Yes / Purpose: Although start-ups have gained increasing scholarly attention, we lack sufficient understanding of their entrepreneurial strategic posture (ESP) in emerging economies. The purpose of this study is to examine the processes of ESP of new technology venture start-ups (NTVs) in an emerging market context. Design/methodology/approach: In line with grounded theory guidelines and the inductive research traditions, the authors adopted a qualitative approach involving 42 in-depth semi-structured interviews with Ghanaian NTV entrepreneurs to gain a comprehensive analysis at the micro-level on the entrepreneurs' strategic posturing. A systematic procedure for data analysis was adopted. Findings: From the authors' analysis of Ghanaian NTVs, the authors derived a three-stage model to elucidate the nature and process of ESP Phase 1 spotting and exploiting market opportunities, Phase II identifying initial advantages and Phase III ascertaining and responding to change. Originality/value: The study contributes to advancing research on ESP by explicating the process through which informal ties and networks are utilised by NTVs and NTVs' founders to overcome extreme resource constraints and information vacuums in contexts of institutional voids. The authors depart from past studies in demonstrating how such ties can be harnessed in spotting and exploiting market opportunities by NTVs. On this basis, the paper makes original contributions to ESP theory and practice.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The lack of development and growth are characteristics of the Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) region . Globally there are huge concerns about this and there are various initiatives to address the under development and poverty in this region. The most important of these initiatives, is the United Nations' Millennium Goals. In focusing on SSA, various challenges can be highlighted that impact negatively on the business (especially the banking) environment. These challenges are spread across the whole spectrum of spheres of influences, namely from the political to the economical environment on the one side to the social and technological environment on the other side. The region is in desperate need of help with regard to their development. These challenges are unfortunately huge obstacles for prospective investors. Many of the multi national (including South African) banks have identified the region as an area where they can reap high returns on their investments, whilst maintaining and even increasing their presence. In most cases the South African banks are focusing on expanding their involvement in the region but they must realise that they will not only have to compete with the local banks but also with the bigger role players in global banking. Unfortunately the existing multi-national banks have already captured the corporate market. New entrance and expansions will have to target the SMME and large retail markets that carry more risk and will be more challenging to service due to the lack of infrastructure in especially the rural areas. Many opportunities exist for South African banks in the SSA region. The dominant features of these opportunities are the leveraging off their South African operations and building on their experience in handling change and re-engineering of the banking sector. Existing product- and service offerings can be adjusted and rolled out to the region. Creativity will play an important role in assisting in the development of the region. Partnerships with local businesses and the community can assist to mobilize the lower end of the market and capture huge un-banked population. This will generate huge transaction volumes that will spread the cost and contributes to acceptable returns on investments. The involvement of the South African banks will have implications for all the stakeholders in the region. The most important aspect is finding a balance between the needs of the different stakeholders. The benefits stemming from this will contribute towards the region's escape from the deadlock of poverty. Although there are many challenges, the opportunities of extending into the undeveloped market must be seen as outweighing it. The key to success lies in the approach of the banks toward the SSA region and their ability to be seen as partners in developing the region. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die gebrek aan ontwikkeling en groei is kenmerke van die Sub-Sahara Afrika (SSA) streek. Wereldwyd is daar groot besorgdheid hieroor en verskeie inisiatiewe is geloods om die onderontwikkeling en armoede aan te spreek. Die heel belangrikste hiervan is die Verenigte Nasies se Millennium Doelwitte. Die fokus op die SSA streek lig heelwat negatiewe uitdagings vir die besighede (veral die bankwese) omgewing uit. Die uitdagings strek oor die volle spektrum van die ekonomiese aktiwiteite, naamlik vanaf die politieke tot die ekonomiese omgewing aan die een kant tot by die sosiale en tegnologiese gebiede aan die ander kant. Die streek smeek vir hulp en ondersteuning in die ontwikkeling daarvan. Die voorgenoemde uitdagings is groot hindernisse vir voornemende beleggers. Baie van die multi-nasionale (insluitende die Suid Afrikaanse) banke het die streek geidentifiseer as 'n gebied waar hulle hoe opbrengste kan verdien op hul investering en waar hul teenwoordigheid behou en selfs vergroot kan word. Die meeste Suid- Afikaanse banke wil hul teenwoordigheid vergroot, maar hulle moet besef dat hulle nie net teen die plaaslike banke moet kompeteer nie, maar ook met die bekende internasionale banke. Die internasionale banke is ongelukkig reeds goed ingegrawe in die korporatiewe mark. Nuwe toetredes en uitbreidings sal op die kleinsake ondernemings en groot klein handel mark moet fokus. Die mark segmente het hoer risiko profiele en is ook uitdagend om te diens as gevolg van die gebrek aan infrastruktuur in veral die plattelandse streke. Baie geleenthede vir die Suid Afrikaanse banke bestaan in die streek. Die belangrikste hiervan is die geleentheid om te steun op hul Suid Afrikaanse aktiwiteite, asook om te steun op hul ervaring ten opsigte van hantering van verandering en die herontwerp van die prosesse in bankwese. Bestaande produkte en dienste kan aangepas en uitgerol word in die streek. Kreatiwiteit sal egter 'n groot rol speel in die ontwikkeling van die streek. Vennootskappe met plaaslike besighede en gemeenskappe sal help om die onderste deel van die mark te mobiliseer en die groot getalle kliente wat nog nie van bankdienste gebruik maak nie te bereik. Dit sal bydra tot groot transaksie volumes wat die koste per transaksie sal verminder en aanvaarbare opbrengs op belegging sal gee. Die betrokkenheid van die Suid-Alrikaanse banke sal 'n invloed he op alle belange groepe in die streek. Die belangrikste sleutel tot sukses is om 'n balans te vind tussen die behoeftes van die verskillende belange groepe. Die voordele wat hieruit spruit sal die streek help om van die wurggreep van armoede te ontsnap. Alhoewel die onderontwikkelde markte baie uitdagings het, word dit oortref deur die geleenthede wat dit bied. Die sleutel tot sukses is die aanslag van die banke en hul vermoe om gesien te word as vennote in die ontwikkeling van die streek.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Responding appropriately to anthropogenic climate change presents a considerable challenge to humankind. Projected changes in climate are anticipated to affect the world's natural systems, human health and economies in many ways. Consequently, there is an urgent need to implement climate change mitigation and adaptation measures that are appropriate and efficient. This dissertation focuses on aspects of risk and feasibility associated with land use based climate change mitigation. First, it reviews policy, implementation and incentive issues that are key to promoting permanence and reducing the risk of leakage associated with reducing emissions from deforestation and forest deforestation (REDD1) in sub-Saharan Africa. Secondly, it assesses the transaction costs associated with the implementation of avoided deforestation and reforestation activities and their effect on the financial feasibility of ventures located in woodland and rangeland systems. Thirdly, it explores the potential impact of biophysical risk factors (such as fire) on the outcome of REDD activities in two chapters. The first risk chapter introduces the notion of biophysical risk and reviews the risk of fire to REDD activities located in important African vegetation types. The second chapter on risk uses the Century Ecosystem Program and published climate projection data to assess the effect of projected changes in temperature, rainfall and atmospheric carbon dioxide on the outcome of REDD activities. The results indicate that, among the biophysical risk variables assessed, fire may not present a major risk to REDD activities located in African woodland, savanna and grassland systems. In contrast, fire may present a significant risk in moist forests where unprecedented dry periods may allow fire to occur in a system where it has previously been absent. The analysis of the affect of climate change found that changes in climate are generally predicted to lead to an increase in carbon stocks and sequestration rates for the vegetation types assessed. Exceptions do occur, such as the modeled effect on nutrient-rich savannas, which require further investigation. The analysis of transaction costs associated with REDD activities illustrated that such costs may inhibit the feasibility of smaller-scale activities, especially in ecosystems outside of moist forests with relatively low carbon stocks and associated revenues. Whereas the proposed creation of national-scale capacity may reduce some transaction costs to a certain extent, there is a clear need to better understand the true cost of REDD activities. In terms of required supporting policy and implementation capacity, it is noted 1) that multi-criteria land use planning is particularly important in reducing permanence risk, 2) that the scope of recognized land use activities that reduce atmospheric GHG needs to be expanded if the benefits of REDD are to be fully realised and 3) that informal land tenure may not require transformation prior to successful, sustainable implementation. A review of the appropriateness of community-based forest carbon monitoring found that such an approach presents significant cost savings while providing local employment and incentive opportunities. Exposure to such initiatives to date indicated that the quality of data collected is adequate and sufficiently robust to fulfill project and national-scale reporting and verification requirements. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Antropogeniese klimaatsverandering hou daadwerklike uitdagings vir die mensdom in. Huidige voorspellings dui daarop dat klimaatsverandering natuurlike sisteme, gesondheid en die ekonomie op 'n verskeidenheid van vlakke gaan beinvloed. Daar is dus 'n dringende nood aan korrekte en effektiewe aanpassings- en mitigasie maatstawwe wat geimplementeer kan word. Hierdie proefskrif fokus op die risiko en lewensvatbaarheid van grondgebruiksgebaseerde klimaatsverandering mitigasie. Eerstens gee dit 'n oorsig van die beleids en implementasie dryfvere wat noodsaaklik is vir die bevordering van permanentheid en die verlaging van die risiko van lekkasie wat geassosieer word met verlaagde emissies vanwee degradasie en ontbossing (VEDO2) in sub-Sahara Afrika. Tweedens analiseer dit die transaksiekoste wat geassosieer word met die vermyding van ontbossing en herbebossing en die effek daarvan op die finansiele lewensvatbaarheid van sulke aktiwiteite in bosveld en weiveld. Derdens ondersoek die proefskrif die biofisiese risiko faktore (soos vuur) op die uitslag van VEDO aktiwiteite in twee hoofstukke. Die eerste hoofstuk word ingelei deur 'n ontleding en verklaring van biofisiese risiko en gee dan 'n oorsig oor die risiko van vuur op VEDO projekte in belangrike plantegroei-tipes in Afrika. Die tweede hoofstuk maak gebruik van die Century Ekostelsel Program om die impak van voorspelde veranderings in temperatuur, reenval en atmosferiese koolstofdioksied op VEDO aktiwiteite te evalueer. Die resultate dui aan dat onder die biofisiese risiko faktore wat ondersoek is, vuur nie so „n belangrike risiko inhou vir VEDO projekte in die bosveld, savanna en grasveld plantegroeitipes in Afrika nie. In teenstelling hou vuur 'n groot risiko in vir nat woude waar ongekende droeë tydperke kan veroorsaak dat vuur wel mag voorkom in „n stelsel waar dit voorheen afwesig was. Die analise op die effek van klimaatsverandering het bevind dat veranderinge in klimaat tipies sal lei tot a toename in koolstof voorrade en verhoogde sekwestrasie tempos vir die plantegroeitipes wat geevalueer is. Daar was egter uitsonderings, soos byvoorbeeld die gemodeleerde impakte op nutrientryke savannas wat verdere ondersoek benodig. Die analise ten opsigte van die transaksiekoste wat gepaardgaan met VEDO aktiwiteite illustreer dat sulke kostes dalk die lewensvatbaarheid van kleinerskaal projekte mag benadeel, veral in ekostelsels anders as nat woude met relatief lae koolstof voorrade en geassosieerde inkomste. Die voorgestelde skepping van kapasiteit op 'n nasionale vlak mag dalk transaksie koste verlaag tot 'n mate, maar daar is duidelik 'n behoefte om beter insigte te verkry oor die ware kostes van VEDO aktiwiteite. Wat betref die vereiste ondersteunende beleid en implimentasie kapasiteit is daar bevind dat 1) multi-kriteria grondgebruik beplanning uiters belangrik is in die verlaging van permanentheidsrisiko, 2) die omvang van erkende grondgebruiks aktiwiteite moet uitgebrei word om ten volle voordeel te trek uit VEDO, 3) dat informele grondbesit dalk nie transformasie vereis voor suksesvolle, volhoubare implementasie nie. „n Oorsig oor die aanvaarbaarheid van gemeenskapsgebaseerde woudkoolstofmonitering het gevind dat so 'n benadering tot groot kostebesparings lei terwyl dit ook plaaslike werkskepping bevorder en dien as dryfveer vir projekte. Blootstelling aan sulke inisiatiewe tot op hede dui aan dat die kwaliteit van die data wat ingesamel is voldoen aan projek- sowel as nasionale vlak verslaggewingsvereistes.

Thesis (doctoral)--Université de Limoges, 2005. / Includes abstract in French and English. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 488-507) and index.

abstract: Large-scale land acquisition (LaSLA), also called "land grabbing" refers to the buying or leasing of large tracts of land, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by foreign investors to produce food and biofuel to send back home. Since 2007, LaSLA has become an important development issue due to the opportunities and threats for SSA countries. LaSLA has the potential to create local jobs, transfer technology, build infrastructure, and modernize SSA's agriculture. Nonetheless, it can also aggravate food insecurity, perpetuate corruption, degrade ecosystems, cause conflicts, and displace local communities. What drives LaSLA, what are its impacts on local people, and under what circumstances can we consider it as just and ethical? To examine what drives LaSLA, I used country level data from 2005 to 2013 on economic conditions, natural resources, business practices, and governance to estimate LaSLA models. I find that LaSLA increases with increasing government effectiveness, land prices, and the ease of doing business, and decreases with stronger regulatory regimes. To assess LaSLA's impacts on local people, I conducted a comparative case study in Tanzania. I compare changes in peoples' livelihood between treatment villages (those experiencing LaSLA) and control villages (those without LaSLA projects). The results show that under current practices, the risks of LaSLA outweigh the benefits to local livelihoods, yet there are potential benefits if LaSLA is implemented correctly. To philosophically examine whether LaSLA can be considered just and ethical, I apply John Rawls' theory of justice. The analysis indicates that from both procedural and distributive justice perspective, LaSLA currently fails to satisfy Rawlsian principles of justice. From these analyses, I conclude that if implemented correctly, LaSLA can produce a win-win outcome for both investors and host countries. I suggest that strong governance, rigorous environmental and social impact assessment, and inclusion of local people at all levels of LaSLA decision making are critical for sustainable and equitable outcomes. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Biology 2017

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requiremnets for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science at the University of Zululand, 2004. / Technology is a key subject with in C2005-RNCS and is targeted as a learning area which will contribute towards preparing learners for their roles in society and in the world of work. School principals are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that Technology as a learning area is successfully implemented at schools in line with national and provincial guidelines. This research examined management of the curriculum with specific reference to Technology as a learning area. The management role of principals is central to implementation of this learning area, including provision of resources for teaching and learning and assignment of technology education to qualified educators. A literature review was undertaken to establish the relevant technical knowledge and professional skills that the principal would be required to possess in order to bring about meaningful changes and to implement Technology education. The study revealed that there are challengers regarding management of Technology curriculum and resources to implement the learning. The study also revealed that in spite of barriers to successful implementation school principals have devised measures to implement and manage the curriculum, including communicating with the interest groups. The researcher has made recommendations regarding management and implementation for Technology education. / Moi University

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Wits Business School 4 November 2016 / Sub-Saharan Africa faces severe infrastructure deficits including in power generation, water facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. These deficits compound the socio-economic challenges of the most impoverished region in the world. It is estimated that funding of US$ 90 billion per annum is required to address infrastructure deficiencies. Other developing regions including Asia, the Middle East, and South America, have with varying degrees of success utilised the project finance framework to address similar infrastructure deficiencies, and also develop other commercial ventures. Africa has lagged behind in this respect, and still accounts for less than 3% of international project finance flows. The ability to attract and access international and domestic project finance capital, and execute the underlying ventures is an important opportunity to address the challenges noted above. The study contributes to knowledge by deepening our understanding of project finance in South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe in the following ways. Firstly, it offers a model through which to monitor key contextual factors that influence the success, failure, and shaping of project and infrastructure ventures. Secondly, it interrogates the main capital structure theories including the static trade off and pecking order theories, and their applicability and relevance for project and infrastructure finance in the selected jurisdictions. It then compares capital structure theory with actual practice of capital structure formulation in the 7 cases studies investigated. This yields important insights as to the most important factors influencing capital structure in project finance in the three selected countries. In particular the constrained supply of capital is observed as the top factor determining capital structure. It further enhances our understanding of why ventures using project finance in these countries may have significantly lower leverage than other similar ventures in developed regions of the world. Thirdly, the study extracts key insights into how stakeholder interactions evolve in the projects by applying stakeholder agency theory to project sponsors, managers, contractors, state institutions, and community organisations. Collectively these insights should contribute to attracting increased capital to project finance in Sub-Saharan Africa, and arranging projects with greater prospects of operational success. / MT 2017

This thesis challenges the conventional theory of forced migration by expanding the narrow definition of violence that prevails, not only within international refugee legislation, but also within the academic field of migration. As such, this thesis argues that by limiting the scope of forced migration only to include victims of direct personal violence, manifested in physical harm, we are neglecting the victims of indirect structural violence, that is, the violence of oppression and inequality, where insights and resources are monopolized by a certain group within society, making access unattainable for others. By analyzing personal narratives of six economic migrants from sub-Saharan Africa that has fled their countries to escape structural violence, this thesis aims to shed light on the limitation within the conventional theory of forced migration.

This study examined the effect of real exchange rate misalignments on economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by employing 15 countries. The sample is subdivided into 7 lowincome countries and 8 middle-income countries. The dataset spans 41 years covering the period 1970-2010. The study examined this broad issue in piecewise fashion. In the first part, the study examined the validity of the Balassa-Samuelson Hypothesis (BSH) using a simplified regression model and within-effects estimations. The study found a negative and highly significant coefficient of the relative productivity term for the two subsamples (i.e. low-income SSA countries and middle-income SSA countries), in addition to the full sample. Thus, the study found a well-established BSH for the SSA countries considered. Second, the study examined the impact of the real exchange rate undervaluation on economic growth using a standard regression model with key control variables. The study constructed an index of undervaluation, following Rodrik (2008). The study also constructed a Hodrick- Prescott based undervaluation index in order to evaluate the robustness of the main undervaluation index. Generally, the study found undervaluation to promote growth and overvaluation to reduce it. The study found the effect of undervaluation on economic growth to weaken as countries migrate from the low-income bracket to the middle-income bracket. Moreover, the study examined whether the choice of the undervaluation measure mattered. The study found the choice of the undervaluation measure to matter. The Rodrik-type index appeared to overestimate the size of the impact of undervaluation on economic growth. Finally, the study examined whether the impact of undervaluation on growth was linear. The evidence showed that the impact of undervaluation on growth was linear, at least, for this study. The linear impact of real exchange rate movements on economic growth implied that undervaluation enhanced economic growth just as overvaluation hindered it. / Economics / D. Phil. (Economics)

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been touted in literature and by numerous studies on the topic as one of the main drivers of economic growth globally. Its benefits transcend from host to home countries, introducing related benefits that would not be realised without FDI. In sub-Saharan Africa, FDI is further regarded as one of the main avenues to alleviate resource deficits on the continent. Moreover, FDI is considered critical in mitigating socio-economic challenges experienced in many parts of the sub-continent. However, the continent lags behind the rest of the world in both outward FDI (OFDI) and inward FDI. Furthermore, intra-Africa FDI is also the lowest intra-regional FDI in the world. Various studies have been conducted on how MNCs strategise for their FDI initiatives and how the host country attributes render nations either attractive or otherwise to FDI. However, most of the studies have been premised on the developed world, mainly neglecting the unique characteristics of the continent. Africa has become a potentially attractive FDI destination for MNCs, as it has achieved consistently higher economic growth rates when compared to the rest of the world in the past few decades. However, the relatively few studies on the business environment, compounded by the often-negative media publication about the continent have rendered Africa a treacherous investment destination for MNCs. Democratic South Africa is a relatively new country in Africa. However, it is an important economic force on the continent due to superior resources and expertise formulated in the country over centuries. South African-originated MNCs currently form the bulk of MNC activity on the continent. However, SA MNCs have reported mixed fortunes in their OFDI endeavours in the rest of the sub-continent with many disinvestments, especially over the past two decades. These business closures continue up to the present day. This primary purpose of this study was to add to the existing literature on OFDI to ascertain scientific solutions to mitigate inappropriate business strategies being adopted by SA MNCs on the rest of the continent, especially those MNCs that invest in agribusiness. The study is unique in that it investigates the firm, host industry and overall host country attributes of OFDI in agribusiness. Furthermore, the study focused on the four regions of sub-Saharan Africa (East, West, Central and Southern Africa) to ensure that the regional dynamics of the continent are considered. The study also considered the effects of the different historical legal and business processes of the continent by factoring in anglophone, francophone and lusophone countries in the study. The formulation of this study and incorporation of these specifics therefore rendered this study different from existing studies. Furthermore, agribusiness is one of the most important industries in Africa, employing most of its populace, given the unique agrarian nature of the continent. However, there are negligible studies on FDI in agribusiness on the continent. To bridge this academic lacuna, the current study primarily focused on this sector that is critical to most African economies. The research, therefore, fills these gaps in the existing literature. The period under study was from 2000 to 2018. With the usage of annual data sourced from reliable sources in a robust panel regression approach, the findings of the study are as follows. Firm heterogeneity plays a critical role in the success of FDI initiatives. The study found that the asset base of an MNC was pertinent for the success of OFDI. Firms that relied on debt funding encountered challenges in OFDI processes. The research also found that profitability remained the main priority of MNCs, given that profitability and FDI share significant positive relationships. Interestingly, the findings established that MNCs that had a long history in their home countries struggled with OFDI, attributable to their limited ability to adapt their tried and tested home processes to new, unique markets on the rest of the continent. The findings on the agribusiness sector of host countries revealed that countries with progressive policies in agribusiness attracted additional and better FDI. For instance, investments in agri-infrastructure were beneficial to those host countries, showing that countries that prioritised agribusiness reaped the benefits, especially in the long term. Furthermore, there was clear evidence that FDI had a mutually beneficial relationship with crop and livestock production as well as value addition in agribusiness. There were mixed and useful findings regarding the impact of climate, food security and arable land as they relate to agribusiness FDI. Finally, the study supported the importance of institutional sturdiness on FDI. Although the study corroborated the direct relationship between FDI and economic growth, the findings revealed varied effects of the FDI relationship with unemployment, political stability and infrastructural development. The research findings inferred the importance of policy interventions to ensure that FDI initiatives are optimised to realise food security and growth in order to alleviate poverty and other social challenges experienced in the continent. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)