Magister Commercii - MCom (Economics)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10566/12382

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Browsing by Author "Bayat, Amiena"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    The impact of spatial inequality on financial inclusion in South Africa
    (University of Western Cape, 2021) Bodlani, Lelethu Lithakazi; Bayat, Amiena
    Inequality in South Africa has long been recognised as one of the most salient features of our society. Despite many efforts by the government to reduce inequality since our democratic transition in 1994, progress has been limited. The historic patterns of accumulation and economic concentration have continued to feed into South Africa’s patterns of uneven and combined development. Moreover, financial markets in many countries are undeniably incomplete, segmented, and inefficient. This is largely attributed by high transaction costs for both institutions and clients as well as biases against certain parts of the market. Therefore, people will continue to transact outside the formal financial system if they lack easy access and use of formal financial institutions. Private resources are often used in formal areas that provide better access and higher return on investment for private institutions. As a result, the development of the poorest areas remains relatively neglected.
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    Inflation targeting, South Africa and the Great Recession: An alternative perspective
    (University of the Western Cape, 2017) Bestenbier, Liansky; Bayat, Amiena
    Described by Mohr (2008:1) as "one of the most hotly debated economic issues in South Africa", the inflation rate is underpinned by its impact on the average South African. A rapid increase in the cost of goods and services could have devastating consequences on the both the growth and development of the country, making it an imperative to effectively manage a change in general prices. The SARB applies an Inflation Targeting (IT) framework to manage the inflation rate and the thesis will interrogate the applicability of this framework within a low growth environment. More specifically, the thesis will ask whether it is prudent to increase the interest rate in a low growth environment. The thesis will employ a mixed research method, namely, a qualitative and quantitative method. However, the qualitative method will be the primary research method and the conclusions derived thereof will be tested within a qualitative model. The qualitative method will take the form of historical narrative which is designed to investigate the behaviour of the inflation rate at a micro level. The choice of this qualitative historical narrative derives from the inconclusive nature of the existing empirical quantitative studies and the resulting lack of a consensus on the effectiveness of the IT framework. This lack of consensus necessitated the use of a different approach to interrogate the IT framework hence the application of the qualitative historical narrative. The narrative will be primarily derived from the economic reports and data of the main authority on South Africa's monetary policy, the South Africa Reserve Bank (SARB). The narrative will also utilise the economic reports and data from reputable sources such as Statistics South Africa, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the European Central Bank (ECB), the US Federal Reserve System, and the People's Bank of China (PBC).
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    Investigating school-level and out-of-school factors influencing the performance at selected secondary schools in the Eastern Cape Province, Amathole west district
    (University of the Western Cape, 2023) Kohli, Nontandazo; Bayat, Amiena
    Education is considered vital not only for personal development but also for community development and the social development and economic prosperity of countries. The quality of basic education in post-apartheid South Africa has become a public concern as South Africa’s learners rank below many other developing countries in internationally benchmarked measures, including its poorer neighbours. Grade repetition and drop-out rates are alarmingly high indicators that, despite many interventions by the national government over the past three decades, the basic education system is not working. Underperformance in South African secondary schools is particularly characteristic of historically and economically disadvantaged areas such as the Amathole District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province. The passes obtained in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination are considered a benchmark of performance in Grade 12, the exiting year of basic schooling. This study investigated the school-level and out-of-school-level factors that influence the underperformance of selected schools in the Amathole West education district that perform poorly in the NSC examinations.
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    The Relationship between mental health and socioeconomic status : depressive symptoms among adults in South Africa
    (University of the Western Cape, 2016) Mungai, Kinyanjui; Bayat, Amiena
    Mental disorders are estimated to be experienced by one out of three South Africans in their lifetime. (Stein, Seedat, Herman, Moomal, Heeringa, Kessler & Williams, 2009:3). Empirical studies indicate, that people, who are poor, live in impoverished neighbourhoods, have lower education levels and are subsequently more likely to have mental disorders. This study focuses on depression. Empirical studies point to depression being negatively correlated with socioeconomic determinants, but is this the case in South Africa? From a theoretical standpoint the study considers how socio-structural aspects such as poverty and educational outcomes (amongst other socioeconomic variables) can lead to the prevalence and persistence of depressive symptoms. The main question the study aimed to investigate was whether depression was negatively related to socioeconomic status, and through which pathways does socioeconomic status affect depression. This study used panel data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) to examine the socioeconomic determinants of depressive symptoms. Waves 1 (2008) and 4 (2014/2015) of the NIDS data were used to answer the research question. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item version of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The scale measured depressive symptomatology. The cut off that was used was a score of 10 or higher, which indicated the occurrence of significant depressive symptoms. In order to assess which socioeconomic determinants increase the probability of experiencing significant depressive symptoms, a probit model was used to make this investigation. The results of the study indicate that, despite the recent increase in depression in 2012 and 2014/2015, the overall prevalence of depression in South Africa has declined significantly between 2008 and 2014/2015. Socioeconomic status was found to be negatively associated with depression. In particular, a low income and occupational status were associated with a significantly greater probability of being depressed. Disparities in depression outcomes followed the disparities in socioeconomic status. Hence the study found that women and Africans were particularly vulnerable to depression as they were socioeconomically disadvantaged.
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    The Relationship between Conspicuous Consumption and Poverty in Developing Countries: Evidence from South Africa
    (University of the Western Cape, 2017) Madyibi, Siphe; Bayat, Amiena
    For many years the word poverty was synonymous with deprivation and the inability to satisfy basic necessities. According to Alkire and Santos (2014:257), about 1.67 billion people in developing countries lived below the then poverty line of $1.25 per day, while a staggering 2.74 billion lived on less than a higher poverty line of $2 a day, using the US Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). In the midst of the hunger and constrained resources implied by these statistics, it is alarming that the poor allocate a significant share of their limited income to expensive visible consumption that does not effectively alleviate poverty or increase their well-being. This puzzling behaviour was first identified by Veblen (1899) as 'conspicuous consumption', and is described by Kilsheimer (1993:341) as 'the motivational process by which individuals strive to improve their social standing through the conspicuous consumption of consumer products that confer and symbolise status both for the individual and surrounding significant others'. Unlike the affluent, when poor households engage in conspicuous consumption they are forced to neglect basic needs such as education, nutrition and health care, as they are under severe monetary constraint (Linssen, Van Kempen & Kraaykamp, 2011:61). For this reason Moav and Neeman (2012:936) argue that conspicuous consumption by poor households in developing countries is to blame for persistent poverty as well as inequality. Against this backdrop, this study sought to determine the degree of correlation between conspicuous consumption and poverty. Specifically, to what extent does conspicuous consumption contribute to increasing poverty in South Africa? In addressing this research question, the study used officially published data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), starting from the first wave in year 2008 to the last during 2014/2015. The study found that South African adults, including the poor, have gradually increased their household expenditure share on visible consumption (personal care, cellphones, shoes and clothing). This increase in visible consumption among the poor coincided with a decline in food consumption, suggesting that food consumption was reduced to engage in conspicuous consumption. This consumption behaviour is most prevalent among the poor and the African population group. Hence a correlation between poverty and conspicuous consumption in South Africa is postulated.