A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science May 23, 2017 / The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship and direction between electricity consumption and gross domestic product including energy infrastructure as a third variable in South Africa using the time series data from 1993 to 2015. The relationship was modelled in South Africa focusing on the industry sectors that influence economic growth and using techniques such as ARIMA model, Multivariate Regression Analysis, Vector Autoregressive and Granger Causal Test. The Vector Autoregressive model performed better than Multivariate Regression analysis in modelling the relationship between consumption and economic growth in South Africa. The Granger causal effect illustrated a direction from consumption to economic growth and again Granger cause effect from infrastructure to economic growth. The results from these models revealed that there was a relationship between electricity consumption and economic growth, as well as electricity infrastructure. South Africa supports a growth hypothesis meaning that South Africa is energy dependent. The results of the study signals that the electricity consumption of South Africa have an effect on the economic growth. / MT 2017

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-88).

Thesis (MA. Agricultural Management (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2014 / The role of agricultural exports to agriculture’s share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in South Africa is of extreme importance and exhibits strong interest from all parts of the economy. Many believe that agriculture can salvage the declining economic growth under such global economic conditions. The decision to diversify and expand exports of these avocados, apples, mangoes and oranges will improve the South African economy’s unstable conditions. This study accounts for all the factors that are truly unique to South African’s economy. Therefore, the study will help to shift the focus of avocado, apple, mango and orange growers to export more due to the international market demand for such produce. The aim of the study was to analyse the link between avocado, apple, mango and orange exports and agriculture’s share of Gross Domestic Product in South Africa. The specific objectives are to determine the correlation between avocado, apple, mango and orange exports and the agriculture’s share of Gross Domestic Product in South Africa, investigate the contribution of avocado, apple, mango and orange exports and the agriculture’s share of Gross Domestic Product in South Africa, determine the growth rate (trends) of avocado, apple, mango and orange exports and determine the volatility of avocado, apple, mango and orange exports. The study used secondary time series data that covered a sample size of 17 years (1994 - 2011) of avocado, apple, mango and orange exports in South Africa. Two Stages Least Square models and Growth rate and Volatility models were used for data analysis. i Empirical results for agricultural exports equation revealed that agricultural economic growth in South Africa was significant with a positive coefficient. While a negative relationship between the Net Factor Income (NFI) and the agricultural exports in South Africa was noticed. Real Capital Investments had a significant positive coefficient. Consequently, results from agricultural economic growth equation revealed that agricultural exports were significant with a positive correlation. A relationship between NFI and agricultural GDP was also witnessed. Like other variables, Real Capital Investment was significant but negatively correlated. The results of growth rate and volatility models showed positive trends. Furthermore, results showed that the quantity of agricultural exports was positively related to agricultural economic growth. Another point of interest was that while these exports were positive and significantly related, the magnitude of its coefficient is smaller than the coefficients of Real Capital Investments. It is in this framework that the positive correlation exists between agriculture economic growth and agricultural exports. It is recommended that investment opportunities in the agricultural sector need to be investigated further because there is limited knowledge of the subject. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery and the private sector need to join hands and build a mutual relationship to aid develop an agricultural economy which can be able to exports more than what it imports. This can also be done by subsidising farmers with capital to relieve them of other expenses.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Nigerian economy has suffered huge infrastructure deficits since her independence in 1960, thereby limiting economic growth potential of the country considerably. This research conducted a Granger causality test between Real Gross Domestic Product, infrastructure investment and productivity across manufacturing, agriculture and industrial sectors in Nigeria for the period 1981 – 2012 using multivariate vector error correction model. The co integration test shows that there is a long run relationship between infrastructure investment and economic growth at both at 1 percent and 5 percent levels of significance. Further, the granger causality test indicated a one way causal relationship between infrastructure investments and economic growth in Nigeria running from infrastructure investment to Real Gross Domestic Product growth. We equally established a one way causality relationship between agriculture sector productivity and gross domestic product growth, a one way causal relationship between manufacturing sector productivity and Real Gross Domestic Product growth and a very significant one way causal relationship that runs from infrastructural investment to agriculture sector productivity, all running from the former to the latter. The economic implication of this is that the existing level of infrastructure investment in Nigeria is a significant contributing factor to growth in the level of rea gross domestic product. However, despite the sustained real gross domestic product growth, the Nigerian government has been unable to translate this growth to physical infrastructure development. We conclude that in order to achieve the double digit economic growth needed for a comprehensive economic transformation of Nigeria, the Nigerian government needs to accord greater priority to infrastructure development, particularly in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

M.Com. (Economic Development and Policy Issues) / There is an observable correlation, over time, between domestic savings rates and GDP growth rates: countries with relatively high savings rates over time also enjoying comparably high GDP growth rates. Aggregate saving in South Africa has been in decline and, currently, is at a historic low. Unflattering comparisons between South Africa and faster-growing emerging market economies have led to suggestions that South Africa's low domestic savings rate poses a constraint on the country's ability to grow faster. While the literature, both international and domestic, is relatively rich in studies on the determinants of foreign direct investment as well as the determinants of savings, none of the work done on South Africa has made use of disaggregated savings data to understand whether there is an observable difference in the marginal propensity to save of these economic sectors. In order to successfully raise the level of saving, much more focus needs to be applied to whether there is a difference in the relationship between growth and the components of aggregate saving i.e. which „source‟ of saving if any would yield the greatest impact on GDP and therefore should be encouraged from a policy point of view. The results of the econometric analysis demonstrate that the greatest responsiveness of savings to GDP growth occurs amongst corporates. Since corporates have a choice between retaining earnings and distributing earning as dividends (thus increasing household income) it is clear that tax-rates are an important lever through which government can encourage savings. In essence, a greater level of savings may be achievable if corporates are encouraged to retain earnings, rather than distribute these as dividends to the household sector which has exhibited a relatively weak propensity to save.

Au cours de ces trois dernières décennies l’économie chinoise a multiplié son PIB par 15. Pour soutenir une forte croissance interne et assurer ses approvisionnements en matière première et énergétique, la Chine s’est tournée vers l’Afrique en y augmentant rapidement et fortement ses investissements directs étrangers lors des dix dernières années. Deuxième partenaire commercial africain, investisseur stratégique, allié au développement et pourvoyeur financier, ce pays bouleverse les rapports de force qui s’étaient instaurés depuis les indépendances sur le continent. L’objet de ce travail est d’évaluer l’impact des IDE chinois sur le taux de croissance de 38 pays africains partenaire de la Chine entre 2003 et 2011. Nous avons articulé notre réflexion sur la question suivante : la coopération sino-africaine permet-elle aux pays africains de lutter contre la pauvreté, le chômage dans leur pays et surtout d’entamer un véritable processus de développement économique ? Pour répondre, nous avons analysé le mode de croissance chinois, les fondements de la politique africaine de la Chine, les raisons qui poussent les entreprises chinoises à aller investir en Afrique, les impacts politiques et économiques de la Chine en Afrique et enfin nous avons réalisé une étude empirique mesurant les effets des IDE chinois en Afrique. Nos résultats économétriques montrent que les IDE chinois n’ont pas d’effet significatif sur le PIB par tête de ces 38 pays africains, notamment à cause de la politique des entreprises chinoises en Afrique qui encourage les investissements dans les secteurs qui créent moins d’emploi local et qui ne permettent pas de vrai transfert de technologie. / For the last three decades, the Chinese economy has multiplied it GDP by 15. In order to maintain a strong home economical growth and insure a constant supply of raw material and energy, China turned towards the African continent by quickly and firmly multiplying its foreign direct investments during the last ten years. By becoming the second largest business partner of Africa, as well as a strategic investor, a financial supplier and associated for the development; China has now overturned the balance of powers which had been established since the decolonization of Africa. The purpose of this study is to estimate the impact of the Chinese FDI on the growth rate of 38 African countries between 2003 and 2011. We have centred our reflection on the following questions: What are the impacts of the economical cooperation between China and African countries on poverty, unemployment and; does this cooperation encourage the possibility to start a real process of economic development in Africa? In order to come to a conclusion on this matter, we have analyzed the way through which China achieves economical growth, the foundations of China’s African Policy, as well as the reasons for Chinese companies to invest in Africa and the political and economical impacts of China’s Policy in Africa. Finally, we led an empirical study measuring the effects of the Chinese FDI in Africa. Thanks to our econometric study, we came to the conclusion that the Chinese FDI has no significant effect on the GDP per capita of these 38 African countries. Because they are invested in sectors which end up creating less local employments and which, eventually do not allow a real transfer of technologies …

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar o impacto das transferências de royalties de petróleo no crescimento do PIB dos municípios beneficiados no Brasil.Para tanto, é utilizado o método Duplamente Robusto em um painel de municípios observados entre 2004 e 2013.Essa metodologia consiste em duas etapas: primeiramente, estima-se a probabilidade condicional dos municípios receberem as rendas do petróleo, ou seja, o propensity score;em seguida, estima-se um modelo em painel de efeitos fixos ponderado pela estimativa anterior. A principal vantagem desse procedimento é a obtenção de estimadores consistentes quando ao menos uma dessas etapas é especificada corretamente.Os resultados obtidos vão na direção contrária à tese de Maldição dos Recursos Naturais proveniente de rendas de petróleo e derivados. No caso, as evidências apontam que os royalties não afetam a taxa de crescimento do produto per capita municipal, apesar de promoverem um aumento geral nas despesas orçamentárias locais / This Master Thesis in Economics aims to analyze the impact of oil revenue transfers on the economic growth of benefited municipalities in Brazil. For this purpose, the Doubly Robust isthe method applied to a panel of localities observed between 2004 and 2013. This methodology consists of two stages. Firstly, it estimates the conditional likelihood of receiving the oil royalties, i.e., the propensity score. Then it estimates a fixed effect model weighted by the previous estimative. The main advantage of this procedure is to obtain consistent estimators when at least one of the mentioned stages is correctly specified. The results refute the Natural Resources Curse hypothesis in the Brazilian oil revenues. More specifically, the evidence is that royalties do not affectthe municipal GDP per capita growth, despite providing a general increase in local expenses.

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar o impacto das transferências de royalties de petróleo no crescimento do PIB dos municípios beneficiados no Brasil.Para tanto, é utilizado o método Duplamente Robusto em um painel de municípios observados entre 2004 e 2013.Essa metodologia consiste em duas etapas: primeiramente, estima-se a probabilidade condicional dos municípios receberem as rendas do petróleo, ou seja, o propensity score;em seguida, estima-se um modelo em painel de efeitos fixos ponderado pela estimativa anterior. A principal vantagem desse procedimento é a obtenção de estimadores consistentes quando ao menos uma dessas etapas é especificada corretamente.Os resultados obtidos vão na direção contrária à tese de Maldição dos Recursos Naturais proveniente de rendas de petróleo e derivados. No caso, as evidências apontam que os royalties não afetam a taxa de crescimento do produto per capita municipal, apesar de promoverem um aumento geral nas despesas orçamentárias locais / This Master Thesis in Economics aims to analyze the impact of oil revenue transfers on the economic growth of benefited municipalities in Brazil. For this purpose, the Doubly Robust isthe method applied to a panel of localities observed between 2004 and 2013. This methodology consists of two stages. Firstly, it estimates the conditional likelihood of receiving the oil royalties, i.e., the propensity score. Then it estimates a fixed effect model weighted by the previous estimative. The main advantage of this procedure is to obtain consistent estimators when at least one of the mentioned stages is correctly specified. The results refute the Natural Resources Curse hypothesis in the Brazilian oil revenues. More specifically, the evidence is that royalties do not affectthe municipal GDP per capita growth, despite providing a general increase in local expenses.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA (DVS) / Formal microfinance institutions have been an important tool in the fight against poverty in developing countries, but their reach for rural people and urban slum poor are limited. Following this, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) are established as an alternative, informal mechanism for saving and borrowing that do not require external capital or ongoing financial or administrative support from a founding organization or government bodies. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effects of women participation in VSLA on poverty reduction with a case study in Hawassa city, Ethiopia. Using a mixed qualitative and quantitative research methodology, the study tried to focus on examining the effects of VSLAs contribution to economic and social wellbeing of households, and decision makings, and women participation in community activities. The study used 254 samples (127 VSLA participants, and 127 non-participants) and collected data using questionnaire and focus group discussion. The study used propensity score matching (PSM) to estimate the impact of women participation in VSLA on average monthly household income, and the result indicated the average effect of women participation in VSLA on average monthly household income of participant women is positive and significant at 5% significant level, ranging from 169.63 Birr/month (nearest neighbor matching) to 141.55 Birr/month (Kernel matching), on average. Besides, comparison between participants and non-participants using hypothesis testing shows that women participation in VSLA has a significant positive association with improvements in household diet, health, children's education, and women’s involvement in household decisions. However, although hypothesized, no significant association is found in relation to women participation in community activities. Findings from the focus group discussions are also consistent with the results from the PSM and hypothesis testing. Following the findings, the study recommends government and nongovernmental organizations to provide regular, timely and need based capacity building trainings for VSLA participants; Link VSLA participants with formal microfinance institutions; conduct regular monitoring and follow ups by either the city or sub-cities Women Children Affairs Department/offices or concerned government body; different concerned stakeholders in the city including government, nongovernmental organizations, microfinance institutions and others need to work in coordinated manner to solve the recurrent challenges of VSLA participants in Hawassa city; and finally government and/or nongovernmental organizations need to take best practices and lessons from existing VSLAs and expand the VSLA initiative to address more impoverished women in the city.

<p>The study draws on secondary data from the Bureau of Statistics in Lesotho. Simple and multiple linear regression models techniques are used to analyze the relationship between the GDP of Lesotho and the GDP of manufacturing. The secondary data is analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Excel. The major finding is that there exists a strong positive linear relationship ( r = 0.986) between the GDP of Lesotho and the GDP of manufacturing. This means that every time the GDP of manufacturing increases the GDP of Lesotho does the same. Based on this finding, the study recommends that in order to improve, sustain and maintain the economic growth and to avoid further deterioration in the manufacturing industry, the manufacturing capacity must be strengthened for it to effectively deal with growing competition and rapid economic changes.</p>