Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)
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Item Implication of Regulated Cannabis Legalisation on Wellbeing and Economic Growth(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Quarshie, Emmanuel; Alagidede, Imhotep PaulThis is a thesis on the cost benefit analysis of cannabis legalisation, public (mis)perception about cannabis usage and cannabis users, the medical application of cannabinoids and their commercial and industrial potential in the new global political economy. The study shows that, although there are misconceptions about cannabis, there is still much to unpack about its effects on human well-being. Drawing on both qualitative and quantitative cross-country dataset from Ghana and South Africa, the study employed a logit model to address the following questions: (a) What does society know about cannabis and its industrial and medical applications? (b) What is the evidence-based scientific claims of cannabis regarding human well-being? (c) What are the existing gaps between perception and knowledge? Among the contributions, this study clarifies the often-misunderstood position of cannabis in society and illuminates the blind side of the role of cannabis as an economic enabler in the post pandemic world. More importantly, while some schools of thought project cannabis as a gateway drug to the infernal realm, this study provides evidenced based on real-time practical experience from well- informed and educated users. The study provides a model for regulated cannabis legalisation, a proper guide on value-added supply chain mechanism, and guiding principles to ensure the model functions properly, based on lessons and best practices from countries that have legalized cannabis, such as the Netherlands, Canada, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. This study further establishes empirical and theoretical foundations for the key thematic subjects of cannabis use, as well as a policy direction pertaining to its regulated legalisation, prohibition, or decriminalization in Ghana and South Africa. Given the disconnect between knowledge and perception about cannabis, the study recommended knowledge enhancement and adequate advocacy on the pros and cons of cannabis for society to enhance understanding of the benefits and its side effects to provide evidence-based guidance on the medical application and industrial potentialsItem Solar electricity consumption, financial inclusion and welfare in sub-Saharan Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Dube, Andile Precious; Horvey, SylvesterSolar electricity has continuously contributed towards alleviating energy poverty in sub- Saharan Africa. Moreover, the development of off-grid solar electricity technologies and business models that integrate mobile money into solar electricity transactions has improved access to electricity in the region. As a result, the demand and adoption of mobile money have also increased. However, existing literature has not exposed this positive development trend and other economic development opportunities inherent in solar electricity consumption. Most studies have focused on analysing the potential of solar electricity consumption in alleviating energy poverty. Although the analysis of solar electricity consumption and poverty alleviation is critical, studies have failed to extend the analysis to other economic development indicators such as financial inclusion, and money demand. This analysis is important because access to financial services and the development of financial systems in sub-Saharan Africa is low, yet economic theory postulates that renewable electricity demand induces the development of and access to financial services and increases capital stock. Therefore, it is critical to examine the broader economic opportunities inherent in solar electricity consumption to provide additional insight into development of prudent renewable energy and economic growth policies. Additionally, the extant literature fails to expose the influence of the macro-economic environment, particularly human development indicators, on the demand for solar electricity. This is important because solar electricity consumption in sub-Saharan Africa is not consistent; it is characterised by rapid fluctuations and declines in some countries. Consumer welfare (education, health, and standard of living) may influence energy consumption patterns. Therefore, this thesis provides empirical evidence of additional economic indicators that influence the demand for solar electricity to contribute to the development of effective renewable electricity policies. The thesis entails three essays that focus on the relationship between solar electricity consumption, financial inclusion, money demand and welfare. It employs a sample of 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa for the period from 2010 to 2019 for all three essays. The first essay examines the linear and non-linear relationship between solar electricity consumption, and financial inclusion. A Financial Inclusion Index is constructed using the Principal Component Analysis. The effect of solar electricity consumption on financial inclusion is analysed using the Two-Step System Generalised Moments Method. The results show that solar electricity consumption positively influences financial inclusion, implying that solar electricity consumption is a determinant of financial inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, a threshold point in the relationship between solar electricity consumption and financial inclusion is detected using the Dynamic Panel Threshold Model, and the positive effect of solar electricity consumption declines after the threshold point. The second essay examines the short-run and long-run relationship between solar electricity consumption, mobile money, and money demand in sub-Saharan Africa. It employs the dynamic panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag with Dynamic Fixed Effects and Pooled Mean Group estimators and the Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares method to check the results' robustness. The empirical results reveal that solar electricity consumption has an insignificant effect on money demand (broad money balances) in the short and long run. However, if mobile money is introduced into the money demand function, solar electricity consumption positively impacts money demand. Subsequently, the interaction of solar electricity consumption and mobile money induces an upward effect on money demand. Therefore, the findings reveal that mobile money does not moderate the effects of solar electricity consumption on money demand; instead, it increases money demand leading to adverse effects on monetary policy. It is therefore recommended that monetary authorities should monitor solar electricity expenditure to control price fluctuation and maintain financial stability, particularly in countries where the dominant payment service is mobile money. The third essay investigates the effects of welfare on solar electricity demand using the following proxies: the Human Development Index, inequality in income, government expenditure on education, infant mortality rate, and access to information and communication technology (mobile phone subscriptions and internet users). The study applied the panelquantile regression technique with nonadditive fixed effects, and the results confirmed that welfare has significant effects on solar electricity demand. It reveals that the Human Development Index, education, and infant mortality have an inverse effect on solar electricity demand. However, income inequality has a negative effect in countries with low solar electricity consumption and a positive effect in countries with median-to-high solar electricity consumption. Mobile phone subscriptions positively influence solar electricity demand in countries with low-to-median solar electricity consumption. In contrast, internet users positively affect solar electricity demand in countries with median-to-high solar electricity consumption. The findings from the first essay endorse the proposition that solar electricity consumption induces the development of and access to financial products and services (energy-finance nexus). Whereas the findings from the second essay reveal the non-moderating effect of mobile money on the relationship between solar electricity consumption and money demand. Finally, the findings from the last essay reveal that human development factors drive solar electricity consumption. It is therefore recommended that policy makers should integrate renewable electricity goals and targets into economic development policies to enhance the transition to clean electricity sources and alleviate energy poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.Item Exploring primary healthcare services for informal workers: a case of South African women informal/ street traders in the City of Johannesburg Region F(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-03) Dube, Duduzile Ellen; Niekerk, Robert Van.In all humility and gratitude, I am overwhelmed to acknowledge my depth of gratitude to all those who have assisted me in putting this idea, well over the degree of simplicity and into something concrete. I would like to convey my sincere appreciation and gratitude to my esteemed supervisor Professor Robert Van. Niekerk for his invaluable supervision, tutelage, support, and patience in this challenging and interesting research journey from start to finish. Oh, what a journey of discovery Prof. Thank you to the defence panel committee who generously provided knowledge, expertise and most importantly an endorsement to fulfil my research project. My sincere appreciation to the research participants, this project would not have been possible without, izandla zedlula ikhanda. Ngiyabonga kakhulu boMama!!! I also appreciate my cohort colleagues for the late-night feedback sessions and moral support especially Phello, Max and Basil, many thanks’ gents. Thanks, should also go to my lovely CoJ siblings (Nstako, Millicent, Busi and Chester aka my research assistants) for your selflessness during the data collection phase of my research journey. Additionally, a heartfelt thanks to my CoJ principals/ colleagues for your unwavering support and encouragement there is just too many to mention. Thank you for believing in me even at times when all doubt filled my mind, I will remember you for a very long time. A special acknowledgement to Ms Tembeka Mhlekwa former Executive Director, Department of Economic Development (CoJ) for an important and unprovoked talk in 2018 that has led me to this moment, I am forever grateful. I wish to acknowledge the help provided by Mr Elliot Dubasi in putting together the unit of investigation arguably the most important activity in this project. Ngiyabonga!!!Item Income related health inequalities associated with Covid 19 pandemic in South Africa: evidence from wave 4.(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-05-26) Zulu, Abongile; Oyenubi, AdeolaEven though there have been some observable significant developments within the average level of diseases and rates of mortalities in many nations (developed and developing), health inequalities that exist within and between various nations, within social groupings and different religious groups have expanded in the last years (CSDH/WHO, 2007). Respectively, this increase in health inequalities has been a growing concern for many governments across the world. Also, civil society organisations and other organisations operating internationally have been more concerned on how they would go about reducing these inequalities (CSDH/WHO, 2007). On this point, the World Health Organisation has noted previously that the most efficient way for health care sector to contribute to the lessening or reduction of disparities existing in health is by establishing a good systems and procedures of primary health care. The contribution of a well established primary health care system is through the realization of various mediations in order to deal with the social determining factors, and these are social and economic conditions that are inclusive of the health care system structure that is influenced by resources, power and the distribution of money that consequently influence separate and group differences existing within the status of health (Burger & Christian, 2018). The most recent available evidence suggests that primary health care principles and values, equity in health, people centred care and subsequently a most important part for communities in health action can answer to the prospects and challenges faced by the modern-day societies (NICD, 2020)