MCOM / Department of Economics / The choice of a weak or strong currency has been at the center of the debate in most developing economies as exchange rates play a vital role in a country’s level of economic growth. This growth is critical to many developing economies. The study assessed the role of real exchange rate on economic growth in South Africa from 1994, first quarter, to 2015, fourth quarter. The study used time-series data in which Augmented Dicky Fuller and Philip Perron tests for stationarity, cointegration test, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) approach for the long-run relationship were conducted. Impulse Response Function (IRF) and Variance Decomposition (VD) were also conducted to explain the response to shock amongst variables and how much of the forecasting error variance is explained by the exogenous shocks to other variables. VECM results showed a positive role exchange rates play on economic growth in South Africa. The study’s implication is that currency devaluation (exchange rates depreciation) can be effective in improving economic growth in the short-run. Nonetheless, a strong currency is good for economic growth in the long-run as it attracts foreign investments and a good instrument for controlling inflation. Thus, basing on the findings of the study, the floating exchange rate system adopted by South Africa in 2000 can be maintained.

MCom (Business Management) / Department of Business Management / South African economic policies (for example, the National Development Plan [NDP] and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act [BBBEE]) place high emphasis on promoting entrepreneurial activities. In particular, these policies seek to provide for interventions that minimise challenges faced by entrepreneurs. In spite of this there is a segment of entrepreneurs that continues to experience numerous challenges – women entrepreneurs. The purpose of this study was to analyse the challenges faced by rural-women entrepreneurs. Rural women entrepreneurs in particular face challenges or barriers, which can be categorised under entrepreneurial, socio-cultural, personal, and technical barriers. The notion of gender socialisation can be used as one of several explanations as to why males and females behave differently. This kind of socialisation is also thought to be at the root of gender stereotyping, including chauvinism. This kind of socialisation has been said to influence the degree to which women face entrepreneurial challenges in rural areas. To address this research problem, which focuses on social perceptions, the critical realism paradigm was used. The research methodology used was a quantitative one, with the sample size 151 participants. Snowballing was utilised to locate participants with the desired characteristics. Self-completing questionnaires adapted from previous studies were utilised to gather data. The collected data was analysed using IBM-SPSS. Various descriptive and multivariate statistical tests, including ANOVA, cluster analysis, and factor analysis were used to analyse the data. The data collected indicated that women entrepreneurs with higher levels of gender socialisation (‘strongly believe’) are affected by entrepreneurial challenges more than those with low levels of gender socialisation. The results also indicated that education plays a key role in changing women’s’ attitudes towards their gendered roles and how they are socialised from a young age through to adult status. The researcher recommended equal opportunities for both males and females with regard to access to state resources such as education and finance, and access to information about businesses. / NRF

This study examines the indirect linkages between foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic growth in South Africa utilising 36 years’ (1980-2016) time series data obtained from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). South Africa’s economy has been experiencing unsteadiness in recent years. Despite the government’s execution of different strategic initiatives to draw in FDI into South Africa, the country’s FDI remains lower than that of other emerging economies. Domestic investment by government, public corporations and the private sector is also relatively unsteady. Slow economic growth has put tremendous weight on the government to borrow externally for developmental purposes. This study tests two models – model I and model II. In model I, real GDP per capita (RGDP) is the dependent variable and foreign direct investment (FDI), domestic investment (DI), real exchange rate (EXR) and foreign debt (FD) are modelled as explanatory variables while in model II, FDI is the dependent variable and RGDP, DI, EXR and FD are modelled as explanatory variables. Domestic investment is sub-divided into credit to the domestic private sector (CPS), public investment (PI) by public corporations and government investment expenditure (GOVIN). The analysis of the relationship was carried out using econometric methods such as the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips Perron (PP) unit root tests to identify the order of integration of the variables. The bounds cointegration test was applied to establish the long-term association among variables. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was utilised to test the long-run and short-run equilibrium conditions. Diagnostic tests were employed to check the model adequacy and the Granger causality tests were utilised to establish the causal relationships among variables. The discoveries from the ADF and PP tests uncovered that all the variables are non-stationary at level but became stationary at first differences. The bounds tests suggest that there is a long-run relationship and cointegration between variables. Following the presence of cointegration, the outcomes from ARDL model uncovered that FDI, CPS and GOVIN have a positive relationship with RGDP in the long run (crowding-in effect), while, a negative relationship occurs between PI, FD, EXR and RGDP in the long run (crowding-out effect) in model I. In model II, the outcomes revealed that RGDP, CPS, and PI have a positive relationship with FDI in the long run (crowding-in effect). Then again, the outcomes presented a negative connection between GOVIN, FD and v © Pamba, D, University of South Africa 2020 EXR to FDI in the long run (crowding-out effect). The short-run estimate of the coefficient of the error correction term (ECM) in model I and model II are statistically significant and negative. The negative indication of the error correction term shows a backward movement towards long-run equilibrium from short-run disequilibrium. In model I, the short-run coefficient results uncovered that FDI, lagged PI and lagged EXR are positively linked with RGDP (crowding-in effect). Then again, lagged CPS and lagged GOVIN are inversely related to RGDP (crowding-out effect). In model II, the short-run coefficient of FDI is certainly related to GOVIN (crowding-in effect). FDI, on the other hand, indicated a negative relationship with PI in the short run (crowding-out effect). The Granger causality tests for the variables uncovered a unidirectional causal connection running from RGDP to FDI and from FDI to RGDP in both models. The outcomes obtained for RGDP and FDI models pass all the diagnostic tests on serial correlation, normality and heteroscedasticity. The test for adequacy performed on the residuals demonstrates that they are homoscedastic and have no serial correlation, signifying that the model is acceptable. The Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) tests show that the extracted models are structurally steady and remain within the 5 percent level of critical bounds. / Economics / M. Com. (Economics)

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / The study focused on the participation of public schools in LED. Public schools are viewed as the corner-stone of community development. They are institutions which are based within the community to cater for their needs. The South African School Act 84 of 1996 section 36, subsection (1) authorizes a governing body of public schools to take all reasonable measures within its means to supplement the resources supplied by the state in order to improve the quality of education provided by the school to all learners at the school. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of using school assets as a means to access the untapped potential of public schools to serve as basis of LED. The objective of the study was to determine activities that public schools can engage in to enhance LED opportunities. Quantitative, qualitative and explorative researches were used.

Thesis (M.Com. (Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The purpose of this study was to investigate growth through innovation and productivity in the South African economy. The study employed the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach to analyse the annual time series data from the period 1994 to 2018. The data of the study is quantitative and was collected from the South African Reserve Bank and the World Bank. Due to a decline in investment in innovation in South Africa as compared to Brazil, Russia, India and China, the study recommends increased investment in innovation, which may yield positive results on economic growth given the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) presence. The results of the study indicate that there is a long-run relationship between the variables furthermore, in the short-run research and development (R&D), several patents and manufacturing: Labour productivity has a positive and is statistically significant on GDP. However, labour productivity in the non-agricultural sector is positive but statistically insignificant on GDP. Moreover, the findings, in the long run, reveal that R&D, number of patents, and manufacturing: labour productivity is positive and statistically significant on the economic growth in South Africa while labour productivity in the non-agricultural sector has a negative impact on economic growth. This study recommends that policymakers should aim at increasing government-funded R&D, education and human capital to induce productivity and eventually drive up economic growth in South Africa.

Thesis (MDev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The introduction of privatisation after 1994 has left many people in Polokwane without employment. The majority of the jobs were given to few people who always provide services through tenders. Most of the departments were no longer hiring people because of the tendering process. The process has made many departments and municipalities to absorb labour force in the public sector. Due to lack of employment in different regions in Limpopo, the provincial Department of Public Works has started an Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to alleviate poverty in the province. However, the management of these projects became a problem to most of the government officials in the municipalities, provincial departments and municipalities are fraught with challenges such as lack of managerial traits, technical and skills related to project management. Polokwane local municipality is not excluded from the above problems, hence the study on the investigation of the management of EPWP towards job creation in Polokwane local municipality. In order to understand the total context of the managerial flaws faced by Polokwane local municipality in Limpopo an in-depth empirical research and interviews were conducted to collect data from government official and employees in the study area. The finding of the study suggests that lack of managerial traits, technical skills, lack of participation, non-compliance with work ethics, monitoring and evaluation were regarded as the greatest challenges in the management of EPWP in Polokwane local municipality. Due to the above challenges, most of the projects are not completed on time because of the lack of qualified project managers. Lack of qualified personnel also contributed to poor quality of service delivery in the area of the study. The study revealed that the projects can alleviate poverty if can be managed and implemented by qualified managers and employees with relevant skills. Therefore, the study calls for the Department of Public Works to appoint qualified and experienced civil engineers to monitor and evaluate the implementation of EPWP projects in Polokwane local municipality.

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This study focuses on foreign direct investment ("FDI") and its importance to the economy of South Africa. Recognising that FDI, notwithstanding the type, can contribute to economic growth and development, most countries including South Africa are constantly working to attract it, and hence its demand has become highly competitive. However, FDI does not go without some negative effects, such as conflicts between host and investor country, and the creation of damaging competition to local firms. These negative effects could be minimised if policies and strategies for the promotion and attraction of FDI is part of, and integrated into, general economic development and economic reform policies, and not seen in isolation. Although South Africa has implemented strategies to attract more FDI, a refinement of some of these policies is needed if the country is to be successful in this regard. / Economics / M. Comm. (Economics)

This study identifies additional investment incentives, applicable to the manufacturing sector, which the South African government could introduce to encourage investors to choose the South African manufacturing sector as a desired investment destination. A comparison is made between the relevant investment incentives provided to manufacturing companies by Malaysia and Singapore and those provided by South Africa, in order to examine the similarities and differences between these incentives. In the light of these findings, recommendations are made for revised or additional investment incentives in South Africa to promote investment in South African manufacturing companies and reduce some of the barriers that prevent local and foreign investment in South Africa. / Accounting / M. Com. (Accounting)

The aim of this study is to determine the role that innovation plays in economic development and how an economic environment can be created that is conducive to innovation. The urgent need for development in large parts of the world indicates the importance of the increase in innovative activities because innovation is indicated as the “engine of growth and development”. It was found that innovation takes place within an innovation system and should be studied from a system perspective. The system perspective implies that there are different participants and that these participants function individually but that they also interact (wittingly or unwittingly) with one another. The innovation system is defined as a system that includes the participants or actors and their activities and interactions, as well as the socio-economic environment within which these actors or participants function, which determine the innovative performance of the system. A system approach is therefore necessary to study the influence of innovation on development. The role that innovation plays in economic development has been established by means of the historical patterns of economic development and major innovations as well as an analysis of literature of empirical studies. The historical pattern indicates the importance of innovation for economic development, but literature revealed the complexity of the relationship due to the non-linear relationship among different actors or participants in an innovation system. The main determinants of innovation was identified and a conceptual, descriptive model for an innovation system was developed, indicating the different participants, their roles, the interaction among them, and the economic environment within which the participants function. The model was applied to the Mpumalanga province in South Africa as case study. Strengths and weaknesses were identified in the Mpumalanga innovation system and recommendations were made for the improvement of the Mpumalanga innovation system which in turn should lead to an improvement in the economic development of the province. / Economics / D.Comm. (Economics)