Talent in the field of attraction of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is scarce in South Africa, especially in the Eastern Cape, due to the history of exclusion of South Africa from world economic participation, prior to 1994. In order for the ELIDZ to achieve its mandate of FDI attraction, job creation and economic growth, talent management has to be a key aspect in the boardroom discussions and strategic planning sessions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effective use of talent management by the East London IDZ to leverage the competitive edge of the ELIDZ in the business of attracting Foreign Direct Investment into South Africa, and also of competing against the world’s Economic Processing Zones (EPZ’s) and Free Trade Zones (FTZ’s). According to Holbeche (2009:166), talent consists of those individuals who can make a difference to organisational performance, either through their immediate contribution, or, in the longer term, by demonstrating the highest level of potential. For the purpose of this study, talent management is defined as the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement / retention and deployment of those individuals with high potential who are of particular value to an organisation. The literature reviewed pointed out very clearly that organisations that have properly developed, implemented and managed talent management strategies enjoy high levels of motivation, innovation and creativity, lesser levels of staff turn-over, high employee performance, superior productivity and mostly a competitive advantage in their league. The East London IDZ study response enjoyed a rate of 40 out of 54 employees who received questionnaires and returned them by the due date. The responses represented a total of 74.1 percent, and this level of response is attributed to the fact that by the end of May 2011, the ELIDZ had just undergone an Organisational Re-structuring. The current status quo of the ELIDZ, based on the views as reflected in this study ,is very compromising for an organisation that aims to compete in the global space for the attraction and retention of foreign direct investment (FDI’s), and the global competitiveness based on the talent available. The overall picture depicted by the empirical results suggests that there are critical gaps for which the ELIDZ Executive Management and Board need to craft solutions, if competitiveness is going to be taken seriously in the near and long-term future.

M.B.A. / A general increase in price elasticity on farming inputs as well as increasing pressure on South African subsidiaries of international companies makes it important for a well-planned pricing strategy. This is accentuated by the fact that pricing is normally done only once a year in seed companies in South Africa, and customers are unlikely to accept more frequent price changes. The aim of this study is to determine a suitable pricing strategy for hybrid maize seed for Monsanto in South Africa. The study has the following objectives: To determine through a literature study the factors influencing the decision to buy hybrid maize seed in South Africa. To determine the price range that producers would be willing to pay for typical hybrid maize seed products. To evaluate Mark-up Pricing, Target-Return Pricing, Perceived-Value Pricing, Value Pricing and Going-Rate Pricing and to determine the best method or combination of methods for the pricing of hybrid maize seed. To formulate a pricing strategy for hybrid maize seed for Monsanto in South Africa. Of the typical product characteristics, yield is the most important factor influencing the decision to buy a product. Products that are priced very high signal high quality to the customer. No significant price elasticity exists for low, medium or moderately high priced products. Grain quality and growth season length characteristics are of little importance in influencing the decision to buy a specific product. Customers want to have first-hand experience of a product, before being willing to buy a substantial amount of it. They need to confirm the potential of a new breakthrough product on their own farms and conditions, before buying it. The most important source of information is own experience, which consists of some form of farmer trial, followed by large plot trials conducted by seed companies. If an independent large plot set of trials is made available, it would be preferred over the large plot trials conducted by seed companies as a source of information to farmers. For products of average quality, farmers are willing to pay between R453.13 and R565.79, with an inelastic zone between R483.33 and R525.68 per unit of seed. For products of superior quality farmers are willing to pay between R555.56 and R686.36, with an inelastic zone between R591.67 and R652.27 per unit of seed. Monsanto employees generally underestimate the price customers are willing to pay for products of average quality, but there is a danger that they could overestimate the prices customers are willing to pay for products of superior quality. Sealed bid and negotiated pricing methods are not very suitable for pricing hybrid maize seed. Perceived-value pricing and going-rate pricing should be used for products of superior and average quality. For new breakthrough products, a market skimming approach should be followed and products should be priced very high, since an inflated price signals very high quality to customers. Monsanto needs more structured benchmarking with regards to competitor productions costs. A structured benchmarking approach for evaluating hybrid performance, pricing and market share is also discussed.

D.Litt. et Phil. / The objective of this dissertation was to investigate the ostensible structural deterioration of the socio-economic position of the South African maize producers since the start of the eighties as a consequence of the low and erratic rainfall, the relatively high cost of finance, the worsening terms of trade of the industry and the secular decline in the real price of maize on the world market. The constant pressure of the four factors on the profit position of the maize industry compelled producers to pay less attention to the maintenance of soil fertility, technology and the remuneration and training of their workers. The need to succumb to exploitative practices in order to survive became a strong feature of the industry since the late eighties when the potential for the further improvement of productivity by economising on fertilizer and other inputs and using capital assets such as tractors and harvesters more intensively had run its course. The South African maize producer is faced by an adverse production or cost function, mainly as a consequence of the very erratic climatic and poor soil, environment in which he is finding himself. The grain producing industries all over the world are still closely governed by soil and climatic conditions, compared to the meat, dairy, poultry and horticultural industries, which have increasingly assumed characteristics of manufacturing industry. Technological developments in the grain industries such as hybridisation and the advent of the modern fertilizers, weed and pest herbicides and the tractor and mechanical harvester did not free the industry from the constraints imposed on it by the poor South African soils and erratic weather patterns. The production of grain, especially maize, is still subject to the cost constraint imposed by the law of decreasing returns. Co-incidental to the difficult production function is the more pronounced tendency of production to fluctuate and the growing disparity between supply and demand, not only in the South African market, but globally. This behaviour as well 'as the price support measures, by especially the USA and the European Union, are responsible for the constant weakening of the terms of trade of the industry and the secular decline of the global real maize prize.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Why should the Lewis Group be concerned about HIV/AlDS? The answer is quite simple. HIV/AIDS poses a clear and present danger to the twin rationales on which businesses like the Lewis Group are based. The rationales are low-cost labour for own and supply chain purposes, and fast-growing markets. This research focuses more towards the latter and presents a review of the current literature and attempts to estimate the impact of HIV/AIDS on the group's market. Literature on the subject is surprisingly limited (Bloom & Mahal, 200 I: 10) and often dated seen in the light of the fact that it is one of the most oppressing issues in the Southern African business arena today. Amidst a rather slow awakening in the private sector to the effects of HIV/AlDS on markets a lot of resources and time are being spent on research in this area. Although the scope of this research does not encompass the full impact of the epidemic on the company, it provides insight into an area on which very little is known yet. Companies have a high level of control over, and information, about their employees but significantly less about their customers} hence the reason for the use of hypothesising and adopting a tailor-made methodology to quantify prevalence rates and vulnerability. This paper is therefore not a complete assessment of impact of the disease on the group as a whole. AlDS is a bottom line issue for most companies as it impacts on production costs and consumer markets (Ellis & Terwin, 2003: 55). A number of "doom-and-gloom" merchants have come forward with doomsday estimates about the impact of the epidemic on business. As a result, the extent of the problem might have been overstated by some. This sparked a lot of the debates that resulted in many different opinions which have caused a lot of uncertainty. This research will attempt to clarify these issues and fonnulate an unbiased opinion as of the impact of the company. The HIV/AIDS problem is sti ll gathering momentum and prevalence rates are still on the rise. There is currently no cure for HIV / AIDS and chances look diminutive that there will be one within the next decade. If prevention programmes had been successful, this report would never have been written. The problem is aggravated by the fact that the core modes of HN transmission are deeply rooted in social behavioural patterns, value systems and traditional and cultural beliefs. This makes it hard to imagine that the spread of the epidemic will decrease and eventually stop soon (Goldstein, Pretorius, Stuart, 2003). As we are entering a phase where the number of AIDS-related deaths is starting to rise rapidly, it is important to gain sufficient insight into the effect of the disease, especially now that infonnation is becoming more available in the public domain (McClintock & Truen, 2003: 3). AIDS primarily kills young and middle-aged adults during their most productive years. This section of the population is the major source of demand for goods and services. The macro-economic impact of this is expected to influence demand for goods, especially durables, and services. This is aggravated by slower population growth rates that will further slow down the demand for certain goods and services (McClintock & Truen, 2003: 3). HIV/AIDS must be managed proactively. In order to assess and manage this risk, management must have a clear understanding of nature and extent of the risk (Ellis & Terwin, 2003: 1). The Bureau for Economic Research did a survey in 2003 on the impact of HIV/AIDS on business in South Africa. It found that only 8 percent of retail companies surveyed have assessed the impact of the disease on their consumer base (Ellis & Terwin, 2003: 30). A possible reason might be because companies want to see proven input and exit strategies for HIV/AIDS contributions. These are not yet possible for HN/AIDS (Barrett & Ruggie, 2004: 5). The HlV/AIDS prevalence rates estimate for the Lewis Group revealed significantly lower prevalence rates than the national averages. Nevertheless, HlV and AIDS prevalence rates for 2004 are estimated 16.5 percent and 2.5 percent respectively. HIV-prevalence is expected to increase to 17.1 percent and AIDS to 4.7 percent by 2009. There are a number of interventions and strategic responses the company can consider to mitigate the risks entrenched in these estimates. Recommended strategic responses include diversification of profit generators into the higher income group market, focus on areas of growth and building the Lewis Group's brands. It is generally believed that good and responsible corporate citizenship will benefit from involvement in community and charitable projects. The belief is that customers can become predisposed towards the company and that the group can gain goodwill from new and existing customers. It is therefore clear that there are remedies the company can consider to manage and mitigate its risks. It is, however, possible for the company to emerge stronger, more efficient and more competitive if the right responses are implemented.

Thesis (DSc (Forest and Wood Science))-- Stellenbosch University, 1954. / No abstract

Submitted in the partial fulfilment for the Degree of Master of Arts in Development Studies Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand, March 2017 / The precarious existence of Uber drivers operating within Johannesburg’s metropolitan area is the primary area of study in which this dissertation has undertaken. Driver precarity, defined in the study as the loss of labour market security in various forms, is argued to stem from Uber’s sharing economy-inspired business model. The analysis of Uber’s business model, substantively focuses on the service’s dynamic pricing model of fare price setting, the implementation of a ‘rating’ system in which to evaluate driver performance and the use of ‘independent contractor’ labour. It is argued that each of these three Uber business practices place drivers in a position of precarity in the realm of their income, employment, work and job security. The study mobilises a qualitative research methodology, enlisting the methods of unstructured interviews on eight active Uber drivers, four autoethnographical observations on real-time work behaviour and document analysis to generate data for analysis. The prevailing argument made regarding Uber’s precarity-creation, is aided through a consultation of Guy Standing’s theorisation on precarity (2011), with Harvey’s flexible Accumulation theory (1990), Foucault’s Panopticism thesis (1975) and Hochschild’s emotional labour theory (1983) broadening the scope of the analysis. / XL2018

Rapid, human-forced climate change as a result of greenhouse gases is threatening the fabric of human civilisation itself. It is clear that we need to alter our development and poorer countries will need to develop while limiting their emissions, but it is not clear what sustainable development would entail. Climate change policy solutions have pivoted on carbon trading, under the auspices of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), but this too has failed to limit growth in carbon emissions. This report looks at the operations of the CDM in South Africa as a source of climate finance meant to facilitate sustainable development. Though South Africa has emphasised its commitment towards a low-carbon transition, in practice its national planners seek to preserve energy-intensive mineral and industrial sectors. This research draws on both primary and secondary documents as well as interviews with carbon professionals to conclude that CDM projects have played a limited role in South Africa, but has tended to reproduce the existing minerals and energy complex within the country.

HIV / AIDS in the South African present context remains fraught with obstacles and challenges. The previous regime's willingness to turn a blind eye to the problem, combined with the present government's confused response has accelerated the disease and it's devastating impact to pandemic proportions. This has placed additional pressure on other sectors to respond. While civil society challenges government's delaying tactics and seeks to ease the plight of those living with HIV, the business sector is being called upon to act, in the interests of the stability of the national economy and it's own survival. Business is identified, locally and abroad, as the most relevant environment for intervention because of it's unique capacity to impact on both the workforce and the consumer market simultaneously. Business however exists for the purpose of making a profit. This is in itself an area of study that requires investigation: how does business meet the pressure to 'do the right thing' and protect its own best interests? This study will consider how some businesses have shifted the burden of AIDS, while others have prepared to meet the costs associated with implementing any interventions. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the impact of HIV / AIDS on the business sector with an assessment of the risk faced by business in the immediate and long-term. It further seeks to analyse business's current response in the context of international best practice standards. Case studies of Workplace HIV / AIDS Programmes are used to identify and analyse successful interventions that may be utilised in the South African context. While there are a few outstanding examples of workplace interventions being implemented in South Africa, there is some concern that too many companies are processing HIV / AIDS as a paper exercise without the commitment and care required for change. The impact of the disease on a physical level is compounded by stigmatization and fear. Issues of discrimination and intolerance permeate the environment in which employers are required to implement programmes that shift knowledge, attitudes and behaviour around HIV / AIDS. The secondary objective of this study is to test the emerging hypothesis that the face-to-face or one-on-one intervention is the most effective in successfully changing knowledge and attitudes about HIV / AIDS and can therefore influence a long-term change in behaviour. This study seeks to provide guidelines and recommendation for companies willing to implement HIV / AIDS workplace interventions by presenting an overview of the options available and indicating where best to invest limited resources. While the nature and scope of the study is by no means conclusive and remains open to ongoing social and medical research, it remains relevant in that it is placed in the context of timeless best practice. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

In this thesis an assessment is made of the contribution of economic theory to the debate on government expenditure allocations to schooling in developing countries. Publicly provided Black schooling in South Africa is taken as the case study and viewed in the light of historical perspectives, as well as human capital, rent-seeking, welfare, liberal and contractarian theory. From an historical perspective, the willingness of Blacks to enrol at schools under National Party control, despite the poor quality of such schooling and lack of labour market incentives for them to do so, is paradoxical. It leads to the conclusion that under National Party administration the private benefit of Black schooling exceeded the private cost; a situation which is argued to have been influenced by rent-seeking. The propositions that government expenditure on Black schooling is a profitable social investment, and that rent-seeking has influenced the allocations of government expenditure on Black and White education are then investigated. Empirical support is found for both propositions, but it is based on the use of controversial methods and measures. The provision of education by the state can be justified on many economic grounds; the most popular being that this improves welfare by bringing about a better distribution of income or by redressing market failure. However, as there are major problems with this approach, it is concluded that neoclassical welfare theory fails to provide a persuasive justification for current levels of government expenditure on Black schooling. The provision of Black schooling by the state can also be justified in terms of liberal objectives. Classical and reform liberalism and their respective conclusions are examined. Marxist views on the role played by the state in the provision of education are also considered, but not found to be appropriate. Two contractarian assessments of the government's role in the provision of Black schooling are also provided in this thesis. They are based on the works of John Rawls (1971 and 1974) and James Buchanan (1986). The approach taken by James Buchanan is argued to be more appropriate to South African circumstances than Rawls's, and it is in the context of the former that problems with respect to public decisions on education and possible solutions to them are discussed. The conclusion of the thesis is that economic theory offers only a limited explanation for government expenditure allocations to Black education in South Africa

This research examines how urban agriculture contributes to the sustainable livelihood of migrants’ women living in the inner city of Johannesburg. The study focuses on the Cameroonian women community living in Turffontein. It explores the significant process of migration into the Republic of South Africa and the inspiration behind the choice of urban agriculture in the inner city of Johannesburg by women. The research report assesses the impact of urban agriculture on sustainable livelihood in the life of Cameroonian women living in Turffontein. It also examines the constraints encountered by these Cameroonians women in Turffontein in the practice of urban agriculture for sustainable livelihood. The findings of this study reveal that urban agriculture is used as a strategy for sustainable livelihood to a lot of Cameroonian migrants’ women living in Turffontein. The study has also shown how through urban agriculture these migrants’ women have been able to raise substantial income to support their respective families both in South Africa and in Cameroon. The study is based on a purposeful sample of Cameroonian migrants’ women living in the inner city of Johannesburg practicing urban agriculture. It uses a mixed method of approach with a transect walk to the area where this women practice the urban agriculture. It also included an in-depth face to face interactive interview and written sources such as journals, books and research reports where combined to gather relevant data. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data.