The purpose of this study was to explore the strategising practices of chartered accountants (CAs) in the South African mining industry. Few studies have dealt with the practical skills CAs employ when they engage in strategising practices and, in particular, a gap could be identified on how CAs engage with strategy tools during strategising. Approximately two thirds of all directors in South Africa are CAs and only 11% of directors who are CAs also hold master‟s degrees in business administration. The question then arises of how do CAs engage with strategy tools during strategising? This study applied key concepts of social practice theory to explore the strategising practices of CAs from a strategy-as-practice perspective. The strategy-as-practice perspective entails studying strategy practitioners within their social constructs. The context of this study was the South African mining industry, a landscape seen as an essential part of the South African economy. An exploratory qualitative research design was applied whereby one-on-one interchanges during individual interviews provided rich, detailed descriptions of how CA strategists use strategy tools when they engage in strategising practices. The social nature of the practices and praxis of strategy practitioners from a strategy-as-practice perspective constantly changes. As such, the current study was conducted from a constructivist paradigm to describe the narrative reality of the strategy practitioners as they engage with strategy tools. The findings of the study portrayed participants as bricoleurs of strategy tools, i.e. craftspeople who adapted and interpreted strategy tools from an accounting perspective to serve the requirements of the situation they face. / Financial Accounting / M. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The findings of this study regarding company and export profiles correlated largely with the findings of the various studies detailed in the literature review. Given the close correlation with other studies on the same subject, it is the researcher's belief that this study will have a broad application among prospective exporting SMEs, both regionally and nationally. The main findings are set out below. The review of the profile of manufacturing SMEs in the Western Capes uncovered: • a preference for their local markets; • the fact that trade frequencies are relatively high; • that the number of countries entered, represented a relatively narrow focus; • that Europe enjoyed significant support from the respondents; • that SADC and the rest of Africa attract relatively low levels oftradc. Although indicated in the national studies, it was still disappointing to discover the relatively low levels of export propensity (as defined by export sales as a function of total sales) prevalent among exporting SMEs. This was reflected by the fact that: • Only a small percentage of medium-sized SMEs are making inroads in this area. • The growth estimates for expected annual export sales are disappointing and possibly even pointing to a declining trend. The surveyed SMEs indicated that their expansion into international markets is motivated primarily by: • the utilisation of excess capacity; and • the opportunity to grow sales. There also seems to be an opportunist approach to the export development process stemming from that fact that: • Almost 50 % of finns responded to unsolicited orders. • Exporting SMEs are drawn into the process passively, rather than through a proactive and conscious decision. The apparent lack of a clear export orientation among exporting SMEs in the Western Cape is of particular concern, as evidenced by the factors identified above. Exporting SMEs have identified the arena of marketing management and market access as key barriers in the process of internationalising their businesses. In addition, they identified a lack of knowledge within this field of study within their organisations, as well as marketing support, as being the areas where they would most like assistance from policy makers. The following were identified as major barriers: • access to, and knowledge of specific markets, • representation in the various markets, and • an effective marketing function. The following represented the area of least knowledge: • international marketing management, and • market entry channels. The following represented the most effective ways in which policy makers could assist: • constraint elimination (Policy making or otherwise). • marketing support. The fundings of the review regarding the use of support institutions revealed that: • Only 45 % of exporting 8MEs actually make use of these institutions. • 72 % of sample indicated that they only make use of these institutions every six months or at even less frequent intervals. Given the findings under this section, it is apparent that those organisations with a vested interest in export promotion, and government in particular, should take particular note of these fmdings. It seems that at present the various export promotion bodies (state or private) are failing to attract 8ME exporters to their products and services, and in so doing make a meaningful impact on export promotion. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die bevindings van hierdie studie ten opsigte van maatskappy- en uitvoerprofiele het grotendeels ooreengestem met dit wat gevind is in ander soortgelyke studies. Gegewe die nou-ooreenstemming met ander studies op dieselfde vakgebied, glo die navorser clat die studie by 'n groot aantal klein en medium (KMO's) uitvoerorganisasies aanklank sal vind, op beide streek en nasionale vlak. Die hoofbevindinge van die studie is soos volg: Die studie van vervaardigingsmaatskappye in die Wes Kaap het die volgende openbaar: • 'n voorkeur vir hul plaaslike markte; • die feit dat handelfrekwensies relatief hoog is; • dat die getal lande wat betree is, 'n relatiewe nou fokus verteenwoordig; • dat Europa noemenswaardige ondersteuning van die respondente geniet het; • dat SADC en die res van Afrika relatieflae vlakke van handel trek. AlhoeweI dit in nasionale studies aanduidend was, is dit steeds teleurstelend om die relatieve lae vlakke van heersende uitvoergeneigdheid onder uitvoer-KMO's te ontdek (soos gedefinieer deur uitvoerverkope as 'n funksie van totale verkope). Dit is weerspieel deur die feit dat: • Slegs 'n klein persentasie van medium-grote KMO's maak inslag in die area. • Die groei vooruitskattings vir verwagte jaarlikse uitvoerverkope was teleurstellend en wys moontlik na 'n dalende tendens. Die studie het getoon dat KMO's se motivering om die uitvoermark te betree deur onder andere die volgende gemotiveer word: • die gebruik van addisionele kapasiteit; en • die geleentheid om bruto opbrengs te bevorder. Die KMO's wat ondersoek is het aangedui dat hulle u:itbreiding tot die intemasionale mark hoofsaaklik gemotiveer is deur: • die aanwending van oorskotkapasiteit; en • die geleentheid om verkope te verhoog. Daar blyk ook 'n opportunistiese benadering te wees rakende die uitvoerontwikkelingsproses, voortspruitend uit die feit dat: • Sowat 50 % van die firma's het reageer op ongevraagde plasings. • Uitvoerende KMO's word passiewelik tot die proses ingetrek, eerder dan deur 'n proaktiewe en bewustelike besluit. Die oenskynlike gebrek aan 'n duidelike uitvoer orientasie tussen uitvoerende KMO's in die Wes-Kaap is van besondere kommer, soos verduidelik met die bogemelde gei"dentifiseerde faktore. Uitvoerende KMO's het die arena van bemarkingsbestuur en marktoegang identifiseer as sleutel hindemisse in die proses van intemasionalisering van hulle besigbede. Bykomend hiertoe het hulle 'n tekort aan kennis identifiseer binne hierdie studieveld in hulle organisasies, sowel as bemarkingsondersteuning, as die areas waar hulle die meeste ondersteuning benodig van beleidsmakers. Die volgende is identifiseer as sleutel hindemisse: • toegang tot, en kennis van die spesifieke markte, • verteenwoordiging in die verskeie markte, en • 'n effektiewe bemarkingsfunksie. Die volgende verteenwoordig die areas met die minste kennis: • internasionale bemarkingsbestuur, en • markbetredingskanale. Die volgende verteenwoordig die mees effektiewe wyse waarbinne beleidsmakers kan ondersteun: • beperkingseliminasie (beleidsmakers of andersins). • bemarkingsbystand. Die bevindinge van die oorsig bertreffende die gebruik van ondersteuningsinstellings het aan die lig gebring dat: • Slegs 45 % van die uitvoerende KMO's maak werklik gebruik van hierdie instellings. • 72 % van steekproef dui daarop dat hulle net van hierdie instellings elke ses maande of op minder gereelde intervalle gebruik maak. Gegewe die bevindinge onder hierdie afdeling, is dit duidelik dat daardie organisasies met 'n gevestigde belang in uitvoerpromosie, en vernaarn die staat, besondere kennis moet neem van die bevindinge. Op hede blyk dit dat die verskeie uitvoerpromosie- liggame (staat of openbaar) faal om uitvoerende KMO's te trek tot hulle produkte en dienste, en sodoende 'n betekenisvolle impak te maak op uitvoerpromosie.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The retention of the right skills in any organisation or industry is always a challenge. There are many causes of the skills shortage and it is also difficult to retain skilled people once they have been found. The literature suggests that retention of skills should ideally be considered from the design and expectation of the requirements of the job through to the recruitment process; and not only once the employee has started working. The literature also explores the different retention strategies that can be applied, such as succession planning, employee engagement, work – life balance, remuneration structuring and career advancement path. This research is limited to Tshikondeni coal mine and attempts to establish which of the following are the biggest contributing factors that cause people to leave and resign from the mine: • Known life of the mine left is till 2014; • Remote location away from essential services; • Leadership; and • Remuneration. From the research that was done, it became clear that the limited life of the mine was the biggest contributing factor that would make employees want to leave Tshikondeni coal mine. Further study is recommended for organisations that operate with finite resources, and mostly in remote areas, to develop further specific retention strategies – over and above those challenges that face all other industries and organisations. This should be done so that the reality of finite resources can be addressed in order to keep employees motivated and energised until the last ton is extracted. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit is altyd ‘n uitdaging in enige organisasie of industrie om die regte vaardighede te behou. Daar is baie redes vir die tekort aan vaardighede en dit is moeilik om bekwame mense te behou wanneer hulle wel gevind word. Die literatuur raai aan dat die retensie van vaardighede reeds in die ontwerp van en vereistes vir ‘n betrekking in ag geneem moet word, sowel as tydens die werwingsproses en nie eers na indiensneming van die werknemer nie. Die literatuur ondersoek ook retensie strategië wat toegepas kan word, soos bv. opvolgbeplanning, werknemerbetrokkenheid, balans tussen werk en vrye tyd, vergoedingstrukture en moontlikhede vir bevordering. Hierdie navorsing is beperk tot Tshikondeni steenkoolmyn en poog om vas te stel watter van die volgende die grootste bydraende faktore is waarom mense bedank en weggaan by die myn: • Lewensduur van die myn slegs tot 2014; • Afgesonderde ligging weg van essensële dienste; • Leierskap; en • Vergoeding. Uit die navorsing wat gedoen is, het dit duidelik geword dat die beperkte lewensduur van die myn die grootste bydraende faktor was waarom werknemers wou weggaan van Tshikondeni steenkoolmyn. Verdere navorsing word aanbeveel vir organisasies wat met beperkte hulpbronne, en hoofsaaklik in afgeleë gebiede, werk om verdere spesifieke retensie strategieë te ontwikkel – bo en behalwe dié wat vir ander industrieë en organisasies geld. Hierdeur kan die realiteit van beperkte hulpbronne aangespreek word om sodoende die motivering en aansporing van werknemers te verseker totdat die laaste ton verwerk is.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The adoption of the White Paper on the promotion of Renewable Energy and clean fuels in 2003, opened the playing field for participants from other industries than the conventional petroleum, to participate in the fuel industry in South Africa. South Africa is a net importer of crude oil, which accounts for 92% of liquid fuels supply in South Africa. Although the country has significant coal reserves which can supply the country's demand for approximately 200 years, this energy source contributes significantly to CO, emissions. South Africa's participation in the Kyoto Protocol compels it to abide by its commitments to reduce these emissions between 2008 and 2012. The country's dependence on energy to fuel its growing economy, and the infiationary impact that oil imports has had on the country's economy, has prompted government to explore alternative sources of energy to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and especially importing crude oil. As a result of this, and in an attempt to increase the potential for the successful implementation of ASGISA, government is exploring the feasibility of introducing an E10 fuel blend to the South African petrol blend. In view of th is, government has in it Accelerated and Sustainable Growth Initiative (ASGISA) targeted the development of the bio-fuels industry as an industrial sector that presents opportunities to create opportunities for sustainable growth and development. In view of this, the fiedgling fuel-ethanol industry (which is in its construction phase at the t ime of writing this report), faces lucrative prospects for the agricultural industry, especially maize- and ethanol producers. It is anticipated that the fuel-ethanol industry will create between 8000 and 10000 direct and indirect employment opportunities per plant. This will result in significant investment in rural areas as well. The creation of employment in the rural areas will prevent the large-scale urbanisation that has become a phenomenon in the past decade, as a result of dwindling agricultural industries. The production of ethanol presents the opportunity to earn foreign exchange, especially if the industry embarks on large scale export strategies. In addition to the export market, the local market for ethanol consist of the possible E10 petrol-blend and to supply Eskom with ethanol to fuel its gas turbine electricity generators at Acacia, Port Rex, as well as the anticipated generators at Atlantis and Mossel Bay. This document is a report on the investigation of the economic evaluation of a bio-fuel industry in South Africa. It will explore the current outlook for fossil fuel reserves, supplies and demand, both internationally and locally. It will report on the phenomenon of peak oil production and some opinions thereon . An investigation into the most probable biomass that can be used as feedstock for bio-fuel production will conducted. In this regard, specific investigation into maize, sugar cane (for fuelethanol) and Jatropha eureas (for bio-diesel) will be conducted. The report will explore the most efficient ethanol production processes, for both maize- and sugar-to-ethanol production, with the weight of the document to be attributed to the economic impact that the adoption of the fuel-ethanol programme / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die publisering van die Witskrif oor die promosie van hernieubare energiebronne en skoon brandstowwe in 2003, het die speelveld vir deelname aan die brandstof industrie oopgemaak vir rolspelers buiten die konvensionele petroleum maatskappye. Suid-Afrika is 'n netto invoerder van ru-olie en het in 2004 ongeveer 92% van die totale vloeibare brandstowwe ingevoer. Alhoewel die land aansienlike steenkool reserwes het om te voorsien in die aanvraag vir die volgende ongeveer 200 jaar, dra hierdie energiebron aansienlik by tot die koolstofdioksied vrystellings. Suid-Afrika se deelname aan die Kyoto Protokol van 1998, dwing die land om te voldoen aan die ondernemings wat gemaak is om hierdie koolstofdioksied vrystellings te verminder tussen 2008 en 2012. Die land se afhanklikheid van energiebronne om groei te stimuleer, asook die inflasionistiese effek van olie invoere op die ekonomie, het die regering genoop om alternatiewe bronne van energie te ondersoek sodat die afhanklikheid van olie verminder kan word. Uiteenlopend hiervan en om die implementering van ASGISA te stimuleer, ondersoek die regering tans die moontlikheid om 'n E10 petrol vermenging in die petrol formule te spesifiseer. Uit die oogpunt van ASGISA (Accelerated and Sustainable Growth Initiative) van Suid-Afrika, het die regering die ontwikkeling van die bio-brandstowwe industrie geoormerk om geleenthede te skep vir volhoubare ontwikkeling en groei. Met die oog hierop, voorspel die etanol bedryf, wat ten tyde van die skryf van hierdie verslag nog in kontruksie was, winsgewende potensiaal vir die landboubedryf, veral mielie produsente. Dit word verwag dat die etanol bedryf tussen ongeveer 8000 en 10000 direkte en indirekte werksgeleenthede sal skep, veral in die landelike gebiede. Dit sal grotendeels bydra tot die voorkoming van die voortslepende ontvolking van die platteland wat oor die afgelope jare 'n verlammende effek op plattelandse gebiede gehad het. Dit word ook voorsien dat daar aansienlike belegging in die platteland sal plaasvind en al hierdie faktore sal bydra tot die voorkoming van verstedeliking . Die etanol bedryf skep die geleentheid om buitelandse valuta te genereer, veral as die industrie op uitvoere gaan konsentreer. Indien 'n plaaslike mark beoog word , sal die implementering van die E10 vermenging 'n besliste mark skep. 'n Alternatiewe mark wat ondersoek kan word, en wat groot geleentheid skep, is Eskom, wat tans ingevoerde diesel verbruik om hul gas turbine krag opwekkers by Acacia en Port Rex van brandstof te voorsien . Indien die beoogde turbines by Atlantis en Mosselbaai gebou word, sal die mark vir plaaslike etanol verdubbel. Hierdie dokument is 'n verslag oor die ondersoek wat gedoen is na die lewensvatbaarheid van 'n brandstof etanol bedryf in Suid-Afrika. Dit berig oor die huidige uitkyk oor die fossiel brandstof reserwes in die wereld en plaaslik. Dit opper die vraagstuk oor piek olie produksie fenomeen wat uiteenlopende debate ontketen het. Die verslag dek die waarskynlike bronne van biomassa wat aangewend kan word in die produksie van etanol, met spesifieke verwysing na mielies, suikerriet en Jatropha curcas. Die mees effektiewe produksie metodes word verder ondersoek wat van toepassing is op beide mielies en suikerriet. Die mees relevante deeI van die verslag is die ondersoek na die ekonomiese impak wat die industrie op die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie mag hê, waarna die nodige gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak sal word.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / The relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and competitiveness in South Africa and Nigeria was investigated. Existing data available in literature was used to analyse trends with regards to FDI and competitiveness in South Africa and Nigeria over the last 10 years. According to the UNCTAD report (2002) in 1997, FDI in Africa was concentrated on five countries namely, Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. Nigeria in the last ten years has consistently outperformed South Africa with regards to the amount of FDI received; yet South Africa outperforms Nigeria on all the competitiveness indices. This has been primarily due to the fact that Nigeria's main source of FDI is the petroleum sector. In Africa 75% of FDI goes into countries endowed with petroleum and mineral resources with very few of these strangling to meet the above list of WAIPA reasons favourable for FDI. The ultimate goal of a nations competitiveness is to increase efficiencies under free and fair market conditions through foreign trade, production and investment. Main results of this study have been the following; • Oil is a major FDI attractor of FDI in Africa, and explains why Nigeria receives more FDI than South Africa. • Although Nigeria does not have a good competitive record relative to South Africa it does however offer competitive fiscal terms to IOC's to explore and exploit the countries abundant petroleum resources. • Oil wealth struggles to filter down to the people of the country, as Nigeria's per capita income remains about fifteen times lower than South Africa's, with its more efficient economy. • This study confirms the fact that many MNC's especially in Africa tend to be driven by resource-seeking opportunities and rather than efficiency seeking opportunities. Unfortunately many of the petroleum exporting countries are unable to use the wealth generated by the petroleum industry to enhance their global competitiveness. The problem is that many countries are not diversified enough and rely extensively on commodities to generate much needed revenue.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: For decades black South Africans suffered under apartheid, being excluded from active participation in the South African economy. Following the first democratic election in 1994, which was won by the African National Congress, the new government immediately made clear its intentions to transform the economy by including all the South Africans citizens. In 2004 the government promulgated the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (BB-BEE), which aimed to redress the wrongs of the past and to realise the country's full economic potential whilst assisting the black majority to become part of the economic mainstream. The BB-BEE act focused primarily on the upliftment and empowerment of historically disadvantaged people, particularly black people, women, the youth and the disabled and on those living in rural communities; it aims to include these people in the management and ownership structures of South African companies. The clay brick industry, one of the oldest industries in the world, had been severely affected by the introduction of the legislation, as 75% of businesses were predominantly family owned, and 69.39% of them are predominantly white owned. The primary objective of this research assignment was to investigate the impact of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BB-BEE) on the South African clay brick industry and to make recommendations to the various stakeholders regarding the management of the introduction of BB-BEE into the industry. The methodology followed a survey approach by using specific indicators to ascertain what the perceptions and experiences of the business owners were, regarding the implementation of BB-BEE in the industry. The study found that the business owners were concerned about losing control of their businesses, that there is very little support from government for businesses entering into BB-BEE deals and that it is difficult to find the “right” empowerment partner which “fits” the culture and management style of the business. The study concluded that much uncertainty, fear and anxiety exists amongst business owners regarding the introduction of BB-BEE. The study also makes practical recommendations to the various stakeholders who may assist with facilitating the introduction of BB-BEE in the industry.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the efforts of stakeholders in a regional innovation system (RIS) to reconstruct the system to enable the development of the nascent biotechnology industry in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Various institutions and organisations played a crucial role in effecting these changes. One of the most important changes involved legislation that altered the role that universities play in bridging the gap between research outputs and reaping commercial benefits from such outputs. Following the logic of the regional innovation system, the study focused on the institutional changes, the mechanisms employed to bridge this gap (from creating spin-off firms, and licensing technologies based on university research, to designing programmes to support the development of bio-entrepreneurs). For a comparative perspective from another region that arrived on the biotechnology scene relatively late, the study includes a section on university spin-offs in biotechnology from Hong Kong universities. Since all the efforts to effect the changes to the RIS that would enhance the growth of this promising industry are relatively new, the study faced the usual problems associated with pioneering developments, such as small samples, a complete lack of databases, etc. For this reason, the questionnaire survey and case study methods were used throughout the study. Starting from the general to the specific, the thesis is divided into four complementary parts. Part I comprises the general literature survey and rationale for the study, while Part II narrows the focus to the organisations and mechanisms that connect knowledge creation and knowledge exploitation in the regional context in the Western Cape, South Africa and Hong Kong, China. Part III evaluates early efforts at building a bridge from science to business in the form of bio-entrepreneurship programmes. Part IV takes a micro view, tracking the evolution of biotechnology spin-offs from Western Cape universities, and highlighting the role that institutional changes played in the genesis, growth and, unfortunately, demise of some biotechnology spin-offs. The last section concludes. Throughout the study a familiar refrain repeated itself with respect to the challenges faced by new spin-offs, namely the perennial culprits of a lack of appropriate skills, and funding. From our study, bearing in mind the small scale and the danger of generalisations, it would seem as if the reconstruction of the RIS and related changes in the national innovation system (NIS1) did not generate the results that the strategy hoped for (at least in the Western Cape, the focus of our study). A beam of light is the relative success achieved with the development and implementation of a bio-entrepreneurship training programme, which laid the foundation to build a more sustainable bridge between the science of biotechnology and the commercial world where the wealth creation opportunities reside.

This study explored the dynamics of local-level trade in plant-based mats and baskets in Khanyayo village, Eastern Cape. These dynamics include social aspects of harvesting, resource tenure and trade. It also includes institutional issues such as legislation that enhances or restricts the degree to which local people could benefit from the trade or direct use. The study also explored the contribution of the trading in mats and baskets to the livelihoods of the Khanyayo people.

M.Tech in Business Administration (MBA) / The literature shows that most of these entities are run by their founders or by a small management team and very few such operators have proper succession planning in place. The lack of proper succession planning can have the direct effect of causing the collapse of these businesses especially when key players leave the business upon retirement or in pursuit of other options. The loss of knowledge and experience, and the consequences thereof for business is well-documented. The exit or exodus of key stakeholders can make a business vulnerable and diminish its worth as investors will not invest in a business that is unsustainable. Succession planning was identified as one of the most pressing issues for small, micro and medium enterprises in the corporate governance sphere.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 2016. / Environmental income in rural socio-ecological systems consists of the monetary and non-monetary value derived by people from non-agricultural ecosystem goods and services that are sourced from wild or uncultivated natural systems. This environmental income forms an important part of rural households' diversified livelihood income portfolios and includes resources like fuelwood, herbs, fruits, game, medicinal plants and other materials that are used for clothing, shelter, arts and crafts. Rural households also depend on income from two other land-based income streams, crop farming and livestock husbandry, and off-farm activities income stream, which includes grants and wages, for both consumption and cash generation. While rural livelihoods are becoming increasingly reliant on off-farm income, land-based livelihood income streams (including environmental income) still play an important supplementary role, especially to satisfy subsistence needs. Past studies in the developing world have quantified livelihood incomes and have often associated these income values to the socio-economic characteristics of households. However, neither do these studies examine the different livelihood income streams collectively as a portfolio, nor do they sufficiently account for and create understanding around the correlations within the suites of influencing factors. Livelihoods are often analysed using frameworks that are used to understand households' livelihood income portfolios, especially their environmental income dependencies, in relation to influencing factors. These frameworks can be useful tools to gain a quantitative understanding of households’ livelihood income portfolios. This study aimed to quantify and understand the contribution of environmental income to rural households as part of their diversified livelihood portfolios and relate these livelihood portfolios to household socio-economic characteristics and adopted livelihood strategies using the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) framework. Interviews were conducted during 2010 in 590 households spread across nine villages in the Bushbuckridge region, Mpumalanga, South Africa. The interviews focussed on the quantification of four livelihood income streams — environmental, livestock, crops and off-farm. These income streams were assessed at three points of assessment (POAs) in the livelihood income chain — the initial, primary income value into the household, the value used for household consumption, and the amount of cash generated. Livelihood incomes were analysed using summary statistics, frequency distributions and ordinations. These were used to gauge the value of these incomes to individual households as well as to the system as a whole, in both absolute terms and relative to each other. Ordinations were then used to explore the relationships between variables within the suite of household socio-economic characteristics and within the suite of adopted household livelihood strategies, and finally incorporating both. Lastly, the proportional environmental income dependencies of households were explored using global fractional logit generalised linear models (GLMs). The models first included the socio-economic characteristics as explanatory variables, and then the adopted livelihood strategies. Almost all households used the environmental, crop and off-farm income streams for primary income and consumption, with the primary income from off-farm activities being in the form of cash generation. In contrast, less than 12% of households were involved in the primary collection and consumption of livestock income. In general, fewer households were involved in the cash generation from the land-based livelihood income streams. However, these sellers represented a larger fraction of users for the livestock income stream then when compared to the other two land-based income streams. While livestock income was used less frequently than the other two land-based income streams, it was comparatively as valuable as the off-farm income stream to its users. Overall, absolute changes in the correlated land-based income streams were not related to the off-farm income streams. Relative variation in livestock primary income was related to the relative variation in primary income values from off-farm activities. Relative variation in the crops and environmental cash generation was related to corresponding cash generation values from off-farm activities. Whether the livelihood incomes were examined for primary income, consumption or cash generation, the worth of the different livelihoods were valued differently to the socio-ecological system as a whole compared to their value to households that were involved in those activities, and their value to individuals within households. The collective variations at all POAs of the land-based strategies were associated with different sets of household socio-economic characteristics and adopted livelihood strategies, compared to the sets that were associated with the off-farm livelihood income stream. Factors that were associated with an income stream at one POA did not necessarily have the same association at the other POAs. The choice of adopted livelihood strategies reduces the need to understand and account for all factors that influences the translation of different types of capital, which includes household socio-economic characteristics, into livelihood incomes. This simplified connection is crucial to standardising and creating models that can be put into practice at all POAs within the livelihood chain in these socio-ecological systems. Furthermore, proportional environmental income dependencies can be useful for evaluating how the worth of environmental income is related quantitatively to influencing factors. However, many of the dynamics between influencing factors and the income streams that contribute to environmental income stream are not captured. The methodological approach used in this study in analysing the livelihoods of households in the Bushbuckridge region provides a standardised framework of analysis. The quantification of the livelihood data in common monetary units at the three different POAs of primary income, household consumption and cash generation, allows the analysis to be expanded to different platforms of understanding. The collective understanding of the variation between the different income streams can be expanded to understand the worth of these income streams to households and individuals within these households, as well as to understand the worth of these income streams to the socio-ecological system as a whole. When combining the collective understanding of the income portfolios at the different POAs with a collective understanding of the suite of household socio-economic characteristics or with a collective understanding of the suite of adopted livelihood strategies, a platform for understanding the dynamics within livelihoods is created. This has potential for creating workable predictive models of environmental income dependency in these systems, especially using the adopted livelihood strategies. The results of this dissertation also raise caution that analyses of these socio-ecological systems needs to be interpreted at all POAs simultaneously with the collective understanding of the links between incomes and socio-economic characteristics, and with the links between incomes and adopted livelihood strategies. There is more value during strategic planning in asking how to encourage a set of adopted livelihood strategies that are associated with the desired dependencies than asking which socio-economic household factors are likely to result in said dependencies. Policy intervention in the area that is aimed at increasing households' dependence on land-based activities needs to differentiate whether it will be encouraging the subsistence sourcing and consumption of resources, or will it encourage the cash generation from these income streams. Particular attention needs to be paid as to which households will be addressed. It will be wiser to implement some interventions across all households and rather focus other interventions on a few more involved households. / LG2017