Dissertation (MA (Development Communication))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Information Science / unrestricted

Thesis (M. Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / The National government has implemented a rural development strategy, known as the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP), in various areas of the country including Muyexe village. The CRDP focused on community organization and mobilization as well as strategic investment in economic and social infrastructure. The programme adopted an approach that empowers Muyexe communities. It is built on the premise that rural areas in the country have the potential to be developed in a way that generates jobs and economic opportunities, thus providing an alternative to the urban centres, and contributing to the reduction of rural-urban migration. Muyexe has been one of the pilot areas in the country where the CRDP was implemented by the national government. The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent of the contribution of CRDP women empowerment in Muyexe. The study adopted a mixed research method (quantitative and quantitate) in order to describe and understand the impact of CRDP on women empowerment. The researcher used a questionnaire to collect data from 92 households, which were selected randomly. In addition, qualitative data was collected through one-on-one interviews, observation and literature review. Interviews were conducted with ten (10) CRDP facility managers, employees and government officials who were selected purposively. Findings indicate that the condition of women living in the village has improved as women are allowed to engage in decisions that directly affect them, and women are treated with respect and dignity. There are signs of improvement in terms of women’s empowerment, namely access to resources such as land, health care, water and electricity; involvement in the projects that are designed to benefit the community; and holding leadership positions, despite the cultural and traditional practices. However, the participants of the study perceive that women are not satisfied with their working conditions and the income they earn. Another finding of the study is that CRDP has implemented various facility services in order to benefit the local community of Muyexe, through setting up a library, recreation centre, computer centre, early childhood learning centre, post office, clinic, doing road vii construction and many more. Other projects implemented include water reservation tanks, electricity, toilets and backyard gardens. This study found that the infrastructure and service facilities that were developed through the CRDP have a major impact in the lives of women in the village. Women have more access to houses, water reservation tanks, and electricity and sanitation facilities. Moreover, the projects initiated by CRDP have benefited women and their families as well as creating employment opportunities and skills training. The CRDP has not fully achieved its purpose of empowering the community, women in particular, due to several implementation challenges including inadequate coordination, theft and vandalism, and nepotism. Thus it is crucial for the policy makers and implementers to look into the different challenges that women are facing and come up with appropriate strategies that will further empower rural women in the study area. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

M.Comm. / The aim of this study was to analyse and discuss the importance of rural advancement in the development of developing regions or countries, and KwaZulu-Natal was used as a case study. The literature focused on the backwardness of the rural areas and the importance of rural advancement for the development of less developed regions or countries. Development cannot be said to have taken place unless people's lives in general have improved. Large parts of developing regions or countries consists of rural areas. Furthermore, it appears that a large proportion of the population in the developing regions or countries live in rural areas. Rural advancement will, therefore, play a crucial role in the development of developing regions or countries. Amongst other things, it will improve the lives of the people living in rural areas, it will provide markets for both local factor inputs and locally produced goods and services, it will redistribute national income, it will reverse rural-urban migration by providing employment opportunities in the rural areas, and in general it will stimulate the rural economy. KwaZulu-Natal is one of the poorest provinces in South Africa, and a large proportion of KwaZulu-Natal's population live in non-urban areas. The development of KwaZulu-Natal will therefore to a great extent depend on the development of its rural parts. The rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal are subject to a number of factors that results in underdevelopment. Rural KwaZulu-Natal is poverty-stricken, low levels of human development prevail, there are high rates of unemployment, low productivity, low economic activity, and in general people in rural KwaZulu-Natal are subject to low standards of living. Economic activities in the province are concentrated to a large extent in the urban areas of the province. This suggests that development initiatives of the past were not focused on rural KwaZulu-Natal. Rural KwaZulu-Natal is also subject to high rates of political conflict, crime and violence which have hindered the development of the province. The provision of social and basic services in rural KwaZulu-Natal is inadequate, and the province is subject to environmental degradation. The study confirmed that rural advancement - through stimulation of the economic, social, political, and environmental dimensions of development - will play a crucial role in the future development of less developed regions or countries, in general.

A research report for the partial fulfillment of Masters degree in the school of Geography and Environmental studies, Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2007. / Unable to load abstract

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand Business School, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation 28th July 2015 / In South Africa today there are many rural economies in decline. Despite the recognition internationally, since the 2nd World War internationally and since 1994 in South Africa specifically, of the value that can be added by specifically targeting Local Economic Development and Entrepreneurship as strategies for an answer to the decline in local economies, success has been limited. More success has in fact been seen in rural communities that have developed through the natural flows of the market than from direct intervention. This progression takes a long time though and the South African situation with all its history cannot wait this long for development. The question asked is why interventions fail, what are the basic factors that make up the local economic development paradigm and how are they affecting the interventions. Information is key to planning and planning is key to successful interventions. A literature review is done in order to establish the basis of LED historically, theoretically and specifically with regards to the South African rural environment, in order to assist in the development of the information required for successful planning of LED interventions. With the most prominent factors derived from this literature review tabled and applied into established Case Study models, a questionnaire is developed for application into rural economies through Community Entrepreneurship programmes or LED vehicles. In order to establish firstly the relevance of the factors and secondly the relevance of the questionnaire, it is reviewed, scored and commented on by a select group of industry practitioners in LED. The opinion of these individuals further validates the use of the factors and questionnaire in baseline LED intervention planning.

Thesis (M.A. (Administration and Development)) --University of Limpopo, 2010 / Feminist studies show that gender inequality is an impediment for livelihoods diversification among rural households. Whereas women are understood to be the designers, planners and managers of livelihoods for household survival, their roles in diversification of the means of earning a living are generally undermined through a myriad of social and cultural laws, values, norms and beliefs. Despite the publicity, attempts and efforts in redressing gender inequality in a demographic South Africa, the dissertation argues that gender inequality in rural areas has remained persistent, posing an obstacle to the capacity of households to diversify their livelihoods. The study uses survey results from Sebayeng Village in order to demonstrate that the community’s perceptions of women’s roles perpetuate the status quo wherein women’s capacity to diversify livelihoods are undermined. The survey involved 200 households that were sampled through the simple random design. The respondents consisted of 56.5% females and 43.5% males. The survey results demonstrate that gender inequality remains deep in Sebayeng Village and that such inequality negatively affects the ability of households to diversify their livelihoods. Therefore, this study tends to confirm the general principle that gender inequality renders women as unexplored resources in rural development. To that extent, the study concludes that one of the tests for the success in gender transformation in South Africa is in releasing the energies of women in the sphere of livelihoods diversification.

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / The impact of mining companies on community development in the Dilokong and Ga Pila villages in the Sekhukhune and Waterburg Districts of Limpopo Province has been demonstrated in many ways in this study. The mines have influenced the economic, environmental and social aspects of the Province. The study has revealed that even though mining has placed the Province on the global economic map, the reality is that often the environmental damage is hidden; this was shown by the fact that respondents reported over usage of water by mines. It is clear that the impacts both good and bad of mining begin before mines were even established and does not disappear with the closure of a mine. Mining does not have a good record of contributing to sustainable development or poverty reduction. This research has indicated that mineral extraction is neither necessary nor sufficient for sustained economic growth, and that it has not helped developing communities escape from poverty. This belief is due to the fact that the mines are not following mining charter and other related acts. In conclusion, these benefits may look good on paper, but it is difficult to gauge whether the community are really gaining from this mining projects

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2007 / Past land policies in South Africa, which resulted in forced removals, caused insecurity among citizens, the landless as well as insufficient land administration and land use. Based on this problem, the current democratic government has developed a comprehensive and far reaching land reform policy and programmes to effect historical reconciliation, growth and development to benefit its citizens, more especially those in the rural areas where poverty is rife. Irrespective of developing land reform policies and programmes, there are still rural areas such as Syferkuil that continue to experience land ownership problems caused by the past regime. They do not benefit from such programmes. As such, this community is underdeveloped compared to other communities irrespective of being in the vicinity of highly resourced places such as the University of Limpopo experimental farm. For instance, there is no single secondary school or poverty alleviation project and facilities for primary health care in this community. As such, the study was undertaken to establish the impact of land ownership on rural development in this community. Qualitative, description research was conducted and data were collected by means of focus group interviews to get a clear picture of the impact of land ownership on the people of Syferkuil. The study identified and described the issues of land ownership, which are the major obstacles to the development of this community. These include the lack of clarity in land ownership, the lack of authority by the community leaders and chiefs as well as the overlapping of land rights. Based on the summary of the findings, recommendations were made which will be beneficial to whoever might be involved in the development of this community

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Poverty and unemployment are currently serious socio-economic problems in South Africa. One way of dealing with this problem is entrepreneurial development. Growth in the tourism sector, specifically in rural tourism, has increased substantially in South Africa in the last decade. Facilities, services and products offered by entrepreneurs are part of the South African tourism industry. This trend created a need for information concerning tourists' needs regarding products and services. The primary aim of this study was thus to investigate the needs of tourists regarding products and services which can lead to entrepreneurial development in a rural tourism setting. A literature review has been undertaken to provide an in-depth report concerning the literature that forms the theoretical basis for this study. Definition of relevant terms, the link between tourism and recreation and the positive and negative impacts of tourism were discussed. Rural tourism and sustainable tourism development were discussed next, followed by literature regarding the tourist, his/her shopping behavior and the importance of crafts. Employment generation, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial development in tourism, entrepreneurial training and the link between entrepreneurship and crafts were also discussed. The geographical demarcation of the study was the rural town of Darling on the South African West Coast and the 15 km radius surrounding the town. This region is a popular tourist destination. Despite this, unemployment is still a serious problem. A situation analysis of the available facilities in Darling was done to determine which products, services and attractions the relevant businesses and artists of the area offer to tourists. The data analysis of the information that was gathered through document analysis and structured interviews showed that the area is popular with nature as well as culture lovers. To be able to determine the needs and compile a profile of the average tourist that visits a rural town like Darling. Tourists were approached to serve as respondents for the study. A sample was taken and the respondents completed self-administered questionnaires. Frequency and contingency tables were constructed to compile a tourist profile and to identify the needs of tourists visiting a rural region like Darling. On account of this data, shortcomings were identified between that which Darling offers and the needs of tourists. Recommendations were made concerning ways to address these shortcomings in a manner that can/may facilitate entrepreneurial development and at the same time use the existing facilities in Darling. The conclusions suggest that the businesses and artists involved in this study contribute towards tourism and to a certain extent satisfy tourists' needs. Respondents indicated, inter alia, a need for products that are unique to the area. In light of the fact that a typical "Darling product" was not identified in the situation analysis, this was found to be a particularly severe shortcoming. Recommendations were made to address the identified shortcomings by way of training programmes aimed at facilitating entrepreneurial development in Darling. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Armoede en werkloosheid is wesenlike sosio-ekonomiese probleme in Suid-Afrika. Entrepreneuriese ontwikkeling is een manier om hierdie probleme aan te spreek. Groei in die toerismesektor, spesifiek in landelike toerisme, het in die laaste dekade in Suid-Afrika skerp toegeneem. Fasiliteite, dienste en produkte van entrepreneurs maak deel uit van die Suid-Afrikaanse toerismebedryf. Hierdie tendense het 'n behoefte geskep aan inligting oor toeriste se behoeftes aan produkte en dienste wat veral deur entrepreneurs aangespreek kan word. Die hoofdoelwit van die studie was dus om ondersoek in te stel na die behoeftes van toeriste aan produkte en dienste wat kan lei na entrepreneuriese ontwikkeling in 'n landelike toerisme-area. 'n Literatuuroorsig is gedoen om 'n indiepte verslag te lewer aangaande die literatuur wat 'n teoretiese onderbou vir die studie uitmaak. Relevante begripsomskrywings, die verband tussen toerisme en rekreasie asook die positiewe en negatiewe impakte van toerisme op gebiede wat besoek word, is bespreek. Landelike toerisme en volhoubare toerisme-ontwikkeling is in oënskou geneem en literatuur oor die toeris, sy/haar inkopiegewoontes en die belang van handwerkprodukte is ondersoek. Werkskepping, entrepreneurskap, entrepreneuriese-ontwikkeling in toerisme, entrepreneuriese opleiding en die verband tussen entrepreneurskap en die beoefening van handwerk is beredeneer. Die geografiese afbakening van die studiegebied sluit Darling, 'n landelike dorpie aan die Weskus van Suid-Afrika en 'n gebied binne 'n radius van 15 km om dié dorp in. Hierdie is 'n gebied wat baie toeriste lok, maar waar werkloosheid ook aan die orde van die dag is. 'n Situasie-analise van Darling se beskikbare fasiliteite is gedoen om te bepaal watter produkte, dienste en attraksies ondernemings en kunstenaars van die dorp en omgewing aan toeriste bied. Die data-analise van die inligting wat deur dokumentanalises en gestruktureerde onderhoude ingewin is, het getoon dat die gebied gewild is by natuursowel as kultuurliefhebbers. Ten einde in staat te wees om die behoeftes te bepaal asook 'n profiel saam te stel van die gemiddelde toeris wat 'n landelike gebied soos Darling besoek, is toeriste genader om as respondente vir die studie op te tree. 'n Steekproef is geneem en self-geadministreerde vraelyste is deur die respondente voltooi. Frekwensieen gebeurlikheidstabelle is opgestel om 'n toeristeprofiel saam te stel en om die behoeftes van toeriste wat 'n landelike gebied soos Darling besoek, te identifiseer. Na aanleiding van hierdie data is leemtes geïdentifiseer tussen dit wat Darling bied en die behoeftes van die toeriste. Aanbevelings is gemaak om hierdie leemtes aan te spreek op maniere wat entrepreneuriese-ontwikkeling kan/sal fasiliteer deur reeds bestaande fasiliteite in Darling te benut. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat die ondernemings en kunstenaars wat by die studie betrokke was, bydra tot toerisme en toeriste se behoeftes gedeeltelik aanspreek. Respondente het onder meer 'n groot behoefte aan produkte wat uniek aan die gebied is, aangedui. Aangesien daar nie 'n tipiese "Darling-produk" in die situasie-analise geïdentifiseer is nie, word dit as 'n groot leemte beskou. Aanbevelings is gemaak om die geïdentifiseerde leemtes deur middel van opleidingsprogramme wat entrepreneuriese ontwikkeling in Darling sou kon fasiliteer, aan te spreek.

Food insecurity affects as significant proportion of the world's population and hence it typically receives priority attention in global policies associated with poverty, equity and sustainable development. For example, it is the first of the Millennium Development Goals and the second of their successor, the Sustainable Development Goals. Access to sufficient and nutritious food is deemed a basic human right. The latest FAO analysis of the “State of Food Insecurity in the World 2014” reports that 805 million people (approximately 11-12% of the world's population) are chronically undernourished (i.e. do not have sufficient energy intake over a period of at least one year). In sub-Saharan Africa the prevalence remains stubbornly high at 24%, the highest in the world. Whilst most interpret food insecurity to mean an insufficient quantity of food (as measured by the number of calories consumed), the widely accepted FAO definition considers four dimensions of food security, namely quantity, quality or diversity, access and use. Provision of enough calories on a daily basis is not sufficient if the diet lacks diversity and appropriate balance to provide the full range of minerals and vitamins necessary for proper health, or if the food available is culturally unacceptable. Thus, there is a pressing need for more nuanced analyses of food security against all four of the dimensions embedded in the concept. Additionally, it is important that these be measured at more local or regional levels because national statistics can mask alarming regional discrepancies in food security, or amongst particular sectors of society, such as recent migrants, refugees, female- or child-headed households, those vulnerable to HIV/AIDS or the landless, to mention just a few. For example, at a national level South Africa is considered a food secure nation with respect to staple requirements, and access to sufficient food is enshrined in the Constitution (Section 27, subsection 1b), but nationally one in twenty (i.e. approx. 2.5 million people) go to bed hungry most nights, and 23% of children below the age of 15 are physically stunted, severely stunted or wasted, due to the long-term ill effects of insufficient food or of inadequate diversity and quality. At a subnational level, there are marked differences between rural and urban populations and even between geographic areas (for example, the prevalence of stunting amongst boys less than 15 years old is 23% in the Eastern Cape, compared to 12% in Gauteng). Once again, despite being a food secure nation, nationally 40% of the population have a dietary diversity score of four or less, which is a cut-off point signifying poor dietary diversity which makes people more vulnerable to malnutrition and ill health, and in Limpopo and Northwest provinces it is as high as 66% and 61%, respectively.