Second economy people in developing countries are people living in communities that are underserved in terms of basic amenities and social services. Due to literacy challenges and user accessibility problems in rural communities, it is often difficult to design user interfaces that conform to the capabilities and cultural experiences of low-literacy rural community users. Rural community users are technologically illiterate and lack the knowledge of the potential of information and communication technologies. In order to embrace new technology, users will need to perceive the user interface and application as useful and easy to interact with. This requires proper understanding of the users and their socio-cultural environment. This will enable the interfaces and interactions to conform to their behaviours, motivations as well as cultural experiences and preferences and thus enhance usability and user experience. Mobile phones have the potential to increase access to information and provide a platform for economic development in rural communities. Rural communities have economic potential in terms of agriculture and micro-enterprises. Information technology can be used to enhance socio-economic activities and improve rural livelihood. We conducted a study to design user interfaces for a mobile commerce application for micro-entrepreneurs in a rural community in South Africa. The aim of the study was to design mobile interfaces and interaction techniques that are easy to use and meet the cultural preferences and experiences of users who have little to no previous experience of mobile commerce technology. And also to explore the potentials of information technologies rural community users, and bring mobile added value services to rural micro-entrepreneurs. We applied a user-centred design approach in Dwesa community and used qualitative and quantitative research methods to collect data for the design of the user interfaces (graphic user interface and voice user interface) and mobile commerce application. We identified and used several interface elements to design and finally evaluate the graphical user interface. The statistics analysis of the evaluation results show that the users in the community have positive perception of the usefulness of the application, the ease of use and intention to use the application. Community users with no prior experience with this technology were able to learn and understand the interface, recorded minimum errors and a high level of v precision during task performance when they interacted with the shop-owner graphic user interface. The voice user interface designed in this study consists of two flavours (dual tone multi-frequency input and voice input) for rural users. The evaluation results show that community users recorded higher tasks successes and minimum errors with the dual tone multi-frequency input interface than the voice only input interface. Also, a higher percentage of users prefer the dual tone multi-frequency input interface. The t-Test statistical analysis performed on the tasks completion times and error rate show that there was significant statistical difference between the dual tone multi-frequency input interface and the voice input interface. The interfaces were easy to learn, understand and use. Properly designed user interfaces that meet the experience and capabilities of low-literacy users in rural areas will improve usability and users‟ experiences. Adaptation of interfaces to users‟ culture and preferences will enhance information services accessibility among different user groups in different regions. This will promote technology acceptance in rural communities for socio-economic benefits. The user interfaces presented in this study can be adapted to different cultures to provide similar services for marginalised communities in developing countries

The main aim of this study was to assess the impact of the Best Management Practices (BMP) project on social and economic wellbeing at Zanyokwe Irrigation Scheme (ZIS) in central Eastern Cape Province. The BMP project is a knowledge-based initiative aimed at introducing management practices (mainly soft skills) in order to improve production and livelihoods in the study area. The study employed a survey to collect socio-economic data amongst farming households. The 2005 situation analysis, which was conducted amongst the same respondents before the introduction of the new practices allowed for comparisons in order to track changes or impacts after the implementation of the project. Also, the social and economic impact assessment (SEIA) framework was used to assess the impacts. The results of the impact assessment showed the BMP project to have an impact on social and economic well being of households. The skills introduced were in the areas of water management, agronomic practices, marketing and institutional arrangements. More than 90% indicated that there was improvement in agronomic practices and water management and 68% in marketing. More than half of farmers worked in their farms on a daily basis, which is a big change as none of the farmers worked during weekends in 2005. The average time spent on the farms also increased from four (in 2005) to seven hours (this investigation) on average per day. The BMP project also had a positive impact on social relationships and networks between farmers and the BMP project team as well as well as farmers and non-farmers. Land use intensity improved due to increases in acreage of main crops as well as cultivating at both seasons. More than 40% of farmers cropped their land at both seasons (winter and summer). In 2005, most of the land was fallow in winter. While some of the new practices introduced had a negative impact on input expenditures, the returns were positive. These extra efforts and expenditures resulted in improvement in incomes. Agricultural contribution to household income increased from 71% in 2005 to 81% in 2007. The increase in household incomes had a positive effect on poverty and food security status of households. The proportion of households earning incomes that are below poverty line dropped from 61% in 2005 to 38% in 2007. Changes in the diet of the households were noticed. In addition to the consumption of staples such as samp, maize meal and rice, people added a variety of vegetables. Own production was the main source of these vegetables as was indicated by 66% of respondents compared to only 25% in 2005. Food remained the main expenditure category though, as was the case in 2005. Improvements in marketing such as performing extra marketing functions and adopting a marketing strategy (collective action) also led to improvements in economic wellbeing.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017. / The study was undertaken to examine the contribution of child support grant (CSG) towards alleviation of poverty in South Africa. This is necessary because CSG is meant to support children from poor background in order to improve their general wellbeing. The literature review undertaken in this study shows that CSG is contributing towards alleviation of poverty in Masodi village. The literature review further highlights that there are various challenges that disturbs the strategies of the government in delivering world class social assistance to the citizens of South Africa. Another finding are that there are barriers in the utilization of system that are used to pay CSG as it is outdated, and need to be updated. This challenge justifies why there are several corruption cases in the social pension system (SOCPEN). One of the findings of the study is that CSG plays a direct role in the life of beneficiaries in improving socio-economic conditions in their lives; children are able to attend school, improve on nutrition and access health services. The main recommendation of the study is that government should increase the amount of CSG; it should be extended to the age of 21 to enable the children to attend higher learning institutions. In order to assist children to overcome the challenges of poverty, accessing higher education would reduce dependency on the government in the long run, as they will acquire skills that will make them employable. / South African Social Security Agency

MA (Sociology) / Department of Sociology / This study focused on the effects of the school feeding programmes in addressing food insecurity in Mutale Municipality of Vhembe District, Limpopo Province. The study placed school feeding programmes within the wider context of social assistance and a component for securing food for the wellbeing of Mutale rural inhabitants. The major problem identified in this study was the inadequacy of governmental interventions, specifically the social assistance component, to eliminate food insecurity in rural areas. This failure motivated the researcher to venture into an investigation of the school feeding programme and its impact, as a social intervention, in addressing food insecurity among rural citizenry. The study openly delineated various factors contributing to the ruthless chronic food insecurity which has ravaged many families in rural areas. On the theoretical framework, the research incorporated the Capability Theory and the Entitlement approach as the foundational basis of the study. The qualitative approach was used to ensure an in-depth understanding of the contribution of school feeding programmes as a right based in-kind social safety net implemented by the government in addressing the discourse of food insecurity on a rural setting. Respondents of the study included the supervisor at circuit level, the school principal, educators, food handlers, smallholder farmers, learners and their parents. The researcher utilised Quota sampling in the selection of respondents. The researcher gathered data through the use of interviews, non-participant observation and document analysis. The findings of this study were analysed by organizing the data and presenting it in a descriptive manner. Literature revealed that the provision of feeding schemes at schools have the capability to stimulate an enabling environment which can empower rural families with adequate resources essential for eliminating food insecurity. However, this study found out that the feeding scheme marginally created employment, reduced poverty and hunger and increased health and nutrition education among the community members. The programme achieved minimal results as it confronted implementation constraints which ruined its capacity to exterminate rural food insecurity.

PhDRDV / Institute for Rural Development / See the attached abstract below

PhDRDV / Institute for Rural Development / See the attached abstract below

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies / See the attached abstract below

PhDRDV / Institute for Rural Development / See the attached abstract below

MSCAGR / Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness / See the attached abstract below

MA (English) / Department of English / In this study, I explore the depiction of homelessness in K. Sello Duiker’s Thirteen Cents (2000) and Phaswane Mpe’s Welcome to Our Hillbrow (2001). Against the background of post-colonial and transcultural theories, I explore the effects of homelessness on select characters depicted in the two novels, particularly how homelessness and its effects impact on the characters’ identity and human dignity, as some of the themes which the two authors deal with. I achieve this through a close analysis of themes, characterisation and style as well as a demonstration of how the metaphor of the plight of the homeless is drawn from the experiences of the homeless characters portrayed in the novels. I establish, through this study, that the two novels depict characters on whose identity and human dignity, colonialism had an adverse impact. I argue that the corroded dignity and identity of the select homeless characters can be restored through the application of the tenets of transcultural theory. I consistently identify the central morals of the two novels under study as highlighting the need for society to address the plight central to the two novels’ major themes of homelessness, poverty, identity and human dignity against the backdrop of postcoloniality and transculturalism.