Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The financial services industry in South Africa, and indeed internationally, is facing enormous challenges in terms of defining and implementing effective business models to compete in the new economy. Dated paradigms, such as market share being the main driver of profitability and product-push sales models, are increasingly being challenged by a shifting balance of power towards the consumer. The consumer's purchasing power is being strengthened by the increasing commoditisation of financial products and the proliferation of channels through which products can be purchased. Competitive differentiation purely on the basis of price, product, place and promotion is thus becoming more difficult. Financial services companies have to reinvent their business models to account for the fast changing consumer landscape. The ownership and management of customer relationships and the lifetime value of customers are key factors influencing the revision of business strategies. This study serves as a case study of the strategies that Old Mutual has put in place and is now implementing to rise to the challenges of the new market. The requirement for market segmentation and value chain re-engineering is investigated in detail. These strategies are critically evaluated against the modern thinking of international business strategists. The specific subordinate focus points for the study comprise the following: i. Industry and competitive conditions ii. Key success factors for organisational transformation and customercentricity iii. Market segmentation and value chain re-engineering iv. Customer relationship management (CRM) and the role of technology v. Product and channel dynamics vi. Organisational implications for Old Mutual It becomes evident from the case study that financial institutions such as Old Mutual must continue and even accelerate their transformation from product-centric to customer-centric enterprises. This transformation will enable them to address effectively the issues they face today: decreasing customer satisfaction, increased competition, and multiplying customer management costs. A valid approach to initiating customer-centricity is through the segmentation of the market - identifying customer segments that are distinct in terms of demographics, attitudes and behaviours. New value propositions can then be developed that fit the needs and wants of the segments. These propositions should encompass the total value delivery chain - brand, product, channel and service in such a manner that it makes economic sense. Companies need to assess existing propositions and marketing initiatives in the light of the segmentation exercise to determine whether there any opportunities to fill gaps, create new businesses or to terminate value destruction. The development of segment specific propositions must be underpinned by business processes and complimentary structures, controls and systems. This requires a fundamental alignment of the organisation to deliver customer focused value propositions. Entrenched interests in existing structures and an inward focus as opposed to an outward (market) focus are major obstacles in this alignment process. Intervention and leadership is required to affect the necessary transformation. Alignment is needed throughout the organisation for this type of transformation to succeed. Old Mutual is acutely aware of these obstacles and has committed to the new strategy at executive level. Many institutions are tempted to spend time and effort building CRM capabilities in the belief that these alone will deliver success. However, without a clear, compelling value proposition, the power of marketing is limited. Instead institutions must develop value propositions that give them an edge over product focused rivals. They can then use CRM tools to extract maximum value from their competitive advantage. An emphasis on relationships can indeed become part of their strategy, but first they must make sure that enough customers value the proposition sufficiently to make it profitable, and that they can deliver on that promise. Technology investments alone will therefore not allow a company to transform to a customer-centric enterprise. These investments must be coupled with commensurate investments in organizational restructuring, process improvements and definition of enterprise-wide metrics for establishing the present and potential value of each customer. It is for these reasons that Old Mutual is implementing CRM incrementally. With the development of a segmented approach to the market and the advance of technology, new and superfluous distribution channels are equally likely to appear. Institutions such as Old Mutual will have to manage the conflicts that arise with care. There is great risk in alienating or cannibalising existing channels prematurely. The issue is to decide when and how to creatively destroy a distribution model that is no longer appropriate. The alignment of channels and service to the market is as important, if not more so, than products in delivering the brand promise. It is critical that there is total alignment of brand, marketing, product, channel and service. Consumers are really purchasing branded solutions, not products. Old Mutual has superior brand recognition, but needs to focus the brand in particular segments and ensure delivery of the brand promise through every customer interaction. In the final analysis Old Mutual, like its peers, has recognised the imperative for total value chain re-engineering and organisational re-alignment along market segments where the brand has appeal. These institutional transformations will remain work-in-progress for some time and constant adaptability to market forces will become the modus operandi. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die finansiële dienste bedryf in Suid-Afrika en inderdaad, wereldwyd, staar groot uitdagings in die gesig in terme van die definisie en implementering van effektiewe besigheidsmodelle om in die nuwe ekonomie te kompeteer. Uitgedateerde paradigmas soos markaandeel as aanduider van winsgewindheid en produkgerigte verkoopsmodelle word al hoe meer bevraagteken deurdat verbruikers al hoe meer die hef in die hand het. Verbruikers se koopkrag word versterk deurdat finansiële produkte toenemend kommoditeite word en deur die toevloei van kanale waardeur die produkte gekoop kan word. Dit word spoedig moeiliker om op grond van prys, produk, plek en promosie te kompeteer. Finansiële dienste firmas moet hul besigheidsmodelle hersien om tred te hou met die snel veranderende verbruikersmark. Die besit en bestuur van kliënteverhoudings en die leeftydwaarde van kliënte is kernfaktore in die herformulering van sakestrategië. Hierdie gevallestudie ondersoek die strategië wat Ou Mutual in plek gesit het en tans implementeer ten einde die nuwe markuitdagings die hoof te bied. Die vereistes vir marksegmentasie en die hernuwing van die waardeketting word in diepte ondersoek. Hierdie strategië word krities ge-evalueer teenoor hedendaagse internationale sakestrateë. Die spesifieke fokuspunte van die gevallestudie behels die volgende: i. Bedryfs- en kompeterende toestande ii. Sleutelfaktore vir die sukses van organisasie-transformasie en kliëntgerigtheid iii. Marksegmentasie en waardekettinghernuwing iv. Kliënte-verhoudingsbestuur (CRM) en die rol van tegnologie v. Produk- en kanaaldinamika vi. Organisatoriese implikasies vir Ou Mutual Die gevallestudie dui aan dat finansiële instansies soos Ou Mutual moet voortgaan en selfs versnel met hul transformasie van produkgesentreerdheid tot kliëntgesentreerdheid. Hierdie transformasie sal hulle in staat stelom effektief aandag te verleen aan die hedendaagse uitdagings van afnemende kliënttevredenheid, toenemde kompetisie en snelgroeiende kliënte-bestuurskostes. 'n Geldige benadering tot die aanvang van kliëntgerigtheid is om die mark te segmenteer op grond van demografie en die benadering en optrede van kliënte. Nuwe waardeproposisies wat die behoeftes van die mark aanspreek kan op grond hiervan ontwikkel word. Hierdie proposisies behoort die hele waardeketting aan te spreek - bemarking/handelsmerk, produk, kanaal en diens op so 'n manier dat dit ekonomies sin maak. Firmas is genoop om bestaande proposisies en bemarkingsinitiatiewe te evalueer in die lig van segmentasie ten einde uit te vind of daar geleenthede is om leemtes te vul, nuwe besighede te skep of waardevernietiging te staak. Die ontwikkeling van segmentgerigte proposisies moet ondersteun word deur besigheidsprosesse en aanvullende strukture, beheer en stelsels. Dit vereis 'n fundamentele belyning van die organisasie ten einde kliëntgerigte proposisies te lewer. Gevestigde belange in bestaande strukture en 'n interne fokus in plaas van 'n markgerigte fokus, is groot struikelblokke vir die proses van belyning. Intervensie en leierskap is nodig om die nodige transformasie te bewerkstellig. Die hele organisasie moet belyn wees ten einde hierdie tipe transformasie te laat slaag. Ou Mutual is deeglik bewus van hierdie struikelblokke en is op uitvoerende bestuursvlak verbind tot die proses. Vele instansies staar die versoeking in die gesig om tyd en moeite spandeer ten einde kliënteverhoudingbestuurs-vermoëns (CRM) te ontwikkel met die vertroue dat dit genoegsaam is vir sukses. Sonder 'n duidelike en aangrypende waardeproposisie is die krag van bemarking egter beperk, ondanks al die voorafgenoemde ontwikkelings. Daarom moet instansies fokus op proposisies wat hulle sal bevoordeel relatief tot die kompetisie. Dan alleen kan kliënteverhoudingsbestuur (CRM) benut word om maksimum waarde uit die kompeterende voordeel te trek. 'n Fokus as verhoudingsbestuur kan inderdaad deel word van die strategie sodra daar genoeg winsgewende kliënte bestaan wat die proposisie aantreklik vind en hul verseker is dat hulle die belofte van die proposisie kan vervul. Investering in tegnologie alleenlik is dus nie genoeg om 'n firma te transformeer tot 'n kliëntgerigte organisasie nie. Sulke beleggings moet gekoppel wees aan soortgelyke beleggings in organisasievernuwing en prosesverbeterings en die definiëering van maatstawe vir die bepaling van huidige en potensiële kliëntwaarde. Dit is daarom dat Ou Mutual kliënteverhoudingsbestuur inkrementeel implimenteer. Met die ontwikkeling van 'n gesegmenteerde benadering tot die mark en die voortuitgang van tegnologie, is dit waarskynlik dat verskeie distribusiekanale oorbodig sal word. Instansies soos Ou Mutual sal die konflik wat ontstaan met sorg moet hanteer. Die risiko is groot om bestaande kanale te vroeg te vervreem of te kannibaliseer. Die uitdaging is om te besluit wanneer en hoe om oorbodige distribusiekanale kreatief te vernietig. Om verkoopskanale en diens markgerig te kry is net so belangrik, indien nie meer belangrik nie, as om produkte te ontwikkel wat die handelsmerk uitdra. Dit is krities dat daar deeglike belyning is van die handelsmerk en bemarking, produkte, kanale en diens. Kliënte koop handelsmerk-oplossings en nie produkte van handelsmerke nie. Ou Mutual het 'n uitstekende handelsmerk, maar moet dit fokus op spesifieke segmente en moet verseker dat die handelsmerk se belofte gestand gedoen word met elke interaksie met die kliënt. Op die keper beskou, erken Ou Mutual, soos sy eweknieë, die imperatief om die waardeketting en die organisasie te hernu ooreenkomstig die marksegmente waarin die handelsmerk hom beroep. Hierdie transformasies sal lank duur en die vermoë om aan te pas by markkragte sal die modus operandi word.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Currently maritime ports, including the Port of Cape Town, experience congestion, pollution and other logistics-related problems due to increasing levels of container traffic. The presence of these problems has caused port planners, port operators and logistics firms to look for new solutions in this transport sector. The dry port concept, whereby offloaded containers are stored outside the maritime port in a dedicated logistics area, is recognized as a means for solving some of these major problems, thereby promoting economic development and logistics integration as well as reducing the demand on limited capacity (land and access) at the maritime port. Therefore, the core objective of this study is to demonstrate that the implementation of the dry port concept is a feasible alternative for expanding the throughput capacity of the Cape Town Container Terminal. The Port of Cape Town is strategically one of the best placed ports in South Africa as it is positioned at the South Western extremity of the continent of Africa, thereby linking America and Europe with Asia, the Far East and Australia. Furthermore, the Port of Cape Town also forms a direct link between international trade and about three (3) million consumers in the Western Cape. The recent expansion of the Cape Town Container Terminal was a major investment which included the upgrading of equipment and the expansion of workable surface area, thereby increasing the container terminal yard capacity to 1.4million TEU (TEU = Twenty foot Equivalent Unit) per annum. However, this report showed that the abovementioned increase in volumes as well as the resulting congestion continues to be a challenge at the Port of Cape Town. Firstly, the predicted future container volumes show that the demand in the Port of Cape Town could reach between 1.9 million and 3.2 million TEU per annum by 2039. Secondly, the evaluation of the operational and infrastructural characteristics of the existing Cape Town Container Terminal demonstrated that container terminal yard (CY) area is the capacity limiting characteristic of the terminal and that the operational and infrastructural limits could be reached between 2018 and 2026. The two main functions of a dry port in the Western Cape transportation network would be international trade processing and congestion relief, which are achieved through the duplication and supplementation of the Cape Town Container Terminal facilities at an inland location. The dry port would allow the Western Cape supply chain to absorb any future container volume demands that exceed the CY capacity of the Port of Cape Town and could potentially attract an annual throughput of 0.7 million TEU by 2039. Furthermore, the facility could address the problem of congestion in and around the greater Cape Town metropolitan, resulting in an improved transportation network that will have a positive effect on passenger traffic, productivity of trucks, competitiveness of the Port of Cape Town as well as the environmental sustainability of the transportation system. The dry port concept would therefore be appealing to Transnet Port Authority / Transnet Port Terminals, Shippers and Logistics Managers and the Western Cape Regional Community. The site selection analysis performed in this study evaluated three possible dry port locations, namely: Kraaifontein Area, Ysterplaat Air Force Base and Bellville Precinct. Although the analysis identified that all three of the sites have the potential to be developed into a successful dry port; however, that the Bellville Precinct is the preferred location due to the presence of the Belcon freight rail facility. The success of such a facility will greatly depend on the project’s ability to ensure that the resources needed for the initial investment is kept to a minimum, and ultimately the most viable dry port solution in the Western Cape region would be the phased development of Bellville Precinct. From this it is clear that a dry port could be a feasible alternative for expanding the throughput capacity of the Port of Cape Town, as well as improving the transport infrastructure in the Cape Town area. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Maritieme hawens, insluitende die Kaapstadse hawe, ondervinding tans opeenhoping, besoedeling en ander logistieke probleme as gevolg van toenemende vlakke van die houer verkeer. Die teenwoordigheid van hierdie probleme het veroorsaak dat hawe beplanners, hawe-operateurs en logistiek maatskappye op soek is vir nuwe oplossings in die vervoer sektor. Die droë hawe konsep word erken as 'n middel vir die oplossing van sommige van hierdie probleme, en sodoende ekonomiese ontwikkeling en logistieke integrasie te bevorder, sowel as die verlaging van aanvraag op beperkte kapasiteit (grond en toegang) by die maritieme hawe. Daarom is die kern doel van hierdie studie om aan te toon dat die implementering van die droë hawe konsep 'n haalbare alternatief is vir die uitbreiding van die deurset kapasiteit van die Kaapstadse Houerterminaal. Die Kaapstadse hawe is strategies een van die bes geplaaste hawens in Suid-Afrika, want dit is geleë aan die suid-westerlikste punt van Afrika en verbind Amerika en Europa met Asië, die Verre Ooste en Australië. Verder vorm die Kaapstadse hawe ook 'n direkte skakel tussen die buitelandse markte en die drie (3) miljoen verbruikers in die Wes-Kaap. Die onlangse uitbreiding van die Kaapstadse Houerterminaal het die stoorkapasiteit van die terminaal aansienlik verbeter an 1.4 miljoen TEU per jaar, deur middel van die opgradering van toerusting en die uitbreiding van werkbare oppervlak. Hierdie verslag bewys egter dat die bogenoemde toename in volumes sowel as die gevolglike opeenhoping steeds teenwoordig is in die Kaapstadse hawe. Eerstens, die voorspelde toekomstige houervolumes toon dat die aanvraag in die Kaapstadse hawe tussen 1.9 miljoen en 3.2 miljoen TEU's per jaar kan bereik teen 2039. Tweedens, die evaluering van die operasionele en infrastrukturele kenmerke van die bestaande Kaapstadse Houerterminaal het getoon dat die houer stoorarea die kapasiteit beperkende kenmerk van die terminaal is en dat die operasionele en infrastrukturele perke moontlik tussen 2018 en 2026 bereik kan word. Die twee hoof funksies van 'n droë hawe in die Wes-Kaap vervoer netwerk sal internasionale handel verwerking en opeenhoping verligting wees. Hierdie funksies sal bereik word deur die duplisering en aanvulling van die Kaapstadse Houerterminaal fasiliteite by 'n binnelandse perseel. Die droë hawe sal toelaat dat die Wes-Kaap verskaffersiklus enige toekomstige houervolumes, wat meer is as die houer stoorarea kapasiteit van die Kaapstadse hawe, te kan hanteer en kan potensieel 'n jaarlikse deurset van 0.7 miljoen TEU hanteer. Verder kan die

Thesis (MEng) -- Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa has historically been reliant on inexpensive surface and groundwater resources; however, as pressure on these resources continues to grow, seawater desalination has begun to emerge as a potential future supply source. One of the towns earmarked as a candidate for large-scale seawater desalination is Cape Town. In order to maximise the benefits and minimise the costs of such a scheme, the desalination plant needs to be considered as an integral part of the current system. Integrated planning has been lacking at the existing seawater desalination plants in South Africa, most of which were constructed as emergency schemes and are financially cumbersome for the municipalities to operate and manage. Recent research related to inter-basin water transfer schemes has shown that a comprehensive approach is required in assessing water supply from a new scheme in which the system as a whole is modelled stochastically and the estimated water transfer extracted. This comprehensive approach was the foundation of the modelling undertaken in this research. Existing models of the Western Cape system were adapted to include a seawater desalination plant, and short-term and long-term analyses were completed for a variety of possible desalination plant operating scenarios and capacities. The increase in system yield and the annual supply from the desalination plant were determined. First-order capital and operating costs were estimated, and these costs were combined with the annual supply values to calculate and compare unit reference values. The maximum increase in yield was found to occur when the seawater desalination plant is used as a base supply, operational all the time. There was little benefit, in terms of system yield, in using the desalination plant as an emergency supply source only. Unit reference values for the desalination plant decrease as the percentage supply from the desalination plant increases, meaning that the lowest possible cost per cubic metre of water supplied is when the desalination plant is used as a base supply. It was also apparent that the unit reference values decrease with an increase in desalination plant capacity, suggesting that, from an economic perspective, the optimal solution would be to have one large desalination plant operational immediately. The lower the reservoir trigger level at which the desalination plant becomes active, the larger the stochastic variation in the supply from the desalination plant and hence the larger the variation in the costs. Hence, using stochastic modelling to calculate unit reference values is particularly important for integrating a desalination plant into an existing conventional supply system when used as a peak or emergency supply source. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika maak histories staat op goedkoop oppervlak- en grondwaterhulpbronne. Namate druk op hierdie hulpbronne aanhou toeneem, begin seewaterontsouting egter as ’n moontlike toekomstige waterbron na vore tree. Een van die stede wat as ’n kandidaat vir grootskaalse ontsouting geïdentifiseer is, is Kaapstad. Vir die meeste moontlike voordele teen die laagste moontlike koste, moet so ’n ontsoutingsaanleg as ’n integrale deel van die huidige stelsel beskou word. Geïntegreerde beplanning het tot dusver tekortgeskiet by bestaande ontsoutingsaanlegte in Suid-Afrika, wat merendeels as noodskemas opgerig is en waarvan die bedryf en bestuur ’n finansiële las op munisipaliteite plaas. Onlangse navorsing oor skemas vir tussenbekkenwateroordrag toon dat ’n omvattende benadering vereis word om watervoorsiening uit ’n nuwe skema te beoordeel. Volgens so ’n benadering word die stelsel in die geheel stogasties gemodelleer en die geraamde wateroordrag onttrek. Dié omvattende benadering was dan ook die grondslag vir die modellering wat in hierdie navorsing onderneem is. Bestaande modelle van die Wes-Kaapse stelsel is aangepas om ’n ontsoutingsaanleg in te sluit, en kort- en langtermynontledings is vir verskeie moontlike ontsoutingsaanlegvermoëns en -bedryfscenario’s voltooi. Die toename in stelselopbrengs en die jaarlikse watervoorsiening uit die ontsoutingsaanleg is bepaal. Kapitaal- en bedryfskoste van die eerste orde is geraam, welke koste toe met die jaarlikse voorsieningswaardes gekombineer is om eenheidsverwysingswaardes te bereken en te vergelyk. Die maksimum toename in opbrengs blyk te wees wanneer die ontsoutingsaanleg as ’n basisbron dien wat te alle tye in werking is. Wat stelselopbrengs betref, was daar weinig voordeel in die gebruik van die aanleg as ’n noodwaterbron. Eenheidsverwysingswaardes vir die ontsoutingsaanleg neem af namate die persentasie voorsiening uit die aanleg toeneem, wat beteken dat die laagste moontlike koste per kubieke meter water verkry word wanneer die ontsoutingsaanleg as ’n deurlopende basisbron dien. Dit was ook duidelik dat die eenheidsverwysingswaardes afneem met ’n toename in aanlegvermoë, wat te kenne gee dat die optimale oplossing uit ’n ekonomiese oogpunt sou wees om onmiddellik een groot ontsoutingsaanleg in bedryf te stel. Hoe laer die opgaardamvlak waarop die ontsoutingsaanleg in werking tree, hoe groter die stogastiese variasie in watervoorsiening uit die aanleg, en hoe groter die variasie in koste. Daarom is die gebruik van stogastiese modellering om eenheidsverwysingswaardes te bereken veral belangrik vir ’n ontsoutingsaanleg wat as ’n spits- of noodwaterbron dien.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio University, 2003. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Apr. 30, 2006). Includes bibliographical references (p. 272-287).

Thesis (MA) -- Stellenbosch University, 1946. / No Abstract Availble

This thesis attempts to examine the construction of 'professionalism' within the newsroom of the Cape Argus, an English-medium newspaper in post-apartheid South Africa. It is a qualitative study which tries to evaluate how a particular mainstream media discourse of 'professionalism' is enacted and struggled over in the attitudes, behaviour and perceptions of entry-level journalists and news managers at the newspaper. It asks what the process of 'becoming a journalist' requires of entry-level journalists in terms of their previous education and personal qualities - and examines the newsroom strategies employed by news managers when entry-level journalists do not meet these particular requirements. This thesis looks at how the pressures of operating a daily English-language commercial newspaper may shape both the 'professional' expectations of news managers and their ability to positively contribute to entry-level journalists' 'newsroom training'. In attempting to examine the nature of journalistic 'professionalism', this study explores the ideology of knowledge construction within mainstream South African media. Operating from a 'radical democratic' perspective of journalism, which prioritises journalism as a vehicle for diverse social, cultural and political expression, this thesis suggests that South African media education needs to enable journalism students' understanding of the ideological construction of journalistic 'professionalism'.

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Business Administration in Project Management in the Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / This research seeks to investigate the relationship between the use of Operational Research (OR) tools or techniques or the lack thereof, and the possible impact on decision-making amongst management of the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT) Water and Sanitation Department (WSD) and its impact on service delivery. The CoCT is the municipality, which governs the city of Cape Town, its suburbs and exurbs, and falls under the South African local government sphere. The Department is responsible for ensuring water quality. WSD extracts and analyses water samples to identify bacteria or chemicals that may be present, whilst taking action to resolve problems when necessary. For actions to be taken to resolve problems, decisions are taken, and these decisions determine how problems are resolved to deliver quality services to the public on time and in a cost effective manner. OR is a scientific approach to managerial decision making which eliminates guesswork and emotions from decision making. OR is also described as a discipline that focuses on application of information technology for informed decision-making. The research question this study set out to answer is to what extent do managers at the CoCT’ s WSD use OR. It also seeks to discover the relationship between OR and decision-making, whether any relationship between decision-making at the WSD and service delivery exists, and whether there is any link between politics and decision making in the organisation. This research investigated the efficiency of current decision-making tools that are utilized at the WSD. A questionnaire was developed and used as a tool to acquire inputs to satisfy the research question. The analysed data lead to recommendations for the WSD to support and improve on its existing decision-making tools. This study is based on material that was collected from a wide range of journals, extending from regular OR literature to many application journals, articles and published books.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Magister Technologiae: Information Technology in the Faculty of Informatics and Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013 / South Africa can be seen as one of the most advanced democracies on the African continent. Its 1996 constitution and state institutions were developed to enable a representative, deliberative and participative democracy. The legislature is predominant and public participation is expected like the element that legitimates the institutions of the state, their decisions and their initiatives. However, despite the use of ICTs to enhance the process of public participation, there remain profound misunderstandings between the government and its communities; expressed in demonstrations, strikes and other violent protests, as dissatisfaction in public service delivery grows and confidence in the government declines. The problem is that it seems that the potential of ICTs to better the processes of public participation is not fully understood and not fully realised. The aim of the study was to seek out elements helping and hindering the use of Mobile, Web and Social media in public participation in the city of Cape Town. This research endeavour falls under eParticipation research. It considers consultation for law and policy making in the city of Cape Town. It examines its democratic, social and communicational anchors in terms of facilitation and openness to change, on one hand; and it examines Mobile, Web and Social media, in terms of adoption and use for the purpose of public participation on the other hand. The research adopted the Critical Realism philosophical paradigm for its ontology and epistemology. It set out to use existing knowledge, theories and models to work mainly with qualitative data. It followed a qualitative, exploratory, holistic, and cross-sectional approach developing a case study of eParticipation in the city of Cape Town from a triangulation of methods. Data was gathered from literature, documents, in-depth interviews, a focus group and observation of meetings. The data gathered was analysed using qualitative content analysis. The case study analysis followed the structure of the research conceptual model and built the story of the development of eParticipation in the city, bringing together readiness achievements in individual community members‘ perceptions and attitudes to eParticipation, and readiness achievements in local government induced social facilitation of eParticipation. These eParticipation readiness elements were considered direct determinants of individuals‘ intention to participate using Mobile, Web and Social media, and of local government democratic engagement and openness to change, constituting the city‘s intensity of e-participation. That estimate of the intensity of eParticipation provided ground to sketch out it position towards achieving ‗cultural eParticipation‘ for the city of Cape Town. This study has implications for theory, policy and practice: It develops analytical frameworks for assessing and determining the place of eParticipation; and it suggests a map of favouring and hampering elements to eParticipation in the city of Cape Town.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015. / The aim of this study was to determine the extent of constraints to entrepreneurial development in the townships supporting the Cape Town economy, specifically that of Khayelitsha, and to establish whether any government incentives were available to develop this township economy. These small, medium and micro sized businesses face numerous constraints. The vital role of small businesses in stimulating economic activity, in poverty alleviation, and in the raising of living standards, has been widely recognised in most countries. In fact, in several countries, small businesses are used as catalysts to generate economic activities within relatively poor communities. The City of Cape Town has developed economic initiatives to provide assistance to entrepreneurs with recommendations on how innovations should be encouraged to help entrepreneurs in such poor communities as Khayelitsha to start new businesses, and to create jobs. In order to obtain information on the Khayelitsha business community both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. Questionnaires were employed to answer open and closed ended questions dealing with economic activities in the area, as well as interviews with formal and informal business persons. Generally, the findings reveal numerous constraints of trade facing businesses in Khayelitsha including governmental restrictions, lack of a skilled workforce, poor infrastructure, and services delivery. The recommendations made could lead to an improvement in operating conditions as this study argues that the existence of positive business conditions, in terms of social, economic, and personal factors, are necessary for business ventures and entrepreneurs to succeed. However, innovation is essential for small businesses to be able to respond effectively to the changing environment that has been triggered by globalisation forces.

Before the 1990's, African migrants did not perceive South Africa as an ideal migration destination. This changed after the end of the apartheid era. The new political climate in the country and the new migration movements linked to increased globalisation changed the situation significantly. South Africa became an attractive migration destination, particularly also for professional African migrants. In this dissertation a select group of black professional/skilled migrants from non-SADC countries, who are resident in Cape Town, are studied. It is shown that such transients defy any migration typology within the South African context. Their position in the world of economic migrants is not automatically one of cosmopolitanism, privilege and glamour. Their decision to migrate is also not necessarily voluntary. The explication and analysis of the context and circumstances of the migrants are conducted with specific reference to: - professional mobility vis a vis identity, culture and community - human mobility and globalisation - the demographics and legalities of immigration to South Africa - origin, identity and the construct of `home' - the `host' nation and perceptions, stereotypes and xenophobia - personal networks and adaptation - the notion of space becoming place. What is thus demonstrated and interrogated is that `belonging' in this world is a process of change and fluctuation. `Crossing borders' will mean different things to different people - especially also for skilled/professional migrants. Issues such as class, gender, race, citizenship, ethnicity and sexuality, play a role in how `belonging' is defined and how people assign meaning to movements across borders. / Anthropology and Archaeology / (MA (Anthropology))