Long term growth and sustainability of cooperatives has become the focus of many countries worldwide. Cooperatives have been seen as the platform for uplifting disadvantaged communities while improving standards of the poor in countries such as Canada, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria (Department of Trade and Industry, 2012). In South Africa, cooperatives are seen as playing a role in poverty eradication, equal distribution of wealth, employment creation, food security and as a contributor to the economic activity. The South African government have implemented policies aimed at improving the performance and sustainability of agriculture cooperatives in South Africa. Despite all the efforts cooperatives still face sustainability challenges. Therefore the purpose of this research was to investigate the sustainability challenges that prevent the permanent establishment of cooperatives and to understand the dynamics and nature of failure associated with agricultural cooperatives .A case study methodology was used to examine a single case in-depth and to understand the factors affecting agricultural cooperatives. The main challenges identified in the study include; poor communication, limited access to markets, access to finance, a lack of good governance and a lack of managerial skills. The study recommended capacity building as the first point of reference in order to deal with challenges such as communication, access to markets and a lack of managerial skills. A lack of good governance is regarded as an attitude problem which requires setting ethical standards and rules accompanied by a penalty to the member if they are found to be breaking the rules. Access to finances is regarded as a skills and competence phenomenon which requires people to develop planning and financial literacy skills, which will enable them to formulate business plans and use them as a control tool for managing the cooperative. The business plan is also regarded as an asset or security document which acts as a proof that the cooperative is well planned, organised and sustainable. The research concludes with suggesting areas for future study to investigate the impact of informal education practices on skills development in the success of cooperatives.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role played by agricultural cooperatives in developing the rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province. It also looks at the contributions by Government in promoting the establishment and the success of these cooperatives. The focus area was Cannon Farm in the Chris Hani District Municipality, where most of the people live below the poverty line, but have started agricultural cooperatives with the aim of eradicating poverty and developing their communities. The data for this research was gathered through group discussions and face-to-face interviews which were guided by a questionnaire. A document analysis was also conducted to fulfill all the research objectives. It has been found that agricultural cooperatives, as compared to any other type of cooperatives, are a major tool to eradicate poverty and bring economic development to rural communities. This is made possible not only by the full commitment and determination of cooperative members, but also by government which has also committed itself to providing a supportive legal environment for cooperatives (Cooperative Act No. 14 of 2005). The findings also show that, due to the challenges they are currently facing, agricultural cooperatives in the Eastern Cape Province have not yet reached their full potential. Therefore, it has been recommended that, such challenges need to be urgently addressed. As the United Nations (2001) highlights, agricultural cooperatives present themselves as an important element that can contribute to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Thesis (MBA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / Agricultural co-operatives have an extremely high failure rate in South Africa. This has created a loss of co-operative financing support from development institutions in the country. Co-operatives are one of the driving tools to job creation and economic growth in rural communities, it is thus unfortunate and alarming if these co-operatives are failing to drive such developmental change in society. It is thus imperative to investigate the factors that led to the collapse and failure of these co-operatives. This study was conducted in the Sekhukhune district of the Limpopo province. The aim of the study was to investigate the factors that led to the collapse and failure of agricultural co-operatives within the area. Twenty eight participants participated in the study. Within the 28, co-operative members, co-operative executives and mentors were provided with questionnaires which were used to asses the factors that may have led to the collapse and failure of the co-operatives, a quantitative research approach was used to collect and analyse data. One of the major findings was that conflicts are a major source of collapse of co-operatives. A number of other factors were derived from the findings, such findings are stipulated in full within the research document

No description available.

no abstract provided by author / Master of Science

no abstract provided by author / Master of Science

Increased interest and growth in cooperative activities is indicated in vocational agricultural instruction by the fact that thirty-seven percent of the cooperative participating classes, as reported in the questionnaire replies, started their cooperatives during the forties. Additional need and interest was further indicated in that thirty percent of the reporting schools expressed intention of sponsoring new or additional cooperative services in the near future. Furthermore, since eighty-four percent of the reporting agricultural teachers expressed a desire of having cooperative material presented during their summer short course, a positive interest and growth trend is shown. This indicates either a growing cooperative interest at present or an expected growth when our production catches up with demand and prices drop. It further indicates that cooperative interest is starting at the bottom with the future farmers, farmers, and agriculture teachers. This is believed to be the successful starting point. It is concluded that the need for additional organized services in the school communities is abundant as was indicated by eighty-two percent of the reporting teachers. Also that it is possible for cooperatives to supply a large percentage of these needed organized services according to the belief of ninety out of 103 teachers who answered this question. After studying the problems mentioned in summary statement number 32, the writer concurs with the belief of the agriculture teachers in that it is possible for cooperatives to supply a large portion of the needed organized services in agricultural school communities. / M.S.

盧暉臨. / 論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2004. / 參考文獻 (p. 143). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in English. / Lu Huilin. / Lun wen (Zhe xue bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2004. / Can kao wen xian (p. 143).

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management Sciences: Public Management, specialising in Peacebuilding, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Post-conflict countries have a range of needs of interventions in the reconstruction efforts. These efforts require immediate, medium and long term interventions. DDR process require the immediate restoration of security which requires demobilization in the both the regular army and armed groups. Demobilized combatants need to be economically and socially re-integrated in their local communities. Therefore governments through demobilization commissions or programmes ensure that ex-combatant is re-integrated as matter of governments’ responsibility. In the specific case of this research, former members of armed groups from DRC and former RDF soldiers all members of an Agricultural cooperative based in Jabana (Kigali City) have been participants to this research which is by nature an action research project aiming most importantly on participation outputs oriented to learning. Before this project, economic, political, social and psychological dimensions among the ex-combatants were frustrating. However, after this project, the following were discovered: Economically, the approaches that have been used allowed ex-combatants to learn basic and necessary skills of creative entrepreneurship while working in corporate setting. Socially, this research discovered that the nature of research requires working in group settings in addition to personal and collective participation toward the attainment of the project’s objectives. Working in group settings is the social cohesion that originates from sharing common goals, interests, successes and failures if any. In addition, group members became best friends among themselves and relied on each other in time of need. At psychological level, ex-combatants have gained self-confidence, self-trust, and removal of past negative clichés that they used to hold against each other. Finally, in the implementation of this research, aspects of peace-building, together with unity and reconciliation and peace-building in its broad term has been witnessed from its outset to the concluding phase of the research. Recommendations were devised; some are formulated towards ex-combatants at individual level and others for RDRP. / D