4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions

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The techno-economic impact of a high penetration of embedded generators on South African, Brazilian, Australian and Ugandan distribution networks: A comparative review
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Rakgalakane, Motladitseba Dorcas; Jandrell, Ian
Owing to current electricity capacity shortages and rising electricity prices in South Africa, customers are opting for self-generation to mitigate the effects of load shedding and offset their electricity bills. In June 2021, the South African government removed the licensing requirement for private generation to encourage the uptake of self- generation, close capacity shortages and promote investment in private generation. While the increase in private generation is seen by the electricity industry as a positive step towards meeting energy supply demands, there are concerns about the impact that high numbers of embedded generation facilities will have on the distributors, i.e., their networks and revenues. The aim of this study was to conduct a review of the technical, economic and regulatory impact of a high number of embedded generators on distributors and their networks. The impact in South Africa is compared with the impact in Brazil, Australia and Uganda. The research study seeks to identify some of the success strategies implemented by these countries to address challenges associated with private embedded generation, and to provide recommendations for South Africa. South Africa compares well with Brazil and Australia in terms of electricity access and installed generation capacity vs population; however, in terms of embedded generation, particularly from variable renewable energy sources, South Africa’s penetration levels are still lower than those of Brazil and Australia, although higher than those of Uganda. The review highlights that the impact of embedded generation is largely driven by technical, economic and regulatory policy changes. The absence of a clear market structure or market direction, enabling legislation and policies, regulatory tools (such as national rules for integration or compensation and unbundled tariffs for some customer categories) make it difficult to minimise the negative effects of a high penetration of embedded generation and to capitalise on potential positive effects. In Brazil and Australia, the success of renewable energy embedded generation is largely a result of clear policy and regulations, which lead and drive positive changes in their electricity industries. Recommendations are made for legislation, policy and regulation changes to support embedded generation, the creation of a clear market structure, and the publication of national guidelines for embedded generation management. In addition, tariffing mechanisms should be reviewed to ensure a fair distribution of costs.
Fostering the retention of talented and skilled employees by understanding the motivators of employee turnover intention from a South African SMME perspective
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Edayi, Juliet; Venter, Robert
Current small, micro and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) are concerned about understanding the preliminary factors that prompt employees to leave their organisation (i.e., labour turnover intention) rather than to wait, only to be left to deal with the disruptive and costly consequences of actual employee turnover. The extant literature has widely provided evidence to justify that employee turnover is very destructive and presents many costs for organisations due to its counterproductive nature. South African small and micro businesses constantly endure high rates of employee turnover as other businesses (especially big companies) are frequently poaching highly skilled workers. This burden has made it increasingly challenging for SMMEs to keep, particularly highly skilled and high-performing employees, whose talents are highly sought after and are paramount to their firm’s overall success and sustainability. Therefore, this study was conducted from an SMME context so as to equip small and micro business employers with fresh insights on how proactively adjust their employee retention strategies and foster their continued survival and long-term growth. Moreover, the South African labour market has a limited number of high-performing and brilliant employees who eventually become assets to the business once hired, thus creating a need to retain such talented personnel. The shortage of skilled labour coupled with the high costs of attracting, hiring and training new employees proffers a compelling need for scholars to actively direct their research attention to unravelling this phenomenon of labour turnover intention. Research outputs will positively equip SMME practitioners with the relevant and proven information for them to devise well-informed retention strategies before employees’ intention to quit the organisation manifests itself into an actual turnover. This study sought to achieve a meaningful understanding of the interplay between the complex relationships that exist between the selected variables and to establish how this comprehension can aid SMME practitioners in effectively reducing employee turnover rate to a reasonable proportion. For this study to establish this ultimate goal, an empirical investigation was done amongst employees in selected SMMEs in Gauteng province of South Africa. A conceptual framework that depicted all the relationships was developed and several hypotheses were formulated based on the evidence from the extant literature. This study utilised a cross-sectional research design through a quantitative-based method. A structured questionnaire was formulated and was administered in-person, and additionally distributed via emails. Data was gathered through non-probability convenience sampling, whereby 338 valid responses were received from employees across the selected SMMEs in Gauteng. iv Descriptive statistics (e.g., item analysis, Cronbach’s alpha computation) and bivariate correlation analysis were analysed using SPSS v 28 and inferential statistics were analysed through Structural Equation Modeling was undertaken using AMOS v 28. While the findings of this study corroborated the outcomes that were submitted by earlier scholars, some fresh and exciting directions in the associations between specific variables were established. This study eventually submitted a unique conceptual model that depicts the validated interactions between the study variables. It is believed that the confirmed associations detailed in the conceptual model will be used as guidelines for small and micro business practitioners to meaningfully and effectively manage employee turnover intentions while simultaneously fostering the retention of talented and high-performing workers. This investigation concluded by recommending that a similar study must be replicated using a mixed-method approach that applies probability sampling and longitudinal research design so as to address the methodological shortcomings that characterised this study.
Exploring the reporting lag among JSE-listed entities
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ritzlmayr, Matthew Andreas; Maroun, Warren; Ecim, Dusan
This thesis investigates how variations in “inherent”, “control” and “detection risk” may account for reporting lags for entities listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) from 2017 to 2021. The reporting lag is the time between the financial year-end and the date of the audit report. Seven hypotheses are tested using panel regression and a sample of 100 companies listed on the JSE from 2017 to 2021. The regression analysis was performed to identify if client factors (classified as sources of inherent and control risk) or auditor characteristics (classified as sources of detection risk) may impact the reporting lag. A battery of sensitivity tests is used to confirm the findings. The model developed using inherent, control and detection risk, was able to explain the reporting lag. Entities characterised by higher levels of inherent and control risk show an increase in the reporting lag. An increase in detection risk also leads to an increase in the reporting lag. The article proposes a novel conceptual model for classifying client and auditor characteristics in terms of the risk which material misstatements in financial statements go undetected. The inherent, control and detection risk framework provides a comprehensive assessment of reporting lag determinants grounded in a well-established risk and assurance discourse which resonates with both academics and practitioners. Findings complement a relatively large body of work on reporting lags which prioritise developed economies. The results offer one of the first accounts of the reporting lags from a key African economy while controlling for the effects of pre-and post-COVID impacts.
A relational history of space, administration and economic extractivism in the Mogalakwena Local Municipality in Limpopo, South Africa (1948-2000)
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Pearson, Joel David
This dissertation seeks to contribute to existing local government scholarship by presenting a situated and relational historical study of the Mogalakwena Local Municipality in present-day Limpopo Province of South Africa. By adapting and extending Gill Hart’s spatial-relational methodology, this study draws out key mechanics of change over time in the Mogalakwena area since the early 20 th century. This historical analysis reveals that the shifting array of power relations which together structured the field of rural local governance came to be enacted and concretised through specific and identifiable processes of spatial transformation, administrative government, and economic extractivism. While existing scholarship has elaborated on aspects of these processes, the present study insists on analysing all three together, in relation to each other, attentive to forms of both mutual constitution and contradiction, and cognisant of how these processes feed into political dynamics of varying scales – local, regional, and national. As such, the thesis argues that these three sets of processes should be understood as axes of rural local governance. This analysis draws off an empirical foundation compiled from archival and oral history sources, and which points to three broad historical conjunctures of local governance in Mogalakwena over the apartheid and early democratic eras. The first, spanning the period between the early 1950s and early 1970s, is identified as an era of state-building and remaking the countryside under the ascendant National Party (NP), one in which the white central state initiated massive and sweeping transformations of rural areas to bring to life its “Bantustan strategy”. The second conjuncture, defined as the terminal phase of apartheid from the late 1970s through to the end of the 1980s, was one in which rural local governance came to be dominated by forms of resistance, reform and repression when bottom-up political forces challenged the reach and authority of the apartheid central state in rural localities. And during the third conjuncture, the transitional period of national negotiations and democratisation between 1990 and 2000, rural local governance came to be defined by uneven and contested initiatives towards institutional amalgamation, deracialisation and redress. In considering the field of rural local governance within which the Mogalakwena Local Municipality operates today, this study concludes that the three axes together remain key determinants in structuring local and regional power relations. While dramatic new power relations have unfolded within and around the municipality since its creation in the year 2000, this study concludes that these have continued to be materialised through intertwined spatial, administrative and extractivist processes which extend back into history. As such, it suggests a new systematic approach for the study of local government institutions, histories of the state in rural areas, and studies of the state more broadly.
Financial inclusion in South Africa: An analysis of the financial sector regulatory framework and proposals for reform
(2018-09) Duma, Amanda; Kawadza, Herbert
Abstract Not Available.
Stakeholder perceptions of the job skills and job roles required by Industrial psychologists in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Kekana, Lerato Valencia; Isreal, Nicky
The Fourth Industrial Revolution and recent Covid-19 pandemic have brought large changes to the way work is defined and enacted, and these transitions have placed a unique demand on Industrial/Organisational Psychologists (IOPs) to help organisations and employees manage these workplace changes. This has further emphasised the need for the clarification and reassessment of the job roles and job skills required of Industrial/Organisational psychologists (IOPs) in South Africa. This study explored and compared the perceptions held by I/O psychology students and trainers (i.e., lecturers and supervisors) with regards to the job role and job skills required of IOPs in South Africa. Based on the review of literature, an online survey was designed and distributed to a group of 60 (59.4%) I/O psychology students and 41 (40.6%) I/O psychology trainers (n = 101) who voluntarily completed the survey. The survey collected both quantitative and qualitative data and this was analysed using a combination of statistics and content analysis. Both students and trainers in the sample emphasised the psychological and facilitative roles of IOPs in the workplace, with their facilitative functions taking precedence. Both groups distinguished IOPs from human resource practitioners based primarily on daily processes. Students rated most roles as significantly more important than trainers however both groups identified organisational development, employee wellbeing and work life, change management, training, psychological assessments, motivation and rewards, and research as the most important roles that IOPs fulfil in the workplace. There was agreement from both groups that the roles of IOPs would change at least moderately in the next five years. With regards to the job skills required of IOPs, a degree of congruence was observed in the top five skills that both groups noted, which included the four key skills of critical thinking; responsibility and reliability; honesty and integrity; and communication. Students prioritised people management as their fifth top skill while trainers prioritised emotional intelligence. Both groups emphasised practical work experience as the most important skill to be adequately prepared for the workplace and also identified interpersonal, communication and social skills; emotional intelligence; problem-solving; analytical and critical thinking; boldness; and business acumen as important. The findings of the study provide greater insight and possible directions for education and training of IOPs in South Africa, although further research in a broader range of stakeholders is needed.
Organisational Development Strategies to Mitigate Strike Action in Mining Companies in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Tanyanyiwa, Olivia Tashinga; Matshabaphala, Manamela; Nixon, Ochara
This study delves into the challenges faced by the mining sector in South Africa due to frequent strike actions and explores various organizational development strategies that can be implemented to mitigate these occurrences. The research highlights the significance of effective communication, employee engagement, conflict resolution mechanisms, and leadership development in fostering a positive work environment and reducing the likelihood of strikes. By drawing on relevant literature, case studies, and expert opinions, the study aims to provide valuable insights for mining companies operating in South Africa to proactively address labor disputes and promote sustainable industrial relations. Through the implementation of strategic organizational development initiatives, mining companies can create a culture of trust, collaboration, and mutual respect among employees and management, ultimately leading to improved productivity and stability within the sector.
Fintech Application for Unbanked Minimum Wage Earners in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Swart, Wynand Petrus Hendrik Nicolaas; Mogotsi, Keratiloe
With the high unemployment rate in South Africa, the greatest proportion of the salary earning population earns minimum wages. This is especially true within the farming and agriculture community, as the agriculture sector constitutes one of the largest contributors to the South African GDP as one of the main employers in the country. The farming sector is required to adhere to the minimum wage regulation determined by the South African government, where farm workers struggle to survive on the income that they receive, which many in this precarious financial circumstance opt to receive in cash. This business venture proposal sought to identify a solution in the form of a mobile fintech application specifically designed for minimum wage earners to use instead of a traditional banking account. The objective of venture is to help minimum wage earners to opt for a cashless method to receive their wages, enabling them to manage their finances without incurring banking fees that diminish the already limited amount on which they survive. The cost of the application is designed to be borne by their employers, the workers themselves, among others, making the product affordable and attractive, and ensuring a heterogenous revenue stream for the owner of the platform. A qualitative research methodology was used to explore the venture to identify areas of interest, as well as factors affecting the viability of such a business venture. Twenty-five interviews and questionnaires were completed through in-depth interviews with farm workers and owners. The findings have shown that there is a definite need for cheaper banking systems in this economic climate. The findings also suggested that what the product was initially intended to do would need to change to suite customer needs better, however, the pivot point created as part of a lean start- up strategy followed by the business team allowed for moving in different directions to create a successful venture. This business venture proposal can benefit from some further research in the areas of technological adoption and implementation.
Challenges and opportunities faced by social entrepreneurs in Sekhukhune District Municipality, Limpopo
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Moipane, Phasha Pharane
Background: Social entrepreneurship is increasingly recognised as a powerful means to address pressing societal issues. However, a substantial gap exists in the literature regarding the challenges and opportunities faced by social entrepreneurs in the Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM) in Limpopo. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the specific hurdles and prospects encountered by social entrepreneurs within this geographically isolated context. Significance: Social entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in mitigating socio-economic challenges and fostering community development. Their contributions are especially significant in underserved areas like the SDM. Population and Sample Framework: Data for this study was collected through interviews, articles, reports, and websites. Out of 50 social entrepreneurs approached, 26 accepted to be interviewed, constituting the study's sample. Method of Data Collection and Analysis: Qualitative research methods were employed to conduct interviews with the 26 social entrepreneurs operating in the SDM of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The data collected was analysed to uncover the challenges and opportunities faced by these social entrepreneurs. Highlights of Results: The study's findings underscore the substantial obstacles faced by social entrepreneurs in this region, which include insufficient funding, restricted access to networks, and inadequate training. These challenges hinder their project financing and sustainability efforts. Conclusions and Recommendations: This study recommends expanding local economic development and municipal procurement policies to provide interest-free grants to emerging entrepreneurs in the region. Furthermore, it suggests that social entrepreneurs can overcome some of these challenges by harnessing support from customers and leveraging tender opportunities provided by the SDM and other entities
Perceived impact of reimbursement policies on accessibility to PCSK9 inhibitors in the South African private healthcare sector
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ngobeni, Plossie; Totowa, Jacques
The South African private healthcare sector is confronted with the challenge of the limitation of adoption and access to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i), a cholesterol-lowering medicine. At the heart of this is the complex nature of the reimbursement policies that are failing to yield favourable outcomes for patients, investors and practitioners alike. The long-term implications of these current medical reimbursement policies include resistance to medical cover, a decline in innovative drug adoption, a decline in optimal medical outcomes, decline in human capital development, loss in productivity, global drug companies pulling out of the South African market, and an extra financial burden to the patients. This study, employing a qualitative approach, aims to investigates barriers limiting adoption and access to PCSK9i in the South African private healthcare sector with a focal focus on reimbursement policies implemented by medical funders and insurances. The study also explores the market access and commercial success of PCSK9i hindered by reimbursement policies. Through semi-structured interviews as the main method of primary data collection, and using a thematic analysis, the explores the barriers, challenges and burdens that impede market access and entry for the PCSK9i and how this affects the economy, commercial success and stakeholders involved. The findings of this study indicate that reimbursement policies can have far-reaching impacts on businesses and the economy, affecting everything from cost management and innovation to employee satisfaction and market dynamics. Businesses must carefully navigate these policies to optimize their operations and remain competitive in the marketplace. Finally, the study proposes evidence-based recommendations for broadening accessibility to PSCK9i. These include encouraging medical funders to adopt a “risk-sharing” concept, value-based healthcare, patient advocacy groups, and review single exit pricing regulations. The significance of these recommendations is their potential to aid policy makers and other important stakeholders in decision making and ensuring access to the most deserving hypercholesteremia population.

4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions

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