Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The historical significance of the socio-political changes in South Africa since 1994 cannot be disputed. The challenge is to place the redress agenda within a macro-framework geared to promote competitiveness that positions South Africa as a credible and valued player within the continent and globally. Of concern here is the plight of the rural poor and the neglect of rural space, viewed as central in redressing imbalances and competitiveness. This study posits that the marginalisation of the rural poor results from the deliberate, structural and systemic exclusion evident in previous regimes and perpetuated by the reigning neoliberal policies and the rural development paradigm. It provides an indepth analysis of the rural poor’s spiral of deprivation. The spiral is viewed to perpetuate “dependent survivalism” with reliance on unsustainable hand-outs and oppressive paternalistic relationships between those with, and those without resources. The argument is that the emergence of the poverty eradication agenda has not focused attention and effort on the treatment of the causes of poverty. The study objective is to offer alternative approaches for addressing these structural constraints, enabling rural household participation in viable and sustainable rural economic development programmes. To this end transdisciplinary methods premised on the view of the household as the nucleus of sustainable development are used. The study challenges the general economic theory that limits a household to only a source of labour and capital, with emphasis on household consumption. It shifts focus from the consumptive “dependent survivalism” mode to households as owners of productive assets, producers and suppliers, termed the “productive perspective”. To achieve this, an inclusive and sustainable development conceptual framework is proposed with an alternative rural development policy perspective. The framework emphasises the deployment of capital assets and rural economic development strategies based on the theory of value chains. The comparative analysis of marula commercialisation case studies is used to conceptualise the framework and formulate alternative approaches. Primary research focused on the Distell/Mirma Amarula Cream processing plant in Phalaborwa and the Marula Natural Products initiative at Thulamahashe, Bushbuckridge, South Africa. The findings demonstrated that marula supplying households are value chain actors with an objective function to maximise benefits and participate in the mainstream economy, but are structurally constrained. The profiles of the marula suppliers indicate that the majority are women who as heads of households bear the brunt of unpaid labour and the burden of care. The case study exposed the failure of the local and global economic systems to afford them their deserved opportunities and benefits as value chain actors. The study thus proposes a sustainable benefit-maximising system that is rooted in the value chain-based re-organisation of production, emphasising mainstreaming through institutional and systems change. The role of the state is emphasised as central in creating an enabling environment with regulatory frameworks that ensure sustainable resource use and sharing in value created. The study calls for the courage to turn the 2008/9 global financial crisis into an inclusive and sustainable development agenda. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die historiese betekenis van die sosiopolitieke veranderinge in Suid-Afrika sedert 1994 is onbetwisbaar. Vandag se uitdaging is om die regstellingsagenda in ’n makroraamwerk te plaas wat daarop gerig is om mededingendheid te bevorder en Suid-Afrika sodoende op die kontinent en wêreldwyd te vestig as geloofwaardige en waardevolle speler. Die lot van plattelandse armes en die verwaarlosing van die landelike ruimte is sentrale kwessies in die herstel van wanbalanse en mededingendheid. Hierdie studie voer aan dat die marginalisering van plattelandse armes spruit uit die doelbewuste, strukturele en sistemiese uitsluiting wat in vorige regimes voorgekom het en voortgesit word deur neoliberale beleid en die paradigma van landelike ontwikkeling. Dit bied ’n indringende ontleding van die plattelandse armes se benadeling, wat beskou word as die voortsetting van “afhanklike oorlewing”, met afhanklikheid van onvolhoubare aalmoese en verdrukkende paternalistiese verhoudinge tussen diegene met hulpbronne en diegene daarsonder. Daar word betoog dat die agenda vir die uitroeiing van armoede op die tafel geplaas is sonder dat dit die aandag en energie op die behandeling van die oorsake van armoede toegespits het. Die doelwit van die studie is om alternatiewe benaderings te bied om strukturele beperkings die hoof te bied en plattelandse huishoudings in staat te stel om aan lewensvatbare en volhoubare ontwikkelingsprogramme vir die landbou-ekonomie deel te neem. Hiervoor word transdissiplinêre metodes aangewend wat voortbou op die siening van die huishouding as die kern van volhoubare ontwikkeling. Die studie betwis die algemene ekonomiese teorie wat ’n huishouding tot ’n blote arbeidsbron reduseer en kapitaal aan verbruik vasknoop. Die fokus word dus verskuif van “afhanklike oorlewing” na die huishouding as eienaar van produktiewe bates, en as produsent en verskaffer, te wete die “produktiewe perspektief”. Die primêre navorsing is toegespits op Distell/Mirma Amarula Cream se verwerkingsaanleg in Phalaborwa en die Marula Natural Products-projek in Thulamahashe, Bosbokrand, Suid-Afrika. Die maroela-gevalstudie het die nood van huishoudelike produsente en verskaffers blootgelê tesame met die onvermoë van plaaslike en wêreld-ekonomiese stelsels om hulle die geleenthede en voordele as waardekettingspelers te bied wat hulle toekom. Die profiele van die maroelaverskaffers toon dat die meerderheid vroue is wat as huishoofde die las van kwesbaarheid, onbetaalde arbeid en versorging moet dra. Die navorsing se ontleding het ook die sleutelelemente uitgewys vir die verbetering van prestasie en voordele aan die arm verskaffers sonder dat die lewensvatbaarheid en volhoubaarheid van ondernemings ingeboet word. Die gevolgtrekking van die studie is dat behoorlik uitgewerkte en ondersteunde programme vir plattelandse ekonomiese ontwikkeling die handelsgeleenthede van natuurlike hulpbronne kan maksimaliseer vir bedryfsgroei en voordele vir plattelandse gemeenskappe. ’n Alternatiewe, volhoubare stelsel vir die uitbou van voordele word dus voorgehou wat gesetel is in die reorganisasie van produksie volgens waardekettings, met die klem op hoofstroming deur institusionele en stelselverandering. Die rol van die staat is sentraal in die skepping van ’n bemagtigende omgewing, met reguleringsraamwerke wat volhoubare hulpbrongebruik en waardedeling verseker. Die studie bepleit moedige optrede om die wêreldwye finansiële krisis van 2008/9 om te skep in ’n inklusiewe en volhoubare ontwikkelingsagenda.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Drawing on an exploratory case study in agricultural linkages, this report seeks to provide lessons on how the rural poor might engage in more sustainable land refonn in South Africa. The Thandi Agricultural Linkages Project case study is a land reform initiative of the Capespan Group, South Africa's largest fruit exporting company. The study explores how small farmers involved in worker equity-share schemes can benefit from the opportunities from demand-driven changes in high value agriculture in South Africa. The study examines the institutional mechanisms adopted by Capespan to integrate emerging fruit farmers in the supply chain and its effects on farm profitability and sustainability. Six farms were chosen as the object of research for the study. The research argues that, whilst Govenunent have promulgated legislation and made resources avai lable to facilitate land reform in agriculture, its impact and sustainability is questionable. Whilst land reform to date is viewed by many critics in South Africa as a failure, this report argues that there are important, but largely unexplored. cases of success. These will require policy interventions, as well as much greater private sector involvement to overcome the capacity gaps which exists among farmers that have been empowered through land reform. Some of these opportunities call for innovative private sector agribusiness champions that can partner with Government to link emerging farmers in new ways into global and profitable local, value chains. Land reform is unlikely to be economically and institutionally sustainable unless action is taken to improve access to factors of production, strengthen the enabling environment and provide skills development and technical assistance to emerging farmers in a highly competitive global marketplace. This research report compiles a list of 'good practices' that could be replicated. and documents the lessons learned from the Thandi Agricultural Linkages Project. It is hoped that these lessons will be used to inform the policy, design and implementation of future land reform projects in South Africa . / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Deur die aanwending van 'n ondersoekende gevallestudie oor bindinge in die landbou. wil hierdie verslag graag aandui hoe behoeftiges in die platteland moontlik deel mag he aan meeT volhoubare grondhervorming in Suid-Afrika. Die Thandi Agricultural Linkages-gevallestudie is 'n grondhervormingsinisiatief van die Capespan Groep, SuidAfrika se grootste vrugte-uitvoermaatskappy. Die studie ondersoek hoe kleinboere wat in werkememers gelyke-aandeleskemas betrokke is, voordeel kan trek uit die geleenthede van vraaggedrewe veranderinge in hoewaarde landbou in Suid-Afrika. Die studie ondersoek die institusionele meganismes wat deur Capespan toegepas is om opkomende vrugteboere in die verskaffingsketting te integreer en die gevolglike uitwerking op plaaswinsgewendheid en volhoubaarheid. Ses plase is as die onderwerp vir navorsing in hierdie studie gekies. Die navorsing voer aan dat hoewel die Regering wetgewing geproklameer en hulpbronne beskikbaar gestel het om grondhervonning in landbou te fasiliteer, die impak. en volhoubaarheid daarvan bevraagteken word. Terwyl baie kritici in Suid-Afrika grondhervonning tot op hede as 'n mislukking afmaak, word daar in hierdie vers lag geredeneer dat daar belangrike, maar grotendeels onverkende, gevalle van sukses is. Dit sal beleidsingrype, sowel as baie groter privaatsektor betrokkenheid benodig am die kapasiteitsgapings te oorbrug wat bestaan tussen boere wat deur grondhervorming bemagtig is. Sommige van hierdie geleenthede vereis innoverende, privaatsektor agrisake-kampioene wat as vennote saam met die Regering kan optree om opkomende boere op nuwe wyses in verbinding te bring met wereld- en winsgewende plaaslike. waardekettings. Die moontlikheid is skraal dat grondhervorming ekonomies en institusioneel volhoubaar sal wees. tensy daar optrede is om toe gang tot faktore van produksie te verbeter. die bemagtigingsomgewing te versterk en vaardigheidsontwikkeling en tegniese hulp aan opkomende boere 10 'n hoogskompeterende wereldmark te voorsien. Hierdie navorsingsverslag verskaf 'n Iys van 'goeie bedrywe' wat ged upliseer kan word, en dokumenteer die lesse wat uit die Thandi Agricultural Linkages-projek voortgevloei het. Daar word geboop dat hierdie lesse aangewend sal word om die beleid, antwerp en implementering van toekomstige grondhervormingsprojekte in Suid-Afrika te informeer

Thesis (M.Sc.) --University of the North, 2004 / Refer to document

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2011 / The study focused on the existence of Extended Public Works Projects (EPWP) and beneficiation in the village of Croquetlawn and Tsemamarhumbu village of Mkhuhlu in the Bushbuckridge Municipality. Many rural households live in situations of high unemployment and abject poverty, especially in the rural neighbourhoods of South Africa. The introduction of labour intensive projects of government in infrastructural development, under the auspices of the Department of Public Works, has brought a great relief in redressing unemployment and poverty in the country. While the provision of these short-term based jobs is life-saving, the question is whether or not these projects (EPWP) will provide a sustainable solution to unemployment and poverty with the skills and information they provide to the employees. The methodology used in this study was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. A small sample size of 40 people was selected using purposive sampling, targeting mainly beneficiaries of EPWPs, Municipal officials, CBOs, traditional leaders (indunas) and Ward Councillors. It is worth pointing out that the study findings indicated the positive impact of the EPWPs on beneficiaries; even though challenges were still enormous. At the delivery or grassroots point, the institutional arrangement of the Programme is virtually weak and non-existent in most instances resulting in poor governance. It is recommended that during the programme design stage, institutional arrangements and mechanism must be improved by the involvement of community structures to enhance good governance. It is recommended that gender mainstreaming forms part of the project management and programme design. This implies that vulnerable people such as women and orphaned children are given a special status in the programme. The programme design should also in the main address human basic needs related to infrastructural projects. Labour intensive programmes can create a greater demand for local products and services than do high technology programmes which may heavily rely on imported technology and equipment.

No description available.

Recent research suggests that rural people develop a rich array of informal support and exchange among their kin, neighbors and friends. These informal exchanges are argued to develop in response to the weak penetration of formal state structures and capitalist market relations in peripheral regions. This case study of the survival strategies of low income rural mothers who live in Quebec village demonstrates that these mothers' avenues for economic and social integration are restricted by the formal and informal sectors which constitute and reinforce one another. First, an extensive data and document analysis of the Quebec pronatalist and welfare policies reveals that they fail to provide low income rural women access to appropriate training and education, to transportation and adequately subsidized child care, or to secure jobs. This restricts these women's integration into formal or informal systems of support and exchange. The second section draws on interviews with 20 community leaders and on two years of participant observation. Contrary to the literature which suggests that extensive informal ties promote socially and economically inclusive rural communities, this case study reveals that centralized state development policies limit local community initiative and independence. Hence, community effort to aid low income families are limited to charity which does not fundamentally alter these families' marginal position. The third section draws on semi-structured interviews with 20 low income single and married (or common-law) mothers. Comparing the single and married mothers' strategies reveals that studies of the rural informal sector have narrowly defined the sector, by excluding unpaid domestic and child care work. It is shown that the married mother's strategy to stay in the home is a viable one because she alone performs the unpaid work of the home. This results in her isolation in the domestic sphere. For the single mothers who seek paid work, the gende

The Bazaruto Archipelago National Park (BANP) is one of the two marine National Parks in Mozambique. It was established to protect marine and terrestrial resources and to provide a basis for social and economic develop of the communities associated with the park. However, after four decades of successful tourist-attracting operation, the communities are still struggling. Poverty, lack of diversified livelihoods, poor soil fertility, lack of education, unemployment and lack of income generation continue. These lead to a reduction of the very natural resources the park was established to protect. They lead also to less sustainable and more vulnerable community livelihoods and a decline in community development. This study, which is the first of its kind on Bazaruto Island, evaluated tourism revenue distribution on communities through assessing its social, economic and conservation impacts on the island. The study also investigated how tourism revenue is distributed and managed and the role of the various stakeholders. The study reveals that tourism revenue distribution has not yet demonstrated substantial tangible impacts on communities. Limited improvement was found in three areas: education, micro-finance for projects and community conservation. However, on the whole, the communities remain poor and jobless; their homes are still in poor condition and subject to weather damage. The study suggests that there are two key factors that have limited progress on Bazaruto Island. Communities have spent their tourism revenue on providing public goods (infrastructure and education) which are government responsibilities. Further, is a practical tension between conservation and livelihoods which is related to the use of tourism revenue for social infrastructure instead of expanding livelihoods. The primary message of the park is about conservation, but there is no real effort to create alternative livelihoods; communities are forced to set aside conservation in favor of basic survival. There is an urgent need to investigate alternative livelihoods for the communities and to formulate policy and programs to ensure that while the goal of conservation is met, communities also see substantial improvements to their livelihoods and general quality of life. / Thesis (M.Agric.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

Many believe that small and medium natural resource-based enterprises (NRBEs) provide a vision to reduce poverty in the Third World’s rural communities and households. As a result, new rural enterprises should be created and existing ones reinforced within a framework of sustainable livelihoods that target all appropriate members in the communities. This study investigates the impact of the natural resource based enterprises income on the rural livelihoods in the households using a rural natural-based craft enterprise (using reeds, Cyperus spp, as raw material), as a case study, Ikhowe Craft Enterprise, situated in small town called Eshowe in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.. In designing this study, a combination of both qualitative and quantitative research methods was employed. This was influenced by the aim and the type of data required for the study. The said methods were (a) semi-structured interviews for producers (a questionnaire had a pre-determined mix set of both open-ended and closed-ended questions); (b) interviews for management were conducted with a purely qualitative questionnaire which consisted of only structured and open-ended questions; (c) field observations, and (d) a review of secondary materials (administrative records). Apart from how derived income impacts on the participants, data required also included performance of the enterprise, access to markets, support available, and livelihood analysis of the participants households which included issues such as households’ economies and exploring extent of, and reasons for diversification, and challenges both the enterprise and participants’ households face daily in relation to making a living. The results show that there was a significant increase in business annual turnover and producers’ earnings between 2003 and 2005. In 2003, about 50% of the producers earned less than R1000 per year, while in 2005 only 3% earned less than R1000 per year. Despite the total annual increase of earnings and the significant contribution of craft income to producers’ households’ incomes, individual earnings varied considerably amongst the producers and as a result the economic impact was also variable. Other than craft, strategies such as government grants enhanced livelihood diversification in the case study. However, lack of understanding of basic business principles and skills amongst both the crafters and management posed threats to the sustainability of the enterprise. The income derived from the NRBE activity, especially since it is based on natural resources with low economic value (reeds) was found to have both diversifying and supplementing effects on different producers’ other strategies. Although, the enterprise is achieving growth, there is a concern and a need to measure the future sustainability of the enterprise. In addition there is a need to improve the producers’ basic business skills and business management competency / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

This mini-dissertation sets out to examine the perceptions of farmers in the Dasse Administrative Area of Gash-Barka zone of the impact of agro-ecological, socioeconomic and infrastructural constraints on food insecurity, and the coping strategies employed by 101 sampled farm households in order to understand how these strategies increase vulnerability or mitigate the effect of food shortages. Agricultural productivity was low and average cereal production provided only 39 per cent of annual household requirements. Self-sufficiency in grain obtained from own production sustained households for only four months a year. In line with this, the study examined the impact of agro-ecological, socio-economic, and infrastructural constraints to the problem of food insecurity as perceived by the farmers. Farmers perceived drought, erratic rainfall, and weed infestations as major agro-ecological constraints that hindered self-sufficiency in food production. Shortage of draught animals and labour and lack of cash and off-farm income, were most conceived socio-economic constraints that affected production. Lack of farm credit, health problem (malaria), and inadequate farmers advisory service were most perceived infrastructural constraints that affected production and household food security. This shows that food security interventions need to be built around mitigating these perceived causes. The study also investigated coping strategies and their impact on increasing vulnerability or mitigating the effect of food shortages. The coping strategies applied by the studied households were largely consumption-based and non-erosive, indicating that households were relatively resilient to food security shocks. However, these strategies could be detrimental to the nutritional well being of household members, as they determined dietary intake. These coping strategies were particularly detrimental to household food security, as proper nutrition is critical for active and productive life. Thus, health and nutrition related interventions are highly required to address these problems. Food security interventions need to support livelihoods in ways that protect and buffer the natural resilience of households, providing direct assistance when erosive coping strategies are employed to ensure that households remain resilient to the fragile and variable situations in which they exist. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

The aim of this study was to determine the role of tourism, empowerment and participation in the socio-economic upliftment of the community of Umgababa. The research examines the views of the community on their socio-economic conditions, their willingness to participate in tourism business ventures and their perceptions and attitude towards communicating with other rural communities on tourism development. The study concludes that the socio-economic living conditions of the community of Umgababa are very poor and that empowerment and participation of the community in tourism could be an answer to their problems. Given the opportunity, the majority of the people were willing to participate in a tourism business venture. Investigation revealed that there is an abundance of natural and human resources in Umgababa to start a tourism business. The community also felt that by communicating their knowledge and experience they would be able to help other communities in their own development. / Geography / MA (Geography)