Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2010. / Many researchers undertook research about small, medium and micro enterprise in South Africa. Although there are numerous articles and a lot of previous research surveys about SMMEs in South Africa, USA, UK, Taiwan, China, Australia and many other countries, no research has been done in South Africa with regard to the use of marketing strategies by SMMEs in rural areas with specific reference to KwaZulu-Natal rural areas. Therefore, the assumptions and the confusion that surrounds rural owners‘/managers‘ awareness, perceptions and the use of marketing strategies in their areas highlight the need and create interest for marketers to conduct more research on this particular area. There were number of other important reasons such as the failure rate of SMMEs, high rate of unemployment and the large numbers of people moving from South African rural to urban areas due to unemployment and poverty. The study was conducted within the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal province, using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The sample for the study consisted of 374 respondents of owners/managers of SMMEs. The respondents were selected using quota sampling. Respondents were required to complete a 10 page questionnaire with an interviewer present to assist. The overall aim of the study was to investigate and describe the use of marketing by SMMEs, in order to identify factors influencing the possible insufficient use of marketing, so as to improve rural SMME marketing, and thus reduce SMME failure. The results of the research revealed that there was a lack of marketing knowledge and expertise and limited use of marketing strategies by the owners/managers of the rural SMMEs. There were also some external and internal factors contributing to the use of marketing strategies by the rural SMMEs. This means that marketers in South Africa cannot simply apply the marketing strategies and marketing theories in this situation. It is also important for marketers to conduct more specific research studies to determine the suitable marketing strategies for the rural businesses, as the rural situation is different from the urban situation. / Durban University of Technology.

Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for PhD: Management Sciences, Department of Marketing and Retail, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / In South Africa, non-profit organisations were seen as vocal and active players in the struggle against apartheid. During the country’s transition period, non-profit organisations played a central role in mitigating the effects of apartheid’s unequal development and in mobilising opposition to the apartheid state. With the focus moving towards service delivery, non-profit organisations have continued to play a major role in filling gaps and advocating on behalf of those living in poverty. Non-profit organisations do not operate to advance their own interests, instead, they use society’s resources and goodwill to meet society’s needs. In the poor economic environment, stakeholders are unfortunately looking to cut back and save resources. It therefore becomes more critical for non-profit organisations to adopt relevant strategies to reach more stakeholders and to keep them involved and motivated. One such strategy that can be adopted is marketing, in particular relationship marketing. This study therefore sets out to investigate the role of relationship marketing within non-profit organisations in KwaZulu-Natal. A thorough overview of the literature was undertaken, mainly to investigate the nature of the non-profit sector in general as well as in South Africa, its marketing and the impact of relationship marketing. A mixed methodology was employed for this study. A census study using questionnaires was used to collect quantitative data whilst qualitative data was collected using a face-to-face, semi-structured interview schedule. The findings revealed that funding has become the main constraint faced by the non-profit sector. Many non-profit organisations have employed marketing tactics to assist them in promotion and fundraising. Relationship marketing was identified as a concept which can assist the non-profit organisations in building and maintaining relationships with their stakeholders. Respondents further positioned communication as the central point for relationship building. The results of the data analysis led to the creation of a framework which outlines the role of relationship marketing at non-profit organisations. This study has clearly indicated that relationship marketing forms a powerful strategy that non-profit organisations should apply to manage long-term relationships with their key stakeholders. / D

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy: Management Sciences (Marketing), Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Marketing and communications have become part of church activities in order to get the attention of congregations. It has become clear that church activities and marketing activities are interrelated. People become attached to a religion in the same way they become attached to a brand. This study examined whether the principles of marketing in traditional product areas are transferable to the marketing of the church and church services, persons and ideas in South Africa. It examined the ways in which core values of marketing and church are interrelated and interconnected to offer social values. The study also explored the way social marketers make use of the marketing mix in their routine activities. Religious organisations can also apply the marketing mix in order to communicate religious values in their social roles. It emerged that the church can also apply the service marketing mix through the “7P’s” with a view to achieving its social mandate. Specifically, spirituality (product), communication (promotion), delivery (place), exchange (price), employee involvement in service delivery (people), the mechanisms, via which the service is delivered (process), and the environment in which the services are delivered (physical environment). In addition, the church marketing theoretical frame work is derived from social marketing which is designed to influence individuals’ behaviour, improve their well-being and that of society. This study was conducted in Wentworth, Umlazi, Phoenix and Glenwood communities located in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The sample size of this survey and the number of units that were required in the process of gathering data was based on interviews with professionals in the church business. Eight interviews were conducted with the officials in the four communities (two officials in each of the communities) while four focus group discussions consisting of 10-12 participants each were conducted among the selected church members of these four communities. The study used exploratory research design and the qualitative approach as data collection methods. The findings reveal that the church efforts aimed at fulfilling its vi social mandate are clouded by a number of marketing tactics. The use of marketing tactics appears to be more important in achieving church social mandates than the use of specific word-of-mouth (preaching) methods. Furthermore, there is an indication that in developing and running programmes for the church, there is an inclusion of marketing components in the planning, such as programmes that will have effect in transforming the surrounding, community, awareness, and evangelical missions. It was established that although the Holy Spirit is supreme to the church in transforming life, marketing tactics also can be employed to create an atmosphere that is welcoming to the Spirit’s work of restoration, rebirth, and awakening. Overall, the findings suggest that a church’s marketing tactics should be determined by marketing goals that relate to the vision and mission of the church. Hence, the study proposes an additional 8th “P” which is philosophy and underpinned by the vision, mission, passion, planning and ethics which could enhance the church’s ability in presenting a value proposition to its congregation in a similar manner that other marketers do.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Masters in Management Sciences (Marketing), Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are known to be important for the development of economies in developing countries. This is so because SMEs create jobs therefore reducing unemployment and alleviating poverty. The South African government has done a lot to help SMEs grow and become established businesses. They offer, among other things, financial assistance and expert advice in the field of marketing, technology and venturing into foreign markets (SEDA, 2014). However, it seems that it is difficult for SMEs to establish themselves in the different sectors such as the Manufacturing, Retail, Service, Financial and Agricultural sectors. They complain among other things, of financial constraints and the global economic crisis (NCR report 2011). Olawale and Garwe (2010) go on to say that, SMEs in South Africa have a high failure rate compared to other countries and only about 7% of new SMEs become fully established firms. The reason for this might be the inability of those firms to utilise marketing and in particular branding to market their firms. Branding is the process of stamping a product, which the marketer offers with some identifying name, mark or a combination of both (Sawant 2012). Thus branding creates individuality in the product or service offered facilitating it to be distinguished and recognised in the market from competitors. For this reason different aspects of branding especially brand dimensions will be explored to identify shortcoming of SMEs branding practices to assist them survive the dynamic business environment. The study involved SMEs in KwaZulu Natal in the manufacturing, retail, agriculture and financial services sectors. To address the research problem a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. Participants, more specifically those from the very small SME category, were selected and questionnaires were distributed to them. Those participants who responded to the questionnaire, in depth interviews were held with them. In both approaches a convenient samplings technique were used to select participants. The data will be analysed by using normal descriptive statistics and content analysis. The problem under investigation in this study is that SMEs in KZN may lack the ability to harness branding in support of their business survival. SMEs are limited financially when it comes to creating a brand. Randall (2000) says that companies face a number of challenges when it comes to creating a brand such as mature markets, brand proliferation, consumer revolt, management failure, fragmentation of media and retailer power. The contribution of the study is to help SMEs in KZN to understand branding and especially brand dimensions to assist them survive the dynamic business environment. The study found that SME owners have an understanding of brand creation and management. However, they agreed that more needs to be done when it comes to creating strong brands. SMEs express the brand dimension of sincerity and competence when branding their products. They face financial constraints, lack of creativity and competition as some of the challenges when it comes to creating brands. / M

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / The study was undertaken to establish to what extent the use of e-marketing has impacted on the Midlands Meander Association (MMA) members relationship with their customers and influenced their business performance (during the period August 2013 to January 2014). As stated in the literature review, the utilisation of technology and e-marketing are important areas of future research. The literature review incorporates various studies such as Mathfield (2000), Lourens (2007) and McLaren (2011) which focus on the MMA members and their customers. Moreover, the literature review includes a discussion of several definitions of e-marketing, while the importance of a number of e-marketing techniques was examined. The study was an empirical, descriptive investigation which applied a mixed methods approach. The study utilised three types of data collection methods: online survey, telephone interviews and the analysis of public domain documentation. The research found an extensive difference between how the various MMA members implemented e-marketing within their businesses. The research showed that e-marketing was not utilised or exploited by the majority of the MMA members to its full potential. Also, the study revealed the need for the MMA members to increase their utilisation of social media, search engine optimiser and complementary links to other websites in order to realise the advantages which may be gained. The study found that over half of the MMA members held a moderately positive perception of e-marketing and that the members’ ages might impact on their perceptions of e-marketing. The research suggested that the majority of the respondents recognised that their business performance had increased due to the use of e-marketing. Furthermore, the research found that two thirds of the MMA members acknowledged the importance of e-marketing to connect and build relationships with their customers. Finally, the research highlighted the need for future research to be undertaken to incorporate other tourism routes within South Africa in order to examine the use of e-marketing and its effect on both customer relationships and business performance.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Lungisisa Indlela Village is a non-profit organisation in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It provides holistic residential care for orphaned and vulnerable children in order to “rescue a child, restore a life, raise a leader and release a star”. The village can house 1 000 orphans and the model used is long-term cluster foster care where the children will get a sense of belonging in a homely environment, modelling an African village lifestyle. The houses are built in clusters, each with eight homes surrounding a communal play area. Each home has a fully-trained house mother who may bring two biological children, and will be given up to six children through the Department of Social Welfare. Within a family environment, they will receive unconditional love, spiritual discipleship, care and nurturing. The Lungisisa Indlela Village School is a registered independent school which comprises a play-school, pre-school, primary school and secondary school. Lungisisa Indlela Village is assisting others who have the same vision to build villages in Pretoria, Benoni, Kimberley, Grahamstown, East London and George. The vision of Lungisisa Indlela Village is to build thousands of villages across Africa in order to turn one of the continent’s biggest problems into the solution. The research focus is on the discipline of social marketing. More specifically, how Lungisisa Indlela Village makes use of the principles of social marketing in order to gain support from the community, government, corporate organisations and churches. A case study approach was followed, whereby literature and in-depth interviews were used to compare Lungisisa Indlela Village’s current marketing activities to best practice social marketing principles. The aim of the research was not only to assist Lungisisa Indlela Village with their expansion, but also to assist other orphanages and cause-related marketing organisations in putting together a marketing plan to drive the desired behaviour in both South Africa and the rest of Africa (in countries facing similar challenges). The study, even though aimed at how Lungisisa Indlela Village compares to best practice social marketing principles, revealed that there are many other business and strategic issues to consider. These issues, however, inform how the marketing plan is executed. Leadership, governance, relationship with government and marketing the Lungisisa Indlela Village brand and solution are very important questions, issues and initiatives that need to be addressed before further expansion takes place. The author would like to encourage the reader to watch the following video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSnujMEumrc, before reading the rest of this paper.

Dissertation submitted in compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology in the Department of Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2009. / The dissertation presents an overview on market segmentation established on the basis of collection of information. The study illustrates the important role of information in tourism and examines the socio-economic impact of the sardine run event and the marketing strategy in the South Coast Region of KwaZulu -Natal. A survey of the tourists at the sardine run event was conducted. There is no reason to divide customers and prospects into separate groups if they are going to be treated the same. This research examines the nature of what might be the overall personality type of the tourist and how this overall picture can be used to identify individual characteristics much more coherently and use the information to develop the marketing strategy. In line with the overview of major attempts to measure the effectiveness of a marketing strategy, this dissertation suggests that segmentation is imperative for strategy development. One key goal of each information strategy lies in an optimal matching between segmentation and marketing strategy. The findings of the study revealed that the economic impact of an event normally focuses on changes in sales, income and employment in a region as a result of tourism activity. Secondly, this research proposes that income influences tourists’ spending patterns. Since almost no research has been conducted on the analyses of the socio-economic impact and the marketing strategy of the sardine run, this research should contribute to knowledge about the target market and the socio- economic impact of the event.

Dissertation submitted in compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology in the Department of Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2009. / The dissertation presents an overview on market segmentation established on the basis of collection of information. The study illustrates the important role of information in tourism and examines the socio-economic impact of the sardine run event and the marketing strategy in the South Coast Region of KwaZulu -Natal. A survey of the tourists at the sardine run event was conducted. There is no reason to divide customers and prospects into separate groups if they are going to be treated the same. This research examines the nature of what might be the overall personality type of the tourist and how this overall picture can be used to identify individual characteristics much more coherently and use the information to develop the marketing strategy. In line with the overview of major attempts to measure the effectiveness of a marketing strategy, this dissertation suggests that segmentation is imperative for strategy development. One key goal of each information strategy lies in an optimal matching between segmentation and marketing strategy. The findings of the study revealed that the economic impact of an event normally focuses on changes in sales, income and employment in a region as a result of tourism activity. Secondly, this research proposes that income influences tourists’ spending patterns. Since almost no research has been conducted on the analyses of the socio-economic impact and the marketing strategy of the sardine run, this research should contribute to knowledge about the target market and the socio- economic impact of the event.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine consumers’ perceptions of loyalty programmes offered by cosmetic retailers in Durban and on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, South Africa. A broad and in-depth literature review of loyalty programmes as tools for retaining consumers, as well as the different types of loyalty programmes currently available in South Africa, was conducted. An empirical study was conducted by using an interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data from consumers who were members of cosmetic retailers’ loyalty programmes. A quantitative approach was followed in order to satisfy the research objectives of the study. Loyalty programmes are an integral part of many retail businesses as they allow retailers to reward returning consumers with (amongst others) discounts or special promotional offers when the loyalty programme is used at the point of sale. The rapid advancements in technology has also enabled retailers to maintain databases containing valuable information on consumers’ spending patterns, which informs retailers about products consumers prefer buying. Retailers all over the world have been using loyalty programmes to retain existing consumers by rewarding loyalty and win over new consumers. Although many South African retailers have introduced loyalty programmes into their businesses, consumers’ perceptions of loyalty programmes offered by cosmetic retailers have not been investigated here. The results of this research study indicate that consumers perceived loyalty programmes as easy to use at the point of sale when making purchases. Consumers also felt that loyalty programmes helped them to save money through the redemption of vouchers or points. Overall, consumers were satisfied as members of cosmetic retailers’ loyalty programmes. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)