UWCScholar

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Code-switching in finance tutorials for immigrant students: An activity theory perspective
(AOSIS (pty) Ltd, 2026) Esambe, Emmanuel E; Tengeh, Robertson K; Chu, Fidelis E
Background: Given South Africa’s multilingual landscape and a growing immigrant student population, this study examines how code-switching enhances finance tutorials for African immigrant students at a South African university where English is the main medium of instruction
Mapping persistent oil spill risk in the Niger Delta using sentinel-1 SAR and environmental exposure indicators
(Elsevier Ltd, 2026) Oseni, Ridwan; Omosanya, Kamaldeen Olakunle; Mosuro, Ganiyu Omotola; Saka, Hawa Oluwatosin; Oludipe, Victoria; Oshomoji, Adeoye
Oil spills remain a major source of marine and coastal pollution in hydrocarbon-producing regions, where repeated releases can lead to long-term contamination of wetlands, waterways, and adjacent communities. Although satellite remote sensing has improved the detection of oil spills, translating these observations into assessments of cumulative environmental and human exposure is still challenging, particularly in complex deltaic systems. Here, we present a spatially explicit framework for assessing persistent oil spill exposure in the Niger Delta by integrating Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observations with ecological, infrastructural, terrain, and demographic data. Rather than focusing on individual spill events, we quantify chronic exposure patterns by finding recurring oil spill signatures and combining them within a multi-criteria risk model. Our results reveal persistent contamination hotspots strongly associated with dense oil infrastructure, low-lying wetlands, flat terrain, and high population density, collectively affecting approximately 9400 km2 over the past decade. Spill exposure extends beyond reported incident locations and includes both protected and upland areas, showing widespread vulnerability across the delta. These findings show that long-term pollution risk in the Niger Delta is governed by cumulative exposure and landscape controls rather than isolated spill events alone. The proposed framework provides a transferable approach for monitoring, assessing, and managing chronic oil pollution in coastal and deltaic environments worldwide.
An investigation into more efficient Water, Energy and Food (WEF) nexus applications to enhance food security and sustainable livelihoods for the poor in the Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA), Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2026) Volmink, Fritzgerald Mark
This thesis addresses the question: To what extent can more efficient applications of the water, energy and food (WEF) nexus approach enhance the food security and sustainable livelihoods of poor people living in the Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA) of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa? The PHA, a vital centre for urban agriculture, faces acute water and energy challenges that threaten smallholder farmers and local food security. The thesis employed a qualitative approach, conducting a thorough review of the literature to critically examine the evolution and theoretical underpinnings of the WEF nexus approach, and its global and local applications, with a focus on its potential to alleviate the broader challenges of poverty and resource scarcity in South Africa. This theoretical underpinning was applied in engaging key stakeholders in the PHA through semi structured interviews and focus group discussion, thereby uncovering valuable perspectives on synergies and trade-offs between WEF systems in the PHA. This approach facilitated exploring how integrated resource management could address systemic inequalities and improve the distribution of WEF resources in the PHA. This was done within the frameworks and restrictions imposed by relevant legislation and policies and the challenges presented by local socio-economic conditions. The study evaluated the interplay between water, energy and food (WEF) sectors in the PHA, assessed its impacts on food security and livelihoods and identified necessary changes to maximise poverty reduction. The findings indicate that although the WEF nexus is well established in policy discourse, its implementation in the PHA is constrained by fragmented governance arrangements, sectoral planning silos and limited institutional coordination. The study further shows that farmers and local stakeholders already engage in informal nexus practices related to water reuse, energy efficiency and adaptive food production, but these remain weakly supported by formal governance and planning frameworks.
Dual effect of seawater as a chemical and solvent in the pretreatment, saccharification and fermentation of corn cobs for lactic acid production
(Elsevier B.V., 2026) Esa, Aqila; David A.N.; Sukai Y.
This study developed and optimized a seawater (SW)-based pretreatment to enhance sugar recovery from corn cobs (CC) (SW-CC). Additionally, the Lactobacillus plantarum microbial growth and lactic acid (LA) production kinetics were comparatively assessed utilizing the logistics and modified Gompertz models, respectively, across three bioprocess conditions: (1) SW-CC in supplemented seawater (s-SW), (2) SW-CC in supplemented deionized water (s-W), and (3) SW-CC in deionized water supplemented with conventional MRS replacing pure glucose (sMRS-W). The optimized SW-CC pretreatment yielded a reducing sugar and glucose yield of 0.277 g/g ± 0.001 and 0.172 g/g ± 0.02 g/g, respectively. The s-SW system exhibited the highest maximum specific growth rate (µmax = 0.342 h− 1 ), indicating favourable microbial proliferation in the SW-based medium. Although the s-W process achieved the highest maximum LA concentration (Pm = 5.545 g/L), the s-SW process followed closely with a Pm of 4.031 g/L, highlighting its comparable fermentative performance. This research provides the basis for implementing, abundant and innovative sources such as seawater for both the pretreatment and fermentation stages during bioproduct formation, thus reducing the reliance on chemicals and freshwater in lignocellulosic biorefinery processes.
Exploring medicinal plants used by South African bush doctor communities for wound healing purposes: a follow-up investigation
(Elsevier Ltd, 2026) Ndlovu, Banele; Fisher, Farzana
Traditional medicine is an essential component of healthcare in South Africa, where medicinal plants serve as a primary therapeutic source. Despite the region's rich biodiversity and long history of use, the indigenous knowledge of a small group of traditional “bush doctors” in the Western Cape (WC), including their methods for treating wounds, is poorly documented and at risk of being lost. As a follow-up to previous research, this study aimed to identify, document and analyse the medicinal plants used by practising bush doctors for wound care. The data was analysed to assess plant diversity, dominant families and frequency of use, providing a foundation for preserving indigenous knowledge and supporting future pharmacological validation. Given the small size of this practitioner population, a snowball sampling approach was used to recruit 20 bush doctors in the WC from this established cohort of 32 healers, using a modified protocol. The investigation documented 35 medicinal plant species representing 21 botanical families. The Asphodelaceae family was the most represented, confirming its importance in the regional pharmacopoeia. Species with the highest frequency of citation (FC), reflecting strong clinical relevance, included Aloe ferox (FC=16) and Eucomis autumnalis (FC=13). In contrast, species such as Galenia africana and Xerophyta retinervis had low FC values among participants and remain unexplored in the literature. These findings add great insight into ethnomedicinal knowledge preserved by bush doctors for wound treatment and help safeguard an important record of this endangered cultural heritage. Moreover, this study provides a framework for evaluating the pharmacological potential of both popularly cited and less common plant species used by bush doctors. This targeted approach can accelerate the development of new, evidence-based wound therapies.