Welfare In South Africa Research Articles

Climatic Crescendo: Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Opera Singers' Well-Being in South Africa

Climatic Crescendo: Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Opera Singers' Well-Being in South Africa

The relationship between SME financial sustainability and owners’ financial well-being in South Africa

This study examines the relationship between financial sustainability and the financial well-being of SME owners in Durban, South Africa. Utilising a quantitative research design, data were gathered through close-ended surveys from a diverse cross-section of SME owners, employing a cross-sectional approach.The study adopted a positivist philosophical framework, emphasising quantitative data analysis to derive conclusions. A total of 250 responses were collected, yielding a robust response rate of 82%. The analysis involved descriptive statistics and correlation analysis, with the correlation matrix revealing a positive, statistically significant correlation (r = 0.504, p < 0.05) between financial sustainability and financial well-being. The findings indicate that higher levels of financial sustainability are associated with greater financial well-being among SME owners, though the strength of this relationship is moderate. The regression analysis further supports this positive association, suggesting that interventions aimed at enhancing financial sustainability may significantly improve the financial well-being of SME owners. These results align with the theoretical framework of the Easterlin Paradox, which highlights the relative importance of financial stability in enhancing overall well-being. Based on these findings, several recommendations are proposed, including fostering financial literacy, enhancing access to financial resources, and promoting entrepreneurial collaboration.

Paradoxes of Social Grants in South Africa: The Case of COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant

South Africa is largely a welfare state because of its extensive social welfare grants. Almost half of the South African population benefits from social welfare grants. Through a literature review analysis, this paper focused on the special COVID-19 grant, also known as the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The paper analysed technical reports, working papers from reputable institutions and journal articles on social grants in South Africa. The analysis revealed that social grants in general enable the beneficiaries to access basic needs such as food and clothing; improve living standards; and alleviate poverty. The analysis also showed that the COVID-19 grants reached the previously unreached segment of the population, provided funds for seeking employment; supported childcare; and enhanced digital skills. The provision of SRD was found to be plagued with corruption, lack of capacity of administrative units, and emerging dependence. There is high support for extending and sustaining the grant, while other sources decry the potential of the grant to promote unproductive behaviour among young people, who should be actively involved in the labour market. The paper recommends an objective evaluation of the SRD grant to counter unpleasant socio-economic spillovers and promote the intended purpose. This paper contributes to the scholarship on remedial and developmental welfare in South Africa, with possible lessons for other welfare states globally. Keywords: Social Grants, Dependence syndrome, COVID-19, Grant sustainability, welfare state, unemployment, poverty

Xenophobia: a hindrance factor to South Africa’s ambition of becoming a developmental state

The prevalence of xenophobic violence toward foreigners has hindered South Africa’s ambition to become a developmental state since 2007, when the concept of a “democratic developmental state” was first endorsed during the African National Congress (ANC) conference in Polokwane. This ambition has also been thwarted by the inability of the post-apartheid regime to provide adequate and sustainable services to the citizens. Xenophobia has disrupted economic growth and has contributed to poor service delivery in local municipalities, thus leading to social protests. The developmental state depends mainly on a solid balance of economic growth and human development. It also leans on the capacity of the state to establish policies that address poverty and promote the expansion of solid economic opportunities. In this endeavor, migrants increase economic growth and make it sustainable, increase productivity, and promote the labor market. They also promote the labor force and human capital, economic growth, and public finance, thus enabling the realization of a developmental state. However, xenophobia has limited migrants’ contributions to economic growth and social well-being in South Africa. It has destructive effects on South Africa’s economic structure and growth, thus affecting the delivery of adequate services that would enhance its ability to achieve a developmental state. The paper recommends that there is a need for South Africa to understand that xenophobia affects economic growth and the service delivery framework. To address the prevalence of xenophobia and achieve its ambition of a developmental state, South Africa needs to hasten its responses to curb xenophobia and integrate migrants into economic opportunities. The paper adopted a qualitative research methodology and conceptual and document analysis techniques to collect data that enabled the achievement of the above assertions.

Nitelikli ve Yeterli Eğitim Hakkının Karşılaştırmalı Hukuk Analizi

By virtue of the importance attributed to basic education for individuals and society to transform and develop the country as well as the self-fulfilment of individuals brought forward that right to education contains not only a right of enrolment to a school but also adequate education which fulfil certain standards and criteria. The history of segregation and disparity in welfare in South Africa, India and the USA make this issue more important. The courts have not answered the legal questions on the adequacy in a uniform way, particularly whether this right guarantees a certain standard of education, and if yes, what standard is this. This essay will compare and contrast the courts’ understandings of the right to adequate basic education in these jurisdictions. This will be done through the analysis of the interpretations given to the constitutions and international instruments to determine the responsibilities of the states to realise this right. The first question of the analysis is how the courts interpret the legal instruments, particularly their constitutions, to decide whether the right to education includes a right to adequate education. The second point is how the courts determine and reason the adequacy standards of the basic education. It will be argued that the apex courts of India, Kentucky and New Jersey provided that basic education is subject to certain constitutional standards; however, these courts displayed different understandings of the adequacy. Kentucky Court examined the content of the right to education to provide a comprehensive adequacy criteria, whereas, New Jersey Court focused on substantively equal funding of schools. Indian and South African Courts considered the concept of adequacy in terms of the adequacy of school facilities rather than its content or finance.

ENHANCING CHILDREN’S SAFETY AND WELLBEING: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF A NEW SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMME IN FREE STATE TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS

In response to the pervasive violence affecting children's psychosocial wellbeing in South Africa, the Adopt-a-School Foundation introduced the Thari programme, targeting behavioural challenges that manifest in gangs, substance abuse and classroom disruptions. This article presents findings from a pilot project in Botshabelo, Free State, where gangsterism, academic struggles and social issues prevailed. The main study used an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design (qualitative/quantitative), but this article reports only on a part of the qualitative data from group and individual interviews that explored participants' perspectives. The study focused on children's behavioural challenges and observed school changes during implementation of the Thari programme. Results show a notable reduction in gangsterism and psychosocial issues, leading to decreased disruptive behaviour among children and highlighting improved behaviour after the introduction of psychosocial services. Keywords: child and youth care worker, psychosocial services, school safety, school social work, vulnerable children

Sotho-Tswana Games: Informal Learning Promoting Children's Well-Being in South Africa

Sotho-Tswana Games: Informal Learning Promoting Children's Well-Being in South Africa

Improving health outcomes and quality at the subdistrict level: Evaluation of the ‘3 feet model’ in Waterberg District, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background. There is a gap in understanding of potential roles and actions at the subdistrict level to improve quality of care and health outcomes in South Africa (SA). Objectives. To report on the evaluation of a subdistrict health system-strengthening initiative that aimed to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality, referred to as the ‘3 feet model’ in Waterberg District, Limpopo Province, SA. The model is centred on systems of real-time morbidity/mortality surveillance and co-ordinated responses. It was implemented in three of five Waterberg subdistricts over an 18-month period in 2021 and 2022. Methods. A prospective, process-tracing evaluation was conducted jointly between researchers, intervention partners and subdistrict decision-makers. Data sources combined ~100 hours of researcher participant observation, interviews with 14 health system actors, structured reflections by three subdistrict managers and information from the routine District Health Information System. Sources were triangulated and analysed based on a priori hypotheses on mechanisms of action. Results. Following uptake of the model, the perinatal mortality rate (PMR) improved by 28.8%, 11.5% and 28% in the three subdistricts, respectively, while the PMR worsened in two of four neighbouring subdistricts. Plausible factors in implementation successes were the presence of stable and committed hybrid (clinical-managerial) subdistrict leaders and their ability to overcome entrenched silos between a variety of system actors; new collaborative relationships between primary healthcare facilities, hospitals and emergency medical services; the generation and packaging of information in ways that directed responses (‘actionable intelligence’); and support from senior district managers. Conclusion. While not advocating for a cut-and-paste approach to improving quality and outcomes, positive experiences in Waterberg District suggest that the principles and mechanisms of action of the 3 feet model have wider relevance for policy and practice, especially as emphasis shifts towards the subdistrict as a core unit of population health and wellbeing in SA.

The sustainable use of wild species benefits biodiversity and human well-being in South Africa

The sustainable use of wild species benefits biodiversity and human well-being in South Africa

Psychometric properties of the Flourishing Scale for South African first-year students

This study focused on a positive construct of well-being, namely flourishing. In a multicultural and diverse country such as South Africa, it is a legal requirement to provide evidence that measures of psychological constructs, like flourishing, are fair, unbiased, and equivalent for diverse groups in the country. The aim was to test the psychometric properties of the Flourishing Scale, a purpose-made scale that measures positive functioning across various areas of life. This study tested the factorial validity, item bias, measurement invariance and reliability of the Flourishing Scale in a sample of 1088 South African first-year university students. A unidimensional structure was confirmed. Although three items showed statistically significant uniform and total bias for language and campus groups, the magnitude and practical impact were negligible. No evidence of bias across gender groups was found. Configural, metric and partial scalar invariance were established for language and campus groups. Full measurement invariance was established across gender groups. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.91, indicating high reliability. The study provided promising results for using the Flourishing Scale among South African university students to measure flourishing as an aspect of well-being.Contribution: This study contributes to the field of student well-being in South Africa. No studies could be found that test for item bias or measurement invariance of the Flourishing Scale, specifically for South African first-year students. This study is the first to test these psychometric properties of a Flourishing Scale in a multicultural setting for students from different languages.

The Relationship between Electricity Prices and Household Welfare in South Africa

The study examines the relationship between electricity prices and household welfare in South Africa. The study employs a demand system framework on annual time-series data from 2000 to 2018 and the analysis involves the calculation of price elasticities and measurement of welfare changes. The price elasticities in this study are drawn from the linear expenditure demand model. To analyse welfare change, we consider the impact of electricity pricing policies on cost of living (proxied by the consumer price index and households’ expenditure patterns). The study achieves this: (i) by comparing electricity price movements to changes in the rate of inflation between 2000 and 2018; (ii) by regressing total household energy expenditure against household expenditure on electricity, to examine how electricity costs affect a household’s overall energy bills; and (iii) thirdly, by regressing household food expenditure against households’ electricity expenditure to determine how the latter affects a household’s ability to spend on other basic goods and services. The results of the study show: (i) South African household electricity demand is inelastic to changes in price of electricity; (ii) electricity prices in the country increased at a higher rate than the rate of inflation for most of the time during the study period, suggesting that households incurred increased expenditures to achieve their desired utility or satisfy their energy needs during this period; (iii) household total electricity expenditure is positively related to household total energy expenditure, implying that high household expenditure on electricity exerts upward pressure on the overall household energy budgets; and (iv) household total food expenditure is negatively related to household total energy expenditure. This shows that while policy makers achieved significant success with providing physical access to electricity, affordable access to this basic service is still a concern and affects the overall welfare of households in the country. The study recommends a review of the country’s electricity tariff structure to make affordability a key objective. Moreover, the study calls for coordinated efforts in addressing Eskom challenges which have also played a contributing role to the current energy crisis, characterized by an unreliable electricity supply and constantly increasing electricity prices.

Progress of the social service professions in South Africa's developmental social welfare system: Social work, and child and youth care work

AbstractThis paper examines the progress of the social service professions delivering developmental social welfare in South Africa, a subject we have followed closely over the last 20 years. Being policy‐driven, developmental social welfare stemmed from expert social analyses that resulted in technically oriented solutions, including the broadening of social service professions. Twenty years on, it is hard to see developmental social welfare, as envisaged in government policy, in action, since the practice reality does not differ drastically from the prior apartheid system with the government's heavy reliance on social security as a poverty‐alleviation measure. The expanded social security budget has led to underfunded services and a crisis for social service professionals. This paper focuses on the regulated professions of social workers, and child and youth care workers. Our examination of critical issues for these occupational groups revealed that South Africa still has a long way to go in building a strong social service workforce.

The Interaction between Basic Psychological Needs, Decision-Making and Life Goals among Emerging Adults in South Africa

The interaction between emerging adult psychological well-being and decision-making, in South Africa, has not been explicitly explored in Self-Determination Theory. Life goals have been thought to play a role in the interaction between basic psychological needs and decision-making to promote psychological well-being. The current study, therefore, aimed to examine whether the decision-making styles employed, and the life goals which were deemed important, contribute to the understanding of the satisfaction or frustration of the basic psychological needs of emerging adults in South Africa. Data were collected cross-sectionally, using a secure, online survey among 1411 participants. The interaction between decision-making, life goals and basic psychological needs variables were examined using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations and hierarchical regression analyses. The results in the study suggest that adaptive (vigilant) decision-making and intrinsic life goals were significant predictors for the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs. Some forms of maladaptive decision-making and extrinsic goals were predictors of the frustration of basic psychological needs. The variance explained by the various models were between 15.6–32.6%, with the results suggesting all models were significant. The results provide a novel contribution to emerging adult well-being in South Africa and Self-Determination Theory, with the implications for society, research and practice discussed.

ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN WELFARE LAW AND LITIGATION: JUDICIAL REFORM IN SOUTH AFRICA

The paper argues that extensive judicial reform is still required in order to ensure true access to justice for the millions of people dependent on welfare in South Africa. Courts have to be more forceful in their insistence on compliance by government with their very orders – so as to avoid a situation where the required redress is still wanting, years after a judgment had been handed down. On the other hand, it may require curtailing the unnecessarily wide ambit of powers and discretion given to government in the empowering legislation. Furthermore, some of the provisions of the 2004 legislation and the accompanying regulations still do not accord with theconstitutional framework of welfare entitlement and the binding impact of the constitutional jurisprudence. Also, it is of crucial importance to ensure that welfare applicants and beneficiaries have proper access to the judicial system. For this reason it is imperative to direct a sufficient part of publicly-provided legal aid to these people and to embark upon a comprehensive reform of the framework of welfare adjudication, in the sense of establishing an alternative dispute resolution mechanism. Also, still to be addressed are matters which go to the very substance of the system of social security provisioning in this country. The most important of thesematters requiring intensive legal reform relates to finding ways and means to achieve the meaningful and progressive extension of social security protection to the millions who are, due to very nature of the system, excluded from the social security framework.

Health and wellbeing in urban South Africa: an overview

ABSTRACT The health and wellbeing of residents in South Africa’s towns and cities are currently threatened by the burden of disease, high incidences of crime/violence, and increasing economic, social, and environmental inequality. The impact of past and present spatial exclusion has exacerbated high levels of poverty and ill health, and the rapid rise in urbanization has put further pressure on already strained urban systems. While significant progress has been made, poor levels of service delivery, neglected infrastructure, and a lack of social amenities continue to pose a challenge. A further concern has been the prioritization in policy and literature on the ‘hard’ traditional elements of health over ‘softer’ dimensions (wellbeing aspects). The field of medical geography in South Africa has also remained relatively peripheral, with most geographical and human settlement research on health being driven by public-health scholars. This special issue brings together the voices of researchers working on health and wellbeing in South Africa’s urban spaces to address these and other concerns. Several key findings have emerged including the need for governance models that focus on overall wellbeing, the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, the role that wider socio-economic context and history play, and the importance of access to open space.

Moonlighting Behaviour among Migrants: Determinants and Implication For Wellbeing in South Africa

Notwithstanding the wealth of research on migration and subjective wellbeing, the issue of moonlighting and its welfare implication among migrants has no traces in the empirical literature. Using the rich individual-level panel data from the National Income Dynamic Survey (NIDS), this study established a number of interesting findings: (a) there is moonlighting among international migrants; (b) hours spent on the primary job and financial motive, amongst other socio-demographic factors are key predictors of moonlighting (c) international migrants are more likely to have more than one job, very often to meet contingencies, but mostly to help smoothen consumption over the life cycle; (d) individuals who spend more hours on their primary job are less likely to moonlight. Regarding wellbeing and happiness, it is evident that moonlighting and hours spent on primary jobs negatively influence self-reported wellbeing and happiness. Given the ravaging effects of COVID-19, a better understanding of the post-pandemic migration trajectory, job search strategies, economic activities among migrants, with a specific focus on moonlighting and its implication on wellbeing, is essential to national and international policy rethinking in order to achieve a triple win for the migrant, the host and origin countries.

Editorial

This issue consists of a book review and five articles that promote the practice of original research and policy discussions and provides a comprehensive forum devoted exclusively to the analysis of contemporaneous trends, migration patterns, and some of the most important migration-related issues in Africa. The review was made by Daniel Tevera on a book entitled “Citizen and Pariah”, by Vanya Gastrow. The reviewer made a critical and scholarly evaluation of the entire book. According to Tevera, the author informs the reader about the violent crime affecting Somali shopkeepers, their ability to access informal and formal justice mechanisms, and efforts to regulate their economic activities. The reviewer further indicates that, from the different chapters of the book it becomes clear that the author uses the term “pariah” as a social and geographical metaphor. The reviewer concludes that this book is an important contribution that is divided into three parts, consisting of twenty-one essays that delicately address the marginalization and victimization of immigrant entrepreneurs. The book clearly indicates that foreign shopkeepers with business interests in urban spaces have been victims of xenophobic attacks in most parts of South Africa.The first article by D e r e k Yu is entitled “The Impact of International Migration on Skills Supply and Demand in South Africa”. Using a quantitative method of research that involved the use and analysis of data from Census 2001 and 2011 as well as Community Surveys 2007 and 2016. This is the first study in South Africa that compares natives and immigrants with emigrants. The study analyzed the most recent census and survey data of the top five emigration destination countries and examined the well-being of South African emigrants in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the United States of America, Australia, and Canada. The results of this study enhance the understanding of the impact of international migration on skills supply and demand in South Africa, and identify the skills needs of the country. The study also provides stakeholders and policymakers with insights to better identify the priority critical skills needs of the country – critical skills that are lost, and skills that are in great demand but in short supply – so that these skills needs can be prioritized when issuing work and residence permits to immigrants. The second article by Emmanuel Quarshie, Imhotep Paul Alagidede, Albert Duodu, and Edwin Teye Sosi is entitled “Moonlighting Behavior among Migrants: Determinants and Implications for Well-Being in South Africa”. The study applied quantitative research methods to measure the key determinants of moonlighting, defined as a “situation where an individual maintains primary employment and engages in additional work for pay”. The study also examined the differences that

Factors associated to subjective well-being and TB infection in South Africa

Eighty-five percent of the world's new Tuberculosis cases are found in thirty high burdened countries, one of which is South Africa. South Africa is one of the eight countries that are said to account for the two thirds of the total new Tuberculosis cases. The Tuberculosis epidemic is driven by the following reasons: firstly, poor living conditions which are a result of the wide gap between the rich and the poverty stricken among some populations; and, secondly, late presentation to health facilities. Over the years, healthcare programs have made a meaningful impact in identifying patients presenting to Tuberculosis care. A global Tuberculosis report shows an estimated sixty million lives were saved through Tuberculosis treatment and diagnosis between the years 2000 and 2019. This progress has encouraged the United Nations to set the health target of eradicating the Tuberculosis epidemic by 2030. For this goal to be attained, strategies to modify risk behaviour need to remain a main priority. In the South African context, it would be important to note the diversity of the individuals experience which is rooted in South African socio-political history and has resulted in high levels of social inequality and disparate socio-economic status groups, as a significant factor when considering the well-being of Tuberculosis infected South Africans. The aim of this research was to understand health related well-being in South Africa, by noting and comparing the diversity of life satisfaction experience between participants from different sociodemographic status groups across South Africa. In this interview statistician Motladi Matatiele and Demographer Nancy Stiegler from the University of Western Cape discuss the possible factors of subjective well-being in the Tuberculosis infected South African population and provide an understanding of the behavioural aspects tied to Tuberculosis infection.

Promotion of Para athlete well-being in South Africa (the PROPEL studies): Profiles and prevalence of psychological distress

ObjectivesThere is a paucity of research investigating mental health in Para athletes. The aim of this study was to describe mental health concerns of a representative sample of South African Para athletes. DesignA descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted at the 2019 National Championships for athletes with impairments. MethodsMental health was measured with the Trait component of the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10). Between-group differences were analysed using the Mann–Whitney U test or one-way ANOVA. ResultsA total of 125 athletes were included. The average score for the STAI-T was 39 (±9) units, whilst a quarter (25%) of all athletes scored ≥45. The mean K-10 questionnaire score was 20 (±6) units. K-10 scores indicated that 12 % of athletes may meet formal definitions for anxiety and/or depressive disorders (score of ≥28), while 76 % of athletes have a high level of subclinical symptoms (score of ≥16). On average, females (36 ± 9) had better STAI-T scores than males (40 ± 9; p = 0.02) and married athletes (33 ± 9) had better scores than unmarried athletes (40 ± 9; p = 0.002). K-10 scores were also significantly better in married than in unmarried athletes (p = 0.002), but there was no difference between sexes. Neither the K-10 nor STAI-T was associated with level of competition, sport code or impairment type. ConclusionsThe study identified a high prevalence of psychological distress and anxiety among South African Para athletes, compared to the general population. There is a need to further understand factors contributing to mental health in this population.

Non‐income effect of land ownership and tenure on subjective wellbeing in South Africa

AbstractAside from the very high inequality of land ownership, South Africa is characterised by a dual land tenure system comprising of private ownership and communal land ownership. Using waves 4 and 5 of the National Income Dynamics Study longitudinal data set, a set of econometric methodologies is employed to quantify the impact of ownership and tenure on an index of subjective wellbeing (SWB) constructed from eight self‐reported responses covering general life satisfaction, contrast, social capital, mental health and hope for future. Controlling for the income effect and other pertinent drivers of SWB, the study highlights the non‐income impact of land ownership and tenure on the subjective wellbeing of individuals. To account for possible endogeneity and self‐selection, instrumental variable and matching method‐based treatment effects are computed. This paper has two main findings in relation to land tenure in South Africa: (a) land owners have on average a higher index of SWB compared to those not owning land, and (b) owning land privately, compared to owning land communally, has a positive impact on subjective wellbeing within land owners. These results are consistent and statistically significant across the various estimation strategies and provide additional motivation for expediting land reforms in South Africa.