Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Western Cape tourism industry offers a variety of attractions and has the potential to grow further in the next couple of years. According to the statistics provided by Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) the province is among the three provinces that received the highest number of tourists in the last few years. The critical challenge that the province now needs to look at, is the participation of previously disadvantaged individuals in the mainstream tourism industry. Tourism stakeholders see Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) as an important vehicle for transformation. Although little progress has been made so far, there is a will among all stakeholders to transform the tourism industry. Some of the key challenges raised by the study on the efforts towards greater BEE were lack of finance for BEE businesses, access to the market and lack of skills. Professionalism and good quality service of international standards was also seen to be very important by respondents. The report also looks at two successful deals that were brokered in the tourism industry, namely one by Sun International and the other, the merger between Grass Route Tours and African Eagle Day Tours. In the fieldwork twenty businesses were interviewed, ranging from accommodation and tour operator to restaurants. This was not a random sample, but rather an attempt to target those that were part of the database of Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU). The research tool used by the author of this report was a qualitative and quantitative structured questionnaire. The responses shed further light on some of the Black Economic Empowerment challenges faced by the Western Cape tourism industry. These results will supplement information already available to Cape Town Routes Unlimited. Eventually the findings will be tabled and recommended to relevant stakeholders for action. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Weskaapse toerismebedryf bied ‘n verskeidenheid aantreklikhede en het die potensiaal om te groei oor die volgende paar jaar. Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) statistieke toon dat die Weskaap een van die drie provinsies landwyd is wat die meeste toeriste groei oor die laaste paar jaar getoon het. Die Weskaap se grootste uitdaging is nou om meer geleenthede in die hoofstroom van die bedryf te bied aan die voorheen onderdrukte individuë. Oor die algemeen beskou belangegrope in die bedryf die BEE as ‘n belangrike middel tot transformasie. Die vordering is tot dusver egter nog maar min, alhoewel daar eenstemmigheid bestaan om die toerismebedryf te omskep en te transformeer. Die studie toon die grootste struikelblokke tot vinniger BEE as die volgende: ‘n tekort aan finansiering vir BEE besighede asook ‘n tekort aan ondervinding en bekwaamheid. Professionalisme sowel as dienskwaliteit (vergeleke met internasionale standaarde) word ook as belangrik beskou. Twee suksesvolle BEE–onderhandelinge word in die studie in besonderhede bespreek, naamlik Sun International en die samesmelting van Grass Route Tours and African Eagle Day Tours. Die studie verwerk onderhoude wat gevoer is met twintig besighede wat akkommodasie, toeroperateurs sowel as restaurante ingesluit het. Dit omvat nie ‘n steekproef nie, maar is gebaseer op die CTRU databasis. Die onderhoude is gevoer met ‘n gestruktureerde kwalitatiewe en ‘n kwantitatiewe vraelys. Uit die terugvoerings het verdere BEE stuikelblokke vorendag gekom. Dit is aanvullend tot informasie verkry vanaf CTRU. Al hierdie resultate sal in verwerkte vorm aan belanghebbende groepe beskikbaar gestel word.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / The aim of this research report is to identify and quantify the cost drivers of three district hospitals in the Western Cape, namely Knysna Hospital, Oudtshoorn Hospital and Mossel Bay Hospital, and to simultaneously measure value-driven performance indicators. An environmental scan identified various driving forces that would significantly affect change in the healthcare industry such as the brain drain of health professionals, consumerism and cost containment and efficiency initiatives. The Department of Health’s understanding of the eighth Batho Pele principle of value for money is generally understood as providing quality health care within prescribed cost limits. An attempt is made to establish the effect of the quadruple burden of disease (the HIV/AIDS pandemic, persistent infectious diseases, injury arising from violence and road traffic collisions and emerging chronic conditions) on hospital expenditure in the Eden District. Research identified Mossel Bay as a high TB burden area known as a TB “hotspot” and it is a recognized immigration transit point en route to Cape Town. The population analyses revealed that Mossel Bay is the growth point of the Eden District, showing extraordinary growth of 25% between 2007 and 2009. Personnel costs: This study revealed that personnel costs are responsible for the overwhelming majority of the total expenditure of the district hospitals.Staff numbers, occupation specific dispensation (OSD) implementation and annual wage negotiations are the cost drivers of personnel costs. This study also found a clear correlation between an over-expenditure in personnel expenses and over-expenditure in the total expenditure of all three hospitals. Health care costs: Expenditure on blood products is considered a major cost driver of clinical expenses. Laboratory expenditure is clearly the largest cost driver for clinical expenses at all three hospitals. Together with laboratory expenses, medicine and medical supplies are the cost drivers for clinical expenses. Costs not related to health care: The three most significant administrative expenses are communication, stationery and printing as well as travel and subsistence allowances. The cost driver for subsistence and travel expenses is the number of vehicles followed by the preference of vehicle, which in turn determines the daily tariff and the kilometre tariff. This study revealed that Knysna Municipality has the cheapest electricity cost of the three towns. It is clear that cost and consumption of electricity and water are the two variables that affect municipal service expenditure the most. Equity: When the district hospital expenditure is combined with the primary health care expenditure in the three sub-districts, the figures show that Oudtshoorn is spending 3% more than its equitable share of the total budget at a higher cost of R978 per capita, in excess of R100 above the district average. Efficiency: The cost per patient day equivalent (PDE) per economic classification for all three hospitals is less than the average cost per PDE of the district hospitals in the Western Cape. The cost/PDE of Oudtshoorn Hospital is considerably higher than that of Knysna and Mossel Bay in all economic classifications, with the single exception of the agency cost of Mossel Bay Hospital. The cost of health care always reflects a combination of price, quantity and value, and it is impossible to consider individual cost drivers in isolation. Several cost-saving initiatives and managerial control measures are recommended.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / Healthcare systems of the world’s poorer nations have been heavily impacted by economic globalisation. This has resulted in a steady deterioration of working conditions, resulted in less job security and has led to an increase in the spread of communicable diseases in developing countries such as South Africa. It is factors such as these, against the backdrop of a global recession, that have contributed to the escalation in global healthcare costs which has itself augmented the strain on already strained hospital resources in developing economies (Issues paper: Economic Globalisation, 2009). The current workplace faces complicated challenges which extend beyond the effects of the global recession. One of these challenges is the task of managing the diversity of the modern day workforce. This includes differences in gender, race, religion, culture, language, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation as well as generational differences. As a result, organisations that choose to exploit these differences are able to leverage a competitive advantage from them. This ability is however determined by the flexibility of organisations’ policies and practices. Furthermore, adapting an organisation’s human resource policies and practices pertaining to attracting, retaining, developing, promoting and managing a generational diverse workforce is only possible once these cohorts have been clearly identified, analysed and understood (Manion, 2009). Nurses are the pillar of healthcare systems throughout the world. In South Africa, however, the high staff turnover of nurses compared to the relatively small number of new recruits is of great concern due to its impact on the South African government’s capacity to provide a healthcare model of sustainable service delivery (Mokoka, 2007). The reality of the decline in the number of newly qualified nurses was clearly evident in the results of this study. Twenty-eight percent of the current community service nurses had previously considered leaving the profession, eight percent reported that they were considering leaving the profession within the next year and 20 percent intended leaving the public health sector after completing community service. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine factors that preclude better remuneration that would influence community service nurses’ decision to remain employed in the public health sector. According to the Western Cape Nursing directorate, 270 nurses were registered to complete community service in the Western Cape in 2010. The 25 registered nurses who were scheduled to complete community service at Groote Schuur Hospital at the end of 2010 constituted the study sample. A self-administered questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection from this fixed, convenient sample. Confidentiality of the participants was assured throughout the study and findings were reported as combined facts and figures using histograms. The majority of the participants were between the age of 20 and 25 years (48%). Furthermore, 88 percent of the participants were below the age of 35 years, largely representative of Generation X and the Millennials, Generation Y. The results of this study suggested an extremely complex interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, in influencing the decision of whether or not to remain employed in the public health sector. It was further evident that most of the factors that were rated to be of high importance were strongly self-centred, largely geared at personal reward and recognition. This finding is in clear agreement with literature published by Manion (2009) who supports the thinking that generations representative of Generation X and Y have a strong need for personal achievement and reward. Eighty percent of participants indicated a dire need for hospital management to recognise and manage generational diversity in the current workforce as this presented a daily challenge in the workplace. It was perceived that fundamental differences in needs, work ethic and values exist between Generations X and Y, compared to those of nurse and hospital managers who were representative of Baby Boomers. Consequently, there appeared to be a mismatch in the expectations and opportunities presented in the current workplace among the three generations. These findings merit further discussion on whether the permanent multi-disciplinary team at hospitals understand the influential role that they have on the complex task of retaining community service nurses in the public health service. Furthermore, 92 percent of community service nurses highlighted the need for mandatory orientation and induction programmes in each ward prior to commencing duty. This in itself was identified as a huge cause for anxiety and discord. In conclusion, even though this study was designed to establish factors that preclude better remuneration which could influence the decision of community service nurses to remain employed in the public health sector, it found that more than half the participants of this study recommended that receiving a more competitive salary was still an important issue for government to prioritise. However, it did not appear to be the overshadowing theme of dissatisfaction amongst community service nurses.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / When the new South African Government was elected to power in 1994 it had a special mandate to provide appropriate services to all the people of the country. This was, still is and will continue to be a massive responsibility of government and one that requires total commitment by people at all levels of government. However, the negative effects of the legacy of the past apartheid education and training system cannot be over emphasised in this regard. The need for redress and re-skilling of public servants as a result of the changing and ever-increasing demands for quality service delivery puts a lot of emphasis on further development and underscores and further supports the issue of lifelong learning in the Public Service. However, far more complex are the people leadership and shifts in management mind-set that must happen. Yet, unless people in the government sector change how they think and work, service delivery outcomes will fall short of what the poorest and most vulnerable citizens need. The legislative frameworks seek to transform a culture of Public Service delivery from prescribing service packages to citizens, to putting citizens at the centre of service delivery through the Batho Pele (“meaning” the People First) Principles. In giving credence to the above and the enormity of the challenge of quality service delivery, the researcher of this research report narrowed down the scope of the research to the Provincial Government Western Cape. The “new” Provincial Government Western Cape (PGWC), after the 2009 national democratic elections, has embarked on a process termed “modernisation” The modernisation project spans across all activities that are under the control of the PGWC. The human resource development function of the province is one such function that is being repositioned in terms of the modernisation project objectives. This, therefore, means by implication that the training and development aspects of the human resources development were reassessed. This was re-enforced by the following statement from a provincial document titled blueprint- provincial training (2010) – “One of the major causes of poor service delivery is the fact that employees are not adequately skilled or that skills have become out-dated”. This brings into focus the rational for the topic of this research report: Exploring the need and use for management coaching to develop senior management competencies within The Provincial Government Western Cape, v and the stated aim of this research report: Exploring the need and use of management coaching to develop the management competencies of the Senior Management Service (SMS) employee component within the Provincial Government Western Cape (PGWC) and furthermore, make recommendations based on the findings of the study as to the need and application of management coaching within the PGWC. This research is exploratory and used qualitative research techniques. The study is undertaken as not much actual literature is available on the topic that is being researched. This in essence justifies why the research is exploratory as qualitative methods are particularly well suited to studies which canvas a variety of opinions and stakeholders (Ebrahim, 2008). The data analysis method used is content analysis which is defined as a systematic, research method for analysing textual information in a standardised way that allows evaluators to make inferences about that information. The research followed the steps in using content analysis as the method to analyse the results from semi-structured, open-ended interviews conducted with 14 individuals identified as the stakeholder group. To assert that the research result based on content analysis is valid is to assert that the results do not depend upon or are generalisable beyond the specific data, method or measure of a particular study.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: “The business format, franchising, can be defined as the granting of a license for a predetermined financial return by a franchising company (franchisor) to its franchisees. The grant entitles them to make use of a complete business package, including training, support and the corporate name which include all branding and logos. Through this enabling the franchisees to operate their own businesses to the same standards and format as the other outlets in the franchise chain” (Maree, 2007, p. iii). Franchising has grown in popularity for entrepreneurs and business people to start a business, a professional career and a way of creating employment. It is seen as a proven business system that is sold to a franchisee as “best practices knowledge” by the franchisor (Maree, 2007). Although the “best practices” approach is at the core of franchising very little research was found to exist that investigates the factors that influence the success or failure of franchisees. The lack of formal research in this regard gave rise to the research question as to what the factors are that will contribute to the failure and subsequent liquidation of franchise businesses in the Western Cape. Current franchise owners and entrepreneurs considering to enter into the franchising sphere need to ensure that they not only understand what factors will influence the success of their businesses, but possibly more importantly, they need to comprehend which are the factors that could potentially lead to the failure of the franchise business. Based on the theoretical research and the data gained from the questionnaire analysis, one can conclude that the majority of the factors discussed in this report contribute towards the failure of franchisee businesses in the Western Cape. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die besigheidsvormbekend as ‘n eksklusieweagentskap of konsessie (“franchise”) kanomskryf word as die verlening van ‘n lisensie of reg teen ‘n voorafbepaaldefinansieletariefdeur die konsessiegewer (“franchisor”) aansykonsessiehouers. Hierdie vergunningmaakdie konsessiehouersgeregtig op die gebruik van ‘n volledigebesigheidsmodelwatopleiding, ondersteuning en die maatskappynaam, sowel as allehandelsmerke en logos, insluit. Hierdeur word die konsessiehouers in staatgestelomhuleiebesighedevolgensdieselfdestandaarde en formaat as die anderafsetpunte in die konsessiegroeptebedryf (Maree, 2007) Die verskaffing van eksklusieweverkoopsregaan entrepreneurs en sakemensewathuleiebesighedewil begin, ‘n professioneleloopbaanwilbeoefen en werksgeleenthedewil skep, het in die jongstetyd al gewildergeword. Dit word as ‘n bewesebesigheidskonsepbeskou en word deur die konsessiegeweraan die konsessiehouer as “bestegebruikskennis” verhandel (vertaaluitMaree, 2007).Alhoewel die “bestegebruik”-benadering die kern van ‘n konsessie is, is slegskarigenavorsingmet betrekking tot die faktorewat die sukses of mislukking van konsessiesondersoek, tans beskikbaar. Die gebrekaanformelenavorsing in hierdie verband het aanleidinggegee tot die navorsingsvraagoorwatterfaktorebydraendkanwees tot die mislukking en gevolglikelikwidasie van konsessies in die Wes-Kaap. Huidigekonsessiehouers, asook entrepreneurs watditoorweegom die terrein van eksklusieweagentskappetebetree, moetnie net die faktorewat die sukses van hulbesighedesalbeinvloedverstaannie maar, stellig van groterbelang, die faktorewatmoontlik tot die mislukking van die besigheidkan lei, identifiseer en begryp. Na aanleiding van die teoretiesenavorsingwatgedoen is, asook die inligtingwat van die vraelys-ontledingsbekom is, kan tot die slotsomgekom word dat die meerderheidfaktorewat in hierdie werkstukbespreek is, tot die mislukking van eksklusieweagentskappe in die Wes-Kaap bydra.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: After sexual transmission of HIV, mother-to-child (MTCT) transmission is the most common cause of HIV infection in South Africa. The Western Cape government, through the Premier, has committed itself to providing access for all HIV positive women in the province attending antenatal clinics to MTCT prevention programmes by the end of 2003. The MTCT prevention programme is aimed at intervening transmission during pregnancy, during the birth of the baby and post delivery during breast-feeding of the newborn baby. The HIV virus attacks and destroys the cells of the immune system by being incorporated into the reproductive cycle of the cell. Antiretroviral drugs in the fight against HIV target two aspects of this replication cycle of the virus and as such do not halt the infection but slow it down by preventing the replication of the virus. MTCT internationally has been reduced dramatically by the use of antiretroviral drugs (AZT) antenatally, during birth and post-natally for mother and baby. However this regimen was found to be not suitable for resource-poor countries due to the complexity in administration, compliance and costs. Poor countries have developed alternative MTCT prevention programmes based on shorter course regimens and on alternative antiretroviral drugs. MTCT prevention In South Africa initially did not have the support of the national government. However, the -Western Cape Administration had developed a regional programme phasing in MTCT prevention at all state clinics within the province. The cost drivers associated with the MTCT prevention programme include costs associated with the HIV tests, costs for pre- and post-test counselling, costs for the antiretroviral drugs and costs for substitute feeding to replace breast-feeding to prevent viral transmission during breast-feeding. Depending on the option exercised, costs can be calculated per HIV positive baby averted. As regards substitute feeding, which is a substantial cost driver and a major disadvantage to the newborn baby as regards protection from common childhood diseases such as diarrhea, research from Tanzania showed that ARV therapy during childbirth could suppress HIV transmission through breast-feeding during the first few weeks after childbirth, thus enabling an optimal combination of breast-feeding in the first few crucial weeks of the newborn's life for the protective benefits of breast-milk and formula feeding thereafter to ensure protection for the infant from HIV transmission through breastfeeding. The data were subjected to a sensitivity or a "what-if' analysis usmg an Excel spreadsheet. Costs per HIV averted were calculated for each assumed parameter in the model that was developed. As regards prevalence, the MTCT prevention programme is most cost effective at the lower levels of the seroprevalence of HIV in the population served. If the seroprevalence is above the "cross-over" or "optimal" point for the regimen an alternative regimen should be assessed. As regards levels of identification and number accepting intervention the principle of an economy of scale applies and therefore, a level of 100 percent in both cases should be targeted. This will be dependent on wide scale advertisements and support for the programme with active efforts to destigmatise the infection. Innovative programmes such as the mothers-to-mothers-to-be (M2M2B) programme must be encouraged. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Na seksuele oordraging van HIV is moeder tot kind (MTK) oordraging die algemeenste rede van HIV infeksie in Suid Afrika. Die Wes-Kaapse regering, deur die Premier, het hulself verbind om toegang vir alle HIV positiewe vroue in die provinsie, wat voorgeboorte klinieke bywoon, tot MTK voorkomingsprogramme voor die einde van 2003 moontlik te maak. Die MTK voorkomingsprogram is gerig op die tussenkoms van transmissie gedurende swangerskap, gedurende die geboorte en die nasorg tydens die borsvoeding periode van die pasgebore baba. Die HIV virus val die selle van die immuun sisteem aan en' vernietig dit. Die virus word geïnkorporeer tot die reproduksie siklus van die sel. Antiretrovirale wat teen die virus gerig is, is gerig teen twee aspekte van die replikasie siklus van die virus en sodoende sal die medikasie die infeksie nie staak nie, maar eerder vertraag as gevolg van die voorkoming van die replikasie. Moeder-tot-kind infeksie is internasionaal drasties verminder deur die gebruik van antiretrovirale (AZT) gedurende die tydperk voor geboorte, gedurende die geboorte en gedurende nasorg van die moeder en baba. Hierdie regimen is egter nie altyd moontlik in arm lande nie vanweë die kompleksiteit van die administratiewe toepassing en kostes. Arm lande het alternatiewe MTK voorkomingsprogramme ontwikkel, gebaseer op korter kursusse en alternatiewe antiretrovirale. Die voorkoming van MTK infeksie in Suid-Afrika het eers nie die ondersteuning van die nasionale regering geniet nie. Die Wes-Kaapse Adminstrasie het onafhanklik van die nasionale regering, streeksprogramme ontwikkel vir die infasering van MTK voorkoming in alle klinieke in die Provinsie. Die kostedrywers wat met MTK voorkomingsprogramme geassosieer word, sluit in die koste van HIV toetse, koste van voor-en-na toets berading, koste van die antiretrovirale en alternatiewe voeding om virale transmissie te voorkom gedurende die tydperk van borsvoeding. Afhangende van die opsies wat gebruik is, kan die koste van elke baba wat nie HIV opdoen nie, bereken word. Sover dit alternatiewe voeding aangaan, wat 'n belangrike kostedrywer is en 'n nadeel vir elke baba is sover dit teen beskerming van algemene kindersiekte soos diarrhea gaan het navorsing in Tanzanië bewys dat ARV terapie gedurende geboorte ook HIV transmissie deur borsvoeding gedurende die eerste paar weke na geboorte onderdruk wat 'n optimale kombinasie van borsvoeding in die eerste paar kritiese weke van die nuutgebore baba se lewe vir die beskermende voordele van moedersmelk en formulêre voeding daarna te versterk met beskerming van die baba teen HIV transmissie deur borsvoeding. Deur die gebruik van 'n Excel werkblad en 'n "wat as" metode van analiese koste van HIV opdoen in bereken word vir elke aanvaarding. Sover dit voorkoms betref is die MTK voorkomingsprogramme die mees effektief hoe laer die "seroprevalence" van HIV in die populasie gedien word. As die "seroprevalence" hoër as die optimale punt is, moet 'n ander metode bereken word. Sover dit die mate van identifisering en hoeveelheid die tussenkoms aanvaar in 'n mate van 100 persent moet in beide gevalle die mikpunt wees. Dit sal afhang van grootskaalse advertensies en ondersteuning van die programme met bedrywige pogings om die' infeksie te destigmatiseer. Nuwe programme soos die moeder tot nuwe moeder (M2M2B) program moet aangemoedig word.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / The aim of this research study is to determine the cost gradient for Green Star SA-rated office buildings in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Very little work has been done on this subject, due to the fact that the „green‟ building movement is still in its infancy in South Africa. The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) has developed a Green Star SA building rating mechanism based on the Australian green star-rating system. This rating system provides the building environment with an objective tool to evaluate how green a building actually is. This report includes a review of international literature, supplemented by a case study of two designed „green‟ buildings. The key objective was to determine if there is a cost premium to a Green Star-rated office building in the Western Cape. The case study subjects were two office buildings planned for an office development at Paardevlei, Somerset West in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The findings of this case study have confirmed first indications that South Africa, and specifically the Western Cape, should be no different to the rest of the world and specifically the United States and Australia when it comes to the first costs of constructing „green‟ buildings. The case study showed that there should be no cost premium for a „green‟ building that conforms to the minimum standard of 4 Star Green Star SA Office Version 1 and that a one to three per cent premium could be expected for a 5 Star Green Star SA Office Version 1 rating. It was found that the best way to calculate if a premium was paid for a „green‟ building is to compare the cost per area of the final „green‟ product with the cost per area of the original budget. Adding costs while adding „green‟ attributes proved to be an effective and convenient way of arriving at a theoretical premium for a progressively „greener‟ building and thus calculating the cost gradient for Green Star SA-rated office buildings. The conclusion is that „green‟ attributes must be incorporated into the design at the earliest possible stage and then managed in order to keep within the original budget with a clear goal of which categories are to be targeted and what rating would like to be achieved, in order to achieve a „green‟ building at no additional cost.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / An exploratory, cross-sectional, qualitative survey was conducted to describe the market of lower income mothers who had recently given birth to a child in a state hospital in the Western Cape (WC) region of South Africa. These mothers were viewed by the researcher as potential consumers of low cost maternity plans which would provide for maternity care in Active Birthing Units (ABUs) in the private healthcare sector in South Africa. The motivation behind the research stems from various sources. The currently inequitable healthcare system in South Africa, which has been described as a two tier system in the recent Policy Paper on National Health Insurance (Republic of South Africa, 2011: 4-5), is one such source. Reports of poor maternity care in the South African public healthcare system (Vogel, 2011: E1097-E1098), is another source of motivation behind the research report. It was apparent to the researcher that given the low quality of maternity care in state hospitals, a potential market of healthcare consumers – who would be willing to pay a small premium for what they considered to be a more acceptable level of maternity care in the private healthcare sector – could exist. This view was supported by research conducted by Joan Costa and Jaume Garcia (2003: 587-599) in which the “quality gap” was confirmed as a driving force behind the demand for private health care. This focus on the lower socioeconomic groups as a market for private sector goods and services was found to be well described by Prahalad (2005). The researcher conducted interviews amongst mothers who had delivered a child in a public hospital in the previous two years. A convenience sample of 100 mothers was selected in a shopping mall in the Western Cape (WC). The researcher administered a structured questionnaire during a face-to-face interview with each of the 100 respondents. The respondents were rewarded with a shopping voucher to the value of 50 ZAR, which was both a prerequisite specified by the management of the shopping mall and consistent with rewards offered in similar studies (Francis, Battle-Fisher, Liverpool, Hipple, Mosavel, Soogun, & Nokuthula, 2011). Data collected from the questionnaire included both data on willingness to pay (WTP), as well as demographic data, which provided interesting insights into a relatively under-researched market segment. A statistical analysis of the data collected revealed that 31 respondents (31%) reported a positive WTP for private maternity care. A statistically significant relationship was revealed between respondents’ WTP and the birth experience the respondents had had during their most recent pregnancy, whereby mothers who had described their most recent birth experience as “poor” were significantly more likely to exhibit a positive WTP for private maternity care (p=0.00006). Significant relationships between respondents' WTP for private maternity care and their age and household size were also discovered, whereby younger mothers were more likely to be willing to pay than older mothers (p=0.02) and mothers from smaller households were also significantly more likely to be willing to pay than mothers from larger households (p=0.02). Amongst a sub group of 32 respondents deemed to have potential monthly savings, those with a higher monthly household income were more likely to exhibit positive WTP (p=0.02753) than were those with higher levels of monthly expenditure (p=0.04093). The researcher acknowledged that the limitations of the research included the fact that respondents were selected non-randomly, as a small isolated sample, which made the extrapolation of the results to the larger population of South African mothers impossible. The research did, however, serve to describe the demographic characteristics of a new and relatively under researched target market of mothers from the lower socioeconomic segment of the WC. Data gleaned from this survey will serve to inform further research into this target market, so as to complete a more comprehensive feasibility analysis for the establishment of low cost maternity care packages and ABUs in South Africa.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Corporate governance systems have evolved over centuries, often in response to corporate failures or system crises. From the early 1990s in South Africa, corporate governance began to reach prominence, prompted by losses from fraudulent activities within corporate entities such as Masterbond, Fidentia and Enron. Corporate governance is aimed at curtailing such fraudulent behaviour. In 1994, the elected democratic majority government of South Africa found that there were no standard rules or principles in place to either control or govern the delivery of services and the carrying out of policies. Government then made corporate governance a significant part of their strategic vision of restructuring. A protocol on corporate governance was published to provide guidance, specifically to the public sector in South Africa. In line with the protocol, policies and procedures were put in place in order to assist the public sector to meet corporate governance standards and best practice. It is apparent that the lack of systematic accountability can cost the public sector and the taxpayers of South Africa millions in terms of redoing work, inefficiency, workplace conflicts and misunderstandings. This in turn leads to ineffective work practices and leadership. This research study set out to establish how accountable the public sector is, specifically the Western Cape Government, concerning the protocol and the policies and procedures that are in place. The study aimed to evaluate the accountability of project coordinators within the Western Cape Government, specifically on construction projects. The literature review in the research report identifies the roles and responsibilities, stipulated in the policies and procedures, that the public sector needs to adhere to in order to be accountable. A scorecard was compiled to cross check the accountability of staff within the Western Cape Government in line with the policies and procedures in place. A construction project was used as an example on the scorecard and the outcome thereof is published in the report. This research report reveals the shortcoming of governance and specifically accountability within governance and determines how it could be addressed.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / Access to markets is an essential requirement for smallholder farmer development. The limited access to formal value chains for smallholder farmers in South Africa is a key challenge that is facing both public and private value chain actors. Despite the substantial investments by government, the performance of smallholder farmers in South Africa remains poor. Several studies have been done to understand the key challenges facing smallholder farmer value chain integration. This study takes a unique view by understanding the challenges and opportunities facing farmer integration from a public and private stakeholder perspective, specifically analysing the Western Cape. The study showed that the most influential constraints for smallholder farmer value chain integration are access to informal and formal markets, resources and infrastructure, and the functioning of local institutions. The study also showed that the key opportunities to improve value chain integrations are in improving the non-financial and financial support provided to smallholder farmers. The results of the study are in line with the value chain theory around integration of smaller producers.