Research Publications

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Austerity measures, infrastructure and economic development in South Africa (1996–2019)
(Vilnius University Press, 2023) Mali, Kukhanyile; Sheefeni, Johannes
The paper aims to establish whether austerity measures promote economic development, improve infrastructure development, and whether they exacerbate infrastructure backlogs. The methodology used is a quantitative research method, sourcing secondary quarterly data from the South African Reserve Bank. The VAR model is used to analyse data between 1994 and 2019. The results showed that austerity measures have a significantly negative role in economic development. Also, they slow down investments that are crucial for infrastructure development. The results also pointed to the exacerbation of infrastructure backlogs caused by austerity measures
Investigation of the youth informal entrepreneurship landscape in South Africa
(Unisa Press, 2022) Murozvi, Simbarashe; Adams, Charles; Yu, Derek
The South African economy is characterised by high and continuously rising youth unemployment levels and rates. While countervailing interventions have been attempted in the formal sector, support for youth employment and informal sector entrepreneurship has received limited attention from policymakers. This is a rare study that examined South African youth entrepreneurship by analysing all five available waves of the seriously under-utilised Survey of Employers and Self-Employed (SESE) data, focusing on youth entrepreneurial activities. Youth (15–34 years) and adult (at least 35 years old) informal entrepreneurs were distinguished, before deriving descriptive statistics on business activities, with a specific focus on site of operation, management, employment and net profit use in youth-owned enterprises.
Integration of the Ukrainian economy into the euro-Atlantic community in the context of internationalization and globalization processes: Concept and assessment
(Baltija Publishing, 2022) Mantsurov, Igor; Barvinok, Alina; Dovhoteles, Vadym
The purpose of the article is to present the author's point of view on the conceptual apparatus that clarifies the definition of such economic categories as "internationalization", "economic integration", "inclusiveness", "globalization", etc. As a result, the essence of the processes of internationalization and integration of Ukraine into the democratized economic system of Euro-Atlantic countries is revealed. The object of the study is to analyze the complex processes of internationalization, globalization and integration of the Ukrainian economy into the competitive environment of Euro-Atlantic countries. The research methodology is based on general scientific and fundamental provisions of economic theory, international economics and statistics. The conceptual basis of the article is the world economic theories on the assessment of globalization processes in the development of the world economy. Processing and analysis of statistical data, modeling and forecasting of the identified trends were carried out using modern software.
Status of living standards in Nigeria between 2010 and 2013
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2020) Jaiyeola, Afeez Olalekan; Bayat, Amiena
Nigeria experienced a drop in the poverty rate to an average of56.1% between 1999 and 2007. This could be attributed to themeasures taken by the civilian government against adminis-trative corruption, increased domestic and foreign investmentsand some implemented agricultural policies. These effortswere thwarted by subsequent administrations with devastatingeffects on the Nigerian population. Despite an average annualeconomic growth rate of 6% between 2004 and 2010, theincidence of poverty has remained high, increasing from54.7% in 2004 to 60.9% in 2010. The high rate of poverty inNigeria has reached alarming proportions. It is in recognition ofthis that this study analyzes the variations in poverty across thesix geopolitical zones of Nigeria, including the rural and urbanareas
Do Share Allocations to the Indigenous Investor Drive the Demand for IPOs?
(MDPI, 2023) Tajuddin, Ahmad Hakimi; Gopal, Kanesh; Mohd-Rashid, Rasidah; Mehmood, Waqas; Sadik-Zada, Elkhan Richard
The purpose of this paper was to investigate the impact of allocating shares to the indigenous (Bumiputera) investors on the oversubscription ratio of IPO. This factor is unique to Malaysian IPOs and would enable us to reflect the signaling theory. Data on 348 IPO firms listed on Bursa Malaysia over a span of 17 years from 2002 to 2018 were examined using a cross-sectional regression analysis. The findings demonstrated no significant impact arising from the fractions of shares allocated to Bumiputera investors on the oversubscription ratios, except that the revised guidelines on the Bumiputera equity requirement had a significant negative influence on oversubscription. Further tests showed that the influence of such share allocation on oversubscription was moderated by firm size, which was proxied by market capitalization. The findings lend support to the signaling theory, indicating that the demand for IPOs will be slightly higher for larger firms listed in bigger markets.
Investigating volunteer activities in South Africa
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2023) Fondling, Jaydro; Murozvi, Simbarashe; Yu, Derek; Mtshali, Nothando
This is the first South African study that analysed all three availablewaves of Statistics South Africa’s Volunteer Activities Survey data,which was linked to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey in the third quarter of the same year (2010, 2014 and 2018). The empirical findings showed that volunteers were predominantly female Africans without Matric, aged 25–34 years and resided in the urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Limpopo. In 2018the labour force participation rate and unemployment rate of the volunteers were 62% and 34% respectively. These rates were both a bit higher than the corresponding rates of people who did not volunteer. The volunteers spent 20 h in the past four weeks on volunteering activities relating to service work and elementary occupations. More than 85% of volunteers did not expect to receive anything back. For those who indicated otherwise, they most likely expected to receive out-of-pocket expenses and food.
The South African labour market, 1995–2015
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2016) Festus, Lyle; Kasongo, Atoko; Moses, Mariana
This study investigates the changes in the South African labourmarket in the post-apartheid period. While unemploymentincreased over the 1995–2015 period, employment also increased.Nonetheless, the extent of employment increase is not rapidenough to absorb all net entrants into the labour force, resultingin increasing unemployment, or an employment absorption rate of65.3%. Unemployment is concentrated in specific demographicallyand geographically defined groups, most notably Africans, thelowly educated and those aged below 30 years, residing in ruralareas in Gauteng. Finally, four worryingfindings are observed:youth jobseekers aged below 30 years struggle tofind theirfirstjob; chronic unemployment is more serious for the relatively olderjobseekers (aged 45 years or above) with past work experience;employees working for small, medium and micro enterprises stillstagnate at approximately 3.5 million; and jobseekers from theolder age cohorts are less likely to actively seek work by enquiringat workplaces and answering job advertisements.
Employed yet poor: Low-wage employment and workingpoverty in South Africa
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2020) Feder, Jade; Yu, Derek
Working poverty exists worldwide and has shown an increase inprevalence over the past few decades. Over the years, there hasbeen an increase in the number and severity of low-wageemployment, which in turn contributes significantly to poverty.Whilst paid employment has generally been considered as thepredominant means to survivefinancially, salaries may be too lowto maintain reasonable living standards. South African research onlow-wage employment and working poverty in particular, are rare.Using data from thefirst four waves of the National IncomeDynamics Study, this studyfills the existing research gap byexamining low-wage employment, working poverty, and low-wage poverty. The empiricalfindings indicated that all threegroups are predominantly lowly-educated, middle-aged Africanfemale employees involved in elementary occupations in theinformal sector.
Scoping review of the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on unplanned pregnancy
(AOSIS, 2022) Christian, Carmen S.; Rossouw, Laura
: Increased pressure on the healthcare system because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) along with national lockdown policies had consequences on the sexual and reproductive health of women. While the pandemic has resulted in changes in pregnancy intentions, child-bearing and fertility, the direction of this relationship is unclear and is likely to be impacted by each country’s socio-economic status and stage of fertility transition. Understanding the fertility trajectory and the pandemic is important in understanding population structures and ageing, which have consequences for health policies, budgeting and economic activity.
An overview of trends in depressive symptoms in South Africa
(Sage Journals, 2019) Mungai, Kinyanjui
The relationship between mental health and socioeconomic status is well established in the literature. The socioeconomic standing of a number of South Africans remains poor and slow changing, while the mental health of the most vulnerable remains both an economic and health problem for government. There is, however, a lack of studies that assess depressive symptoms using panel data. There is also a lack of studies that consider factors that influence transitions of adults into and out of Significant Depressive Symptoms, particularly in the South African context. Panel data from the National Income Dynamics Study were used for this study to assess these transitions. The data included information on various socioeconomic and health variables, as well as a section that assesses the emotional health of adults in South Africa.
Exploring the intersection where business models, a circular economy and sustainability meet in the waste economy: A scoping review
(Sustainability, 2022) Hoffman, Marlin; Schenck, Catherina J; Herbst, Frederick
The authors endeavor to investigate the intersection and relationship between sustainability, business models and a circular economy. These three concepts are believed to be at the heart of finding a solution to creating and implementing a circular economy. The three pillars of sustainability (society, environment and economics) have been identified as the golden thread when applied to developing circular economies and the business models used in these circular economies. These three pillars highlighted the areas of intersection and engagement between the circular economy and business models. The three pillars, or stakeholders, need to be considered equally and, where there is sacrifice and benefits, they need to be balanced. A scoping review was chosen, as the starting point, to ascertain the literature in the field. The results of the scoping review showed a lack of research conducted at the point of intersection between these three fields. Finding a solution by creating and implementing a circular economy will have positive effects on the economy, environment and society, as there is, proverbially, “not much time left” and everyone in the process will sacrifice and benefit. The research has highlighted the need to explore the intersection and relationship between sustainability, business models and the circular economy as a concept, and future research should develop frameworks to guide the development and implementation of this intersection to include all relevant stakeholders.
Exploring the influence of students’ Matric Accounting knowledge on the successful completion of a BCom Accounting mainstream degree: A comparative study at a university in the Western Cape
(Stellenbosch University, 2022) Williams, Badrunessa; dos Reis, K.; Yu, Derek
Studies conducted nationally found that students with Matric Accounting knowledge performed significantly better than students without it in university-level Accounting modules (Baard, Steenkamp, and Kidd 2010; Papageorgiou 2017; Steenkamp, Baard, and Frick 2009). However, the reality at South African universities is that Accounting as a school subject is not always a requirement to pursue BCom Accounting studies. This situation means that at certain universities, Accounting as a school subject is not taken into consideration for this degree, while this is the case at some universities. This study focuses on two cohorts of students enrolled for the mainstream programme in 2017‒2019 at a South African university.
Cyclicality of size, value, and momentum on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange
(Taylor & Francis, 2021) Kapche Fotso, Moise Herve; Brown, W G P
The study examines the cyclical behaviour of style premiums on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) over the period 2002–2018. More specifically, the study establishes whether there is a contemporaneous relationship between style premiums and certain regime dynamics. The examination period extends over two consecutive business cycles, each with an upward and a downward phase. A robust factor-mimicking portfolio construction procedure is employed. Findings show that the small-cap risk premium shrinks significantly or becomes negative during downward phases while the momentum premium is strongly positive throughout the study period, but is lower during downward phases.
Emergency food supplies and food security in Wuhan and Nanjing, China, during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a field survey
(Wiley, 2021) Zhong, Taiyang; Crush, Jonathan; Si, Zhenzhong
Detailed empirical work on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security is scant. Local management of food security has received little attention.This article describes emergency food policies in Wuhan and Nanjing, China during lockdown in 2020 and their implications for household food security in the two cities.Policy documents and background data describe the emergency measures. Online surveys of residents of two Chinese cities were used to gauge household food security.
Investigating factors influencing class attendance and performance of first-year economics students
(Stellenbosch University, 2021) Swanepoel, Christie; Beukes, Roelf; Yu, Derek
The academic success of first-year Economics students has been examined in many South African studies in Economic Education. These studies controlled for differences in demographic characteristics, last school examination (Matric) subjects and results, as well as lecture and tutorial attendance when investigating differences in students’ performance. While there is an abundance of international studies investigating the main reasons for attendance or non-attendance, these studies are rare in the South African context, especially in the field of Economics. Hence, this study fills the existing local research gap by investigating factors influencing lecture attendance as well as their possible impact on the performance of first-year Microeconomics students at the University of the Western Cape.
Revisiting the COVID-19 vulnerability index in South Africa
(Routledge, 2021) Yu, Derek
This study uses the Census 2011 and Community Survey 2016 data, adopts the Alkire-Foster multidimensional poverty index (MPI) approach and addresses numerous shortcomings of the original Statistics South Africa method by including numerous indicators from four dimensions (socio-economic, demographic, housing and hygiene, health) to derive a revised COVID-19 vulnerability index. The empirical findings indicate the index was relatively higher for African female individuals living in rural areas of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces, coming from households headed by elderly aged 55 years or above. Alfred Nzo, Amathole, Harry Gwala, OR Tambo and Umzinyathi are the five district councils that are most vulnerable to COVID-19 (the first four were declared COVID-19 hotspot areas by the South African government in December 2020). The results of the index decomposition found that indicators from the housing and hygiene dimension contributed most to the COVID-19 vulnerability.
A structural equation modelling evaluation of antecedents and interconnections of call centre agents’ intention to quit
(MPDI, 2021) Iwu, Chux Gervase; Opute, Abdullah Promise; Jaiyeola, Afeez Olalekan
Call centers play a significant role in the operational dynamics of different types of businesses. This is especially the case because a call center agent’s demeanor can impair or engender customer satisfaction, which has ramifications for business patronage. Unfortunately, the pressures associated with the role of the call center agent have made staff attrition a norm in the industry. While this does not augur well for the call center or the organizations that they serve, the role of possible antecedents in the equation of staff attrition in South African call centers remains largely unexplored. Using a structural equation modeling approach, this study examined the interconnections between customer orientation, knowledge management, job satisfaction, and employees’ intention to quit. Additionally, the mediating influence of job satisfaction on the association between customer orientation and knowledge management of the intention to quit is examined. This study found significant relationships between knowledge management, customer orientation, and job satisfaction and the dependent variable (intention to quit). In addition, this study establishes that the extent to which job satisfaction may mediate the influence on the intention to quit hinges on the organizational element considered.
Home delivery of medication as part of reducing congestion in primary healthcare in Tshwane District Health Services
(Medical Publishing Group, 2020) Louw, Jakobus Murray; Rantloane, B; Christian, Carmen S
Congestion at health facilities poses the risk of extensive spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) to patients at high risk for severe illness and death due to this infection. During the lockdown to control the spread of the virus, many patients with chronic conditions are not visiting health facilities and not collecting their chronic medication. To improve adherence to medication, home delivery of medication was instituted for patients with chronic diseases who had been receiving care at the Skinner Street Clinic in Tshwane. To support patients with chronic diseases who were unable to collect their medication, by remotely consulting (telehealth) and delivering their medication during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Factors Affecting Digital Transformation in the Retail Supply Chain
(2021-06) Daniels, Nuraan; Jokonya, Osden
The digital transformation, introduced by the fourth industrial revolution, has significantly transformed the value proposition of supply chain organisations. However, there is limited extant literature based on factors that influence the adoption of digital supply chain within the retail industries. The objective of the study was to explore the factors that influence digital transformation in retail supply chain. The study adopted systematic literature review of all pertinent articles, published during the period 2010-2019. The study adopted Technology-Organizational-Environmental (TOE) framework as a lens to explore factors that influence the adoption of digital supply chain within the retail industries. The study results suggest that most technological factors influence the adoption of digital supply chains within the retail industries compared to organisational and environmental factors. The study contribute to the body on knowledge on the factors that influence the adoption of digital supply chain within the retail industries.
Industrialisation and the decline of the coastal cities in South Africa: A neglected dimension
(Development Southern Africa, 1990-05) Roux, A.D.; Black, A.D.
Empirical evidence points to a mismatch between the growth of population and the growth of manufacturing activity among the metropolitan centres of South Africa. While the coastal metropoles lag behind the PWV and certain secondary cities and towns in terms of manufacturing growth, the opposite applies to urbanization. Various market failures and policy-induced distortions may have contributed to the relatively poor performance of manufacturing in the coastal cities. Until such time as these distortions have been completely removed by suitable changes to government policy, temporary subsidies to offset the disadvantages of the coastal areas may be advisable. © 1990, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

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