Thesis (M.M. (Finance & Investment)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, 2016 / The issue of service delivery in South Africa has been one of the main priorities for the post-apartheid government since 1994. Local government, through municipalities, has been tasked with the provision of services to citizens. In order to achieve this, the municipalities need to invest in massive infrastructure, both to address the infrastructure backlog inherited from under-investment in previously black communities as well as infrastructure to support economic growth and development across the full breath of the Republic. Based on the revenues available from own sources and intergovernmental transfers, municipalities are unable to meet their constitutional mandate and this creates an area of participation for the private sector. Access to capital markets becomes an important source of funding that municipalities, in addition to borrowing from financial institutions such as banks, should aggressively pursue. This is an area that the metropolitan municipalities in particular, should prioritise as they are in a better position to exploit, than the smaller and less-resources local municipalities. Government can then focus on finding innovative ways of reining in the local municipalities, in as far as accessing capital markets. / DM2016

This study investigates the challenges faced by street traders in Mnquma Local Municipality. The purpose is to examine the factors affecting street traders trading at N2 Mthatha Street at Butterworth in Mnquma Local Municipality. For this reason, it was necessary to study the literature on local economic development. The challenges facing street traders were also investigated and analysed in order to formulate recommendations for solving challenges facing street trading in Mnquma Local Municipality. In order to fulfil the objective of the study and to address the research problem faceto-face interviews were conducted with the street traders, municipal officials and Hawkers’ Association. The literature review and the interviews enabled the recommendation of possible answers to the problem. These recommendations would be valuable and, one hopes, will also be of assistance to the Mnquma Local Municipality. Findings of this study indicate that challenges faced by street traders in Butterworth include lack of financial support to start their businesses. Also, the fact that there is no water taps that can be used by the members of the public in the Central Business District (CBD) in Butterworth as well as street lights at night is one of the challenges. Recommendations were made with regard to support and assistance for street traders, environmental management and also a recommendation on business registration and licensing. The study concludes that if the Mnquma local municipality can implement all the proposed recommendations, all the factors raised by street traders as disturbing the functionality of their businesses particularly in Butterworth will be rectified.

MAdmin / Department of Public and Development Administration / This study focused on The Integrated Development Plan as a strategy to empower informal traders using Thohoyandou as the case study. The study was conducted at Thulamela Municipality and at the informal markets of Thohoyandou. The researcher used two population groups; the municipal officials and the informal traders. The researcher made use of both qualitative and quantitative methods as the study was explorative in nature; 50 informal traders were sampled and took part in the study and on the other hand, 20 municipal officials were sampled and participated in the study. The researcher made use a pilot survey to two groups of population to test the efficacy of the interviews schedule as well the questionnaires as data collection instruments. SPSS and Microsoft excel were used as tools for data analysis. The results show that Thulamela Municipality’s IDP strategy is not doing enough for the informal markets in Thohoyandou. However, respondents indicated that shortcomings such as Limited Budget affect the success of IDP on informal trading. Initiatives such as the provision of loans, workshops, training and promotion of LED programmes were indicated as having been put in place in an effort to empower informal traders, although a number of informal traders in the Thohoyandou area are forever increasing, through urbanisation and migration which pose serious control challenges to the municipality. To manage informal trading in Thohoyandou, the researcher recommended that there could be: preferences on trading fee/levies; provision of services and infrastructures to informal traders; enhancing public participation; limiting overtrading, integrated management planning, policy formulations and that future researchers can be more specific on aspects such as: situation of foreign traders; constitutionality of by-laws and trading at intersections.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 1993. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Informal red meat trade was investigated as it occurs in the townships of the Cape Town metropole. To achieve this, an interactive research approach was followed, initially involving months of observation before scientific and empirical analysis was conducted. The informal marketing activities were described and analysed with the purpose of establishing its strengths; weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Criteria of efficiency and effectiveness were constantly employed. ln this regard, the prevailing system was tested against consumer needs and preferences. A large degree of consistency was found between the nature of supply by the informal sector and the nature of demand from its target consumer base. On this basis, it was deduced that the informal red meat marketing system has the potential to further contribute to development and township food security. The informal marketing system, how~ver, operates under specific constraints. These were identified and subsequently recommendations were made to alleviate these constraints, in order to maximise the contribution of informal red meat trade to local development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die informele bemarking van rooivleis, soos dit in die stadswyke (townships) van die Kaapstadse metropolis voorkom, is ondersoek. Deur middel van 'n interaktiewe navorsingsbenadering is daar aanvanklik maande lank net waargeneem voordat 'n wetenskaplike en empiriese analise gedoen kon word. Die werksaamhede van die informele rooivleismark is omskryf en ontleed met die oog op vasstelling van die sterk punte en swakhede, geleenthede en bedreigings van die bedryf. Kriteria van doeltreffendheid en effektiwiteit is deurgaans aangewend. In hierdie opsig is die huidige stelsel getoets aan verbruikersbehoeftes en voorkeure. Die wyse van aanbieding van die informele sektor het in 'n ruim mate ooreengestem met die aanvraag van die teikenverbruiker. Op grond hiervan word afgelei dat die stelsel van informele bemarking van rooivleis die potensiaal het om nog 'n groter bydrae te lewer tot die ontwikkeling van voedselsekuriteit in die 'townships'. Sekere faktore werk egter beperkend m op die informele bemarkingstelsel. Hierdie faktore is gei'dentifiseer en aanbevelings is gemaak ter opheffing van die beperkinge om sodoende die stelsel se bydrae tot plaaslike ontwikkeling·te maksimeer.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Evaluating small business development policies and programmes is a methodologically difficult task. A wide range of role players in the economy - government departments and agencies, corporations, international donors, and non-governmental organisations - invest resources of sizeable magnitude annually in promoting small business. This investment is often justified on the basis of the importance of small business in contributing to the attainment of a range of socio-economic objectives such as job creation, addressing economic inequity among various population groups, stimulating competition in the economy, and enhancing economic growth. With the increase in the magnitude of public investment in small business development, and increasing competition for the same resources from other worthwhile interventions, the pressure for public accountability and the need to demonstrate effectiveness of policies and programmes has increased. Programme sponsors are increasingly requiring that those receiving public funds for small business development projects should ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of their programmes in order to ensure that there is a sound information base to provide the necessary policy and programme feedback. The question, however, is to what extent small business policies and programmes are successful in ensuring the attainment of their objectives. To what degree can any changes at the level of the enterprise and its immediate environment be realistically attributed to the effectiveness of policies and programmes? Can ongoing investment In small business development be justified in the face of competing demands for the same resources from other worthwhile and perhaps more pressing causes? How efficient is a particular policy or programme in terms of its cost in relation to other policy or programme alternatives? These and more are questions facing evaluators of small business development policies and programmes. This thesis shows that the task facing these evaluators is not an easy one, due to methodological complexities encountered in attempting to answer these questions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die evaluering van ontwikkelingsbeleidsrigtinge en -programme van kleinsakeondernemings is metodologies geen maklike taak nie. 'n Groot verskeidenheid rolspelers in die ekonomie, ingeslote regeringsdepartemente en -instansies, korporasies, internasionale skenkers en nie-regeringsorganisasies, belê jaarliks aansienlike hulpbronne in die bevordering van kleinsakeondernemings. Sodanige beleggings word dikwels geregverdig aan die hand van die belangrikheid van kleinsakeondernemings se bydrae tot die bereiking van verskeie sosio-ekonomiese doelwitte soos werkskepping, en om die kwessie van ekonomiese ongelykheid tussen onderskeie bevolkingsgroepe aan te roer, om mededinging binne die ekonomie aan te moedig en om ekonomiese groei te versterk. Die toename in die omvang van openbare beleggings in kleinsakeontwikkeling asook toenemende mededinging vir dieselfde hulpbronne deur ander verdienstelike partye gaan gepaard met toenemende druk vir openbare aanspreeklikheid en noodsaak doeltreffende beleidsrigtingr en -programme. Programborge vereis toenemend dat diegene wat openbare fondse vir kleinsakeontwikkelingsprojekte ontvang, die doeltreffende monitering en evaluering van hulle programme moet waarborg sodat daar 'n deeglike inligtingsbasis bestaan om die nodige beleids- en programterugvoer te verskaf. Die vraag is egter tot welke mate kleinsakebeleidsrigtinge en -programme daarin slaag om te verseker dat hul doelwitte bereik word. Tot watter mate kan enige veranderinge op ondernemingsvlak en sy onmiddellike omgewing, realisties gesproke, aan die doeltreffendheid van beleidsrigtinge en -programme toegeskryfword? Kan voortgesette beleggings in kleinsakeontwikkeling geregverdig word in die lig van mededinging vir dieselfde hulpbronne deur ander verdienstelike, en moontlik selfs meer dwingende, sake? Hoe doeltreffend is 'n bepaalde beleid of program in terme van sy koste, gesien in verhouding tot ander beleids- of programkeuses? Diegene, wat verantwoordelik is vir die beoordeling van kleinsakeontwikkelingsbeleidsrigtinge en - programme word deur hierdie en vele ander vrae gekonfronteer. Hierdie tesis toon aan dat sodanige beoordelaars, as gevolg van die metodologiese ingewikkeldhede waarvoor hulle te staan kom in die poging om hierdie vrae te beantwoord, geen maklike taak het me.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the field of Economics, the term “competition” refers to the method involved in steering an increase in supply, which leads to a decrease in equilibrium price and an increase in equilibrium quantity. However, competition involves more than just an increase in supply. In any economy, competition can affect factors, such as innovation, efficiency and the accessibility to goods and services. In some cases, the effect might not be positive, if the goods and services only benefit certain parties involved, rather than the general population. Traditionally, there are four basic types of market structure, with each structure displaying unique market power characteristics, which are initiated by an organisation’s profit motives. All market structures, other than that of perfect competition, are forms of imperfect competition. One such imperfect market structure is oligopoly, which has certain unique characteristics (Doyle, 2005:198). In the private health care sector, cost increases can be related to the increased market concentration, due to the increase of market power by hospital groups. Therefore, the prevalence of competition in the private health care sector should be monitored. That health care functions in a dynamic environment has been historically proven and can also be seen in the latest trends. A bundle of factors, rather than a single factor, determines success. Any overview of the international health care industry should demonstrate the rapid development of the industry. The industry, compared with the relatively elementary and experimental health care system of a few decades ago, is currently super specialised. A shift has taken place in the market from the role of the industry as a government-funded health care provider to that of a private hospital provider. In South Africa, the complexity of the health care sector is made even more complex by the many role-players and the interaction between the different private and public health providers. The cost of access to hospitals should be prioritised. Research shows that the private health care sector caters for the health needs of almost seven million people, who comprise only 15% of the total population. However, the sector has spent more money than the entire public sector, with the per capita expenditure exceeding that of the public sector eightfold. The increase in the cost of private hospitals in South Africa has been caused by changes in the market concentration. Such expenditure has given the private hospitals greater market power and has influenced their behaviour. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In ekonomie verwys die term “kompetisie” na die metode betrokke om ’n toename in aanbod te veroorsaak, wat weer ’n verlaging in die ewewigsprys en ’n verhoging in die ewewigshoeveelheid tot gevolg het. Kompetisie behels egter meer as net ’n verhoging in aanbod. In enige ekonomie kan kompetisie faktore soos innovasie, doeltreffendheid en toegang tot goedere en dienste beïnvloed. In sommige gevalle is die effek egter nie positief nie, soos wanneer goedere en dienste slegs sekere belanghebbendes bevoordeel in plaas van die algemene publiek. Daar is, tradisioneel gesproke, vier basiese markstrukture wat elkeen unieke markbeherende eienskappe toon wat deur die organisasie se winsmotiewe geïnisieer word. Alle markstrukture, behalwe volmaakte kompetisie, is vorms van onvolmaakte kompetisie. Een so ’n markstruktuur is oligopolie wat sekere unieke eienskappe toon. In die privaat–gesondheidsorgsektor, is kosteverhogings gekoppel aan verhoogde markkonsentrasie as gevolg van die toename in privaat hospitaalgroepe. Kompetisie in die privaat-gesondheidsorgsektor moet dus gemonitor word. Dat gesondheidsorg in ’n dinamiese omgewing funksioneer is reeds bewys en kan ook in die nuutste tendense gesien word. Dit is egter ‘n hele groep faktore, nie slegs een faktor nie, wat sukses waarborg. ’n Oorsig van die internasionale gesondheidsorgindustrie toon dat ontwikkelinge in die industrie baie vinnig vorder. Vandag is gesondheidsorg uiters gespesialiseerd in vergelyking met dekades terug, toe dit relatief elementêr en eksperimenteel was. Die rol van die industrie het verskuif van ’n staats-gesubsidieerde diens na waar dit vandag grootliks deur privaat instansies gelewer word. In Suid-Afrika word ’n reeds komplekse gesondheidsorgsektor meer gekompliseer deur die baie rolspelers in die sektor asook die interaksie tussen die verskillende privaat- en staatsgesondheidsorgvoorsieners. Die koste van toegang tot hospitale behoort ’n prioriteit te wees. Navorsing toon dat die die privaatgesondheidsorgsektor dienste aan sewe miljoen mense bied wat slegs 15% van die totale populasie is. Hierdie sektor spandeer egter baie meer as die met ’n per capita uitgawe byna agt keer meer as staatsgesondheidsorg. Die oorsaak van koste verhogings in privaatgesondheidsorg in Suid-Afrikaanse hospitale is veroorsaak deur veranderinge in die konsentrasie van die privaatgesondheidsorgsektor. Dit gee privaathospitale groter markmag en beïnvloed dus hul optrede.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The restoration of natural capital has ecological, hydrological and economic benefits. Are these benefits greater than the costs of restoration when compared across a range of dissimilar sites? This study examines the impact of restoration at eight case study sites distributed throughout South Africa. The benefits of restoration include improved grazing values and crop yields, improvements in water yield and quality, soil carbon improvements, wild products, lumber, fuelwood and electricity. The impact of restoration on all forms of natural capital (i.e. cultivated, replenishable, renewable and non-renewable) is therefore quantified. The costs of restoration include depreciation on capital expenditure, labour costs, equipment and bond refinancing costs. The literature review done during this study presents three frameworks. The first framework classifies social science using the classification scheme of Burrell and Morgan. It shows that system dynamics modelling and neoclassical economics share the same epistemological and ontological characteristics, both of these fall within the naturalistic paradigm, which also characterises most of scientific research. System dynamics modelling and neoclassical economics, however, digress in the Flood and Jackson classification scheme, which is the second framework for classifying social science. Neoclassical economics is characterised by a small number of elements and few interactions between the elements. Systems dynamics modelling, on the other hand, is characterised by a large number of elements and many interactions between the elements. The nature-freedom ground motive is subject to a number of criticisms, including the fact that it introduces dualistic thinking into the analysis, as well as that it does not adequately address normative or moral issues. The framework of Dooyeweerd, the third framework, is presented as a means of transcending the nature-freedom ground motive. Although the nature-freedom ground motive is largely utilised in this study, the analysis does transcend the traditional economic approach in a number of areas. These include, for example, a focus on transdisciplinary methods, disequilibria, adopting a case study approach, and empirical estimation instead of theoretical models. The restoration case studies in this study are examples of individual complex systems. Eight system dynamics models are developed to model interactions between the economic, ecological and hydrological components of each of the case studies. The eight system dynamics models are then used to inform a risk analysis process that culminates in a portfolio mapping exercise. This portfolio mapping exercise is then used to identify the characteristics and features of the different case study sites based on the risk profile of each sites. This study is the first known application of system dynamics, risk analysis and portfolio mapping to an environmental restoration project. This framework could potentially be used by policymakers confronted with budgetary constraints to select and prioritise between competing restoration projects. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die restorasie van natuurlike kapitaal het ekologiese, hidrologiese en ekonomiese voordele. Maar is hierdie voordele groter as die kostes verbonde aan restorasie wanneer dit oor verskeie ongelyksoortige terreine vergelyk word? Hierdie studie bestudeer die impak van restorasie op agt verskillende studie terreine versprei regoor Suid-Afrika. Die voordele van restorasie sluit die volgende in: beter weiding waardes en oes opbrengste, verbeterde water lewering en water kwaliteit, verbetering van grondkoolstof, wilde produkte, hout, brandstofhout en elektrisiteit. Die impak van restorasie op alle vorme van natuurlike kapitaal (gekultiveerd, aanvulbaar, hernubaar en nie-hernubaar) is daarom gekwantifiseer. Die kostes van restorasie sluit in ‘n vermindering in kapitaal uitgawes, arbeidskoste, toerusting en verband herfinansieringskoste. Die literatuurstudie hou drie raamwerke voor. Die eerste raamwerk klassifiseer sosiale wetenskappe volgens die Burrel en Morgan klassifikasie skema. Dit wys daarop dat dinamiese stelsel modellering en neoklassieke ekonomie dieselfde epistemologiese en ontologiese eienskappe deel; beide val binne die naturalistiese paradigma, wat dan ook meeste wetenskaplike navorsing tipeer. Stelseldinamiese modellering en neoklassieke ekonomie wyk egter af na die Flood and Jackson klassifikasie skema, wat die tweede raamwerk is waarvolgens sosiale wetenskappe geklassifiseer word. Neoklassieke ekonomie word gekenmerk aan 'n klein aantal elemente en 'n beperkte hoeveelheid interaksie. Stelseldinamiese modellering het egter 'n groot aantal elemente met veel meer interaksies tussen hierdie elemente. Die natuur-vryheid grondmotief is onderworpe aan 'n aantal punte van kritiek, insluitende die feit dat dit dualistiese denke in analise inbring. Verder spreek dit ook nie voldoende die normatiewe of morele kwessies aan nie. Die raamwerk van Dooyeweerd, wat dan die derde raamwerk is, word voorgestel as 'n wyse waarop die natuur-vryheid grond-motief getransendeer kan word. Alhoewel die natuur-vryheid grondmotief grootliks gebruik word in hierdie studie, transendeer die analise die tradisionele ekonomiese benadering op 'n aantal gebiede. Hierdie gebiede sluit die volgende in: 'n fokus op transdissiplinere metodes, onewewigtigheid, 'n gevallestudie benadering, en empiriese skatting in plaas van teoretiese modelle. Die restorasie gevallestudies wat in hierdie studie gebruik word is voorbeelde van individuele komplekse sisteme. Agt dinamiese stelsel modelle word ontwikkel om die interaksies tussen ekonomiese, ekologiese en hidrologiese komponente in elke gevallestudie te modelleer. Hierdie agt stelseldinamiese modelle word dan gebruik in 'n risiko analise proses wat uitloop op 'n portefeulje plot oefening. Hierdie portefeulje plot oefening word dan gebruik om eienskappe en kenmerke van verskeie gevallestudie terreine te identifiseer gebaseer op die risiko profiel van elke terrein. Hierdie studie is die eerste bekende toepassing van dinamiese stesels, risiko analise en portefeulje plot tot 'n omgewingsrestorasie projek. Hierdie raamwerk kan potensieël gebruik word deur beleidskrywers wat met begrotings beperkinge gekonfronteer word om tussen restorasie projekte te kies en om hulle te prioritiriseer.

M.Sc. (Geology) / Within the Black Reef Formation, which forms the basal unit of the Transvaal Supergroup, an auriferous and uraniferous reef occurs. This is known as the Buckshot Pyrite Leader reef. This reef is a conglomerate-hosted gold and uranium deposit, which is similar to the Witwatersrand reefs as they both contain significant amounts of pyrite and have similar depositional environments. This study seeks to identify the geometallurgical characteristics of the gold uranium and thorium that are hosted in the Black Reef at the Modder East operation in Springs. In terms of methodology, a detailed petrographic study was completed on the samples taken from underground and the surface run of mine samples. Mineralogy was conducted on these samples using SEM-based automated technology, namely the FEI Mineral liberation analyser (MLA). Using this, I could further characterise the gold and uranium bearing phases found across the Black Reef. Additionally, mill testing, grading analysis, major and trace element chemistry, density separation, gold and uranium dissolution as well as flotation testing was conducted on the ore in order to determine its geometallurgical characteristics. Through the combination of these methods, this study aims to evaluate the Au, U and Th within the Black Reef with regards to: the metallurgy; the extraction process in relation to the mineralogy of the samples; and the possible implications that these factors could have on the overall recovery of the economic minerals.

M.Com. (Economics) / Inflation is the continuous, meaningful increase in the price level of an economic system. A distinction can be drawn between demand-pull factors (where demand exceeds the supply) and cost-push factors (prices are pushed higher by an increase in wages or input prices) as causes of inflation. Cost-push inflation is the result of the exercising of bargaining power by certain groups, e.g. trade unions. Prices can escalate as a result of competition between trade unions and firms for higher wages or competition between trade unions for a bigger portion of the national income. The aim of trade unions is to maintain the standard of living of their members, whose only source of income is the sale of their labour. Trade unions have a number of mechanisms, e.g. strikes and the withdrawal of co-operation, by means of which they can force an employer to meet their demands. Trade unions usually bargain collectively with employers regarding their wage demands. There are great differences of opinion among economists whether trade unions are the cause of inflation or whether they only contribute to inflation. Trade unions grouped themselves in organisations to look after the concerns of their members while employers have also grouped themselves in organisations. The government also plays an important role in the labour market, especially because' of the payment of unemployment benefits. Trade unions can contribute to inflation because wage increases are declared nationally, trade unions refuse to· accept any cuts in wages, contracts between employers and employees make provision for increases in salaries and also include a stipulation regarding cost of living adjustments. Trade unions can increase wage demands by being more militant, the spillover effect and wage imitation. The first white trade unions were established in the second half of the previous century and black trade unions in the early 1900' s. The numbers of especially the black trade unions increased considerably during the seventies and eighties, to such a degree that black trade unions have almost 3 million members and consist of 23,9 percent of the total economically active population. As a result of their great numbers, strikes have also shown an escalating tendency (there were 908 strikes per year during the period 1987 to 1992). The annual average inflation rate in South Africa reached double figures in 1974 and has not moved back to single figures since. If wage demands since 1985 are compared to this, the wage demands from 1987 to 1991 were higher each year than the inflation rate. Trade unions definitely have an influence on wages as the increase in minimum wages of unskilled labourers were mostly higher than. that of skilled workers. The increase in productivity has however, not kept up to date with the increase in wage rates.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, at the University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Commerce in the School of Economic and Business Sciences - Management, Johannesburg, June 27 / Entrepreneurship continues to dominate public discourse as has been the case for the past century; this topic has been widely discussed in academia and policy development, not only as an abstract concept, but as a necessity to activate economic growth, especially for developing countries such as South Africa. Many authors have argued that the mixture of good entrepreneurial activity in the formal and informal sector is necessary and it is interlinked. As such, the multifaceted nature of entrepreneurship continues to be a subject of contention, especially when it comes to issues surrounding entrepreneurial performance. The purpose of this research was to investigate the influence of Cultural Intelligence on the relationship between Social Capital and Entrepreneurial Performance amongst foreign traders based in Johannesburg’s informal economy. The major studies underlying this research are in agreement in the field of social science and business studies, suggesting that Entrepreneurship is embedded in social contexts and cannot be wholly understood unless one attempts to evaluate the influence of different social phenomena. This study assessed foreign entrepreneurs’ cross-cultural adjustment capabilities, their social networks and how the two influence entrepreneurial performance. This study was motivated by the 2008 and 2015 xenophobic attacks in the informal economy which exposed a need to understand cultural and social capital dynamics that underpin entrepreneurial performance amongst foreign entrepreneurs. The research model for this study sought to investigate the mediating influence of cultural intelligence on the relationship between Social Capital and Entrepreneurial Performance. The results of this study indicate that Cultural Intelligence is no significant mediator between Social Capital and Entrepreneurial Performance amongst foreign traders in the informal economy. The results of this further reflected significant differences in attitudes between the groups of foreign traders under study. / XL2018