scholarly journals Influence of foreign alliances on the performance of small-scale agricultural businesses in South Africa: A new institutional economics perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patient Rambe ◽  
Livingstone A.K. Agbotame
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Institutional Economics ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
New Institutional Economics ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Northern Cape ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Better Than

Background: Globalisation has accentuated the need for small-scale agricultural businesses (SSABs) to network horizontally and vertically into world markets. However, the capacity of SSABs to cement foreign alliances to capitalise on business opportunities that the expansion of global markets presents, while simultaneously mitigating against the negative forces of globalisation remains a grey area.Aim: The study sought to contribute to internationalisation literature by examining: (1) the extent to which SSABs’ owner and/or managers in selected South African provinces establish foreign alliances, (2) whether there are any statistically significant differences in SSABs’ performance based on their extent of establishment of foreign alliances.Setting: The setting for this study was Vryburg-Pokwani in the North West and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa, respectively.Method: A survey was conducted on 151 SSAB owner and/or managers in the aforementioned study area.Results: The results revealed that although a majority (51.7%) had some (i.e. few) foreign alliances, 48.3% of SSABs had no foreign alliances at all. The results also demonstrated that the establishment of foreign alliances was positively and statistically significantly related to the performance of SSABs in the Vryburg-Pokwani area. Post-hoc comparisons (Bonferroni) results showed that while SSABs with 1–2 foreign alliances perform better than those with no foreign alliances at all, those SSABs with 6–10 foreign alliances perform better than those with none, 1–2 and 3–5 foreign linkages respectively.Conclusion: Since SSABs with foreign alliances tended to outperform those that were dependent on domestic links, the extent to which the economic benefits derived from internationalisation are reinvested into the businesses for the continued sustenance of businesses needs more rigorous investigation.

scholarly journals The influence of internationalisation of labour on the performance of small-scale rural-based agricultural firms: A South African perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patient Rambe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
North West ◽  
Foreign Labour ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Northern Cape

Orientation: The main objective of this study is to determine the extent to which small-scale, rural-based agricultural firms in South Africa use foreign labour.Research purpose: South African business owners or managers’ perceived preference for labour from foreign nationals has heightened South African nationals’ concerns that these owners or managers are prejudicing local citizens under the guise of reducing overhead costs.Motivation for the study: There is a scarcity of studies on the influence of free movement of foreign labour on the performance of small-scale, rural-based agricultural firms in South Africa.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey research was conducted among 151 small-scale agricultural businesses’ (SSABs) owners or managers in Vryburg-Pokwani in North West and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Furthermore, post hoc comparisons (Bonferroni) were conducted to establish the long-term performance expectations based on these firms’ utilisation of foreign labour.Main findings: The results showed that the majority (70.9%) of SSABs did not employ foreign labour. Moreover, despite the statistically significant differences in the performance of SSABs based on their usage of foreign labour, SSABs’ orientation towards internationalisation of labour increased with increased deployment of foreign labour.Practical and managerial implications: The study recommended the possibility of deploying highly skilled, value-adding and value-creating foreign labour, while rationalising the recruitment of semi-skilled and unskilled local labour.Contribution or value addition: The results are of significance to SSABs that need to consider the economic benefits of recruiting foreign labour even if that may increase their overhead costs.

scholarly journals Trends in the nephrologist workforce in South Africa (2002–2017) and forecasting for 2030

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0255903
Author(s):  
Dominic Dzamesi Kumashie ◽  
Ritika Tiwari ◽  
Muhammed Hassen ◽  
Usuf M. E. Chikte ◽  
Mogamat Razeen Davids
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
North West ◽  
The Public ◽  
The North ◽  
Training Capacity ◽  
Northern Cape ◽  
Public And Private Sector ◽  
Kidney Health

Background The growing global health burden of kidney disease is substantial and the nephrology workforce is critical to managing it. There are concerns that the nephrology workforce appears to be shrinking in many countries. This study analyses trends in South Africa for the period 2002–2017, describes current training capacity and uses this as a basis for forecasting the nephrology workforce for 2030. Methods Data on registered nephrologists for the period 2002 to 2017 was obtained from the Health Professions Council of South Africa and the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. Training capacity was assessed using data on government-funded posts for nephrologists and nephrology trainees, as well as training post numbers (the latter reflecting potential training capacity). Based on the trends, the gap in the supply of nephrologists was forecast for 2030 based on three targets: reducing the inequalities in provincial nephrologist densities, reducing the gap between public and private sector nephrologist densities, and international benchmarking using the Global Kidney Health Atlas and British Renal Society recommendations. Results The number of nephrologists increased from 53 to 141 (paediatric nephrologists increased from 9 to 22) over the period 2002–2017. The density in 2017 was 2.5 nephrologists per million population (pmp). In 2002, the median age of nephrologists was 46 years (interquartile range (IQR) 39–56 years) and in 2017 the median age was 48 years (IQR 41–56 years). The number of female nephrologists increased from 4 to 43 and the number of Black nephrologists increased from 3 to 24. There have been no nephrologists practising in the North West and Mpumalanga provinces and only one each in Limpopo and the Northern Cape. The current rate of production of nephrologists is eight per year. At this rate, and considering estimates of nephrologists exiting the workforce, there will be 2.6 nephrologists pmp in 2030. There are 17 government-funded nephrology trainee posts while the potential number based on the prescribed trainer-trainee ratio is 72. To increase the nephrologist density of all provinces to at least the level of KwaZulu-Natal (2.8 pmp), which has a density closest to the country average, a projected 72 additional nephrologists (six per year) would be needed by 2030. Benchmarking against the 25th centile (5.1 pmp) of upper-middle-income countries (UMICs) reported in the Global Kidney Health Atlas would require the training of an additional eight nephrologists per year. Conclusions South Africa has insufficient nephrologists, especially in the public sector and in certain provinces. A substantial increase in the production of new nephrologists is required. This requires an increase in funded training posts and posts for qualified nephrologists in the public sector. This study has estimated the numbers and distribution of nephrologists needed to address provincial inequalities and achieve realistic nephrologist density targets.

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP IN REMOTE SOUTH AFRICA: A LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE

2021 ◽  
pp. 301-309
Author(s):  
Leentjie Van Jaarsveld ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Technology Infrastructure ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
North West ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
The North ◽  
Northern Cape

To understand the circumstances under which principals in remote areas exercise their leadership and management, an investigation was conducted in the Northern Cape province, South Africa. This province is characterised by small towns with few residents. The infrastructure is not up to par, and in some cases, the socio-economic conditions are extremely poor. Unemployment is a big problem in the villages. The uniqueness of this study lies in the fact that after 1994, with the abolition of apartheid, the farmers withdrew their children from the schools and no longer supported the schools as before. As a result, the principals experienced many more challenges. The study followed a qualitative, phenomenological design from the interpretivist paradigm. The sample consisted of ten principals. Semi-structured interviews were conductedwith the principals. The inductive data analysis process was used. The required ethical clearance was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of the North-West University and the Department of Education of the province. The results reveal that principals in remote areas, in the absence of technology, infrastructure, and support bases, have to use their skills creatively, and they need the support of the community, teachers, school management, and governing body.

scholarly journals Accounting for Nonconvergence in Global Wool Marketing before 1939

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Tolmie Merrett ◽  
Simon Ville
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Institutional Economics ◽  
New Institutional Economics ◽  
The North ◽  
Textile Industries

From the mid-nineteenth century, raw wool became a global commodity as new producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere supplied the world's growing textile industries in the North. The selling practices of these big-five exporters—Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, and Uruguay—ranged from auction through a hybrid of auction and private sale to exclusively private sale. We explore why these countries persisted with different marketing arrangements, contradicting two streams of literature on institutions: isomorphism and the new institutional economics. The article makes several important contributions through blending distinct branches of theory and by focusing on the international constraints to convergence in an earlier period of globalization.

scholarly journals Irrigation Water Value at Small-scale Schemes: Evidence from the North West Province, South Africa

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 621-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Speelman ◽  
S. Farolfi ◽  
S. Perret ◽  
L. D'haese ◽  
M. D'haese
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Water Value ◽  
North West Province

THE COST OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) IN SOUTH AFRICA

2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
pp. 51-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRANCOIS RETIEF ◽  
BENNETT CHABALALA
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
South African Context ◽  
The South ◽  
Project Cost ◽  
North West ◽  
Northern Cape ◽  
African Context ◽  
The Cost

The wide adoption of EIA internationally is implicitly or explicitly based on the assumption that the benefits of EIA outweigh the costs. However, there has been surprisingly little empirical research conducted on the "cost" of EIA. The latter has been mostly because of the difficult methodological challenges it presents, which include the difficulties associated with clarifying terminology and disentangling what is meant by "cost". South Africa has been a leading developing country in terms of the introduction of EIA. However, almost a decade of mandatory EIA practice has raised serious questions about unjustified and unnecessary time delays and monetary costs and a desperate need for improved efficiency and effectiveness. In light of the latter the urgent need to gain a better understanding of the "cost" of EIA is evident. This paper presents preliminary results of an empirical study on the "direct EIA cost" in relation to "overall project cost" in South Africa. The data was obtained from a detailed survey of 148 EIAs conducted in the Free State, North West and the Northern Cape Provinces. The research suggests that the average direct cost of EIA within this region of South Africa is particularly low compared to international EIA systems. However, as a percentage of total project cost, EIA in South Africa compares with the higher spectrum of international practice. The latter suggests that within the South African context a large number of EIAs are being conducted for relatively small scale projects and that the main cost burden is placed on small and medium economic enterprise. In conclusion the overall profile of EIA cost in the South African context is described in relation to four broad project categories. To take the debate forward and to allow for regional comparative analysis, it is proposed that the research be expanded to include other provinces.

scholarly journals A shift-share analysis of job creation in the Platinum SDI during its first decade (1996-2006)

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 591-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewert Kleynhans ◽  
Carike Claassen
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Job Creation ◽  
Manufacturing Industries ◽  
Descriptive Data ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Metal Products ◽  
Industrial Mix ◽  
Better Than

This study evaluates the performance of the Platinum Spatial Development Initiative (SDI) development corridor in South Africa, which was initiated during 1996. Next to descriptive data, the study employed shift-share analysis to investigate the economic growth and job creation potential of the manufacturing industries in the SDI region. Analysis of the North West Province was also done to enable comparison with the Platinum SDI. The results revealed that development in the Platinum SDI since 1996 was slightly better than the rest of the province. Sectors with the highest potential were wood and paper products, food and beverages, electronics, furniture and metal products, which merit attention in future development initiatives. Economic growth in the Platinum SDI was, in most cases, better than the rest of the province, and the industrial mix and regional competitive share effects had strong effect on employment and growth in specific sectors.

scholarly journals Ixodid ticks on cattle belonging to small-scale farmers at 4 communal grazing areas in South Africa

2002 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
N.R. Bryson ◽  
G.A. Tice ◽  
I.G. Horak ◽  
C.G. Stewart ◽  
B.J.A. Du Plessis
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rhipicephalus Appendiculatus ◽  
Ixodid Ticks ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Amblyomma Hebraeum ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
North West Province ◽  
Rhipicephalus Evertsi Evertsi ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Ixodid ticks were collected during the period September 1991 to August 1993 from cattle belonging to small-scale farmers utilising 4 communal grazing areas. Three of these were in North West Province and 1 in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Ten tick species were collected in North West Province and 7 in Mpumalanga. The adults of Amblyomma hebraeum, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi were most numerous in North West Province, while in Mpumalanga Boophilus decoloratus comprised more than 75% of the total population. Amblyomma hebraeum was present on all grazing areas, and heavy infestations of adults occurred during the period October to May on 1 of these. Few B. decoloratus were collected in North West Province, chiefly because the sampling method was inadequate, and most of these were present during early summer (October to December) and late summer and autumn (March to May). The initially low population of B. decoloratus in Mpumalanga increased substantially towards the conclusion of the survey, probably because of the cessation of dipping. Boophilus microplus was present in small numbers on 2 grazing areas in the North West Province. Adult Hyalomma marginatum rufipes reached peak numbers from December to February and Hyalomma truncatum from February to April in the North West Province. Only H. marginatum rufipes was collected in Mpumalanga. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was present on all the grazing areas, with most adults present from December to April. Most adult Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi were collected from September to April and Rhipicephalus simus was present during the period October-April.

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