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Masters of Art research report prepared for the Department of Development Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, March 2017 / The current food system is contributing to the food insecurity of the urban poor. Local food systems and other food system alternatives benefit the urban poor in all four spheres in which the corporate food regime disadvantages them: accessibility, empowerment, sustainability and health. This research maps the overlap of poverty and types of agriculture in the City of Johannesburg to locate potential for urban farms to serve and benefit the urban poor. There are many areas where potential for food system alternatives is high, especially where smaller scale farms are growing vegetables in areas where there are many and mostly poor households concentrated over space. By engaging with farmers, from study areas in the City which meet at least some of these conditions, the research not only confirms that the potential identified in these areas is being realised and exceeded but suggests that the potential has been underestimated for all of the other areas of the municipality in which urban agriculture coexists with the urban poor. The combinations and variations of food system alternatives chosen by farmers, in the foodstuffs produced, nature of production and modes and channels of distribution, are evidence of the reciprocal influence of structure and their own agency. By reframing urban agriculture to recognize the diverse opportunities for farmers to do things differently, we can see that many are choosing to do so, and are thus making sustainably produced, healthy fresh produce locally available to the urban poor in ways that are accessible and empowering. / XL2018

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture Professional, MArch(Prof), to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment. / Sophisticated in creation, Comic/Japanese Manga & Animation are a drastic representations of a real or hypothetical worlds. Comic and animation is a representation of cultural legacy that informs, excites and entertains the viewer in every tangible form of its existence, while filling minds with giant robots, space ships or masked super heroes. This dissertation serves as an architectural response to comic and animation creation. Through the exploration of the notion of the adaptive eye and its influence on the design process, the thesis seeks to create a dialogue between social legacy and comic & animation creation through the design of a production house. This thesis proposes a space that represents beauty, vision and excitement, but above all else one that realizes the possibilities of comic and animation as a means of social commentary. The building aims to symbolize the essence of comic and animation through its design and location, thereby echoing the vibrancy of Newtown. The production house is an attempt at social, cultural and environmentally responsible, generative architecture that induces thinking and energy within the world of comics and animation.

Student Number : 9805976V - MSc research report - School of Architecture and Planning - Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / This report explores the link between social housing and urban regeneration in Johannesburg. Social housing emerged to provide housing for people earning between R1 500 and R3 500, while regenerating and integrating the inner city. In Johannesburg social housing institutions operate in the context of the municipality’s Vision 2030, implemented through the Inner City Urban Regeneration Strategy whose focus is on renovating buildings in the inner city, with the increase property prices and attract investment. From this it is hypothesized that the objectives of social housing and urban regeneration are in conflict with one another because social housing is meant for low income a specific income group which will not be able to afford rent when property prices increase. The case study focus is the contribution that Johannesburg Housing Company as a social housing institution makes to property –led urban regeneration of the City of Johannesburg and the eKhaya Neighbourhood Programme it initiated in the Pietersen Street, Hillbrow. The report flags out the issues of who the beneficiaries of social housing are, whether the objectives of social housing and urban regeneration are in conflict or in synergy with each other, the implications of urban regeneration o property prices and the impact of this on the ability of social housing to accommodate low income earners in the inner city. This report is looked at from the theoretical angle, which acknowledges multiculturalism, communication and power struggles and conflicting rationalities.

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One of the fundamental tenets of finance is the relationship between risk and return. This research report contributes to the debate by testing the conditional risk-return relationship of shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) for the period 2001 to 2011. More specifically, the extent to which beta, standard deviation, semi-deviation and value-at-risk (VaR) are individually able to explain total share return, taking into account the conditional framework of up and down markets and sub-periods, is investigated. Portfolios based on these risk measures have been tracked and regressed. The robustness of the relationships are tested by using value and equal weighted portfolios. The study indicates that standard deviation was able to explain the risk-return relationship across all scenarios (overall, up/down markets and sub-periods), while beta proved to be an ineffective measure of risk under all scenarios. The testing of downside risk measures revealed that semi-deviation produced weak results under all scenarios, while value-at-risk proved to be an effective measure of risk both during poor market conditions and on an overall basis.

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The underpricing of initial public offerings (IPOs) and their subsequent low long-run performance represents one of the anomalies observed in primary markets worldwide. However, the depth and breadth of it varies from country to country, and sector to sector. Literature has documented that the phenomenon surrounding the long-run post issue performance of IPOs is not unique and that quite similar patterns can be found regarding firms making seasoned equity offerings (SEOs). This study is an empirical analysis of public equity offerings listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Using data for 141 South African IPOs that were listed on the JSE Mainboard from 2001 to 2010, significant short-run underpricing is found. A sector wise analysis of three broad sectors indicated that the ‘other’ sector had the largest IPO underpricing after the first few days of trading. The year-wise analysis is also documented. In the long-run this study showed that IPOs in South Africa underperformed two out of three benchmarks in 36 full months post listing. In contrast, using data for 50 South African SEOs during 2003 to 2010, superior SEO performance is found over a 36-month period when assessed using a size and industry adjusted benchmark. Various cross-sectional and time-series patterns in the aftermarket performance of IPO and SEO firms are also documented

M.Tech.

M.A. / It has been proven that all over the world informal settlements have come about as a result of housing shortage. Housing crisis is directly associated with rapid population growth which in turn leads to rapid urbanisation. Rapid urbanisation which puts tremendous stress in infrastructure available in the cities, is a process which cannot be reversed or stopped. It needs to be managed by the city authorities. That also is problematic because cities do not always have the resources to cope with this demand. This thesis puts forward suggestions that could be used to alleviate the dilemma facing the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council, with the cum of throwing light on how informal settlements can be dealt with in the changing economy of South Africa. In order to address the research problem and fulfil the research objectives, a literature study was done, which gave various strategies that have been adopted in other countries. The literature study has been largely used to compare South Africa with other countries such as Brazil, Peru, Kenya, etc. who are faced with rapid urbanisation. A historical overview of urbanisation in South Africa, beginning in the early twentieth century has been given. This was done to illustrate the evolution of the South African legal system in an attempt to cope with events emanating from the discovery of gold in the Johannesburg area. Attempts by the new government to support the local authorities, particularly the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council have been acknowledged. For example, the establishment of the Development Facilitation Act, the Botshabelo. Accord, the repeal of laws which made it impossible for people to take control of their destinies, are a few of these attempts. The emphasis in this study a placed on the involvement of people as a management tool in the development process.