Abstract in Xhosa and English / This study aimed to examine the relationship between working capital management and the financial performance of listed food and beverage companies in South Africa. Despite the existing literature on this relationship, no notable studies have investigated it in this particular industrial sector. Various data from a sample of 12 food and beverage companies listed on the JSE during the period 2007 to 2016 were collected from iress McGregor databases. Econometric regression analysis was then conducted on the data to determine the magnitude of relationships between working capital components and the financial performance of these companies. The researcher found that adopting an aggressive working capital management strategy assists in creating shareholder wealth through improved financial performance of the firm. To sum up, the shorter the cash conversion cycle, the more profitable the firm will be. / Injongo yesi sifundo kukuphonononga unxulumano phakathi kolawulo lwemali etyalelwa ukusebenza (inkunzi) nentsebenzo yemali (inzala) eyenziwa ziinkampani ezibhalisiweyo zokutya neziselo eMzantsi Afrika. Nangona kukhona okubhaliweyo malunga nolu nxulumano, akukho sifundo sigqamileyo ngeli candelo lorhwebo. Kukho iinkcukacha ezaqokelelwa kwiinkampani ezikhethiweyo ezili-12 nezibhaliswe kwiJSE. Ezi nkcukacha zazikwingqokelela egciniweyo eyaziwa ngokuba yi ‘iress McGregor databases’. Kuye kwenziwa uhlalutyo ngokuthelekisa inzala eqhele ukwenziwa naleyo kuqikelelwa ukuba iza kwenziwa kwezi nkcukacha zikaMcGregor. Oku bekusenzelwa ukubona ubungakanani bonxulumano phakathi kwenkunzi nenzala eyenziwa zezi nkampani. Umphandi ufumanise ukuba ukwakha icebo lolawulo olungqongqo lwenkunzi kuyanceda ekudaleni ubutyebi babanini zabelo ngokuphucula inzala eyenziwa liqumrhu lorhwebo. Elokuqukumbela lithi, ngokufutshanisa ivili lokuguqula imali, iya kuba ngaphezulu inzala yequmrhu lorhwebo. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

This study is about assessing security measures in the hotel industry in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The researcher divided Gauteng into five regions (Mogale City; Tshwane; Central Johannesburg; Ekurhuleni; and Sedibeng). The researcher adopted the qualitative approach where one-on-one interviews were conducted with the participants. There were 20 hotels that were selected to participate in the study. From the 20 hotels, where only one participant from each was involved, the researcher conducted one-on-one interviews with twenty (20) Security Managers or anybody who was responsible for the security functions at senior level at the hotels. A semi-structured interview schedule with probing questions was used as a guide to obtain comprehensive information about security measures from the participants. Random sampling approach was used in the study. From the population of 70 hotels in Gauteng, where the sample of twenty (20) was derived, was the group within which the researcher was interested in for obtaining data. Since Gauteng Province is huge, the researcher only conducted research within the four metropolitan areas consisting of Johannesburg, Mogale City, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. The aims and objectives of the research study are as follows: • Outline the nature of business that hotels are engaged in; • Investigate if there are security policies and procedures as part of effective security component; • Examine what important assets need to be protected at hotel facilities; • Uncover the risks facing assets in the hotel facilities; • Determine what incidents of loss took place in the hotel facilities; • Examine what assets are mainly targeted by perpetrators at hotels; • Uncover the profile and modus operandi of hotel perpetrators; • Examine the effectiveness of security measures and systems that are put in place at hotels; • Explore if security systems are integrated at hotels; • Determine the frequency of conducting risk assessment at hotels; • Check if pre and post-employment screening is conducted for security officers at hotels; • Find out if the guests inquire about security measures when making reservations; and • Find out how guests feel about security at the hotel facilities. The study revealed the following: • Hotels are business entities which attract different types of guests, nationally and internationally. Different services that are offered at the hotels which make hotels the main choice of destination to the guests are: accommodation for sleeping, leisure, and work commitments such as workshops or conferences. The study also revealed that most of the clientele comes from the corporate sector. • There are basic security measures in place in the hotels. These range from security policies, security procedures, physical security (for example, technological security such as Close Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system, adequate security lighting, security personnel (contract or in-house), alarm systems, armed response, access control systems and security fence or walls). The security measures were also appeared to be put in place in accordance with the location of the hotel. If the hotel was surrounded by other business areas, the level of security was more focused in the inner security layer. If the hotel was standing alone, the different security layers (the inner security layer, the outer and the middle security layers) were adequately protected. • Hotels are faced with different risks such as theft, prostitution, murder and assault, among others. Theft however was found to be across the board; for example, people were stealing the hoteliers’ property or the guests’ property. • Prostitution was found to be prevalent at hotels. Prominent people from political arena, corporate environment and other guests were interested in the prostitutes. Prostitutes were said to have their own modus operandi of using drugs to their prospective clients and then rob them of their money and belongings thereafter. • Most of the assets which are targeted by hotel perpetrators were found to be: guests/hotel money, hotel goods, guests’ cars, goods in guests’ cars, televisions, home music systems and mobile devices such as laptops and cell phones. • The profile and modus operandi of hotel perpetrators. • Security assessments are conducted at hotels so as to figure out what security risks are facing the hotels. • Hotels need to be protected at all times against criminality as it tarnishes their image. • Most of the guests do enquire about the safety of the hotel before making a booking. Some of the guests mainly from the corporate sector do send their security specialists to assess the level of security at the hotel prior to making a booking. As the findings on this study were based on aims and objectives, recommendations for crime combating, proactive protection and future research were identified. The recommendations will, hopefully, also improve any inadequate security measures that may have been revealed by the study. / Criminology and Security Science / M.A. (Criminal Justice)

Despite there being general agreement that SMEs are valuable in the global and South African economy to aid in creating jobs and in growing the economy, few benefits accrue to these enterprises as they endure a number of challenges which make them unsustainable. This research aimed to investigate the sustainability of SMEs in Tshwane townships, with an aim to design a framework that could be used by other SMEs that intend to enter the tourism industry, to ensure that they are sustainable and can contribute towards the expansion of the South African economy. The primary data was collected through a questionnaire, which was used to obtain information on Tshwane township tourism SMEs, as a way of detecting whether they were sustainable or not. The results indicated that the Tshwane township tourism SMEs were very small enterprises created by owners who were passionate about the tourism product. These enterprises have not been able to grow and employ more people but have provided employment and survival income for the owner and, in some cases, two additional people. SMEs face various challenges relating to sustainability, one of the main challenges being financial stability. SMEs are therefore unable to play their intended role in the creation of employment as well as in contributing to the economy as a whole. In an attempt to assist the owners and/or managers of SMEs to fulfil their roles, an SME framework was developed in the course of the present research. This framework comprises a step-by-step guide that asks all the relevant questions aimed at getting to know the business and culminating in a range of recommendations that could assist in making these SMEs sustainable. / Entrepreneurship and Supply Chain, Transport, Tourism and Logistics Management / M. Com. (Tourism Management)

Since the advent of the Internet, the number of individuals and organisations using tools such as the World Wide Web and cell phones has increased, and is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Social media has provoked fundamentally different ways of doing business, and organisations rapidly had to get on this social media bandwagon to stay up to date with the latest market trends and ahead of the competition. Although social media is already broadly used among South African businesses, the perception regarding the use of social media as a promotional mix element has not been investigated sufficiently in South Africa. The primary purpose of this study was therefore to determine the perception of star-graded accommodation establishments, operating in the Western Cape province of South Africa, regarding the use of social media as a promotional mix element. A broad and in-depth literature review was conducted on the use of social media and social media as a probable promotional mix element. An empirical study was conducted, in which data was collected from star-graded accommodation establishments operating in the Western Cape by means of a web-based (computer-assisted) self-administered questionnaire. A quantitative approach was followed in order to satisfy the research objectives of this study. The results of this research study indicate that social media is perceived to be an instrumental marketing element in star-graded accommodation establishments and can indeed be considered an element of the promotional mix. / Business Management / MCOM (Business Management)

Since the advent of the Internet, the number of individuals and organisations using tools such as the World Wide Web and cell phones has increased, and is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Social media has provoked fundamentally different ways of doing business, and organisations rapidly had to get on this social media bandwagon to stay up to date with the latest market trends and ahead of the competition. Although social media is already broadly used among South African businesses, the perception regarding the use of social media as a promotional mix element has not been investigated sufficiently in South Africa. The primary purpose of this study was therefore to determine the perception of star-graded accommodation establishments, operating in the Western Cape province of South Africa, regarding the use of social media as a promotional mix element. A broad and in-depth literature review was conducted on the use of social media and social media as a probable promotional mix element. An empirical study was conducted, in which data was collected from star-graded accommodation establishments operating in the Western Cape by means of a web-based (computer-assisted) self-administered questionnaire. A quantitative approach was followed in order to satisfy the research objectives of this study. The results of this research study indicate that social media is perceived to be an instrumental marketing element in star-graded accommodation establishments and can indeed be considered an element of the promotional mix. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

Abstracts in English, Southern Sotho and Zulu / The primary objective of the study was to explore customers’ perceptions of the service quality provided in the hotel industry, in Pretoria. Considering the growth of the hotel industry in Pretoria, this study revealed that customers expect to receive a high level of service quality, which will lead to customer satisfaction and produce a positive perception of hotel service. An exploratory research design was adopted in this study and qualitative data were collected through interviewing customers of a hotel. In terms of limitations, this study was conducted at one selected hotel in Pretoria. Atlas.ti software was used to analyse collected data. The analysis of the data identified a number of specific themes that were relevant to shaping the perceptions of the respondents, in terms of service quality and their satisfaction with the service quality received. The themes supported existing literature in terms of the factors influencing perceptions of service and the specific influences within those themes were elaborated on, leading to recommendations for managing service quality perceptions in the hotel industry. / Maikemišetšomagolo a dinyakišišo e bile go utolla maikutlo a badiriši mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo tše di abiwago ka intastering ya dihotele ka Pretoria. Ka ge di hlokometše kgolo ya intasteri ya dihotele ka Pretoria, dinyakišišo tše di utollotše gore ba emetše go hwetša ditirelo tša boleng, tšeo di tlago feletša ka go kgotsofala ga badiriši le go tšweletša maikutlo a makaone a tirelo ya dihotele. Tlhamo ya dinyakišišo tša go utolla e dirišitšwe ka mo dinyakišišong tše gomme tshedimošo ya boleng e kgobokeditšwe ka go botšiša badiriši ba dihotele dipotšišo. Mabapi le mellwane, dinyakišišo tše di dirilwe ka hoteleng e tee yeo e kgethilwego ka Pretoria. Softewere ya Atlas.ti e šomišitšwe go sekaseka tshedimošo ye e kgobokeditšwego. Tshekatsheko ya tshedimošo e utollotše merero ye mmalwa ye itšego yeo e bego e le maleba mabapi le go beakanya maikutlo a baarabi, mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo le go kgotsofala ga bona mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo tšeo di hweditšwego. Merero e thekgile dingwalwa tše di lego gona mabapi le mabaka ao a huetšago maikutlo ka ga ditirelo gomme dikhuetšo tše itšego ka gare ga merero yeo di hlathollotšwe, gomme se sa feletša ka ditšhišinyo tša go laola maikutlo ka ga boleng bja ditirelo ka intastering ya dihotele. / Inhloso enkulu yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuhlola imibono yamakhasimende ngekhwalithi yesevisi enikezwa embonini yamahhotela, ePitoli. Uma kubhekwa ukukhula komkhakha wamahhotela ePitoli, lolu cwaningo luveze ukuthi amakhasimende alindele ukuthola izinga eliphakeme lezinsizakalo, okuzoholela ekwanelisekeni kwamakhasimende futhi kuveze umbono omuhle wensizakalo yamahhotela. Lolu cwaningo oluchazayo lwamukelwe kanti lakhelwe phezulu kwemininingwane ebhekelele ubunjalo besimo yaqoqwa ngokuxoxisana namakhasimende asehhotela. Ngokwemikhawulo, lolu cwaningo lwenziwe ehhotela elilodwa elikhethiwe ePitoli. Kusetshenziswe isofthiweye noma uhlelo lokusebenza elibizwa nge-Atlas.ti ukuhlaziya imininingwane eqoqiwe. Ukuhlaziywa kwedatha kukhombe izingqikithi ezithile ebezifanele ukwakhela imibono yabaphenduli, ngokuya ngekhwalithi yesevisi nokweneliseka kwazo ngekhwalithi yesevisi etholakele. Izindikimba zisekele imibhalo ekhona ngokwezinto ezinomthelela emibonweni yesevisi kanye nemithelela ethize kulezo zingqikithi yachazwa kabanzi, okuholela ezincomweni zokuphatha imibono yekhwalithi yesevisi embonini yamahhotela. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)