Sector In South Africa Research Articles

Assessing South Africa’s Potential to Address Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in the Fisheries Sector

The marine fisheries sector is one of the most important income sectors in South Africa and plays an important role in food security for small-scale and subsistence fishers. Climate-driven impacts have resulted in distribution shifts and declines in abundance of important fisheries targets, with negative consequences to the users dependent on these resources. The sustainability of the sector depends on its readiness to adapt to climate change. The inclusion of climate change impacts and adaptation in fisheries management documents in South Africa is essential to ensure adequate climate adaptation responses are implemented at the short- and long-term. This study aims to 1) determine if the relevant fisheries national management documents address climate change and adaptation, 2) determine if the relevant national climate change documents address climate change and adaptation in the fisheries sector and 3) evaluate the extent to which fisheries management documents address climate change and adaptation. A content analysis of fisheries management and climate change documents was carried out to determine if they incorporated information on climate change impacts and adaptation and marine fisheries respectively. Fisheries management documents were then screened against nine pre-determined criteria (or themes) based on climate change adaptation to determine the level of inclusion of best practice for climate change adaptation. Results indicate that climate change impacts and adaptation are rarely incorporated in the main fisheries management documents, except for the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan for the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors. However, this document is still waiting to be adopted. The only direct reference identified in all the fisheries documents that supports climate change adaptation was ‘conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity’. With regards to indirect references to climate change adaptation, ‘equity,’ ‘participatory management,’ and ‘capacity building’ were most frequently incorporated in fisheries management documents. There is a need to explicitly incorporate information on climate change impacts and adaptation in South African fisheries management documents and increase the human and financial capacity at national institutions to ensure that the fisheries sector can adequately adapt to climate change.

DETERMINANTS OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUCCESS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR: AN EXAMINATION OF SMES IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Agricultural sector in South Africa is amongst the main contributors to job-creation South Africa. Since the post-apartheid era, South Africa has seen a severe transformation in this sector, of which previously disadvantaged farmers (especially women) are now on the forefront in terms of new developments, and SME business expansion. However, the efforts of the government to sustain SMEs are yet to alleviate the challenges agricultural SMEs are facing. This article looks at the determinants of business successes for female owned SMEs. The trustworthiness and internal consistency examination of the instrument was done, with test re-test reliability method and Cronbach Alpha index. They both generated an R-value of 0.70 and 0.875 respectively. Multiple Regression technique was used in estimating the coefficients' of impact on success. Findings showed that certain characteristics of the entrepreneur, including Entrepreneurship Skill, Financial Resources, Capital Start-up Amount and Customer and Market Access have a significant impact on Female Entrepreneurship Success. We recommend a major overhaul of government interventions designed to enhance the skills of female entrepreneurs as well as broadening their customer and market access base. This has become imperative for addressing the challenges of business success for female entrepreneurs.Keywords: Business, Entrepreneurship, Female, SMEJEL Classifications: D6, M1, M2DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijefi.11274

Personal leadership as an antecedent of servant leadership amongst bank managers in South Africa

Orientation: Many organisations have abandoned their bureaucratic leadership approaches to follow contemporary leadership models such as servant leadership (SL) with the aim to inspire their people to give their best. Personal leadership (PL) is perceived as the fundamental domain of leadership that influences all other facets of leadership. Research purpose: To explore PL as an antecedent of SL amongst bank managers in South Africa. Motivation for the study: Previous researchers called for research on the antecedents of SL, and on the concept of PL to be extended to organisational leaders leading themselves. Research approach/design and methods: A quantitative research approach was adopted. Primary data was collected from 230 South African bank managers. Exploratory factor analysis, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation analysis and Multiple Regression analysis were employed to test the relationship between PL and SL and its associated dimensions. Main findings: The results indicated that PL has a significant positive effect on SL and four of its associated dimensions, namely emotional healing, wisdom, persuasive mapping and organisational stewardship. Thus, it is concluded that SL behaviours can be cultivated by investing in PL behaviours of organisational leaders. Practical/managerial implications: Leadership training and development interventions focusing on strengthening SL behaviour must take into consideration personal and professional behaviours and their influence on SL behaviours. Contribution/value-add: The study provides a local validation of PL and SL measures within the banking sector in South Africa.

Improving Poor Outcomes of Children With Biliary Atresia in South Africa by Early Referral to Centralized Units

Objectives: Biliary atresia (BA) is a progressive fibrosing cholangiopathy of infancy, the most common cause of cholestatic jaundice in infants and the top indication for liver transplantation in children. Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) when successful may delay the requirement for liver transplantation, which in the majority offers the only cure. Good outcomes demand early surgical intervention, appropriate management of liver cirrhosis, and in most cases, liver transplantation. These parameters were audited of children with BA treated at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital (SBAH) in Pretoria, South Africa. Methods: All children with BA who were managed at SBAH between June 2007 and July 2018 were included. Parameters measured centered on patient demographics, timing of referral and surgical intervention, immediate and long-term outcomes of surgery, and follow-up management. Results: Of 104 children treated, 94 (90%) were KPE naive. Only 23/86 (26%) of children were referred before 60 days of life and 42/86 (49%) after 120 days. Median time to surgical assessment and surgery was 4 (IQR 1–70) and 5 (IQR 1–27) days post presentation, respectively. The median age at KPE was 91 days (IQR 28–165), with only 4/41 (12%) of KPEs performed before 60 days of life. Of those with recorded outcomes, 12/33 (36%) achieved resolution of jaundice. Only a third of the cohort were referred for transplantation. Conclusion: Children with BA have poor outcomes in the public health sector in South Africa. Late referrals, delayed diagnostics, advanced age at KPE with low drainage rates, poor follow–up, and low transplant rates account for low survival. Early referral to units offering expert intervention at all stages of care, including transplantation, would offer the best outcomes.

Surgical training in the private sector in South Africa

Surgical training in the private sector in South Africa

Hard choices: Ethical challenges in phase 1 of COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in South Africa

Access to COVID-19 vaccines has raised concerns globally. Despite calls for solidarity and social justice during the pandemic, vaccine nationalism, stockpiling of limited vaccine supplies by high-income countries and profit-driven strategies of global pharmaceutical manufacturers have brought into sharp focus global health inequities and the plight of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as they wait in line for restricted tranches of vaccines. Even in high-income countries that received vaccine supplies first, vaccine roll-out globally has been fraught with logistic and ethical challenges. South Africa (SA) is no exception. Flawed global institutional strategies for vaccine distribution and delivery have undermined public procurement platforms, leaving LMICs facing disproportionate shortages necessitating strict criteria for vaccine prioritisation. In anticipation of our first consignment of vaccines, deliberations around phase 1 roll-out were intense and contentious. Although the first phase focuses on healthcare personnel (HCP), the devil is in the detail. Navigating the granularity of prioritising different categories of risk in healthcare sectors in SA is complicated by definitions of risk in personal and occupational contexts. The inequitable public-private divide that characterises the SA health system adds another layer of complexity. Unlike other therapeutic or preventive interventions that are procured independently by the private health sector, COVID-19 vaccine procurement is currently limited to the SA government only, leaving HCP in the private sector dependent on central government allocation. Fair distribution among tertiary, secondary and primary levels of care is another consideration. Taking all these complexities into account, procedural and substantive ethical principles supporting a prioritisation approach are outlined. Within the constraints of suboptimal global health governance, LMICs must optimise progressive distribution of scarce vaccines to HCP at highest risk.

Implications of COVID-19 Lockdown on South African Business Sector

The COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa spelt untold adversity on many businesses in the country. This is attributable to the precautionary measures implemented by the South African government to contain the ferocious disease spread across various levels in the society. This article examined the many implications of the pandemic on the business sector in South Africa through the period just before June 2020. The article adopted a qualitative approach to critically examine the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business sector in South Africa. It utilised Statistics South Africa’s reports and contemporary literature on the effects of COVID-19 on the business sector which was used as a source of reference. The statistical evidence is based on experimental data for May 2020, as derived from over a thousand registered businesses operating within the formal sector from various industrial groupings in South Africa. The period under review is remarkable because the business's effect of the pandemic became visibly alarming while the lockdown phases were reduced from Level 5 to Level 4 within the period. The private sector of the economy, known for its huge economic sustenance of most of the country’s labour force, was already at the firing line as all ‘nonessential’ businesses succumb to government’s strict regulations on socioeconomic activities during the phased lockdowns. The hitherto struggling economy, barely sustained by this sector, eventually caved in with over half of its gross domestic product, shrinking attributable to the unparalleled adverse effects that attended the dreaded pandemic. Although government is still battling with the nation’s economic recovery process, many businesses counted their losses from the first few months of the lockdown, as portrayed by plentiful evidence from the national statistical body.

Adapt or die in the time of a pandemic: Towards a grounded theory of strategic adjustments by an early childhood development training organisation

The COVID-19 pandemic has led all role players in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) sector in South Africa, including the particular non-profit organisation (NPO) under investigation, into unchartered territory. The organisation, which is involved in training and mentoring community-based Early Childhood Development centres in marginalised settings, was forced to pivot its service as the country went into lockdown in March 2020. The purpose of this grounded theory study is to discover how employees and associates of this organisation view the adjustments that had to be made during and after lockdown to support principals, staff members and through that the children, their parents and the community during COVID-19 lockdown. Findings indicated that the team was able to rely on existing strengths that intersected on several points to tackle the challenges, namely strong internal and external relationships, sound administrative and business systems and a flexible, risk-taking and social entrepreneurial ethos. This kaleidoscopic combinations of relational, attitudinal and organisational factors, permitted swift adjusting, a strength that may support the sustainability of this NPO and others of its kind, not only during the pandemic but also in its aftermath and with the socio-economic upheaval it has caused particularly among indigent communities.

Can COVID-19 bring about 20/20 acuity in education scholarship in South Africa?

This leading article to this special issue on “COVID-19: Opportunity to rethink and to restructure education in the world” is an overarching position paper, drawing on contributions made in papers in this issue, to argue the case that there is a compelling need to overhaul education research, in South Africa in particular, and that the COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity to do so. The South African education scene is surveyed and the survey reveals enormous challenges along all three dimensions of education supply: quantitative, qualitative and equality. The education sector in South Africa is clearly in need of guidance from the education research community. Education research activity, globally and in South Africa in particular, is surveyed and found to be seriously wanting in terms of the lack of theory, autochthonous and a unified, coherent theory, the small scale and fragmented nature of many research projects, the lack of practical impact, education scholars eschewing subscription to and building a normative superstructure in their research and the concrete problems of the education faculty regarding heavy teaching loads and difficulty in attracting funding for education research. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ravages it has brought to education have created the need and the opportunity to urgently and enthusiastically attend to these desiderata in Education scholarship.

Preliminary Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Hotel Sector in South Africa

Emerging infectious diseases and pandemics place a substantial burden on global economies and public health. The hospitality industry and global health pandemics are fundamentally linked, and the sector is highly vulnerable to pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic (coronavirus) has triggered an unprecedented crisis in the hospitality industry globally, and in particular, the hotel sector. As governments have introduced extraordinary measures to contain the virus, such as travel restrictions and physical distancing, which have brought the hotel sector to a standstill. This paper examines the preliminary economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hotel sector in South Africa. The data for this paper is based on the hotel sector specifically, and is extracted from a larger dataset that examined the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on all accommodation establishments in South Africa. Online surveys were administered to accommodation establishment managers. Approximately 3 000 accommodation establishments were targeted, 482 responded, of which 67 were hotels. The study confirms that the hotel sector in South Africa has experienced severe economic impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a number of hotels face the risk of bankruptcy and permanent closure. Employment has also been substantially affected by job losses, reduced pay and staff made redundant. Current concerns facing hotels are cash flow, travel restrictions, guest cancellations, low consumer spending, the overall economic uncertainty of the industry, as well as the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 and Changing Tourism Demand: Research Review and Policy Implications for South Africa

The tourism sector in South Africa has experienced the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and in response national government is charting initiatives for a recovery plan. In common with other countries the promotion of domestic tourism is a core focus. Arguably, the magnitude of the pandemic will reshape existing patterns of tourism demand and supply which need to be understood and researched for designing appropriate policy interventions. Against the backcloth of the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for recovery strategies, and the increasing focus on domestic tourism, the aim in this article is to interrogate COVID-19 impacts on the demand-side of tourism looking at changes in consumer demand and of intentions to travel. A desk top review is conducted of research produced by national governments, international organisations and of academic surveys completed in over 20 countries. The research findings are discussed in four themes, namely, (1) risk perceptions and the new tourism psyche; (2) travel intentions and changing mobilities; (3) travel intentions and changing patterns of demand; and, (4) the contactless economy and ‘untact’ tourism. The paper concludes with eight sets of policy recommendations for South Africa.

Small Tourism Business Growth Through Eco-tourism in Mahikeng, South Africa

Small business enterprises are renowned worldwide as vehicles for economic growth and development. The small business sector in South Africa has encountered numerous obstacles and government agencies responsible for their development have come across challenges, and as a result, they have not been able to adequately develop a large number of small businesses. Product diversification is one of the growth strategies that can be developed by small tourism businesses to break into new markets and off-set the challenges associated with one sub-sector of tourism. The primary objective is to determine the business support required by small tourism businesses to enter and participate in the eco-tourism sector. A non-probability judgemental sampling method was used to identify participants. In-depth face-to-face interviews were utilised to collect data from small tourism businesses located in Mahikeng, South Africa. There are many limitations that hinder the sustainable development and growth of small tourism businesses in Mahikeng, and for government to implement a series of growth reforms they firstly need to gather information on those factors that impede small tourism business’ sustainable development. The findings of the study can be utilised to inform policy-making processes, and its recommendations can contribute towards strategy development that provides assistance intended for small tourism businesses to enter and participate in the eco-tourism market.

Interprofessional collaboration among health professionals in cleft lip and palate treatment and care in the public health sector of South Africa

BackgroundCollaboration among different categories of health professionals is essential for quality patient care, especially for individuals with cleft lip and palate (CLP). This study examined interprofessional collaboration (IPC) among health professionals in all CLP specialised centres in South Africa’s public health sector.MethodsDuring 2017, a survey was conducted among health professionals at all the specialised CLP centres in South Africa’s public health sector. Following informed consent, each member of the CLP team completed a self-administered questionnaire on IPC, using the Interprofessional Competency Framework Self-Assessment Tool. The IPC questionnaire consists of seven domains with 51 items: care expertise (8 items); shared power (4 items); collaborative leadership (10 items); shared decision-making (2 items); optimising professional role and scope (10 items); effective group function (9 items); and competent communication (8 items). STATA®13 was used to analyse the data. Descriptive analysis of participants and overall mean scores were computed for each domain and analysed using ANOVA. All statistical tests were conducted at 5% significance level.ResultsWe obtained an 87% response rate, and 52 participants completed the questionnaire. The majority of participants were female 52% (n = 27); with a mean age of 41.9 years (range 22–72). Plastic surgeons accounted for 38.5% of all study participants, followed by speech therapists (23.1%), and professional nurses (9.6%). The lowest mean score of 2.55 was obtained for effective group function (SD + -0.50), and the highest mean score of 2.92 for care expertise (SD + -0.37). Explanatory factor analysis showed that gender did not influence IPC, but category of health professional predicted scores on the five categories of shared power (p = 0.01), collaborative leadership (p = 0.04), optimising professional role and scope (p = 0.03), effective group function (p = 0.01) and effective communication (p = 0.04).ConclusionThe seven IPC categories could be used as a guide to develop specific strategies to enhance IPC among CLP teams. Institutional support and leadership combined with patient-centred, continuing professional development in multi-disciplinary meetings will also enrich IPC.

Consensus study on the health system and patient-related barriers for lung cancer management in South Africa.

BackgroundLung cancer is the highest incident cancer globally and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality particularly if identified at a late stage. Poor patient outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC’s) might reflect contextual patient and health system constraints at multiple levels, that act as barriers to prevention, disease recognition, diagnosis, and treatment. Lung cancer screening, even for high-risk patients, is not available in the public health sector in South Africa (SA), where the current HIV and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics often take precedence. Yet, there has been no formal assessment of the individual and health-system related barriers that may delay patients with lung cancer from seeking and accessing help within the public health care system and receiving the appropriate and effective diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to derive consensus from health-system stakeholders in the urban Gauteng Province of SA on the most important challenges faced by the health services and patients in achieving optimum lung cancer management and to identify potential solutions.MethodsThe study was undertaken among 27 participant stakeholders representing clinical managers, clinicians, opinion leaders from the public health sector and non-governmental organisation (NGO) representatives. The study compromised two components: consensus and engagement. For the consensus component, the Delphi Technique was employed with open-ended questions and item ranking from five rounds of consensus-seeking, to achieve collective agreement on the most important challenges faced by patients and the health services in achieving optimal lung cancer management. For the engagement component, the Nominal Group Technique was used to articulate ideas and reach an agreement on the group’s recommendations for solution strategies and approaches.ResultsPublic health sector stakeholders suggested that a lack of knowledge and awareness of lung cancer, and the apparent stigma associated with the disease and its risk factors, as well as symptoms and signs, are critical to treatment delay. Furthermore, delays in up-referral of patients with suspected lung cancer from district health care level were attributed to inadequate knowledge arising from a lack of in-service training of nurses and doctors regarding oncologic symptoms, risk factors, need for further investigation, interpretation of x-rays and available treatments. At a tertiary level, participants suggested that insufficient availability of specialised diagnostic resources (imaging, cytological and pathological services including biomolecular assessment of lung cancer), theatres, cardiothoracic surgeons, and appropriate therapeutic modalities (chemotherapeutic agents and radiation oncology) are the main barriers to the provision of optimal care. It was suggested that a primary prevention programme initiated by the government that involves private-public partnerships may improve lung cancer management nationally.ConclusionsConsiderable barriers to the early identification and treatment of lung cancer exist. Finding solutions to overcome both individual and health-system level obstacles to lung cancer screening and management are vital to facilitate early identification and treatment, and to improve survival. Furthermore, research on inexpensive biomarkers for asymptomatic disease detection, the introduction of diagnostic imaging tools that utilise artificial intelligence to compensate for inadequate human resources and improving clinical integration across all levels of the healthcare system are essential.

Construction quality process implementation as a source of competitive advantage in small and medium-sized construction projects

It is generally accepted that construction quality process implementation improves construction project performance through the systematic application of quality practices. It is equally established that current quality management systems, particularly compliance management, are essential for Small and medium-enterprises (SMEs) seeking effective completion of road-building infrastructure. Despite the opportunities offered by these quality practices, there are potential pitfalls. As low-cost economies proliferate, South African construction SMEs are under increasing pressure to be more flexible and innovative. The study examines the factors affecting the quality of work produced by construction SMEs through a regulatory road building procedure, namely design, construction, and execution. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 165 SME contractors, designers, and their experience was recorded of construction quality standards and performance improvement on completed work in the public sector in South Africa. A combination of descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyse the data. The empirical findings established that five construction quality process factors affect the quality of road infrastructure projects undertaken by construction SMEs. These factors comprise construction process and design; construction quality management at the site level; the development and implementation of quality procedures and requirements; quality benchmarking issues; continuous improvement and communication. This study is of value to designers/consultants and managers in the construction SME sector as it helps to establish the factors affecting the quality of road infrastructure projects. Managers in analogous environments may also use the results of this study as a benchmark for competitive advantage. The results also provide a guideline for the successful construction quality implementation in small and medium-sized construction projects.
 Keywords: Construction quality; Continuous improvement; Design; Performance; Quality management.

Farmer-led institutional innovations in managing smallholder irrigation schemes in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces, South Africa

Farmer-led institutional innovations have been touted as the key to improving the management of water resources in irrigation schemes. However, little is known about them in South Africa. This study documents institutional innovations by 28 farmer groups located on four irrigation schemes in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces, South Africa. Induced institutional innovation theory, Ostrom’s eight design principles, and thematic analysis of interview transcripts were used to analyse the data. The study results show that 21 groups engaged in institutional innovations, indicating high levels of farmer-led innovative activity among these irrigators. Examples of innovations include, among others, the introduction of a secret voting system to improve participation of marginalised people in decision-making processes, designing daily rotation rosters to reduce conflicts, as well as using an attendance register for participation in group activities, and rewarding members according to their participation levels. The majority of these innovations were designed to improve the graduated sanction mechanism (22.2%), enhancing the penalty system for non-compliance; improving collective action arrangements (27.8%); monitoring attendance of group meetings (18.5%); democratising decision making; and ensuring equitable water distribution. These innovations focused mainly on addressing challenges, rather than exploiting opportunities, and were mostly incremental (94%), involving an adjustment or reinterpretation of rules and regulations. Radical institutional innovations constituted only 6%. The innovative groups were smaller in size and experienced less conflict than the non-innovative groups. Both groups had low levels of education and were mostly dominated by female farmers. The study recommends that the government should build on the agency of the irrigators to improve the effectiveness and legitimacy of institutional arrangements in irrigation schemes. The study’s findings suggest that small groups should be actively promoted, while tailored training should be offered based on the groups’ specific needs, to improve institutional innovations in the smallholder irrigation sector in South Africa.

A comparison study between public and private healthcare sector medicine prices in South Africa

Abstract Objectives The objectives of the study were to compare price trends, determine price differentials, and equate the average price index of a basket of medicines between the public and private healthcare sectors in South Africa. Methods A price list consisting of 32 essential medicines available in both the public and private healthcare systems of South Africa was chosen for this study. The price of medicines for the private sector were obtained from the Medicine Price Registry-Open Up website for the period 2014–2018. Public sector medicine prices were obtained from the Department of Health website for the corresponding period. Observations and price trends were identified and analyzed using Microsoft Excel version 2016. Key findings A total of 74 medicine brands were analyzed in the study. It was found that the prices across both sectors had increased over time, however, the majority of brands (87%) displayed higher prices in the private sector in comparison to the public sector. On average, the price differential between the private and public sector medicines were 395.47%. Conclusions The study found varying price differences between medicines in the public and private sectors because of the different methodologies used in each. The reasons for changes in medicine prices across the years in both sectors, could not always be clearly determined as both sectors lacked complete transparency in the processes applied to establish medicine prices. Therefore, more transparent medicine price systems need to be considered for the future of South Africa’s healthcare system as the country transitions toward universal health coverage.

Changes in pre- and post-pandemic pricing decision factors: An overview of South Africa’s luxury accommodation sector

ABSTRACT Large-scale events such as a worldwide pandemic impact multiple areas of the hospitality business, including the factors that influence luxury pricing. As pricing cannot be done in isolation, changes in trading environments need to be identified and pricing approaches adjusted to keep access to luxury products in the hospitality sector in line with changing consumer expectations and access to disposable incomes. An investigation was conducted using a qualitative method by collecting insights from 50 experts in pricing roles in the luxury hospitality sector in South Africa to determine the changes in pricing levels and approaches in the last decade and the expected future changes based on the current status of the economic and public health environment. The results from this investigation have shown a continuous increase in luxury accommodation price points with expected decreases in accommodation and events and catering revenue streams in the future, but no major change in food and beverage and auxiliary revenue streams due to the current global pandemic. The investigation has also shown, based on opinions of 50 key pricing decision-makers in South Africa, that service and product offerings, customer segmentation, location, forecast demand and the competitive environment remain the strongest influences in pricing decisions, with price sensitivity/elasticity, online presence strength, cost of hygiene practices and technological advancements becoming more relevant.

Recruitment and Job-Seeking Mechanisms for Zimbabwean Women Care Workers in the Domestic Services Sector in South Africa

This article explores the migration of Zimbabwean women to South Africa to undertake various types of care work within the broader domestic work sector. Studies on care migration have largely discussed South to North migration flows. This is despite evidence showing that there are significant flows of migrants within countries in the Global South. This article seeks to understand the recruitment and job-seeking strategies employed by women in this South-South migration flow in light of their migrant status and processes related to their migration. It is based on a qualitative study and utilizes data collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with key informants from four domestic worker recruitment agencies and 23 care workers in two cities Johannesburg and Pretoria. The leading findings were that Zimbabwean migrant care workers in South Africa faced exploitative working conditions as the majority of them were undocumented or irregular. They faced challenges in obtaining valid work visas and therefore, migrant care workers could not seek employment through formal channels such as recruitment agencies. They used informal channels such as social networks and the market. The article discusses the implications of using such strategies with regards to the subsequent working conditions and the protection of care workers rights.

Selected challenges associated with the reliance on customer due diligence measures to curb money laundering in South African banks and related financial institutions

Customer due diligence is a means of ensuring that financial institutions know their customers well through know-your-customer (KYC) tools and related measures. Notably, customer due diligence measures include the identification and verification of customer identity, keeping records of transactions concluded between a customer and the financial institution, ongoing monitoring of customer account activities, reporting unusual and suspicious transactions, and risk assessment programmes. Accordingly, financial institutions should ensure that their customers are risk assessed before concluding any transactions with them. The regulation of money laundering is crucial to the economic growth of many countries, including South Africa. However, there are still numerous challenges affecting the banks and other role players’ reliance on customer due diligence measures to combat money laundering in South Africa. Therefore, a qualitative research methodology is employed in this article to unpack such challenges. The challenges include the failure to meet the identification and verification requirements by some South African citizens, onerous documentation requirements giving rise to other persons being denied access to the formal financial sector, and the lack of express provisions to regulate the informal financial sector in South Africa. Given this background, the article discusses the challenges associated with the regulation and implementation of customer due diligence measures to enhance the combating of money laundering in South African banks and related financial institutions. It is hoped that the recommendations provided in this article will be utilised by the relevant authorities to enhance customer due diligence and effectively combat money laundering activities in South African banks and related financial institutions.