Thesis (MSc Food Sc )--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study shows the potential of near infrared spectroscopy for both qualitative and quantitative analyses of wine and brandy in the distilling industry. Wines intended for further processing by the distillation industry have to meet certain specifications to ensure an efficient and cost-effective distilling process with a suitable product yield. Certain compounds have, therefore, been recognised as significant quality parameters and through their regulation, a product of consistent quality can be ensured. These quality parameters include alcohol, total acid, volatile acid, total sulphur dioxide, total phenolics, reducing sugars and acetaldehyde concentrations and pH. The effective control of all these compounds in the wines prior to distillation, is critical to maintain the feasibility and efficiency of the process. Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIRS) can be used as a rapid and accurate analytical method for the determination of alcohol concentrations in distilling and brandy base wine. The choice of path length for the liquid sampling cell is an important consideration. In this study, alcohol with its strong absorption of OH bands in the near infrared region was not significantly affected, but difference in path length showed a significant influence on the prediction of the volatile acid concentration in distilling wine. Very strong correlations were found between the spectral data and the alcohol concentration data in distilling wine (r = 0.99, SEP = 0.18% v/v, RER =30) and brandy base wine (r = 0.92, SEP = 0.18% v/v, RER = 11.1). Good predictions were obtained for the volatile acid content of brandy base wine (r = 0.85, SEP = 0.04 g.L-1 ) but better accuracy could be obtained by incorporating a wider concentration range and more sensitive, although not the accepted reference methods, such as HPLC and GC, into the modelling. In contrast to the brandy base wine, the much cruder, turbid distilling wine (r = 0.67, SEP = 0.33 g.L-1 ) yielded poor calibration results for volatile acid. FT-NIRS can also be used as a rapid screening method to measure the total acid content, pH and total phenol levels in brandy base wine samples. Satisfactory predictions were obtained for the total acid content (r = 0.89, SECV = 0.38 g.L-1 ), pH (r = 0.84, SEP = 0.09) and total phenol levels (r = 0.71, SEP = 16.4 mq.L" GAE). The SEP of all the parameters compared well with the SEL and were within acceptable limits. The range of the concentration measurements were, however, very narrow and the accuracy of these models (measured as the ratio of the range to the standard error of prediction) were all below 10, indicating that modelling of these parameters in brandy base wine should be attempted with reference values covering a wider range. Poor correlations and predictions were obtained between the wine spectral data and the acetaldehyde (r = 0.39 , SECV =1.45 rnq.L"), residual sugar (r = 0.58, SECV =0.49 mq.L" ) and total sulphur dioxide (r = 0.35, SEP = 10.9 mq.L" ) concentration data. The unique character of potstill distillates, originating from the grape cultivar, type and age of the oak casks, lends itself to the development and blending of different brandies. The process of blending and correcting the brandy is necessary to obtain a product and brand of established and recognised character. The brandy is generally divided into different classes prior to blending based on the degree of "smoothness" or "hardness" of the matured distillate as determined by a sensorial panel. The ideal would, however, be to replace this subjective evaluation method with a more objective approach, such as an instrumental method like NIRS. Near infrared spectroscopy showed potential to successfully discriminate and classify brandy samples in terms of their sensorial classification status. The near infrared spectra of unblended three-year old brandies were measured and discriminant analysis performed using the subjective sensory classification data of the brandy. SIMCA (soft independent modelling of class analogy) models were developed by calculating separate peA (principal component analysis) models for each of the classes for which qualitative analysis were required. An assessment of class membership of an unknown sample was made on the basis of the distance to the cluster centroid. Two types of NIRS instruments, a Fourier transform near infrared system and a diode array spectrophotometer were employed to examine the discriminatory abilities of NIRS. Excellent predictions (90.9%-100%) were obtained for the "smoothest" and "hardest" classes within the 2000 and 2001 seasons with FT-NIRS. For the diode array spectra reasonable classification data were obtained for all the classes within the 2000 and 2001 seasons, as well as an excellent classification rate (100%) of the smoothest class in the 1999 season. Prediction results for class membership of the brandy samples from the three season's combined data did not deliver satisfactory discriminatory results. By applying NIRS and SIMCA, rapid and objective classification of brandy samples within seasonal context can be established to enhance the blending processes. Having accurate reference data in the calibration set is essential in near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The precision (usually decided by blind duplicate determination) of the reference data serves as the performance target for correlation-based near infrared analysis. The differences between reference values obtained from two independent laboratories and the Foss Winescan FT 120, which is also a predictive method, for the alcohol and volatile acid determinations in distilling wine and between two independent laboratories for the measurement of the total sulphur dioxide content, were investigated. ANOVA and post-hoc analysis (Bonferroni testing) revealed statistically significant differences (p<O.OS)between all three measurements for the volatile acid analysis. One laboratory differed significantly from the other two measurements in its measurement of the alcohol content in distilling wine. A paired t-test performed on the two laboratories' values obtained for total sulphur dioxide revealed statistically significant differences (p<O.OS) between the two sets of results. This study restated the importance of obtaining reliable reference data for calibration purposes to maintain the efficiency and accuracy and therefore the reputability of NIRS as an accurate and reliable analytical method. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie dui op die potensiaal van naby infrarooi spektroskopie (NIRS) vir beide die kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe analise van wyn en brandewyn in die distillasie industrie. Sekere spesifikasies word gestel waaraan wyn met voldoen voor dit verdere prosessering tydens distillasie kan ondergaan. Die regulering van wynkwaliteit is noodsaaklik om die distilleringsproses ekonomies volhoubaar te maak. Sekere komponente in die wyn het 'n direkte invloed op die kwaliteit van die eindproduk en word beskou as betekenisvolle parameters wat beheer moet word om 'n produk van konstante hoë kwaliteit te lewer. Hierdie parameters sluit alkohol, titreerbare suur- en vlugtige suurinhoud, asook die pH, totale swaweidioksied, totale fenol vlakke, reduserende suikers en asetaldehied konsentrasies in. Die regulering van al hierdie komponente in die wyne is essensieel voor die aanvang van distillasie om die effektiwiteit en produktiwiteit van die proses te verseker. Fourier transformasie naby-infrarooi spektroskopie (FT-NIRS) kan benut word as 'n vinnige en akkurate analitiese metode om die alkohol konsentrasie in stook- en rabatwyn te bepaal. 'n Geskikte padlengte kuvet moet gekies word vir die ontleding van vloeistof monsters met NIRS. In hierdie studie is gevind dat die voorspelling van alkoholkonsentrasie in wyn, nie soseer beïnvloed is deur die keuse van padlengte nie. 'n Vlugtige komponent soos asynsuur, wat die maatstaf van die vlugtige suurinhoud van die wyn is, word egter regstreeks beïnvloed deur die keuse van padlengte. 'n Sterk korrelasie is gevind in die datastel vir die alkoholinhoud van die stookwyn (r = 0.99, SEP = 0.18% v/v, RER = 30) en rabatwyn (r = 0.92, SECV = 0.18% v/v, RER = 11.1). Baie goeie voorspellings is ook gevind vir die vlugtige suurinhoud van rabatwyn (r = 0.85, SEP = 0.04 g.L-1). Die akkuraatheid van die metode (uitgedruk as die RER waarde) het egter aangedui dat 'n wyer konsentrasie omvang en meer akkurate verwysingswaardes gebruik moet word om 'n geskikte model vir vlugtige suur kwantifikasie in rabatwyn te bewerkstellig. In teenstelling met die resultate verkry vir die rabatwyn, het die ruwer, turbiede stookwyn swak gekalibreer vir die vlugtige suurinhoud (r = 0.67, SEP = 0.33 g.L-1 ). FT-NIRS kan ook gebruik word as 'n vinnige seleksie metode om titreerbare suur vlakke, pH en totale fenolinhoud van rabatwyn monsters te bepaal. Sterk korrelasies is in die datastel gevind vir die titreerbare suurinhoud (r = 0.89, SECV = 0.38 g.L-1 ), pH (r = 0.84, SEP = 0.09) en totale fenol vlakke (r = 0.71, SEP = 16.4 rnq.L" GAE) van rabatwyn. Die SEP waardes verkry vanaf die NIRS bepalings het baie goed vergelyk met die standaard foute wat verkry is vir die chemiese bepalings. Die konsentrasie omvang van die verwysingswaardes was, egter, beperk en die akkuraatheid van die NIRS modelle (uitgedruk as die verhouding tussen die konsentrasie omvang en die standaard fout van voorspelling) was laer as 10. Dit het daarop gedui dat die NIRS kalibrasie van die parameters eerder uitgevoer moet word met monsters wat 'n wyer konsentrasie omvang dek en gemeet is met meer sensitiewe analitiese metodes soos HPLC en GC. Die kalibrasie en voorspelling van die asetaldehied inhoud (r = 0.39 , SECV =1.45 rnq.L"), reduserende suiker konsentrasie (r = 0.58, SECV =0.49 mq.L" ) en totale swaweldioksiedinhoud (r = 0.35, SEP = 10.9 rnq.L" ) het onaanvaarbare voorspellings gelewer. Die unieke karakter van potketel distillate wat bepaal word deur die druifkultivar, tipe en ouderdom van die eikehoutvate, bied die potensiaal vir die ontwikkeling en versnyding van verskillende style brandewyn. In 'n poging om 'n produk en handelsnaam van erkende en gevestigde karakter te verkry, moet die brandewyn eers versny word na veroudering. Die brandewyn word geklassifiseer in verskillende style op grond van sensoriese gehalte. NIRS is gebruik as 'n vinnige tegniek om te onderskei tussen verskillende style onversnyde drie jaar-oue brandewyn. SIMCA (soft independent modelling of class analogy) modelle is ontwerp deur aparte PCA (hoof komponent analise) modelle vir elke klas waarvoor kwalitatiewe analise vereis is, te ontwikkel. 'n Skating van klas lidmaatskap van 'n onbekende monster is gemaak deur die afstand van die monster na die groepsmiddelpunt te bereken. Twee soorte NIRS instrumente, 'n FT-NIR en 'n diode array spektrofotometer is gebruik tydens die studie om die diskrimineringsvermoë van elk te ondersoek. Uitstekende voorspellings (90.9%-100%) is gekry vir die "sagste" en "hardste" klasse binne die 2000 en 2001 seisoene met FTStellenbosch NIRS. Met die diode array spektra is redelike klassifikasie resultate verkry vir al die klasse binne die 2000 en 2001 seisoene, asook 'n uitstekende klassifikasie (100%) vir die sagste klas binne die 1999 seisoen. Voorspellings vir klas lidmaatskap van die brandewyn monsters vir die drie seisoene se gekombineerde data het egter onaanvaarbare diskriminasie resultate gelewer. NIRS en SIMCA sal 'n vinnige en objektiewe klassifikasie proses van onversnyde brandewyn monsters kan meebring wat tot voordeel van die versnydings- en produksieproses sal wees. Hierdie voorspellings sal egter binne seisoensverband moet geskied. Akkurate verwysingsdata in die kalibrasie datastel is 'n essensiële fasset van naby infrarooi spektroskopie. Die presisie (bepaal deur blinde duplikaat bepalngs) van die verwysingsdata dien as 'n prestasie teiken vir korrelasie-gebaseerde naby infrarooi voorspellings. Die verskille tussen die data verkry vir die alkohol- en vlugtige suurinhoud van stookwyn deur twee onafhanklike laboratoriums en 'n instrumentele metode (Foss Winescan FT 120) asook die verskille tussen die data verkry van twee laboratoriums vir die totale swaweidioksied metings, is ondersoek. ANOVA en post-hoc toetse het aangedui dat al die data verkry vir die vlugtige suur bepalings, statisties betekenisvol van mekaar verskil het (p<0.05). Vir die alkohol bepalings in stookwyn, het die data verkry van een laboratorium betekensvol verskil van die ander twee datastelle. Gepaarde t-toetse uitgevoer op die data verkry vir totale swaweldioksiedinhoud, het ook betekinisvolle verskille aangedui tussen die twee laboratoriums. Hierdie studie het die belangrikheid van betroubare verwysingsdata vir kalibrasie doeleindes beklemtoon, veral waar 'n tegniek soos NIRS se werksverrigting afhang van die akkuraatheid van dié waardes.

The South African mining industry has been, and continues to be, the main contributor of the country’s GDP. The listed mining companies have a great contribution to the market capitalisation of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE, 2014). Pre-1994, the mining companies had been under scrutiny for a wide range of negative environmental and social impacts in their operational areas. The mining companies were accused of a lack of sustainability plans, carbon emissions, land rehabilitation plans, pollution and lack of community engagement (Buccasa, 2013). Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a platform for the mining industry to correct the errors of the past and to contribute towards socio-economic development and environmental concerns. Through the implementation of CSR initiatives, the mining companies have brought about a significant change in the lives of people affected by mining industry. In return, the mining companies have built a good reputation which had been tarnished in the past. The objective of the study was to explore the role of CSR in the mining industry and determine how CSR initiatives had impacted the lives of the beneficiaries in the mining sector. The research identified three sustainability dimensions, which are: environment, social aspects and economic aspects. The aim of the study was to establish whether CSR initiatives have contributed towards sustainable development. The study established how the JSE/SRI listed mining companies reported CSR and determined the types of initiatives implemented. The study identified the similarities and differences in the CSR initiatives being implemented by 10 selected mining companies listed in the JSE/SRI index. The study also identified sustainable development issues faced by the South African mining industry. The study reviewed how these mining companies reported their CSR and identified regulating bodies and codes that promoted CSR. The study also determined the role that the JSE/SRI index plays towards the development of CSR and sustainable development in the mining sector in South Africa. Integrated reports and sustainability reports of the mining companies were used for data collection to establish how these companies reported CSR and disclosed their CSR strategies on the internet. The mining companies which were analysed were mining companies listed in the JSE/SRI index from 2010 – 2014. The JSE/SRI index is aligned with global sustainability guidelines and locally relevant corporate responsibility standards. The study determined the significance of JSE/SRI listing towards the development of CSR; in relation to environmental, social and economic development in the mining industry.

Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology (Business Administration) Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013 / New Black business entrants into the South African fishing industry are confronted with a range of challenges on the road to full sustainability. In addition to the need to compete with established white commercial companies with vast resources, most of the successful applicants who won rights ended up with nothing but a paper quota because most do not have their own boats to either catch their allotted quota, or they lack the facilities to process their catch. In this thesis an organisational needs analysis of a select number of emerging fishing enterprises was undertaken with a view to determine their specific needs for support services in order to make recommendations with regard to a customised support programme to assist them in their quest for business sustainability. The research indicates that the majority of the emerging enterprises are first-generation novice businesses with a need for a comprehensive range of support services. They not only lack a full understanding of the inherent risks of their industry, but most have failed to do any sort of risk planning. This lack of understanding not only constrains their engagement with fishing policy processes but also contributes to a situation of dependence on external consultants for the preparation and submission of their rights allocation applications. Furthermore, most of the current crop of business leaders have a low level of formal education and did not receive any business training prior to venturing into the industry. This vicious cycle of general ignorance of the risky nature of their sector, lack of understanding of industry process, and low education levels, has resulted in limited understanding and knowledge of the various forms of financial and other assistance available to emerging businesses. The researcher recommends intervention in all of the areas mentioned above as critical if the stated objective of the South African government, namely the promotion of black economic empowerment, is to be achieved.

The spread of contract farming in South Africa in recent years has provoked an ideological debate in literature. Linking small-scale vegetable farmers with lucrative agricultural markets through agribusiness value chains is seen as one of the foremost emerging agricultural practices to develop the subsistence farming sector into a mainstream economic sector – thereby revitalising the rural economy and alleviating poverty levels in the developing rural areas of South Africa. However, the challenges agribusiness and small-scale farmers experience in contract farming engagement and the prospects for enhancing the inclusion of small-scale farmers into modern value chains remain open to debate – two decades after transition to democracy. Yet the factors and mechanisms influencing the effective application of contract farming in the transition to commercial farming by small-scale farmers have not been thoroughly explored in South African research. Despite the efforts and the substantial investments made and the various policies and initiatives instigated to fast-track the linkages of small-scale farmers into high-value markets, the success stories of previously disadvantaged farmers operating in commercial agri-food chains are rare. Given the millions of small-scale farmers in former homelands alone, the negligible number of small-scale farmers successfully operating in commercial agri-food chains shows that the objectives to enable small-scale farmers to improve their livelihoods through participation in commercial agri-food chains have not yet been met. The broad objectives of the study were therefore to investigate the agribusiness challenges inherent in contract farming and the conditions and incentives required by agribusiness firms to engage small-scale vegetable farmers in contract farming programmes. Furthermore, the study examined the role played by the South African government to reduce the high transaction costs incurred by agribusinesses when engaging small-scale farmers in contractual arrangements. The Amathole and Sarah Baartman (formerly Cacadu) district municipalities in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were chosen as the composite survey area for this study. A predominantly qualitative research approach was applied to gather data on the phenomena under study. The following methodologies and research instruments and tools were selected. Firstly – as the secondary component of the research – a systematic review of literature to date was conducted to guide the empirical research and primary methodology. Secondly, the empirical component of the study comprised a questionnaire survey, unstructured interviews and focus group discussions. The questionnaire survey was used to collect data from the agribusiness firms in the area surveyed concerning the following aspects: the significant determinants of contract farming, the incentives required by the agribusiness firms to engage small-scale vegetable farmers in their contract farming programmes and the challenges faced by agribusiness firms in their interaction with small-scale farmers in contractual arrangements. Unstructured interviews were used to gather data from officials at each of the three levels of government – the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform nationally, Department of Agriculture and Land Reform provincially and (at local government level) two district municipalities – on the role played by government to reduce the high transaction costs incurred by agri-firms when procuring agricultural raw materials from small-scale vegetable farmers. Focus group discussions were conducted with small-scale farmers regarding their perspective on working with agribusiness firms and to establish the distinguishing characteristics of small-scale farmers in the area surveyed. Relevant policy documents collected from two of the three representative groups of the study population, i.e. agribusiness personnel and government officials, provided the essential context. The study revealed a limited number of contract farming business linkages between small-scale vegetable farmers and agribusiness firms in the survey area. Those that do exist are problematic to both the agribusiness firms and the small-scale farmers. It emerged that the contract farming environment in the area surveyed is highly polarised and characterised by a fundamental conflict of interest between agribusiness and farmer. Among the divergent key factors inhibiting contract farming engagement were a lack in terms of quality seeds, trust, entrepreneurial skills and formal contract agreements. Asset endowment (both land and non-land assets) was found to be significant pre-selection determinants in the farmer’s capacity to be contracted. Access to innovative technology, as well as government incentives such as production inputs, were found to be critical to agribusiness firms to engage smallscale farmers in their contract farming programmes. Government assistance in terms of high transaction costs to agribusiness firms working with large groups of small-scale farmers was found to be essential but inadequate under current policy. This impacts directly on the effectiveness and promotion of contract farming. Furthermore, the current results corroborate the findings of numerous South African studies in the vast body of worldwide research. Firstly, lack of land and non-land assets continue to be major impediments to the direct participa-tion of small-scale farmers in contract farming programmes and, secondly, the transaction and market information costs incurred by agribusiness prevent the participation of less endowed farmers in contract farming programmes. Conducted within the interpretivist paradigm, the explorative research identified wide-ranging challenges in the relationship between agri-business and small-scale farmers which directly impact the effective-ness of contract farming as a development and agrarian reform strategy. Despite their problematic relationship, however, agribusiness and small-scale contract farmers were in agreement that the government needs to expand its support for agri-firms to incentivise greater numbers of small-scale farmers having the opportunity to achieve commercial status through contract farming. The study therefore recommends a collaborative partnership between private firms and government, with state support through revised policies and development programmes. These amendments are crucial to enhancing the engagement of small-scale vegetable farmers in lucrative agri-food chains.

A viability study was undertaken on a farm Zandrivierspoort 210 JP, in the Pilanesberg Alkaline Complex to investigate the red syenite deposit. The red syenite deposit of interest is located in the south-western quadrant of the Pilanesberg. It is a potential source of nepheline, which is used as a flux in glass and ceramics industry. The study was aimed at establishing the demand for the material in South Africa and the market logistics related to its exploitation. Glass and ceramics manufacturers have different specifications as far as the quality and the product form is concerned. A market study conducted indicated that glass manufacturers require already beneficiated material with a low Fe content, depending on the kind of glass being manufactured. Ceramics manufactures also want material with low Fe content, but the material can be unbeneficiated as most of these factories already have facilities to remove Fe and other gangue. The common requirement is that material must be crushed and milled to a specific size. Red Syenite complies with the specifications of the ceramics manufacturer and did not comply directly with the specification of the glass manufacturer. The main reason for not non-compliance with glass specifications can be attributed to the fact that the material supplied was unbeneficiated. A major concern from the industry is the continuity of production from the deposit and an assurance of constant quality. It was also established that the availability of substitutes such as feldspar at a lower cost than nepheline results in an unwillingness of potential users to source nepheline despite its advantages. It is recommended that extensive geological studies be undertaken to confirm the resources and reserves of the entire nepheline-bearing deposits in the Pilanesberg. The mining of the deposit will be undertaken by employing a quarrying method, which will be followed by opencast to a depth of 50m. The Run-Of-Mine (ROM) will be crushed and milled to sizes specified by clients and the beneficiation process will follow. A financial investigation based on the known facts about the deposit established that capital, production rate, and selling price have the highest influence on the viability of the project. Transport and operating costs in this case showed a less significant influence on the viability of the project. / Dissertation (MSc (ESPM))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Geology / unrestricted

The sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) plant has in recent years been added to the Biofuel Industrial Strategy (Department of Minerals and Energy, 2007) by the South African government as a crop grown for the production of bio-ethanol. Sugar beet is commonly grown in Europe for the production of sucrose and has recently been cultivated in Cradock and the surrounding areas (Engineering News, 2008). The biofuel industry usually ferments the sucrose with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to yield bio-ethanol. However, researchers are presented with a critical role to increase current yields as there are concerns over the process costs from industrial biotechnologists. The beet factories produce a pulp by-product removed of all sucrose. The hemicellulose-rich pulp can be degraded by microbial enzymes to simple sugars that can be subsequently fermented to bio-ethanol. Thus, the pulp represents a potential source for second generation biofuel. The process of utilising microbial hemicellulases requires an initial chemical pre-treatment step to delignify the sugar beet pulp (SBP). An alkaline pre-treatment with ‘slake lime’ (calcium hydroxide) was investigated using a 23 factorial design and the factors examined were: lime load; temperature and time. The analysed results showed the highest release of reducing sugars at the pre-treatment conditions of: 0.4 g lime / g SBP; 40°C and 36 hours. A partial characterisation of the Clostridium cellulovorans hemicellulases was carried out to verify the optimal activity conditions stated in literature. The highest release of reducing sugars was measured at pH 6.5 – 7.0 and at 45°C for arabinofuranosidase A (ArfA); at pH 5.5 and 40°C for mannanase A (ManA) and pH 5.0 – 6.0 and 45°C for xylanase A (XynA). Temperature studies showed that a complete loss of enzymatic activity occurred after 11 hours for ManA; and 84-96 hours for ArfA. XynA was still active after 120 hours. The optimised lime pre-treated SBP was subsequently degraded using various combinations and percentages of C. cellulovorans ArfA, ManA and XynA to determine the maximal release of reducing sugars. Synergistically, the highest synergy was observed at 75% ArfA and 25% ManA, with a specific activity of 2.9 μmol/min/g protein. However, the highest release of sugars was observed at 4.2 μmol/min/g protein at 100% ArfA. This study has initiated the research within South Africa on SBP and its degradation by C. cellulovorans. Preliminary studies show that SBP has the potential to be utilised as a second generation biofuel source.

There is consensus that Eskom, South Africa’s main energy supplier, needs to expand its energy generating capacity in order to satisfy the growing demand for electricity, but there is less agreement on how it should do this. The existing supply is heavily reliant on thermal generation using coal, but the combustion of fossil fuels for electricity generation may contribute to climate change because it causes harmful greenhouse gases to be emitted into the atmosphere. This emission is something South Africa has committed itself to reducing. One way of achieving this is by the adoption of cleaner technologies for energy generation. One of these technologies is harnessing wind energy. The problem with harnessing wind energy is where to locate the turbines to harness the wind because these turbines ‘industrialise’ the environment in which they are located. They are a source of increased noise, a visual disturbance, cause increased instances of bird and bat mortality and the destruction of flora or the naturalness of the landscape in the areas in which they are located. The residents located near wind farm developments are most negatively affected and bear the greatest cost in this regard. A proper social appraisal of wind turbine projects would have to take this cost into account. Before such developments are approved there should be an assessment made of the impact on the residents, these impacts should be incorporated into the cost-benefit analysis. The negatively affected residents should also be compensated. The objective of this study was not to undertake a cost-benefit analysis of such a wind farm proposal, but to estimate the negative external cost imposed on nearby residents of such an industry, and thereby calculate appropriate compensation to be paid to these residents. Quantifying preferences for proposed, but not-yet developed, wind farms may be done by applying non-market valuation techniques, e.g. through one of the stated preference methodologies, such as a discrete choice experiment. The selected study site for providing guidance was one where Red Cap Investments Pty (Ltd) has proposed the development of a wind farm - in the Kouga local municipality. The basis for drawing conclusions was the analysis of the response samples of two groups of Kouga residents, distinguished by socio economic status; 270 from each group, 540 in total. The methodology applied to analyse the responses was a discrete choice experiment. The questionnaire administered included attitude, knowledge and demographic questions as well as a choice experiment section. The choice experiment section of the questionnaire required that the respondents choose between two different hypothetical onshore wind energy development scenarios and a status quo option. The hypothetical scenarios comprised different levels of wind farm attributes. The attributes included in the experiment were determined by international studies and focus group meetings. These attributes were: distance between the wind turbines and residential area, clustering of the turbines (job opportunities created by the wind farm development for underprivileged respondent group), number of turbines and subsidy allocated to each household. Three different choice experiment models were estimated for each socio-economic group: a conditional logit (CL), nested logit (NL) and a random parameters logit (RPL) model. It was found that, in the affluent respondent group, the simpler CL model provided the best fit. In the underprivileged respondent group, the RPL model, with the number of jobs created by the wind farm project as a random parameter1, explained by the gender of the respondent, provided the best fit. The estimated models identified distance as an important factor in both sampled respondent groups. Both respondent groups preferred that the wind farm be located further away from their residential areas. In addition to distance, the underprivileged respondent group also valued new job opportunities as an important determinant of choice. The affluent respondent group were very sensitive to densely clustered turbines but were almost indifferent between two of the effects coded levels of the clustering attribute “moderately close together” and “widely spaced apart”. Welfare estimates for the significant attributes in each socio-economic group were computed from the best fit models. Table 1 shows the resulting willingness to accept (WTA) compensation measures for distance in both socio-economic respondent groups.

Organisations are spending a large sum of capital by investing on physical assets in order to improve productivity and gain competitive advantage. It has become imperative that business leadership turn their attention to the development, implementation and sustenance of physical assets management strategies in order to eliminate operational and reliability risk.

M.Phil. (Engineering Management) / This dissertation uncovers the importance of the application, utilisation and implementation of total quality management in the South African organisations specifically manufacturing industry. The study focuses on the application, utilisation and implementation of TQM at ASSA ABLOY (SA) PTY (LTD). This study need to outline ways in which total quality management, implementation and quality improvement is applied and utilized in within ASSA ABLOY (SA). The organisation believes but does not have clear understanding and commitment to implementation of total quality management and continuous improvement tools. This research seeks to come up with methods that will eventually be used to train employees on total quality management (TQM) related issues at ASSA ABLOY (SA) PTY (LTD) and in the South African manufacturing industry as a whole. The research design was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. The primary data was collected by using a structured questionnaire, interviews, surveys and observations with people within ASSA ABLOY (SA) Pty (Ltd). The secondary data was collected from library searches and access to information gathered with the organisation that supports this journey. The questions were coded up for ease of analysis and the questions gave the respondent choice to respond on the 5 point-linkert scale, where 1 -“Very dissatisfied”, 2-“Dissatisfied”, 3-“neutral or unsure”, 4-“Satisfied” and 5-“Very satisfied”. A Linkert item is simply a statement which the respondent is asked to evaluate according to any kind of subjective or objective criteria; generally the level of agreement or disagreement is measured. It is considered symmetric or "balanced" because there are equal amounts of positive and negative positions. Top management support on quality policy is a concern to the employees. Employees seem not to be getting enough training on quality related matters and their training needs are not fully addressed because they are not consulted enough when training is planned. This will mean that the needs analysis is left with the managers or the supervisors. Employees feel strongly that their level of education must be taken into consideration when training is planned for them. Employees in the organisation would like to be mixed up in continuous improvement projects and training or quality department could initiate these. They would also like to have more acquaintance of how the quality department in general functions and to play a role in the implementation of quality by good value of being trained on things that they can apply instantaneously. Top management is committed to quality management initiatives but they do not involve their employees on quality decisions and efforts. Dynamic team working is encouraged by the managers of the departments within the company. Quality training is a concern to the employees, employees are also not aware of the quality department that exists within the company.

PhDENV / Department of Ecology and Resource Management / See the attached abstract below