This study investigates relationship marketing by estate agencies in the residential property market of South Africa. In determining the residential estate agency's knowledge of relation­ ship marketing, an extensive literature study was undertaken on the marketing environment and broader market, marketing concept, market segmentation and target marketing, the marketing mix and expansion thereof, as well as customer service and internal marketing. An empirical study was conducted to determine the residential estate agency's present knowledge and practices of the basic components of relationship marketing. In the study a structured questionnaire was mailed to all residential estate agencies which are members of the Estate Agency Affairs Board. The most significant findings are that: the majority of respondents do not have mission statements and do not know what a mission statement is; they set marketing objectives which are communicated to the agents; when appointing new agents they consider the agent's service orientation and ability to work with clients, but qualifications and previous experience are not viewed as important; they train estate agents themselves and emphasise after-sales contact and building of long-term relationships, but do not stress customer behaviour influences; a large percentage do not conduct competitor analyses and view marketing research as unimportant, but are of the opinion that they have superior market knowledge and offer the best service quality; they regard the principles of the marketing concept as important; they engage in a large number of after-sales services, although few realise that contact after occupation is important; they regard the buyer's financial means as important and engage in activities to ensure customer service, but do not have formalised feedback systems to test customer satisfaction; they engage in internal marketing activities, strive to create a positive corporate culture and try to retain good agents. In conclusion it can be said that there is evidence that the principles of relationship marketing are followed by residential estate agencies in South Africa. There are, however, concerns about the long-term commitment of estate agencies towards their clients because of the lack of feedback systems and the lack of in-depth knowledge of the market. / Business Management / D. Comm (Business Management)

The smallholder livestock farmer in South Africa is in a difficult position, not only grappling with a changing global environment, but at the local front, without access to domestic markets. This is due to very limited knowledge of buyer requirements emanating from lack of marketing information. This limits adequate access to livestock markets by smallholder farmers in South Africa and more specifically in the Moretele area of the North West Province, resulting in limited growth and less disposable income. Some of the problems facing the smallholder livestock farmer are a lack of understanding of buyer requirements regarding livestock product characteristics, industry price determination processes, alternative marketing channels and how to promote livestock. Empowerment and equitable access to markets by these farmers can only be realised when knowledge is disseminated and training and capacity building is enhanced. It is especially an understanding of what the market requires, how price determination occurs and how marketing channels and promotional tools are used in the livestock industry that is lacking. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

The objective of this study is to establish the media usage and preference of consumers in the Transkei. The results are of special significance to media planners and advertisers in so far as they will assist in the media selection process. This in turn will form the basis of improved marketing communication between media planners and advertisers on the one hand and Transkeian consumers on the other. The media types investigated were newspapers, magazines, television and radio. The results indicated that three newspapers (Daily Dispatch, Intsimbi and Imvo), three magazines (!bona, Pace and Orum), one television channel {TV 2 - now CCV-TV) and one radio station (Radio Transkei) are extremely popular among the majority of Transkeians. The research results also indicated that the following topics are very popular in all the media types: local news, sport, education and arts/cultural articles. The results further indicated that Transkeians are generally favourably inclined towards advertisements. / Economics / M.Com (Business Economics)

Communication is an essential element of any retail business as it is a means of informing the customer about the retailer and the products and services that they offer. The internet and the rapid advancements in technology have provided retailers with various methods of communicating with the customer such as real-time marketing. Real-time marketing, which allows retailers to interact with customers through various means in real time, has already been widely used in businesses around the world. Although many South African businesses are starting to adapt real-time marketing as a marketing tool in their businesses, the perception of consumers regarding real-time marketing has not been investigated in South Africa. The primary purpose of this study was therefore to determine consumers perceptions of real-time marketing used as a marketing tool by retailers in Gauteng, South Africa. A broad and in-depth literature review was conducted on the advent of real-time marketing as a marketing tool and the various tools used by retailers to execute real-time marketing campaigns of retailers. An empirical study was conducted, in which data was collected from consumers of retail stores in the Gauteng province of South Africa by means of a web-based (computer-assisted), self-administered questionnaire. A quantitative approach was followed in order to satisfy the research objectives of the study. The results of this research study indicated that consumers perceived real-time marketing campaigns as clutter. Customers only considered the real-time marketing campaigns that consisted of immediate discounts and that were personalised for the individual customer as valuable to them. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)