Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (Research Outputs)

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    The Care-Climate Nexus - A Conceptual Framework
    (2025-01) Phalatse, Sonia; Taylor, Julia; Valodia, Imraan
    As is widely acknowledged and evidenced, climate change threatens food security and sovereignty; water availability, accessibility and quality; health and livelihoods. Where women bear the primary responsibility of unpaid care work such as food provision, water collection, and care for the young, sick and elderly, climate change disproportionately disadvantages them. This applies to the work of care and, more broadly, to social reproduction. Climate change thus contributes to an ongoing crisis of care, exacerbating the injustices associated with women carrying a disproportionate share of unpaid care. As such, fostering a value for care could be a means through which social and environmental inequalities are equally addressed in an ecological transition. This paper expands on the conceptual linkages of a care-climate nexus, with the aim of supporting climate policy.
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    Price discrimination in merger review in South Africa: Implications of recent case precedent
    (Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS) University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025-02-12) Leuner, Rahma
    Mergers have the potential to give firms access to more data from which to draw insights about consumers. This may help firms to better discern which consumers are price insensitive or captive, or exhibit behavioural biases, that they can exploit by charging them higher prices or nudging them towards higher priced options. Based on recent case precedent, we believe that the transfer or sharing of data or techniques in mergers involving price-discriminating firms may be sufficient for meeting the requirement of merger-specificity without there needing to be an increase in market power. Recent local case precedent also provides insight into when mergers impact on just a small group of consumers are likely to matter. It suggests that the competition authorities in the country should be more concerned where consumers are vulnerable and where access to the services/products is particularly important to this group.
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    Budget 2025 Preview: Pressures and tensions along the austerity road to fiscal sustainability
    (Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, 2025-02) Sachs, Michael; Amra, Rashaad; Madonko, Thokozile; Willcox, Owen
    This policy brief, ahead of the tabling of the 2025 Budget Review, considers the policy context and the fiscal and economic environment in which the Budget will be tabled. It considers the merits, limitations, and likely consequences of the government’s approach to budget policy over the medium term, as contained in the 2024 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), which redoubled efforts to consolidate public finances while attempting to promote capital spending. Since the MTBPS, several material expenditure pressures have emerged, some of which were flagged in the Public Economy Project’s (PEP) 2024 MTBPS analysis, and the economic outlook has been revised. Based on this, the Public Economy Project’s revised outlook for public finance finds that the government’s ambitious plan to stabilise debt over the medium term is unlikely to be realised.
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    A panoptic view of the South African wealth tax
    (AOSIS, 2025-01) Ram, Asheer Jaywant
    Background: Wealth taxes are a topic of intense debate, with most countries having either abolished them or considered, but not implemented such measures. The South African government is contemplating the introduction of a wealth tax, purportedly to enhance revenue collection. Aim: This article examines whether the proposed South African wealth tax functions as a government panopticon, offering an alternative explanation for its introduction. It also considers the government’s transparency regarding the potential wealth tax. Setting: This article examined the opinions of tax experts in South Africa. Method: An interpretive approach is adopted. The traits of the wealth tax and the themes of the panopticon are identified and used as the row and column headings in a correspondence table, which serves as the research instrument distributed to tax experts. The tax experts indicate any associations between the themes of the panopticon and the traits of the wealth tax. Forty aggregated responses are subjected to correspondence analysis. Results: The potential wealth tax functions as a panopticon. It identifies and reveals relevant tax information about high-wealth individuals, appearing to coerce their compliance. Conclusion: There is credence to the alternate rationale for introducing a wealth tax in South Africa. Contribution: This is one of the first articles to apply the panopticon, a novel theoretical framework, in a tax context in South Africa. The findings are relevant to the exploration of similar taxes in other jurisdictions and provide a means for the critical evaluation of the motives behind tax policy decisions made by governments.
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    Business development services training and entrepreneurial self-efficacy – a focus on necessity- and opportunity-driven entrepreneurs
    (AOSIS Publishing, 2024) Msimango-Galawe, Jabulile; Eister, Tshegofatso
    Background: Entrepreneurs have been galvanised by the worsened economic circumstances in South Africa, and small businesses struggle to become established. By providing skills training, business development services (BDS) improve the performance of firms, through the development of entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the impact of BDS training on the entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) of necessity- and opportunity-driven entrepreneurs and whether that impact would be more positive in opportunity-driven rather than necessity-driven entrepreneurs. Setting: The study focused on 519 entrepreneurs in South Africa, of which 97 were necessitydriven and 422 were opportunity-driven. Methods: Statistical analyses were conducted using correlation analysis and multiple linear regression to test the impact of training on the ESE of necessity- and opportunity-driven entrepreneurs while controlling for the impact of confounding variables: gender, education, management experience, industry experience and partnerships. Results: The empirical evidence from this study showed that general entrepreneurial training is more effective in increasing the entrepreneurial self-efficacy of opportunity-driven entrepreneurs, whereas task-specific training was better suited for increasing the entrepreneurial self-efficacy of necessity-driven entrepreneurs. Conclusion: The implications and recommendations of this study are that policymakers should design general entrepreneurial training programmes targeted at opportunity-driven entrepreneurs and task-specific training programmes targeted at necessity-driven entrepreneurs. Contribution: This study enhances the understanding of the training needs of necessity-driven entrepreneurs and how they differ from opportunity-driven entrepreneurs concerning ESE and the growth of their businesses.
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    Agility in South African Public Service Leadership
    (Batalea Publishers) John Ringson; Manamela Matshabaphala
    The landscape of human and social services delivery has undergone significant transformation in recent years, driven by governments worldwide striving for improved outcomes amidst growing caseloads and constrained resources. This evolution is characterised by a shift towards integrated service delivery, leveraging innovative case practices and advanced information technology. Governments are adopting diverse strategies to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, including modernising information systems, redefining program boundaries and sector responsibilities, restructuring workforces, and introducing new casework tools and practices. Additionally, there is a push for enhanced commissioning, transparency, and accountability structures, reflecting a holistic approach to service delivery optimisation. Despite these global creative demands compounded with technology and the ever-changing global environment, the third-world public sector leadership is making a lackadaisical turn towards embracing the new leadership imperative of agility in delivering public value in public sector organisations. This qualitative desktop research seeks to unravel the challenges and prospects of leadership and the imperative of agility in the delivery of public value in the public service in South Africa. This article argues that whilst the public sector in South Africa has vehemently advocated and mobilised for strategic innovation in service delivery, the leadership is not proactive in the ever-changing environment. Consequently, this article recommends that the public sector leadership be responsive, flexible, and agile to the ever-changing environment due to global technological forces for effective service delivery in South Africa.
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    Antecedents of attitudes towards the use of environmentally friendly household applicance products in Zimbabwe An extension of the theory of planned behaviour
    (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2023) Maziriri, E.T.; Nyagadza, Brighton; Chuchu, Tinashe; Mazuruse, Gideon
    Purpose– This study aims to determine the antecedents that influence attitudes towards the use of environmentally friendly household appliance products and consumers’ green purchase intention among consumers in Harare, Zimbabwe. Design/methodology/approach– Data were collected from 329 consumers in Harare, Zimbabwe’s commercial capital who were served fromfive using a structured questionnaire via an online web-based crosssectional survey. Hypothesised relationships were tested throughstructural equation modellingwith the aid of Smart PLS software. Findings– Green product awareness, social influence, perceived benefit and attitude towards green appliances were found to have a significant positive effect on green purchase intention. Research limitations/implications– The study’s findings may not be generalised to other contexts as sample data was only collected in Zimbabwe. Complementary cross-sectional research studies can be done in other parts of the world to enable cross-cultural comparisons and methodological validations.
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    Intersectionality in Action: learnings, challenges & recommendations from IDRC-supported research in the global South
    (Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS), 2023) Dawson, Hannah J.; Lynch, Ingrid; Mhlana, Siviwe; Mokhema, Seipati
    The call for integrating intersectionality into development research and practice has surged in recent years. Advocates consider it a crucial perspective for understanding the interconnected forms in which oppression manifests and is experienced by marginalised groups of people. This approach is seen as valuable in crafting targeted, context-specific policy interventions to address diverse social problems. Despite its growing prominence and alignment with social justice agendas, confusion persists about what intersectionality entails. Ongoing debates centre on its origins, purpose and distinctiveness when compared to other conceptual tools and transformative methodologies. Existing intersectionality research often prioritises scholarship from the global North, particularly North America, which overlooks the diverse realities and perspectives of the global South. It is essential to highlight that intersectionality, as both a concept and a way of thinking, was present in various feminist traditions in the global South well before gaining prominence in the United States and academic discourse. Given the lack of a precise definition for intersectionality, scholars and practitioners increasingly emphasise the importance of investigating its application in specific research contexts and practical applications. The collaborative initiative "Promoting Intersectional Development Research," led by the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS) at the University of the Witwatersrand and Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC), has provided an opportunity to interrogate the concept of intersectionality and critically evaluate its relevance for development research in and for the global South. The principal objective of this project is to “understand, inform and promote intersectional approaches to development research” across different programme initiatives of the IDRC. More specifically, the project aims to: 1. Document the diverse application of an intersectional approach in IDRC-supported research projects. 2. Synthesise the lessons on the benefits, limits and barriers of incorporating an intersectional approach into research, and identify opportunities and challenges for applying intersectionality to research dissemination, policy application and engagement. 3. Identify the needs for strengthening capacity among IDRC staff and partners to enhance understanding and facilitate practical learning about the application of an intersectional lens to development research. To achieve these objectives, SCIS partnered with eight organisations to examine their application of intersectionality in an IDRC-supported research project. The resulting case studies demonstrate intersectionality in action, exploring how diverse researchers and practitioners apply its concepts and principles. These studies reflect on the relevance and usefulness of employing an intersectional lens within diverse contexts and projects that employ a range of epistemological and methodological approaches. They offer insights into both the alignment and tensions associated with adopting an intersectional lens.
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    Tax the super-rich for the right to the city
    (Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, 2024-10-07) Veloso, Sérgio
    The inequality in Brazilian cities is evident: few live in luxury while the majority face precarious conditions. High-end apartments drive up rents, forcing out long-time residents. This scenario reflects an injustice that needs to be addressed. The richest 1% in Brazil owns almost half of the wealth, while millions survive with difficulty. This concentration worsens social exclusion in cities. During the recent G20 Finance Ministers meeting, Brazil proposed a 2% tax on the super-rich, which could generate 250 billion dollars per year. These resources could improve infrastructure, housing and community services. This engagement paper contributes to the ongoing discourse around tax reform in Brazil and unpacks Brazil's regressive system, and outlines how taxing the wealthy can contribute to reclaiming cities and restoring justice.
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    What’s the deal? women’s evidence and gendered negotiations
    (Springer, 2018-11) Bonthuys, Elsje
    South African law has traditionally denied property sharing rights to people in nonmarital intimate partnerships, but a series of new cases has created the possibility of enforcing universal partnership contracts to claim a share in partnership property.However, evidential biases within these progressive cases reflect a historical disdain for women’s contributions to relationships and a widespread reluctance to believe women’s testimony about the existence of agreements to share. These biases bear strong resemblances to the gender stereotypes which have been the subject of feminist critique in rape law. Central to both rape and universal partnerships is the issue of consent or agreement between men and women. This, in turn, depends on social beliefs about male and female entitlements in the realms of sex and intimate relationships. The paper highlights the commonalities and parallels between the legal treatment of women’s evidence about the existence of contracts on the one hand, and the prejudice faced by complainants in rape cases.