Magister Commercii - MCom / Nearly half a century after independence, the Cameroon economy has experienced little or no growth in per capita incomes in spite of the enormous natural and human potentials of the country and in spite of the huge packages of aid and subsequent debt relief received from the international donor community, suggesting a more profound cause to the development problems facing the country. Under the current WTO rules-based system of multi-lateral trade management, Cameroon, like other poor countries, is left with limited scope for effective implementation of industrial and trade policies that could bail her out of her present predicament. Against this backdrop, this study seeks to explore the fundamental determinants of sustainable growth within the context of the Cameroonian economy. While acknowledging the role of openness to international markets in promoting growth, its effects could only be maximised with the attainment of certain threshold conditions such as the availability of basic skills, provision of vital infrastructure services and public goods, and good governance. In a nutshell, for development to happen, the country needs not only well functioning markets, but also good governments that do not steal the fruits of workers' labour. Drawing on the endogenous growth models, the study suggests that incentives for investment in knowledge capital, for infrastructure provision and for good governance could bail the country out of its low level traps, setting it on the path of sustainable growth in an evermore globalising world economy.

When faced with an investment opportunity in commercial real estate, the investor requires knowledge of the discount rate since it can be used to convert expected future cash flows from the property in today's terms and in doing so, place a value on the property. The so-called required rate of return would be the appropriate conversion rate since it compensates the investor for risk and, if attainable, will induce the investor to invest. An inaccurate assessment of the discount rate could, depending on the direction of the error, lead to a potential over or under estimation of the property value. A number of single or multiple variable frameworks for required return have been derived by other researchers for the US, UK and EU property markets. Each of the variables encountered in these frameworks acts as a proxy for some aspect of systematic risk associated with the investment. However, locally, such models are either not extensively published or well described and are limited to single explanatory variables. Some professionals prefer to avoid frameworks and simply divert to qualitative, gut-feel and experienced based considerations in order to derive at required return rate. This dissertation addressed the possible local need for an explanatory framework of required return on commercial property. The scope of work entailed: (i) a review of the literature to establish the theoretical determinants of return and (ii) an empirical study to test a short-list of parameters for Retail, Offices and Industrial sites in Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Durban, respectively. Three categories of explanatory variables were identified: (i) Capital market variables and alternative investment opportunities in the form of stocks on the JSE, (ii) economic activity indicators and (iii) property market fundamental parameters. The empirical study entailed a three-phase methodology, which included the following steps: (i) data sampling and processing, (ii) screening variables through the simple regression and correlation coefficients and (iii) multiple regression complemented by statistical significance testing. Between 69% and 98.2 % (alpha=O.1) of the variation in returns could be explained in terms of the variation by the explanatory variables that passed the rigorous screening process. The relative good results are likely to be related to the higher explanatory power of the multi-factor approach. The remaining unexplained portion of return can potentially be decreased by using larger samples and pursuing some of the other recommendations for additional research. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

When faced with an investment opportunity in commercial real estate, the investor requires knowledge of the discount rate since it can be used to convert expected future cash flows from the property in today's terms and in doing so, place a value on the property. The so-called required rate of return would be the appropriate conversion rate since it compensates the investor for risk and, if attainable, will induce the investor to invest. An inaccurate assessment of the discount rate could, depending on the direction of the error, lead to a potential over or under estimation of the property value. A number of single or multiple variable frameworks for required return have been derived by other researchers for the US, UK and EU property markets. Each of the variables encountered in these frameworks acts as a proxy for some aspect of systematic risk associated with the investment. However, locally, such models are either not extensively published or well described and are limited to single explanatory variables. Some professionals prefer to avoid frameworks and simply divert to qualitative, gut-feel and experienced based considerations in order to derive at required return rate. This dissertation addressed the possible local need for an explanatory framework of required return on commercial property. The scope of work entailed: (i) a review of the literature to establish the theoretical determinants of return and (ii) an empirical study to test a short-list of parameters for Retail, Offices and Industrial sites in Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Durban, respectively. Three categories of explanatory variables were identified: (i) Capital market variables and alternative investment opportunities in the form of stocks on the JSE, (ii) economic activity indicators and (iii) property market fundamental parameters. The empirical study entailed a three-phase methodology, which included the following steps: (i) data sampling and processing, (ii) screening variables through the simple regression and correlation coefficients and (iii) multiple regression complemented by statistical significance testing. Between 69% and 98.2 % (alpha=O.1) of the variation in returns could be explained in terms of the variation by the explanatory variables that passed the rigorous screening process. The relative good results are likely to be related to the higher explanatory power of the multi-factor approach. The remaining unexplained portion of return can potentially be decreased by using larger samples and pursuing some of the other recommendations for additional research. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.