Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37997
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Item Access to the Township Economy A comparative study of the spaza shop sector in the City of Ekurhuleni Townships Tsakane and Duduza(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mongwe, Veli; Quirk, Joel2024 marks 11 years since the Duduza community forced out Somali spaza shop traders from Duduza and it is exactly 11 years of continued gatekeeping from a collaborative informal relationship between the business community, township associations and some state actors. While the state actors and non-state actors may not take the credit for chasing Somalis out of Duduza they take pride in their informal governance systems and agreements they have kept Somalis out of Duduza. This research questions the role and power of state and non-state actors in Township informal governance. The concepts of “informal governance systems” and “gatekeeping” were used to guide this research to respond to the question of access. The study employed a qualitative approach as it is interested in understanding the cause for the variations in on the two townships. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and participant observation. In the initial stages of the research, the snowball sampling was used to identify participants with leads. These two participants were able to refer the researcher to key state and non-state actors in Duduza and Tsakane. The findings of the study reveal the existence of two cartels, a cartel that facilitates gatekeeping in Duduza and a cartel that runs Somali spaza shops in Tsakane. The Duduza business community, associations and some state actors have created informal rules of trade that prohibit Somali spaza shop traders from trading in Duduza, on this other side, Tsakane appears to have a more relaxed approach to trading rules. Access into the Duduza township economy is controlled and protected through informal systems of governance. Through the informal systems of governance, the business community, associations and some state actors in Duduza exercise the power to agree on trading rules and other rules to govern the township. While the trading rules are said to be binding to all who wish to trade in Duduza, they also appear to be stricter on limiting access to Somali and Bangladesh spaza shop traders because of their history in the township. Lastly, the Somali spaza shop cartel that runs the Somali spaza shops in Tsakane is sustained by various pillars i.e. strategic placing of spaza shops which enables its expansion and prevalence in Tsakane.Item Determinants of Adaptation and Insurance Uptake among Small-Scale Farmers in Kenya(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Segone, Tshepiso; Alence, RodDespite the costs associated with climate-related damage and loss, WII uptake remains low among small-scale, Kenyan farmers. Many of these farmers continue to opt for traditional adaptive and mitigative strategies in the wake of climate-related challenges, despite the many known benefits insurance has for climate resilience. Thus, the study seeks to understand the determinants of insurance uptake, and to measure the relationship between these determinants and agricultural output, using a binary regression model. Overall, the study underscores the complex interplay of socio-economic, cultural, and environmental factors shaping farmers’ adaptation decisions in Kenya and highlights the need for targeted interventions to enhance insurance uptake and promote effective climate strategiesItem The economic and geopolitical implications of China’s BRI in Nigeria and Ethiopia: A comparative analysis(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mojela, Tshenolo; Freer, GordonThe BRI, launched by China in 2013, has significantly reshaped global economic and geopolitical landscapes through extensive infrastructure projects to enhance global connectivity. This dissertation examines the economic and geopolitical implications of the BRI in Nigeria and Ethiopia, two pivotal African partners of the initiative. Despite a global decline in FDI to developing countries, Africa's FDI remained stable, with notable increases in BRI-related engagements. Nigeria and Ethiopia have received substantial investments, boosting their infrastructure and economic capacities while raising concerns about increased debt dependency and potential geopolitical shifts favouring China. Employing dependency theory, this research explores how the BRI influences Nigeria and Ethiopia's agency, economic dependencies, and sovereignty. This dissertation contributes to the broader understanding of the BRI's role in shaping Africa's geopolitical landscape and offers insights into the responses of African nations to this transformative global initiative. The findings are valuable for policymakers, scholars, and stakeholders interested in China's engagement strategy in Africa, informing the development of policies that leverage the benefits of the BRI while mitigating potential risks to ensure sustainable and equitable growth for African nations.Item The Influence of Perceived Opportunities and Perceived Capabilities on Entrepreneurial Activity in Sub-Saharan Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Kgomo, Tshegofatso; O’Donovan, Michael; Alence, RodThis research examines the impact of perceived opportunities and capabilities on entrepreneurial activities in Sub-Saharan Africa. It uses logistic regression to analyse available data on the region from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, which consists of survey data from South Africa. The analysis reveals that perceived opportunities do not significantly influence entrepreneurial activities within both the formal and informal sectors. However, perceived capabilities are pivotal in driving entrepreneurial activities. Further analysis incorporating control variables such as gender, age, educational levels, and employment status indicated that educational attainment does not have a relationship with entrepreneurial activity and age and employment status are negatively associated with entrepreneurial activity. Thus, this study challenges the prevailing notion that opportunity recognition predominantly fosters entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting instead the critical role of perceived personal capabilities in entrepreneurial ventures.Item Supporting women smallholder farmers in Eswatini: Comparing those in cooperatives to those outside of cooperatives(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Lukhele, Ntfombiyenkhosi Patricia; Kenny, BridgetIn Eswatini, women contribute significantly to the agriculture sector, and in rural areas, women’s labour is not compensated. Diverse reasons have led women to organize themselves into cooperatives, societies, and organizations to increase their earnings. Agricultural cooperatives are said to increase access to markets, credit, and to increase productive capacity. Those who operate outside of cooperatives would be excluded from such due to inadequate purchasing power, an absence of productive assets, or cultural barriers. This study examines the support accessible to women smallholder farmers who are members of a cooperative and those who are not members of a cooperative. It compares the two categories based on support received in order to evaluate the usefulness of cooperatives to these women farmers. Qualitative interviews were used to investigate these dynamics with 16 interviewees and thematic analysis was applied. The analysis shows that a cooperative in Eswatini in the Manzini region under the Ludzeludze constituency does not experience most of the support afforded to cooperatives and those operating individually succeed without the benefits of being members of a cooperative. This was depicted in the areas of accessing markets, credit, and in assessing the impact of social capital on farmers. I conclude that support for smallholder farmers in a cooperative is available in the areas of informal markets, accessing credit, training, and with government subsidies, it is not easily accessible, and that support for women smallholder farmers outside of cooperatives is available in workshops and trade fairs. The study contributes to the understanding of how important it is to engage women farmers in the kind of support they need and how women smallholder farmers should be given adequate support just like farmers in cooperatives. Important to note is how the study highlights the important role of social capital in accessing resources from the state and NGOs. The study compared women cooperative farmers to women non-cooperative farmers and attention was placed on the kind of support that is available to them from the state and NGOs.Item Investment and Social Conflict in Extractive Industries in Africa: The Case of Cabo Delgado, Northern Mozambique(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Magagula, Noncedo; Eyita-Okon, EkeminiabasiFollowing the rise of an insurgency in the mid-2010s in northern Mozambique, scholars have undertaken the task of exploring the driver of the insurgency considering the different actors including the government of Mozambique and Multinational corporations amongst others. Dominant views on the insurgency have not found a single root cause for the conflict and have settled on a number of causes including the socio economic and socio-political environment in the northern provinces of the country, the discovery and exploration of natural gas by MNCs and religious cleavages. Using a qualitative research approach based on existing sources and literature, this paper investigates the role of foreign investments towards the extraction of natural gas in exacerbating the insurgency in northern Mozambique, Cabo Delgado. It finds that the MNC led developments towards natural gas extraction exacerbated conflict by shining a spotlight on the socio-economic cleavages that have dominated Cabo Delgado throughout the country’s post-independence history. The state and the consortiums neglected the brewing issues in Cabo Delgado, which were years in the making and gave the insurgents ample opportunity to grow into the insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and halted economic activities in the province.Item The Effects of the National Minimum Wage as a Labor Market Mechanism for Reducing Income Inequality in South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Alli, Muhammad Matola; Bischoff, ChristineSouth Africa has stood among the most unequal countries in the world in terms of income differentials between the highest-paid and the lowest-paid workers for the past four decades. Local and international reports on inequality indicate that in the post-apartheid era, inequality has been sustained or increased. The post-apartheid state adopted the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in 2018 as part of its extensive social policy initiative to help address the challenge of income inequality. While there are enough data that attribute the reduction of income inequality in some developed as well as developing countries to statutory minimum wages, it is not clear to what extent the NMW in South Africa can achieve the goal of reducing income inequality. This study assesses whether the NMW is an effective tool for addressing income inequality in the labor market. A qualitative approach was adopted and interviewed experts in labor market policies in South Africa and supplemented by an analysis of some key documents related to this study. Tesch’s 1990 data analysis model was utilized to analyse data according to the objectives of the study. The findings of this study reveals that the NMW if well implemented, is an effective mechanism for reducing income inequality in the labor market. However, in the context of South Africa, poor implementation and setting at a low level has weakened the effectiveness of the NMW in achieving its objective of reducing income inequality. This study argues that the current rate of the NMW is influenced by the power and dominance of capital and operates to achieve the interests of capitalists. This means that the NMW could not achieve the intended objective of reducing income inequality as envisioned by the labor movements and activists that pioneered the NMW campaign. This study recommends adopting an integrated social policy approach in the implementation of the NMW to enable its beneficiaries to leverage other social policy initiatives. This approach entails allowing beneficiaries of the NMW to also benefit from other social policy initiatives in their communities. This approach aims to inspire a rethinking among the political, economic, and labor activists towards an effective approach that would enable the NMW to reduce income inequality in the labor market.Item I thought I was dying”: Menstruation experiences, knowledge gaps, and knowledge-seeking practices among young black South African women(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mahumapelo, Mmabatho; Lewins, KeziaThis research studies how (if at all) and to what degree knowledge about menstruation and menstrual health is disseminated; how it is received and from whom; how the quality of the source is determined, and how the information received shapes the recipient’s understanding of their own body. I contribute to existing literature by investigating how black South African women gather knowledge on menstruation and how the sources of information they encounter shape their perceptions and experiences of menstruation. By drawing upon literature on the menstruation experiences of women in the Global South and especially the African continent, I explore and analyse how the intersectionality of gender, socioeconomic status, religion, culture, and tradition shape what and how South African girls learn about menstruation pre-menarche, at the onset of menarche and post-menarche. Semi- structured interviews with young black South African women of menstruating age from diverse backgrounds in South Africa reveal retrospective accounts of their menstruation experiences from menarche until date. Through these interviews, I establish the important knowledge sources on menstruation in the lives of these women and uncover the effectiveness and reliability of these sources for knowledge on menstruation. I also explore the possibility of knowledge gaps, communication delays and the subsequent knowledge seeking strategies applied to meet any learning deficits. I explore how primary networks such as parents, schools, friends, and peer groups influence menstruators, and consider the awareness of, access to and use of alternative resources like digital media and mHealth tools like period tracking apps to build on prior knowledge. The study draws upon feminist, shame, and self-policing (Foucault) theories to explain the social inferences about menstruation. In addition, I apply Jaccard et al.’s (2002) five aspects of communication to explain how sharing and receiving knowledge on menstruation is influenced by the characteristics of those who are engaging in the communication, their context, the content of the message communicated and how the message is delivered. The study shows that girls and young women pick up information from multiple sources and knowledge accumulates as they progress on their menstruation journey. In some cases, information on menstruation is shared actively by parents or primary caregivers and schools while in other cases, menstruators learn about aspects of menstruation passively. Where information received is insufficient, girls and young women rely on online sources like Google, social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok, and period tracking apps for knowledge. This research contributes fresh insights to the discussion of menstruation in South African women by placing menstruation at the forefront of discussions with youth about sexual and reproductive health.Item Labour led strategy towards the fourth industrial revolution: a critical appraisal of numsa’s approach to worker control(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ntlokotse, Mamolaba Ruth; Satgar, VishwasThis research report would not have been possible without the efforts of many people. First, I would like to thank the Almighty God, who bestowed strength throughout the research journey. Embarking on a master’s journey was not easy, especially being a committed trade union leader with many union responsibilities. I am deeply indebted to my Supervisor, Professor Vishwas Satgar; the research report would not have been possible without the support, guidance, and feedback throughout the research project. I cannot begin to express my thanks to comrade Dinga Sikwebu, my mentor and source of inspiration throughout my shop steward journey. His help cannot be overestimated, as he introduced me to worker education and encouraged me throughout my studies. Let it not end with me. I owe a deep sense of gratitude to Professor Michelle Williams for her keen interest in me at every stage of my study. Thank you for being open-minded and constructive throughout. Thank you for giving me a shoulder to lean on when the road was bumpy. Your inspiration, motivation and suggestions have enabled me to complete my research report. I am incredibly grateful to my family who gave me unwavering support: my mom, Amelia; my siblings, Lebohang, Taelo and Thabang; my niece Bokamoso and my nephew, Bophelo. Most importantly, my son Bokang understood the sacrifice I had to make and sometimes did not spend time with him. To my late Dad, Ntate Mosuwe, I know you would be incredibly supportive if you were still alive. Finally, special thanks to everyone who offered invaluable practical contributions to the research project, particularly my comrades from NUMSA in Ekurhuleni. The leadership of SAFTU, especially the General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, and other sister unions, never let me down.Item Ethical Foundations For International Investments In Developing Poor African Countries(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Xate, Lulamile L.; Attoe, Aribiah DavidThere is a moral and ethical obligation for the rich and developed nations and their business corporations to invest in and trade ethically with Africa. This moral obligation extends to African leaders and elites who facilitate the continued exploitation of Africa and corruption in the post-independence period. To reveal this obligation and its basis, I begin by reviewing and exploring the history of African colonialism in pursuit of capital profit maximization within the imperialist framework and its consequences, focusing on its immoral and unethical practices. I then show that the moral foundations of colonialism and post-independence African leadership have not been considered in understanding African underdevelopment in relation to the prosperity of other nations, and the role of African leaders. Finally, I argue there are morally right actions that can plausibly change this. I explicate this using three moral philosophical approaches – Kantian, Utilitarian and Ubuntu African relational ethics.