Thesis (M.Ed.(Curriculum studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The purpose of this study was to explore how district office Curriculum Advisors (CAs) support teachers to implement curriculum policies requirements in the Capricorn District of the Limpopo Province. This exploratory case study addressed this knowledge gap by exploring the lived experiences of ten CAs in one district. Data was constructed through semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis. This study revealed various forms of support that CAs offer to teachers, challenges they face and suggestions/strategies they use to deal with them. The kind of support CAs offer to teachers can be categorized into five themes: training, monitoring, moderation, setting tasks and enrichment programmes. Generally, the study also revealed that there are significant challenges to CAs‟ ability to effectively practise curriculum support. These include: overload due to shortage of CAs, lack of resources, political interference and challenges from teachers. Furthermore, CAs used teamwork and sacrifice as their way of dealing with these challenges. They also provided suggestions which the government may employ to eradicate these challenges. In conclusion, the study provides six recommendations related to policy-makers and government, and implications for future research. KEY CONCEPTS Curriculum Advisors, curriculum support, teachers.

Thesis (M. Com. (Business Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The trend towards healthy eating has been gradually growing in South Africa. Health consciousness has become more apparent with customers not only wanting to consume quick and convenient meals, but also meals that are nutritionally beneficial. Although fast-food outlets have risen to the occasion by providing for this demand, there are few studies in South Africa that focus on strategic guidelines for fast-food outlets to enable strategic planning for achieving customer satisfaction and the increase in profits with healthier food options on the menu. The purpose of this study was to explore strategic guidelines for customer satisfaction with healthier diet menu items in fast-food franchising outlets in South Africa. An extensive literature review was conducted on the South African fast-food industry and customer satisfaction. The study followed a quantitative method approach, and 400 respondents were selected using the convenience sampling method. An empirical study was conducted in which data was collected from 329 customers of fast-food outlets within the Capricorn Municipality, South Africa by means of self-administered questionnaires. The findings of this study reveal that there is a general level of satisfaction amongst South African customers with the healthier food options available at fast-food outlets with areas of improvement for price, convenience and atmosphere pertaining to healthier diet meals. The study made recommendations on a variety of healthy menu items, interaction between managers and customers, price and value, extended service hours, safe parking and walking distance, cleanliness, staff appearance and dining-in feeling and provided a model on Strategic Sustainable Growth as a guideline to increasing customer satisfaction with healthier diet menu items.

Seventeen years after the passing and enactment of the South African Schools Act (SASA), Act 84 of 1996 which regulates the establishment of democratically elected school governing bodies (SGB) and which contains directives on how to organise and manage school funds, SGBs are still struggling to understand their roles and responsibilities. This study is aimed at investigating the perceptions of school governing body members as regards to their financial management roles in selected no-fee schools in the Maraba Circuit of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study used a qualitative research design within the interpretive paradigm. In addition, decentralisation theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. A sample comprising 22 participants from six selected no-fee schools was purposefully selected to act as the research participants. Semi-structured interviews and document analyses of official documents were conducted in order to collect the requisite data. The research participants included school principals, SGB chairpersons, treasurers and finance officers. The data collected was qualitatively analysed through coding and categorisation. The study revealed that the perceptions, experience and understanding of their financial management roles of SGB members often differ. In addition the study discloses that many of the participants lacked competency. In other words they lacked the proper knowledge and skills required to manage their school funds effectively. It would appear that their lack of the proper knowledge and skills was related primarily to their literacy levels and lack of training. The study concluded with the recommendations that SGB members be empowered through continuous and effective training to enable them to understand and fulfill their financial management roles. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Seventeen years after the passing and enactment of the South African Schools Act (SASA), Act 84 of 1996 which regulates the establishment of democratically elected school governing bodies (SGB) and which contains directives on how to organise and manage school funds, SGBs are still struggling to understand their roles and responsibilities. This study is aimed at investigating the perceptions of school governing body members as regards to their financial management roles in selected no-fee schools in the Maraba Circuit of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study used a qualitative research design within the interpretive paradigm. In addition, decentralisation theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. A sample comprising 22 participants from six selected no-fee schools was purposefully selected to act as the research participants. Semi-structured interviews and document analyses of official documents were conducted in order to collect the requisite data. The research participants included school principals, SGB chairpersons, treasurers and finance officers. The data collected was qualitatively analysed through coding and categorisation. The study revealed that the perceptions, experience and understanding of their financial management roles of SGB members often differ. In addition the study discloses that many of the participants lacked competency. In other words they lacked the proper knowledge and skills required to manage their school funds effectively. It would appear that their lack of the proper knowledge and skills was related primarily to their literacy levels and lack of training. The study concluded with the recommendations that SGB members be empowered through continuous and effective training to enable them to understand and fulfill their financial management roles. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This report presents a structured approach to design and implement a shared services model for Capricorn Investment Holdings (CIH), Namibia. Shared services are tactical by nature and aim to support the organisation's strategy. Shared services are the consolidation of support activities into a business unit which operates on business principles and focuses on value creation, and the leverage of the skills and knowledge in an organisation. The successful transformation to a shared services business unit requires the transformation of the employees (people), business processes, and technology. Without the required transformation shared services will remain "faddish-, and the organisation will not gain the full benefits associated with shared services. The banking operations under the CIH group, similar to the other banks in Namibia are under ever increasing pressure to reduce costs, improve service, develop and deliver high quality banking products. These issues are important to increase market share and profits in order to position themselves as leaders against both traditional and non-traditional competition. CIH group now has a perfect opportunity, with business in Botswana, Zambia and Namibia to build a shared services model suitable to its needs and also to support the group strategy to expand throughout Africa. Although geographically dispersed operations or transaction centres will not go the way of the dinosaur, companies must design and manage each support function according to the integrated and, when possible, standardised model. This framework should allow for necessary geographic, regulatory or cultural variations, while ensuring maximum control and management. It must also achieve economies of scale and leverage employee expertise. That is why CIH firstly started off, with the process blueprint project, which caters for standard processes, and will be rolled out to the rest of the banking business. Secondly, after completion of the process blueprint project, CIH is going to follow a component business approach in order to make the transition to a shared services model much easier. Component business models offer a proven approach to driving a specialised focus, both internally and externally. With this exercise, CIH will be in a position to identify both the core and non-core components of its banking business. This will enable the group to take an informed decision on which components to share and which should remain in the different business units. Thirdly, the group is going to redesign the supply chain. Especially with the shared services model, a much closer, deeper relationship with intermediaries and service companies should be built to ensure that the group move in a customer centricity way. The optimum relationship would be long-term cooperation, joint planning of sales strategy and operations, and shared knowledge in order to optimise business, develop innovative initiatives and continuously improve to consolidate market position. Further to this study, CIH is going to re-evaluate its value chain where the support activities in a single organisation are extended across organisations, multiple companies, divisions or business units to cater for its expansion strategy. Lastly CIH, with its approach to firstly sharing the IT structure, then business processes, still have a few critical decisions to make. The shared services centre involves finding and assessing service providers, determining geographies from which to source the services, like will it be Botswana, Zambia, Windhoek or South Africa? Other critical issues are developing contracts, defining service levels and a myriad of other tasks. Whichever road CIH chooses, successful implementation demands considerable front-end investment and cultural transformation. To clear these initial hurdles, the group, especially senior management, must be fully committed to significant change. Key to successful implementation is distinguishing between the types of services to share, developing service contracts, choosing shared services staff carefully, benchmarking the service against outside vendors, establishing a governance board and designing an implementation approach unique to the specific needs of the group. It is very important to ensure successful transformation of the shared services model, existing of all the projects currently running within the group. In order to do that the executive team should know that implementing shared services is not a simple process. The rollout and implementation will take time, at least one to two years. Finally, building a shared services model requires focusing on the internal clients. The solution is not a simple, quick fix, but calls for careful consideration and implementation of all the points made throughout the course of this research report, from strategy and design to governance and transparent metrics. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie verslag stel 'n gestruktueerde benadering voor tot die ontwikkeling en implimentering van 'n gedeeldedienste-model vir Capricorn Investment Holding groep (CIH) Namibie. Gedeeldedienste is takties van aard en het ten doel om organisasie- struktuur te ondersteun. Die beginsel van gedeeldedienste impliseer die samevoeging van Ondersteuningsaktiwiteite en fokus op waarde ontsluiting en die hefboom van kennis en vaardighede binne die organisasie. Die sukses van transformasie na gedeeldedienste is afhanklik van die transformasie van die mense, prosesse en tegnologie in die organisasie. Sonder hierdie transformasie sal gedeeldedienste onsamehangend gelewer word en sal die organisasie nie die volle voordele daarvan geniet nie. Bankdienste binne die CIH groep, soos ook die geval is met ander handelsbanke in Namibie,is geduring onder toenemende druk om kostes te verlaag, dienslewering- standaarde te verhoog en bankprodukte van kwaliteit te voorsien. Hierdie aangeleenthede is belangrik om markaandeel te verhoog en wins te verseker, maar ook om die CIH groep te posisioneer as markleiers onder beide tradisionele en minder tradisionele rolspelers. Die CIH-groep is nou in 'n gunstige posisie met besigheid in Botswana, Zambie en Namibia, om 'n gedeeldedienstemodel daar te stel wat die groep se strategie vir uitbreiding in Afrika kan ondersteun. Alhoewel geografies wydverspreide operasies of dienspunte nie sal verdwyn nie, moet die onderskeie maatskapye ondersteuningsdienste ontwerp en bestuur volgens 'n geintegreerde en, waar moontlik, 'n gestandaardiseerde model. Hierdie raamwerk moet ruimte laat vir geografiese, wetlike en kulturele verskille terwyl dit effektiewe kontrole en bestuur moet verseker. Dit moet ook aan die beginsel van skaalekonomiee voldoen en moet die optimale benutting van vaardighede van personeel verseker. Om hierdie rede het CIH 'n projek geloots, Proses Witskrif, wat die standaard prosesse verval. Hierdie projek sal uiteindelik ook die res van die prosesse in die bank se besigheid insluit. Na voltooiing van die Proses Witskrif projek sal CIH 'n benadering volg van besigheid in komponente om sodoende die transformasie na 'n gedeeldedienste-model te vergemaklik. Die model van besigheid in komponente bied 'n beproefde benadering tot die implimentering van 'n gespesialiseerde fokus, beide intern en ekstern. CIH sal met die implimentering van hierdie projek beide kern en nie-kern komponente van die bank se besigheid kan identifiseer. Dit sal die groep in staat stel om ingeligte besluite te neem oor watter komponente gedeel behoort te word, en oor watter komponente in die verskillende besigheidseenhede moet bly. Hierna kan die groep die verskaffingsketting herontwerp. Om te verseker dat die groep sake doen in 'n klientgesentreerde manier, veral met die gesentreerdedienste-model moet hegter verhoudings met tussengangers en diensverskaffers gesmee word. Die ideale verhouding is een van langtermyn samewerking, gesamentlike beplanning van verkoopstrategiee, die implementeering van operasies, en 'n gedeelde poel van kennis om sodoende operasies, ontwikkeling van innoverende voorstelle en deurlopende verbetering van markaandeel te bewerkstellig. Vervolgens gaan CIH sy waardeketting herevalueer waar ondersteuningsaktiwiteite in die groep oor die grense van organisasie, maatskappye, afdelings of besigheids- eenhede strek om sodoende te beantwoord aan sy uitbreidingstrategie. Laastens sal CIH met 'n benadering van gedeelde tegnologiese platvorms en besigheidprosesse nog 'n paar kritieke besluite moet neem. Die gedeeldedienste-sentrum moet geskikte diens- verskaffers identifiseer en beoordeel, of dit in Botswana, Zambia, Namibie of Suid Afrika moet wees. Verdere uitdagings is die ontwikkeling van kontrakte en definiering van diensleweringstandaarde asook ander aspekte. Afgesien van watter rigting die groep mag inslaan, sal suksesvolle implementering 'n relatiewe hoe aanvanklike beleggings- en kulturele-transformasie verg. Ten einde hierdie aanvanklike hindernisse te oorkom, moet die groep, veral senior bestuur, ten volle toegewyd wees aan groot verandering. Die sleutel van suksesvolle implementering le in die vermoe om te bepaal watter dienste gedeel moet word, watter standaarde van diensleweringooreenkomste te ontwikkel, personeel wat gedeelde dienste moet lewer noukeuring te kies, dienslewering te meet aan standaarde van eksterne verskaffers, 'n beheerliggqaam te vestig en 'n benadering tot implementering te ontwerp wat die spesifieke behoeftes van die groep kan vervul. Dit is belangrik om te verseker dat suksesvolle transformasie van die gedeeldedienste-model alle bestaande projekte kan akkomodeer. Die kompleksiteit hiervan moet nie deur senior bestuur onderskat word nie. Die ontwerp en implimentering kan een tot twee jaar neem. Dit verg verder 'n deurlopende benadering van fokus op interne kliente. 'n Oplossing verg deeglike oorweging en implimentering van alle aspekte wat tydens die navorsing na vore gekom het. Dit sluit strategie en ontwerp in om sodoende deursigtige beheer te verseker.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Limpopo Province comprises five districts namely Capricorn, Vhembe, Sekhukhune, Waterberg and Mopani. Furthermore, Limpopo Province has been amongst the bottom three provinces concerning Grade 12 results for the past years specifically since the introduction of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in 2014. The Capricorn District of Limpopo Province has shown a decline in Grade 12 results from 71.6% to 69.9% in 2016. However, there are certain schools in this district that are high performers while some are low performers. Also, the Sekhukhune District has shown a decline in Grade 12 resulted from 63.9% in 2014 to 51.1% in 2016. The purpose of this research study was to investigate and analyse the factors influencing Grade 12 results in low performing and high performing secondary schools in the Capricorn District, Limpopo Province. The objectives of this research study were to identify factors contributing to the high performance and low performance of grade 12 learners in the Capricorn district and investigate the perceptions of teachers and principals with regards to the school’s academic performance. Besides, the objectives include assessing the culture of teaching and learning in the participating low and high performing secondary schools and its influence on academic performance and assessing the roles of the school management team in the schools. This study employed a qualitative research approach in examining the factors that contribute to the academic performance of Grade 12 results of high and low performing schools in Capricorn District of Limpopo province. In addition, a case study was utilised to collect data of this study through interviews, observations and field notes. The sampled population of this study is as follows: Two school principals from the selected two secondary schools, thus one from poor performing school and one from high performing, four grade12 teachers from the two secondary schools, thus two grade 12 teachers from high performing secondary school and two teachers from low performing secondary schools. The data was thematically analysed by highlighting phrases that presented the respondents’ attitudes and thoughts, repeating the interview transcripts, reading to ensure accuracy, highlighting important statements and organising the themes that emerge from the interview. . vi The following themes emerged from the thematic analysis of data in this study (i) Physical resources, (ii) parental involvement, (iii) learner discipline, (iv)school community and (v) senior support. The findings of this study revealed that for the schools to achieve high performance and obtain excellent results, both teachers and learners must be distinctly committed to the teaching and learning process.

Thesis (Ph. D.(Translation and Linguistics Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / This thesis assesses the use of Northern Sotho as an official language in the Capricorn and Mopani District Municipalities of Limpopo Province. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa stipulates clearly that all eleven official languages are equal. The study argues that Northern Sotho, as one of the 11 official languages of the Republic of South Africa, deserves to be treated with respect. It (the study) has shown that Northern Sotho is currently not enjoying the proper status that is afforded to it by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996). The business world does not make use of Northern Sotho as it is regarded as an inferior language which is associated uneducated people. Furthermore, the study has discovered that many of the public and private sector companies communicate with their employees and members of the public in English, while most of these employees and members lack the necessary linguistic proficiency. Information that is directed to employees and members of the public only serves the purpose if it is distributed to them in the languagethat they best understand. The main factor with regard to the use of Northern Sotho in all spheres of life is that many Northern Sotho speakers feel ashamed of speaking the language, particularly in public. This is not surprising because many, mainly educated African people, despise their indigenous languages because they consider them backward, inferior and under-developed. English is still used as a dominant language. The researcher drew on theories of scholars such as Piaget, Laswell, Weaver and Schramm to ground this study. Ethnolinguistic vitality theory is also considered as the study of minority languages and more specifically, Northern Sotho, involves language vitality issues. The researcher has used qualitative research methodology designed through document analysis, observations and individual interviews. Research findings confirm that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) indicates that all the 11 official languages should be used in all spheres of life with equal regard and consideration. This implies, among others, the entrenchment of the right of learners and students to be taught in the language that they best understand. The 12 participants from Capricorn and the 12 from Mopani Districtv Municipalities stated that the use of English should not be tampered with. All the other remaining respondents concurred that Northern Sotho should be granted its rightful status in all official communication. Northern Sotho was found to have linguistic vitality in that majority of Capricorn and Mopani District Municipalities’ residents are Northern Sotho speakers who deserve to be afforded their constitutional right to be served in the medium of Northern Sotho as their indigenous language of choice

Thesis (M. Sc.) -- University of LImpopo, 2019 / Refer to document

Thesis (Ph.D.(Public Administration)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / South Africa is a country experiencing water scarcity, and the provision of water as well as sanitation is a basic need and a right that must be provided to the populace by the municipalities. The water must either be subsidised by the government through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant or financed through the municipality ’s resources. The Capricorn District Municipality is composed of the Polokwane, Molemole, Lepelle Nkumpi, and Blouberg local Municipalities. Amongst all these municipalities, there is high rural domination and the inability to provide water daily in most jurisdictional areas. In achieving the objectives and addressing factors that impact negatively on sustainable supply of water and effective sanitation within Capricorn District Municipality the study adopted, the theory of rising expectations, the philosophy of servant leadership, the public choice theory, the district’s development plan, the rational model of reasoning and the participatory research paradigm because the study addresses the societal issues that affect mostly marginalised groups. The study used a mixed method research methodology that is dominated by the qualitative method. Quantitative method is used to justify availability of water and sanitation to the Capricorn District’s civilians while the qualitative method was used to investigate the cause and effect of the non-provision of sustainable water as well as sanitation. The study established that there are some hindrances that were found in the focus area (Capricorn District Municipality) because of; illicit activities, poor infrastructural maintenance, and the need to establish an enabling environment by the politicians as well as the officials with no interference in the running of the administrative affairs

Text in English / There is an abundance of multilingual education (MLE) studies internationally and locally. Studies show that MLE is a global issue. South Africa is a unique country since it has assigned eleven languages official status at the national level. The multilingual nature of this country calls for the implementation of MLE. This study seeks to argue that if mother tongue, the language of wider communication as well as other languages are important, the transition should be geared towards MLE rather than to second language (L2). The question is how the transitioning to MLE is embraced in South Africa. This study is an attempt to examine the transitioning to MLE in South Africa schools with reference to Limpopo Province. The study mainly explored the Language-in-education policy (LiEP) implementation and practices in the selected schools as well as examining schools’ compliance with the pedagogical motivations and theories dealing with transition to multilingual education. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to corroborate the data obtained by using one method to reduce the limitations of another method. In quantitative research, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from principals, parents, teachers and learners. In the qualitative research methodology, observations and document analysis methods of collecting data were employed. Purposive sampling was the major sampling method to ensure that relevant data was collected. Qualitative data was analysed thematically. LiEP and the National Language Policy Framework (NLPF) formed the major analytical framework for this study. Cummins’ theories (1978), bi/multilingual education models as well as the Language management theory form the theoretical framework that guided this study. The theories emphasise the link between mother tongue and the development of L2. The findings of this study show the misunderstandings of the LiEP, the implementation of early transitional bilingual education as well as the lack of confidence in the ability of African languages to provide quality education. The study generally suggests that language policies should be dealt with differently due to the contexts which they address. This study concludes by suggesting a working model that is suitable for the unique linguistic situations of schools. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics)