mental health. This study aimed to review and examine available literature on mental health and suicide issues in South Africa and demonstrate the policy implications. This study adopted a narrative review approach. Electronic databases (PubMed, Scilit, Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar) were used to identify published articles in the English language with crucial search terms that included mental health, South African mental health policy, South Africa, suicide and policy. Literature suggests that at the provincial level, there are no adequate mental health policies, and the implementation of the country's mental health policy is faced with many challenges, such as a shortage of professionals and finances. The review also showed that task sharing and counselling have been pilot-tested and shown to be effective methods for the prevention of mental illness and promotion of positive mental health. This study concludes that the mental health treatment gap still exists in South Africa, and this needs to be tackled using effective, multi-level counselling interventions and policy initiatives. Adequate mental health-care provision and effective implementation of mental health policy could reduce the high rate of suicide in South Africa.

The effect of crime on mental health in South Africa

AbstractThis paper examines the impact of district‐level crime rates in South Africa on individual depression symptoms. We use panel data from the National Income Dynamics Survey collected between 2008 and 2014 and estimate an individual fixed effects regression model, thus controlling for characteristics of the individual's environment that could affect crime and mental health. We find that an increase of one standard deviation in property (violent) crime is associated with a 7.2 (8.7) percentage point increase in the probability of depression symptoms. Analysis of potential mechanisms suggests that indirect exposure to crime likely affects mental health by increasing stress rather than by changing physical health or labor market outcomes.

Exploring the Language and Literacy Challenges of Entry-Level Education Students and Experienced Teachers at a South African University: A Stance-Taking Analysis

Abstract The huge number of learners dropping out of the formal schooling system has a significant impact on the ever-increasing unemployment rate in South Africa, which can be perceived as a major reason for numerous parents and caregivers living in dire poverty. Learners from socio-economically deprived areas rarely have access to educational resources and literacy materials and neither do most of them attend schools that do. This post-apartheid South African reality has given rise to an education system which is marred by inequality, exposing the masses of learners from rural areas, townships and other under-resourced locations to difficult and complex challenges at institutions of learning. One such challenge, as emphasised by scholars like Howie (2017) and Spaull (2013), relates to learners’ poor performance in literacy-related tasks, especially when participating in continental and international evaluation programmes. Within the context of these literacy challenges, this study explored the literacy and language practices of students, lecturers and other role-players at a higher education institute in the Western Cape, particularly to establish how these role-players negotiate the challenges relating to their educational interactions. In order to contribute to the study of literacy and language practices at this selected higher education institution, this study deemed it necessary to not only focus on students who are currently studying, but to also include teachers who completed their teacher training four decades ago at the same institution. In this way, the article provides insight into past and present role-players’ engagement with literacy and language as learners, students, teachers and lecturers at the educational institutions they attended. Using a qualitative approach to data collection, the study involved conducting focus groups and semi-structured interviews to gather data relating to participants’ schooling histories, their challenges with language and literacy, and their perception of their educational futures. The data emanating from these methodological approaches are analysed and interpreted, followed by a presentation of the findings with suggestions for future research.

Postnatal clubs: Implementation of a differentiated and integrated model of care for mothers living with HIV and their HIV-exposed uninfected babies in Cape Town, South Africa.

Despite the overall reduction in the HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) rate in South Africa, poor adherence and retention in care during breastfeeding contribute to this period being a major driver of MTCT in South Africa. To improve this retention, postnatal clubs were created as an integrated, differentiated model of care providing psychosocial support and comprehensive care for the mother-infant pairs (MIP), including HIV and under-5-child services. We describe the implementation of these facility-based clubs and examine its health outcomes in a peri-urban primary health care setting in Cape Town, South Africa. In this prospective cohort study, conducted between June 2016 and December 2019, MIPs were recruited into postnatal clubs between 6 weeks and 6 months of age and followed-up until 18 months of age. Outcomes including maternal Viral Load (VL), and children's HIV testing were compared to a historical control group. Children's immunizations and maternal sexual and reproductive health outcomes are also described. During the implementation of the postnatal club study period, 484 MIP were recruited with 84% overall attendance, 95% overall viral load suppression, and 98% overall uptake of HIV infant testing. Compared to historical controls, the club infant rapid test uptake was 1.6 times higher (95% CI: 1.4-1.9) at 9 months and 2.0 times higher at 18 months (95% CI: 1.6-2.6). Through 12 months and between 12-18 months, maternal VL monitoring was higher in the club group compared to the historical control by 1.5 times (95% CI: 1.3-1.6) and 2.6 times (95% CI: 2.1-3.2), respectively, with similar maternal VL suppression. Of 105 infants attending the 12 months visit, 99% were fully vaccinated by one year. MIP in the postnatal clubs showed better PMTCT outcomes than historical controls with high levels of retention in care. Other outcomes such as immunisation results suggest that integration of services, such as in the postnatal club, is feasible and beneficial for MIPs.

Information Disorders and Civil Unrest

Various scholars in the global north have explored information disorders and have been able to present findings on them and their implications on various sectors; unfortunately, this has not always been the case for the global South. This desktop study explores information disorders in South Africa during the July 2021 unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal between the 7-19 July. This paper demonstrates that information disorders on social media have been used as a catalyst for unrest; they are used to mobilize both those online and offline. This work shows how politicians and influential individuals used these disorders to facilitate and instigate civil unrest during July 2021. This work argues that people in political office and influential individuals should be aware of the responsibility of being influential and the consequences of their social media posts. The work further argues that despite various ways to counter these information disorders, the digital divide and literacy rate in South Africa make this challenging.

Testing Likely Response to Behavioral Nudges and Shoves to Promote COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Amongst Segments of the Unvaccinated Population of South Africa

In early 2022, as the vaccination rate in South Africa slowed, there was a strong need for COVID-19 communications to evolve from mass information and education campaigns targeting the general population, to more targeted approaches to motivate uptake amongst population segments facing convenience, complacency, and confidence barriers. Project Last Mile (PLM) and Ipsos conducted a representative study of the population of South Africa to: (1) understand population segments with regards to their likelihood of getting the COVID-19 vaccine, (2) understand the drivers and barriers around getting the COVID-19 vaccine for each segment; and (3) test the likelihood of adoption of a range of enabling, incentivizing, and mandating behavioral interventions (“nudges and shoves”). The study demonstrated that a significant proportion of the unvaccinated population is willing to get vaccinated, given the right conditions. Making it easy and convenient to get vaccinated (enabling) is likely to deliver moderate to strong impact. Ease of access, the ability to take time off from work, the provision of a reservation, and free transportation were the most influential factors in encouraging vaccination for the largest number of people.