The Master's thesis "Private Military Companies in Africa" deals with the issues of the private military and security companies and their current position in international security relations. The central thesis of this academic publication is the question whether these commercial companies are capable of representing a significant position within the international community and executing extensive operations in conflict resolution and the subsequent transition towards a stable arrangement of the stricken regions. Essentially, the arguments leading to the key objective of this thesis are drawing upon a comparative study of recent activities of PMCs on the African continent, a discursive analysis of the approach towards these private subjects, as well as their international legal status. Consequently, by relying on the gathered information from the aforementioned research, the most substantial section of the text offers basic models of potential widespread use of private military companies in connection with national states and international organizations and explains the benefits resulting from this shift towards privatization of global security. Furthermore, the publication points out specific contemporary cases for the prospective application of PMCs and analyses the space for this industry within the existing international system.

The aim of this thesis is to explain and analyze the komplexity of complicated relations between France as a former colonial power and Ivory Coast, its former colony, who also represents a strategic french political and economical partner. Theoretical part consists of the analysis of different approaches in theories of international relations. Based on the analysis, it tries to explain the character of these relations. Followed by the consecutive theoretical analysis of the french african policy practice of the french presidents and searches for the features that these policies have in common. Practical part applies the findings from the theoretical part on the concrete problem in the case of the French policy towards Ivory Coast and tests the theoretical conclusions in the historical evolution of the french and ivorian relations in the specific unstable situation that occurs in the Sub-Saharan region.

This thesis examines Chinese foreign direct investments in Sub-Saharan Africa and their influence on Chinese foreign policy on the continent between the years 2004 and 2010. It is often believed that oil and raw materials are the principal determinants of Chinese investments in Africa. However, this research suggests that even though there exists strong correlation between the existence of reserves of raw materials and FDI distribution, such motivation is not the only one. Pragmatism, manifested by the Chinese government in FDI allocation, can lead the People's Republic to invest in controversial countries with bad governance like Sudan. China is then forced to keep closer relations with such countries and thus promote their stability to protect its investments. Tools of such efforts include foreign policy, closer cooperation on multilateral level, which includes establishment of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and foreign aid.

For decades, the African continent has been perceived in a negative way and it has not been easy to change this international perception of the continent. During the past few years a deep change has taken place in the continent and in the eyes of the world. Africa is now open for business and Africa is also able to compete effectively in the international luxury market. The luxury market is constantly rising but it is not fully present on the African continent yet. The objective of this thesis is to decide whether or not luxury companies should tap into that new market with a widespread penetration. Therefore, a market entry strategy, followed by a market research was conducted throughout the thesis. The luxury companies' international motives were analyzed. Then their current situation analysis led to the analysis of the geographic zone, Africa. It is about finding if the African market offer favorable conditions to luxury companies by examining the external environment and also the internal environment by analyzing the current luxury industry situation in Africa in order to confirm the market attractiveness of this area. The study was delimited to the West African Region, region that reseals a great market potential and a broad emergence of the middle class in perpetual search for self-esteem, given by luxury goods. African consumers' behaviors were also revealed and analyzed in this study. Thus, recommendations were elaborated in order to give some guidelines to the luxury firms if they decide to enter within the West African market.

The aim of this work is to analyse the amount of wealth that annually leaves Sub-Saharan Africa. The theoretical part introduces individual theoretical concepts that are involved in the work's topic. In practical part, there is given a space at first to the quantification of the very amount that leaves Sub-Saharan states every year. Furthermore, the size of this wealth is measured with regard to the economic character and the level of development of individual countries. Measured is also the origin of that money according to the different industries. The work answers the question, which reasons stand behind the fact, that Sub-Saharan region sends annually not-negligible wealth to the rest of the world. This work shows that there is a direct proportion between nation's wealth and the size of money leaving the country, represented by the gap between GDP and GNI. This is caused by foreign investments, which stand behind the economic development, however the revenues usually go into rich countries outside Africa. The least loss of wealth is therefore recorded from the poorest states, whereas countries most affected by the wealth loss are usually richer and heavily dependent upon natural resources mining.

This study was undertaken to investigate the major reasons behind the use of informal financial services by middle and high-income individuals in South Africa with specific reference to rotational savings and credit associations, locally known as stokvels. The ultimate aim was to recommend ways in which banks and other formal financial institutions could aptly address the financial needs of these individuals. The study was conducted in Pretoria, which is situated in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The data for this research was mainly gathered through two focus group discussion techniques, namely: the discussion guide and product attribute raking (PRA). Two mini questionnaires were also used to collect personal information from the participants. The research revealed three major categories of high-budget stokvels namely: the generic,targeted saving and investment stokvels. The main users of these stokvels are black males and females with a monthly income of R11 500 or more. They are typically individuals of 31 to 49 years of age. They are highly educated individuals holders of qualifications equivalent to a university degree or higher. Further analysis of the participants in this sample revealed a tendency for the stokvels to be formed along gender, workplace/colleague and kinship lines. The study shows that in addition to social fulfilment, the major financial need satisfied by these stokvels is saving to accumulate a lump sum for a birthday party, holiday or consumer goods and to take advantage of investment opportunities. The study identified the following specific reasons behind the participation in highbudget stokvels; to take advantage of collective/forced saving, avoid financial charges, low returns on small amounts of individual savings in banks and social fulfilment. The findings highlight the formal financial institutions¡¦ lack of awareness for the need to profile, design appropriate products and delivery systems for the black middle and highincome clients in South Africa. The study also shows that banks do not really understand this clientele. The study findings necessitate profile targeting, achievable through ongoing and comprehensive research in the product and service requirements of this clientele. The suggested research will enable formal financial institutions to improve service provision, as well as to identify and design products for this clientele. The study calls for the following changes in formal financial institutions: <ul> <li>Increased investment in self-service banking</li> <li>Bank staff should be trained to sensitise them to the financial, social needs and expectations of this clientele</li> <li>In addition, banks should strive to accelerate the employment of staff fluent in several indigenous languages and increase use of indigenous languages in formal financial institutions</li> <li>Banks and formal financial institutions in general, should endeavour to design products and product delivery systems that address the social needs of clients.</li> <li>Increased investment in social responsibility and visibility of formal financial institutions in black townships.</li> </ul> Finally, the study recommends that if formal financial providers are to participate in this lucrative market, it is imperative that they emulate the principles on which informal financial institutions such as high-budget stokvels operate. / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Agricultural Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / M Inst Agrar / unrestricted

‘Karoo lamb’ is a product with specific regional qualities that are based on, among other factors, the natural environment present in the region of origin. Together with the specific product qualities, regional image factors create a unique identity for a product, as is the case of ‘Karoo lamb’, in this way bringing about added value. Consumers will only consume food products that fulfil their specific requirements and have become more demanding about what they want. As food markets have become more globalised, consumers have become more concerned about the origin of the food they eat, with decreased confidence in the quality and safety of foods produced outside their local region or country. Traceability systems address these concerns, and the importance of establishing a link between a product, producer and place of production has therefore gained momentum as a trend. The overall goal of the research was to explore the role and contribution of traceability as a system relating to a product of origin, specifically ‘Karoo lamb’, and the influence it has on consumers’ decision-making processes when selecting and purchasing ‘Karoo lamb’. Consumer decision making is a complex and dynamic process that can be explained according to a consumer decision model that specifies its various stages. The research was conducted in three phases. During the first phase a quantitative research approach was followed to investigate and describe the audit processes that have been implemented by different retailers in South Africa regarding the traceability of lamb meat. In the second phase, focus group sessions, a recognised qualitative research technique, were conducted to identify the product attributes that were critical to consumers’ preferences and choices regarding the product, ‘Karoo lamb’. In the third phase the attributes, namely price, safety, quality, traceability and origin, were identified as significant factors influencing consumer choice and used in a conjoint questionnaire. A quantitative approach was followed in phase three and a questionnaire was used to measure the importance individual consumers attach to the different levels of the various product attributes. The utility values were based on the survey participants’ evaluation of the complete product. Price is often known to be one of the most important and determining factors in the consumer’s decision-making process. A higher price can sometimes symbolise better quality or safety of the product for the consumers. The results from the conjoint questionnaire have shown that price, as an extrinsic attribute, was found to be the most important factor in a consumer’s decision-making process at 30.4% when purchasing lamb. Safety at 23.1% was the second most important attribute after price. This is not surprising given the legacy of BSE and e-coli outbreaks that were given much publicity in the press. The third attribute affecting the purchasing decision was quality at 17.0%. The fourth attribute of traceability affected the purchasing decision at 15.7% and the importance of the fifth attribute, region of origin, was 13.8%. According to the participants, the origin attribute had the lowest rating of importance of all five attributes selected for the conjoint questionnaire. As the conjoint experiment was conducted electronically, the participants of the conjoint questionnaire were solicited with the assistance of a marketing research firm, Consulta Research (Pty) Ltd., based in Centurion in the Gauteng province of South Africa, and were part of the consumer panel of consenting survey participants for the company. In total 352 completed questionnaires were used in the data analysis. The buying and/or consuming of mutton or lamb were the only criteria that needed to be met for participation in the conjoint questionnaire. In conclusion it can be said that there is a lack of certification and guarantee in South Africa that the product that is marketed as ‘Karoo lamb’ truly originates from the Karoo, and consumers can easily be misled as to the true origin of the lamb being sold. Traceability can be an important tool to help to establish the authenticity of food products and to check that claims made by producers are true. AFRIKAANS : Karoo lamsvleis is ‘n streeksgebonde produk wat gebaseer is op die natuurlike omgewing in die gebied van oorsprong. Tesame met die spesifieke produk gebaseerde kwaliteite word ‘n unieke produk identiteit geskep deur die streeks faktore soos gesien met Karoo lam en hiermee bring dit toegevoegde waarde mee. Verbruikers sal slegs voedselprodukte aankoop en eet wat hul spesieke aanvraag benodigdhede vervul. Omdat voedselmarkte wêreldwyd meer en meer impak maak op verbruikers begin hulle konsentreer op die herkoms van produkte. Verbruikers het verminderde vertroue in die kwaliteit en veiligheid van produkte wat geproduseer word buite streeks- en landsgrense. Naspoorbaarheid sisteme spreek hierdie probleme aan en die belangrikheid om ‘n skakel tussen produk, produsent en plek van produksie te vind het veld gewen as tendens. Die primêre doel van hierdie navorsingsstudie was om die rol en bydrae van naspoorbaarheid as ‘n sisteem ten opsigte van produk oorsprong en spesifiek Karoo lamsvleis te ondersoek, asook die invloed daarvan op verbruiker besluitnemings tydens die keuse en aankoop van Karoo lamsvleis. Omrede die verbruikers besluitnemingsproses kompleks en dinamies is kan dit verduidelik word met ‘n verbruikers besluitnemings model wat die verskillende fases van die proses beskryf. Die studieprojek is uitgevoer in drie fases. Met die eerste fase is ‘n kwantitatiewe benadering gevolg om ondersoek in te stel en te beskryf hoe en watter ouditprosesse geïmplimenteer is deur groothandelaars ten opsigte van die naspeurbaarheid van lamsvleis in Suid Afrika. Tydens fase twee is fokus groep besprekings, ‘n kwalitatiewe navorsings tegniek, geloods om die produk kenmerke wat verbruikers besluitneming ten opsigte van die produk lamsvleis beïnvloed te bepaal. Die kenmerke prys, veiligheid, kwaliteit, naspeurbaarheid en oorsprong is geïdentifiseer en gebruik in fase drie, die voorkeurkeuse ontleding. ‘n Kwantitatiewe benadering is gevolg in fase drie om die belangrikheid te bepaal wat verbruikers heg aan die verskillende kenmerke en die vlakke van die onderskeie produk kenmerke. Prys is bekend as een van die mees belangrikste en invloedryke faktore in die verbruikers besluitnemings proses. ‘n Hoër prys simboliseer soms beter kwaliteit en veiligheid aan ‘n verbruiker. Die resultate van die voorkeurkeuse ontleding het getoon dat prys met 30.4% as ‘n uiterlike kenmerk, die belangrikste invloed het op verbruikers besluitneming. Veiligheid met 23.1% was die tweede belangrikste kenmerk na prys. Bogenoemde was nie ‘n verrassing nie aangesien die pers wêreldwyd al baie aandag gegee het aan die uitbreking van die e-coli epidemies. Kwaliteit was die derde belangrikste kenmerk wat verbruikers besluitneming bëinvloed het met 17.0%. Naspeurbaarheid as kenmerk het die besluitnemings proses bëinvloed met 15.7% en oorsprong in die vyfde plek met 13.8%. Daar is gevind dat oorsprong as kenmerk verbruikers se besluitneming die minste beïnvloed het. Die deelnemers aan die elektroniese voorkeurkeuse ontledingsopname is verkry vanaf die databasis van die bemarking navorsings maatskappy Consulta Research (Pty) Ltd, wat geleë is in Centurion, in die Gauteng provinsie van Suid Afrika. ‘n Totaal van 352 voltooide vraelyste is gebruik vir die data analise. Die aankoop en verbruik van lam en skaap vleis was die enigste kriterium wat gebruik is in die werwingsproses van die deelnemers. Samevattend kan genoem word dat daar ‘n gebrek bestaan in Suid Afrika in die sertifisering en waarborg van die produk Karoo lamsvleis wat bemark word as afkomstig van die Karoo. Sodoende kan verbruikers maklik mislei word oor die ware oorsprong van die produk. Naspeurbaarheid kan ‘n baie belangrike instrument wees om die geloofwaardigheid van voedsel te bepaal en te verseker dat die aannames ten opsigte van oorsprong wat produsente maak die waarheid weerspieël. Copyright / Dissertation (MConsumer Science)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Consumer Science / unrestricted

Afrika Hymnus I, the first large-scale work for solo organ by the eminent South African composer Stefans Grové, has proved to be one of his most outstanding and successful works, with three commercially-available recordings by prominent organists and frequent performances both in South Africa and abroad. Yet the work has received relatively little academic attention, with existing discussions mostly being aimed at identifying indigenous African elements that might be found in the work. The present study provides a more in-depth examination of the work’s content, by investigating it according to the phenomena of musical style, with the objective of contributing towards a better understanding of Grové’s distinctive style. To this end, each movement is discussed separately, with a focus on the following topics: structure, melodic content, vertical aspects, rhythm, texture, and registration (the last aspect being unique to organ music). The discussion yields prominent stylistic traits, such as the use of short motifs and their derivatives, specific intervals being accorded great significance, the use of non-diatonic scale formations, recurring chord structures, a reliance on an underlying additive rhythmic framework, a rich diversity of textures ranging from simple to multi-layered and inventive, and a distinctive and evocative application of registration. A brief discussion of the solo organ works that predate Afrika Hymnus I shows that evidence of some of these features can already be found in those works. The study also shows how Afrika Hymnus I achieves cohesion, both within the complex multipart structures of the outer movements and as a whole. The discussion includes rich descriptions of the prominent musical features, complemented by numerous music examples. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Music / MMus / Unrestricted

Imicabango yebantfu labasikati ngekuvetwa kweluvo loluphatselene netebulili: Kuphenya lokulandzisako kwemmango wasemaphandleni eMpumalanga Bulili babomake base-Afrika busachubeka ngekuhlanganiswa netifo, budlova kanye nekutala - kodvwa kuncane lokuvetwako ngetebulili, ngenjabulo kanye nangelutsandvo. Loku sekunikete imisakato yasemaveni aseNshonalanga, imitimba yekuphenya yekuphenya ngetekwelapha ngemvelo kanye netinhlangano letinyenti letingekho ngaphasi kwahulumende netinhlangano teAIDS litfuba lekuvuselela lomcondvo nenkholelo yekwandza lokusolelwako kwekutiphatsa lokuphatselene netebulili kwabomake kanye netifo letihlobene nebulili babo. Ngenca yaloko, kubunjwa nekwakhiwa kwetinchazelo tebulili akukhombisi emaciso kanye nelwati lwase-Afrika. Ngekulandzela indlela yelucwaningo lwebunyenti nendlela yekulandzisa, umklamo wami wekucwaninga uhlose kukhombisa kutsi, kute kutsi bomake babone inkhululeko embusweni wentsandvo yelinyenti njengeNingizimu Afrika, badzinga kwemukelwa njengetakhamuti letilinganako hhayi 'njengemitimba' ledzinga kulawulwa kute kugcinwe kulingana kwekuphatsa kwemadvodza. Ngicaphune kuluhlaka lwekucedza umbusobucalu webufati base-Afrika (decolonial African-feminist framework) futsi ngilusebentise njengelithuluzi lwekubuta, kwakha kabusha nekucabanga kabusha emasiko laphatselene nebulili ase-Afrika. Idatha igcogcwe ekulandziseni kwebantfu nakutinkhulumiswano temacembu nabomake labangu-20 labatinte emmangweni wasemaphandleni esigdzini yaseNkomazi eNingizimu Afrika. Sewuwonkhe, umsebenti wami ugcile etigabeni tebulili, kutemacasi nasetingucukweni tetepolitiki letihambisana nekuvisisa indlela bomake lababona futsi labavisisa ngayo temacasi kuNingizimu Afrika yasemaphandleni yesimanje. Kulandzisa kwabomake kukhombisa kwekutsi, emlandvweni wonkhe, nasetikhatsini tamanje, kwakhiwa kwekulawula kwalabadvuna kwasemandvulo kwebulili nekwetemacasi kuyachubeka ngekubumba kanye nekulawula timphilo tabantfu labasikati / Psychology

In the course of past decades, the African Union has sought to strengthen continental security integration and joint governance, wherefore many early warning and security institutions emerged. However, little research has been done to explore the institutional landscape. This thesis aims to bridge the literacy gaps and investigate the ways African early warning institutions constitute challenges or prospects to security integration efforts. The continental level evaluates how integration is affected through various African early warning institutions. The regional level analyses how early warning institutions' methodologies influence sub-regional integration efforts. Lastly, the national level elaborates why African national intelligence and security sectors are determined by authoritarian governance. Similar to the three (continental, regional, national) research questions, this thesis is divided into three levels of analysis. First, the continental level evaluates the Continental Early Warning Systems' institutional struggle with its Regional Early Warning Systems and other organisations within and beyond the African Peace and Security Architecture. Second, the regional level examines the concepts and methodologies behind the six Regional Early Warning Systems for common features and differences....