This aim of this thesis is to analyse the demand for labour from trade with a selection of South Africa’s trading partners. It is expected that labour demand will be greater in trade with developed blocs. Trade between developing blocs, however, is thought to be more skilled labour intensive and such trade should have greater linkages. This ought to feed through into greater labour demand so that South-South trade may be more ‘labour creating’ than expected. As it is more skill intensive, it may also be more dynamic, which has implications for future growth and development. Factor content methodology is used to assess labour demand. Calculations consider linkages to other sectors (which will increase labour demand) and the use of scarce resources (which has an opportunity cost to labour). The findings support the claim that trade with developing blocs is more professional labour intensive. Evidence that it may be more dynamic and have greater linkages to labour is borne out in exports to SADC. Greater labour demand through linkages, however, is not evident in net trade to SADC. Neither are they of significance in trade with any of the other developing blocs so labour effects due to linkages appear to be negligible. The advantages of South-South trade may rather lie in the dynamic benefits that trade in higher technology goods provides. When scarce resources such as capital and professional labour are taken into account, it is found that labour demand is negative in net trade to all blocs. However, even without the problem of scarce resources, most blocs have a negative demand for labour in net trade. The indication is that with the present trade patterns, South Africa cannot expect trade to increase labour demand. Policy which could improve this situation would be to increase labour force skills, improve the flexibility of the labour market and develop sectors which are both more advanced as well as labour intensive. Despite the negative impact of trade on labour in general, it is found that trade does differ by direction and that for each labour type there are certain blocs where labour demand is positive. This is also the case in net trade for particular sectors. Such information could be used as part of a targeted trade policy to assist in the marketing of particular sectors in trade and also for increasing labour demand for certain labour groups.

The Transvaal Colony experienced a huge problem with the scarcity of African labour for the mines and for the farms after the South African War. From 1901 to 1906 African labourers displayed great reluctance to meet the labour demands of the Transvaal colony. Both black and white witnesses to the Transvaal Labour Commission (TLC) and the South African Native Affairs Commission (SANAC) gave their views regarding the reasons why African labourers were unavailable for wage labour. The Chamber of Mines dominated the proceedings of the TLC so that in the end very little objective information could be gained from the TLC. Africans themselves, testifying before SANAC stated a number of grievances which might have been responsible for the widespread withdrawal from employment on the mines. It became clear that Africans preferred to work independently rather than to provide labour for whites who ill-treated them. This they could only do if land was available to them. / History / M.A. (History)

The Transvaal Colony experienced a huge problem with the scarcity of African labour for the mines and for the farms after the South African War. From 1901 to 1906 African labourers displayed great reluctance to meet the labour demands of the Transvaal colony. Both black and white witnesses to the Transvaal Labour Commission (TLC) and the South African Native Affairs Commission (SANAC) gave their views regarding the reasons why African labourers were unavailable for wage labour. The Chamber of Mines dominated the proceedings of the TLC so that in the end very little objective information could be gained from the TLC. Africans themselves, testifying before SANAC stated a number of grievances which might have been responsible for the widespread withdrawal from employment on the mines. It became clear that Africans preferred to work independently rather than to provide labour for whites who ill-treated them. This they could only do if land was available to them. / History / M. A. (History)

The Transvaal Colony experienced a huge problem with the scarcity of African labour for the mines and for the farms after the South African War. From 1901 to 1906 African labourers displayed great reluctance to meet the labour demands of the Transvaal colony. Both black and white witnesses to the Transvaal Labour Commission (TLC) and the South African Native Affairs Commission (SANAC) gave their views regarding the reasons why African labourers were unavailable for wage labour. The Chamber of Mines dominated the proceedings of the TLC so that in the end very little objective information could be gained from the TLC. Africans themselves, testifying before SANAC stated a number of grievances which might have been responsible for the widespread withdrawal from employment on the mines. It became clear that Africans preferred to work independently rather than to provide labour for whites who ill-treated them. This they could only do if land was available to them. / History / M.A. (History)

The Transvaal Colony experienced a huge problem with the scarcity of African labour for the mines and for the farms after the South African War. From 1901 to 1906 African labourers displayed great reluctance to meet the labour demands of the Transvaal colony. Both black and white witnesses to the Transvaal Labour Commission (TLC) and the South African Native Affairs Commission (SANAC) gave their views regarding the reasons why African labourers were unavailable for wage labour. The Chamber of Mines dominated the proceedings of the TLC so that in the end very little objective information could be gained from the TLC. Africans themselves, testifying before SANAC stated a number of grievances which might have been responsible for the widespread withdrawal from employment on the mines. It became clear that Africans preferred to work independently rather than to provide labour for whites who ill-treated them. This they could only do if land was available to them. / History / M. A. (History)

This study is situated within the context of the emerging South African Biodiversity Sector and focuses on the supply of and demand for scarce skilled biodiversity professionals. It does so through investigating the transition a young biodiversity professional makes from a higher education institution to the workplace by drawing attention to the factors encountered or perceived to be encountered during this development. The study forms part of a research programme established between Rhodes University, GreenMatter and the Culture Arts Tourism Hospitality Sport Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA), which seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge pertaining to "green" skills development and retention within the South African biodiversity sector. It is a qualitative study, comprising nested case studies within two larger case studies of scarce skills – those of wildlife veterinarians and freshwater ecologists – as identified by the biodiversity priority scarce skills list (SANBI & Lewis Foundation, 2012). The study is supported by Bronfenbrenner's (1979) Ecological Systems theory and underpinned by the principles of basic critical realism and emergence (Archer, Bhaskar, Collier, Lawson, & Norrie, 1998). Data was generated through a range of data collection methods, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation and document analysis. The aim of these methods was to enable a greater understanding of the factors influencing transitioning and the unique transitions of selected individuals. Findings revealed that the transitions of the participants, although unique to each of them, included the following commonalities: exposure to biodiversity at an early stage in an individual's life paved the way for the development and nurturing of an interest or passion in biodiversity; experience gained prior to entry into the workplace is a powerful enabling factor; the presence or absence of a mentor can be pivotal in the transition of an individual; the gap in knowledge pertaining to demand side or workplace information is a large constraining factor; workplace dynamics affect the demand for, and eventual supply of, biodiversity professionals; the presence of human capital development strategies and structures is beneficial to the individual's transition, and the overall ecosystemic development of an individual has an effect on the supply of specific scarce-skilled individuals to the workforce. This study demonstrates that through the employment of nested case studies, similar research focussing on other scarce skills within the biodiversity sector, as per the GreenMatter Priority Skills List of 2012, can be produced, which would help to address the knowledge gaps pertaining to scarce skills, as indicated by the Biodiversity Human Capital Development Strategy (2010).