M.Com. (Marketing Management) / Companies in the industrial sector, where merchant banks generate 80% of their returns, are the best source of business for these banks. Because merchant banks' markets are largely restricted to the industrial sector, market segmentation of the industrial market and the concomitant assessment of the needs of the market are vitally important. The aim of this study was to develop a workable model for merchant banks, on the basis of which they may segment their markets meaningfully and simply, and may assess their clients' needs within the markets. with this aim in view, the first step was to gather background information on merchant banking, subsequent to which a theoretical analysis of market segmentation was carried out. The market research carried out, consisted of two parts. The first part entailed developing a computer model that could do market segmentation by combining the existing sources of information within the merchant bank and those of outside bodies. Internal sources used were the accounting and marketing records of merchant banks' own clients. External sources reflected the demographic, psychographic and geographic information on merchant banks' markets and the enterprises within these markets. These consisted of databanks of the BFA-NET (The Bureau of Financial Analysis, University of Pretoria), the Central Statistical Service, Bureau of Market Research (UNISA), McGregor's "Online Database" and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange...

M.Cur. (Nursing Sciences) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Comm. / Historically a company like Sanlam's business was mainly derived from government and mining markets, but political and economical factors are currently the reason for a decline in those areas. The SBDC predicts that in future small to medium size industries will provide 70% of all job opportunities in South Africa. With these expected changes in the market place, life assurance companies are on the lookout for new target markets with high profit and growth potential. In the past, a company like Sanlam was not successful in the business market, although they have excellent products and concepts available. The object of the study is to determine the market potential of the business environment in the North West Province for the life assurance market, as well as the unique needs, expectations and problems of the business market, so that a marketing action, would be acceptable to the business people, and that it would provide a life assurance company that implements it, with a competitive advantage. Chapter 2 deals with the relevant theory. A distinction was made between the marketing of a product and a service as well as differentiation between marketing to the consumer and industrial markets. Different market segmentation methods were reviewed to determine the different needs of a business person, as well as to determine the most effective products and marketing methods per segment. Measuring methods to determine market potential as well as.the elements that contribute to a competitive advantage were researched. It is mainly a value added service that is sold with a life assurance product and the focus group pointed out that it provides a life assurance company with a competitive advantage. That is why the theory of service quality and measuring instruments for service quality were also researched. In chapter 3 the research methodology as well as the questionnaire for the imperical research are being discussed. The questionnaire consists offive5 sections. The purpose of section A was to determine the demographically information for market segmentation purposes. The purposes of section B and C were to determine the subconscious and conscious needs of business people, so that the market potential and sales force for each competitor could be determined. Subconscious needs were determined through the problems that businesses experienced, which can be solved by life assurance. Section D determines the expectations of businesses in respect of a life assurance company, as well as the perceptions business people have of the five main competitors' service quality. For this purpose the Servqual Instrument was used to measure service in the industrial sector. The information gained from section D, as well as section E's critical success factors was used to determine the competitive advantage elements for a life assurance company planning to target the business market. In chapter 4 the research results of the survey are discussed, bases on the research goals that was set in chapter 3. In chapter 5, based on the research results, nine conclusions and recommendations were made for use by life assurance companies wishing to embark on the business sector as a future target market.

M. Comm. / Industrial incentives were introduced in South Africa for the first time during 1956. It was initially applied near the so-called homelands, and were only made available to all the industrialists in 1996. The problem which led to this study was that the incentives which were granted to industrialists have had no real benefits for the economy in the long run. South Africa is still not competitive in the global markets, we are still facing low productivity levels and the economy has no real wealth creation amongst its people. The purpose for this study was to compare the industrial incentive programmes with that of other African countries, with other developing countries and even with some developed countries to identify the shortcomings. This would then indicate which route South Africa could take to ensure that monies paid to industrialists are well spent. The factors which governments are taking into consideration when introducing incentives to industrialists were identified. It became clear that there are major differences in the objectives between developing and developed countries. The factors identified by of the United Nations were taken as a benchmark and as a starting point to evaluate specific industrial incentives for South Africa. These factors are investments and financial resources, technology, exports, employment and skills development, and the protection of the environment. The Department of Trade and Industry is in a process to implement new incentive programmes. Although the proposals are accommodating the labour and skills problems of South Africa effectively, the other factors have not been addressed as promptly. Proposals have been made that all the factors as identified by the United Nations should be addressed much more comprehensively in future. The new incentive programmes have not been approved by the SA Government as yet.

M.Tech. (Environmental Health) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Com. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. / The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of racism of a sample of educated young South Africans and to establish to what extent their understanding of racism is associated with demographic variables. The most prominent recent study on racism in South Africa was the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) inquiry into racism in the media undertaken in 2000. An analysis of the reports that comprised the investigation revealed two key weaknesses. Firstly, racism was not defined adequately. Because of this, and since the terms 'race' and 'racism' are prone to emotive interpretation, a brief historical analysis of the concepts was conducted. A second criticism against the SAHRC inquiry was its failure to engage the audience. This study was done partly in response to that challenge. The respondents were first-year Sociology and Mathematics students at the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU). Their conceptualisations and experiences of racism were gauged in a survey with quotations from mainstream newspapers in Gauteng. Key findings were that sex and race were both associated with respondents’ experience of racism, but that sex was the more important of the two. The joint effect of race and sex was however more significant than either in isolation, and white men were set apart from all other respondents by their lack of sensitivity to discrimination. In conclusion, the results were located in the broader academic debate on racism. / Prof. J.M. Uys Ms. J.E. Lochner

M.Com. (Business Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

LL.M. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Com. / Please refer to full text to view abstract