The growth performance of the South African economy over the past two and a half decades has been disappointing. The economy has not reached the high growth rates of the 1960s, which is desperately needed to alleviate poverty in the country. While the sources of growth have been a subject of much debate, recently the notion that the Real Exchange Rate (RER) level of a country matters for growth has attracted attention. While it is generally expected that the value of the currency should not remain constant and that the exchange rate fluctuates over time, in the long-term, it is expected to converge to an equilibrium level South Africa follows an inflation targeting framework and a free floating exchange rate regime. The exchange rate has been highly volatile since the abolishment of the dual exchange rate system in 1995. This implies that there were periods of overvaluation and undervaluation from the equilibrium level; in other words the rand experienced times of misalignment. In the event of misalignments, the RER is moved to levels which make it difficult for an economy to sustain international competitiveness over the long-run, and this is harmful to growth rates in the economy. This is especially true for countries, such as South Africa, which is heavily dependent on exports. The RER is therefore very powerful and has been argued to be the cause of loss of competitiveness and growth slowdowns. This study investigates this notion for South Africa. The main aim of this study is therefore to investigate the effects of RER misalignment on economic growth in South Africa. This implies that the study aims to determine the level of RER equilibrium, the misalignment in the real value of the rand, and how this misalignment has affected economic growth in the country. The Behavioural Equilibrium Exchange Rate (BEER) approach is followed to determine the Equilibrium Exchange Rate (EER), which allows for the use of fundamental macroeconomic variables to determine the real equilibrium level of the rand. Identified fundamental variables, which are the main drivers of the current RER in South Africa, include GDP per capita, trade openness, terms of trade, gross fixed capital formation and the real interest rate differential. A Vector Error-Correction Mechanism (VECM) is used in the estimation of the Real Equilibrium Exchange Rate (REER). Misalignment is calculated as the difference between the actual and the equilibrium real exchange rate. It is found that during the period under investigation (1985 to 2011) there have been substantial misalignments in the RER of the rand, though the currency was mostly overvalued. It is also shown that the rand does revert to its equilibrium level over time. The least square method is used to determine the effect of this RER misalignment on economic growth. Additional variables such as the initial level of GDP per capita, trade openness, terms of trade as well as gross fixed capital formation, are included in the growth specification. Trade reforms emphasise the importance of export-led growth in a commodity-rich economy, such as South Africa. The results indicate that the RER misalignment has a positive coefficient; this implies that a misalignment in the rand has not necessarily been harmful to economic growth. Therefore, it can be concluded that in the case of South Africa, misalignment is generally stimulating growth, but more so when the currency is undervalued. The results therefore show that the RER should be kept at competitive levels in order to boost economic growth in the country. The results also show support for the strategy of export-led growth in South Africa. / Thesis (MCom (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Classroom observation - particularly the post observation conference - is one of the most important aspects of staff development. The headmaster should create the climate in which the teacher has scope for self-development. During and especially after the class observation, it is imperative that the headmaster provides a restful, relaxed atmosphere, particularly for the post observation conference. This conference is of the utmost importance, as it provides feedback to the teacher on how another knowledgeable person experiences his presentation of a lesson. This research initially focused on staff development, what it entails and how it can be utilized by headmasters in schools. A closer look was taken at the post observation conference after a classroom observation, a questionnaire was distributed among the headmasters of various schools and the paper closes with recommendations and definite guidelines to headmasters. It is important for the school to be a pleasant working environment, where mutual respect and trust should exist. In such a climate, it is possible for the headmaster, during the post observation conference, to make recommendations and give advice without causing any hurt-feelings, enabling the teacher to develop professionally. A staff development plan with clear goals and target dates should ultimately be compiled. / Skripsie (MEd (Onderwysbestuur))--PU vir CHO, 1996

The growth performance of the South African economy over the past two and a half decades has been disappointing. The economy has not reached the high growth rates of the 1960s, which is desperately needed to alleviate poverty in the country. While the sources of growth have been a subject of much debate, recently the notion that the Real Exchange Rate (RER) level of a country matters for growth has attracted attention. While it is generally expected that the value of the currency should not remain constant and that the exchange rate fluctuates over time, in the long-term, it is expected to converge to an equilibrium level South Africa follows an inflation targeting framework and a free floating exchange rate regime. The exchange rate has been highly volatile since the abolishment of the dual exchange rate system in 1995. This implies that there were periods of overvaluation and undervaluation from the equilibrium level; in other words the rand experienced times of misalignment. In the event of misalignments, the RER is moved to levels which make it difficult for an economy to sustain international competitiveness over the long-run, and this is harmful to growth rates in the economy. This is especially true for countries, such as South Africa, which is heavily dependent on exports. The RER is therefore very powerful and has been argued to be the cause of loss of competitiveness and growth slowdowns. This study investigates this notion for South Africa. The main aim of this study is therefore to investigate the effects of RER misalignment on economic growth in South Africa. This implies that the study aims to determine the level of RER equilibrium, the misalignment in the real value of the rand, and how this misalignment has affected economic growth in the country. The Behavioural Equilibrium Exchange Rate (BEER) approach is followed to determine the Equilibrium Exchange Rate (EER), which allows for the use of fundamental macroeconomic variables to determine the real equilibrium level of the rand. Identified fundamental variables, which are the main drivers of the current RER in South Africa, include GDP per capita, trade openness, terms of trade, gross fixed capital formation and the real interest rate differential. A Vector Error-Correction Mechanism (VECM) is used in the estimation of the Real Equilibrium Exchange Rate (REER). Misalignment is calculated as the difference between the actual and the equilibrium real exchange rate. It is found that during the period under investigation (1985 to 2011) there have been substantial misalignments in the RER of the rand, though the currency was mostly overvalued. It is also shown that the rand does revert to its equilibrium level over time. The least square method is used to determine the effect of this RER misalignment on economic growth. Additional variables such as the initial level of GDP per capita, trade openness, terms of trade as well as gross fixed capital formation, are included in the growth specification. Trade reforms emphasise the importance of export-led growth in a commodity-rich economy, such as South Africa. The results indicate that the RER misalignment has a positive coefficient; this implies that a misalignment in the rand has not necessarily been harmful to economic growth. Therefore, it can be concluded that in the case of South Africa, misalignment is generally stimulating growth, but more so when the currency is undervalued. The results therefore show that the RER should be kept at competitive levels in order to boost economic growth in the country. The results also show support for the strategy of export-led growth in South Africa. / Thesis (MCom (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Because of the inability to deal with traumatic and stressful situations it often happens that a person dissociates. These people then 'move out of the situation', so to speak. The dissociated person can be spiritually, emotionally and physically handicapped for life. In the long term it often results in depression, feelings of guilt, relationship problems, social maladjustment, as well as addiction to medication. Pastoral counselling to this person (as part of a multidisciplinary approach) often results in a decline of the symptoms and a normalisation of the person's situation. From the basis-theoretical research it became clear that throughout history God is present in a very prominent way in the life of the individual. Right from the very beginning at conception, until old age, He is intensely involved. God created man in His image but through sin this image was distorted. Because of His love for man, however, He fulfilled His promise of restoration and healing in and through Jesus Christ. It appears that knowledge regarding the phenomenon of dissociation dates back to as early as 400 BC. Research since the early 1990's onwards resulted in numerous publications, articles and books being written on the topic of dissociation. In thls study, emphasis was placed on a number of such relevant contributions. The specific characteristics of the dissociated person, practical guidelines for counselling hirnlher as proposed by psychology, as well as pastoral psychologists were discussed. It became evident that contributions and research in the field from a psychological perspective seem to be much more advanced compared to what has been done by theologians to date. For this reason it is imperative that pastoral counsellors become more acquainted with the theme of dissociation. With regard to methodology, the eclectic approach proved to be the best option. This will enable the pastoral counsellor in hidher guidance of the dissociated person to draw on the wealth and variety of contributions and perspectives fiom both the psychological and the theological domains. As a result of and flowing forth from the basis-theoretical and meta-theoretical perspectives, practice-theoretical guidelines were formulated according to which pastoral guidance can be provided to the dissociated person. Special emphasis was placed on a multidisciplinary approach where full recognition was given to the possible contributions by psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors and others. As part of the preparation for counselling the dissociated person, attention was given to the importance of prayer support. With regard to the counselling process itself, the following five phases appeared to be of significance: introductory prayers, consultation and discussion, prayer as part of the therapeutic process, the development of life skills, and spiritual growth after the therapeutic process. Because of the cultic and ritual abuse that some victims have been exposed to, it is possible that apart from fragmented sub-personalities, demonic influences may also be present. It is thus of extreme importance to distinguish between these two areas, and the counsellor must be well equipped with the necessary knowledge and experience to handle this complicated issue. From this study it became evident that there is a special need for pastoral guidance of the dissociated person by counsellors who are well acquainted with the complexities of this field. Scientific knowledge, together with a pastoral focus as well as total dependence upon the therapeutic power of the Holy Spirit, is indeed a 'winning recipe'. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Studies in both children and adults indicate that waist circumference (WC), a measure of abdominal obesity is closely related to cardiovascular risk factors. The accurate identification of abdominally obese children in health screening programmes for early intervention is of importance. There are, however, concerns about using international definitions for screening purposes because in most instances these have been derived from Western populations and, therefore, may have limited usefulness to children in other parts of the world. When these cut–off points are used in developing countries, they ignore the fact that the growth patterns of children and burdens of disease vary between countries. Due to lack of population specific cut–off points for children in the developing world it may be tempting and convenient to use the same cut–off points as for children in developed countries, but such a practice runs the risk of exporting failure. Ideally, a screening tool should have both high sensitivity and specificity, and these are important considerations in choosing the definition for the detection of childhood abdominal obesity. High sensitivity is necessary to avoid failure of identifying obese children and high specificity of the screening tool ensures that non–obese children are not misclassified as obese, which may otherwise lead to unnecessary treatment and psychosocial implications of stigmatisation. Failure to identify the abdominally obese child may have more serious consequences than misclassification, since it results in an increase in adult morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis was to examine fat distribution patterns of black South African (SA) children in relation to health risk. The specific objectives were to: compare the body composition of black stunted and non–stunted children from two rural communities in South Africa; to describe and compare the age and sex specific WC percentile distribution for black SA children from different study populations and compare the WC percentile distribution with those for African–American (A–A) children and to assess the diagnostic accuracy of waist–to–height ratio (WHtR) as a marker for high blood pressure, a cardiovascular risk factor in SA children. Findings of this study demonstrated increased total adiposity in non–stunted children, but trends of increased central adiposity, measured as WHtR in stunted children. This warrants further investigation on this relationship among children older than 13 years in the African context where many children are stunted. The differences observed between the different data sets and between SA and A–A children suggest that nationally representative data should be used to develop age, sex and ethnic specific WC percentiles for this population. The results indicate clearly that the median WC of children from SA studies is smaller than those of A–A children, with a medium to large effect size for the difference. Results also suggest concern with respect to high WC values (> 80 cm) among some children. The recommended universal WHtR cut–off value of 0.5 for assessment of cardiovascular risk is not suitable for black SA children because it had low sensitivity in predicting high blood pressure. The absence of locally developed cut–off values for WC and WHtR for children warrants research due to the associations between being overweight and obese and disease outcomes. It is fundamental to detect risk at an early stage so that appropriate intervention can be initiated timeously. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Nutrition))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

SMEs are important for a country's economy, since they provide benefits such as entrepreneurship, employment, exports and productivity to an economy. An economy that shows substantial growth is usually characterised by a strong and growing SME sector. South African SMEs need to grow to create jobs and benefit the South African economy. One way that SMEs can become strong and grow is through internationalisation. Firms are internationalising faster than ever before (because of advances in telecommunications and transportation) and internationalisation theories that can provide practical guidance to firms are more important today than in the past. The motivation of the study was to identify the areas that the South African government can develop in order to transform the economy into an emerging economy that can be on par with the BRIC countries. SMEs make up a large part of the BRICS economies and they grow through exports. In order to be on par with the BRIC countries, it is necessary to compare South African exporting and non–exporting SMEs with those in the BRIC countries. This will help to identify areas where South African SMEs' competitiveness can improve, especially in South–South trade. The competitiveness of SMEs involved in exporting also tends to improve. Therefore, if SMEs' competitiveness improves, it may be less risky for them to internationalise, which can lead to them being able to export more successfully, grow as a result of exporting and so contribute to employment. The primary objective of the study was to make a comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa and the BRICS countries. Data was obtained from the World Bank Enterprise surveys to conduct an empirical analysis on firms in the BRICS countries. The empirical analysis provided descriptive statistics on internationalising firms and SMEs in the BRICS countries. The descriptive statistics was used to make a comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in the BRICS countries (primary objective). South Africa has the highest percentage of exporting SMEs, followed by India, Brazil, Russia and China. China had the most exporting SMEs with an internationally recognised certification. The top managers of Chinese exporting SMEs are higher educated than those in India and South Africa. SMEs in Russia internationalise at by far the youngest age and thus are likely to follow the rapid international theories. South African SMEs had the highest average age, meaning that SMEs first are established in the domestic market before they internationalise through exports. Internationalisation has become an important strategy for firms that want to achieve further growth, but it is also very tough to survive in the international market. An interesting finding of this study was that the two obstacles South Africa had in the top 5 namely, crime, theft and disorder, and electricity were not a top 5 obstacle for any of the other BRIC countries. Another objective of the study was to empirically determine the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa. SMEs in South Africa are more likely to internationalise through exports if they are, amongst others, older (longer established in the domestic market), have a larger market share in the South African domestic market, have a top manager with experience and a higher education level (some university training minimum) and have less competitors in the South African domestic market. The comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs of the BRICS countries provided several lessons for the South African government and exporting SMEs. The areas or aspects that the South African government need to develop in order to transform the economy into an emerging economy that can compete with the BRIC countries, include assisting SMEs in exporting at an earlier age, improving the education levels of top managers in SMEs, increasing the national market share of SMEs and lessening, or even eliminating, obstacles like crime, theft and disorder as well as electricity. These aspects, together with the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa, are vital to improve SME competitiveness. Therefore, if SMEs' competitiveness improves, then it may be less risky for them to internationalise, which can lead to them being able to export more successfully, grow as a result of exporting and so contribute to employment. / Thesis (M.Com. (International Trade))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Studies in both children and adults indicate that waist circumference (WC), a measure of abdominal obesity is closely related to cardiovascular risk factors. The accurate identification of abdominally obese children in health screening programmes for early intervention is of importance. There are, however, concerns about using international definitions for screening purposes because in most instances these have been derived from Western populations and, therefore, may have limited usefulness to children in other parts of the world. When these cut–off points are used in developing countries, they ignore the fact that the growth patterns of children and burdens of disease vary between countries. Due to lack of population specific cut–off points for children in the developing world it may be tempting and convenient to use the same cut–off points as for children in developed countries, but such a practice runs the risk of exporting failure. Ideally, a screening tool should have both high sensitivity and specificity, and these are important considerations in choosing the definition for the detection of childhood abdominal obesity. High sensitivity is necessary to avoid failure of identifying obese children and high specificity of the screening tool ensures that non–obese children are not misclassified as obese, which may otherwise lead to unnecessary treatment and psychosocial implications of stigmatisation. Failure to identify the abdominally obese child may have more serious consequences than misclassification, since it results in an increase in adult morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis was to examine fat distribution patterns of black South African (SA) children in relation to health risk. The specific objectives were to: compare the body composition of black stunted and non–stunted children from two rural communities in South Africa; to describe and compare the age and sex specific WC percentile distribution for black SA children from different study populations and compare the WC percentile distribution with those for African–American (A–A) children and to assess the diagnostic accuracy of waist–to–height ratio (WHtR) as a marker for high blood pressure, a cardiovascular risk factor in SA children. Findings of this study demonstrated increased total adiposity in non–stunted children, but trends of increased central adiposity, measured as WHtR in stunted children. This warrants further investigation on this relationship among children older than 13 years in the African context where many children are stunted. The differences observed between the different data sets and between SA and A–A children suggest that nationally representative data should be used to develop age, sex and ethnic specific WC percentiles for this population. The results indicate clearly that the median WC of children from SA studies is smaller than those of A–A children, with a medium to large effect size for the difference. Results also suggest concern with respect to high WC values (> 80 cm) among some children. The recommended universal WHtR cut–off value of 0.5 for assessment of cardiovascular risk is not suitable for black SA children because it had low sensitivity in predicting high blood pressure. The absence of locally developed cut–off values for WC and WHtR for children warrants research due to the associations between being overweight and obese and disease outcomes. It is fundamental to detect risk at an early stage so that appropriate intervention can be initiated timeously. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Nutrition))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

SMEs are important for a country's economy, since they provide benefits such as entrepreneurship, employment, exports and productivity to an economy. An economy that shows substantial growth is usually characterised by a strong and growing SME sector. South African SMEs need to grow to create jobs and benefit the South African economy. One way that SMEs can become strong and grow is through internationalisation. Firms are internationalising faster than ever before (because of advances in telecommunications and transportation) and internationalisation theories that can provide practical guidance to firms are more important today than in the past. The motivation of the study was to identify the areas that the South African government can develop in order to transform the economy into an emerging economy that can be on par with the BRIC countries. SMEs make up a large part of the BRICS economies and they grow through exports. In order to be on par with the BRIC countries, it is necessary to compare South African exporting and non–exporting SMEs with those in the BRIC countries. This will help to identify areas where South African SMEs' competitiveness can improve, especially in South–South trade. The competitiveness of SMEs involved in exporting also tends to improve. Therefore, if SMEs' competitiveness improves, it may be less risky for them to internationalise, which can lead to them being able to export more successfully, grow as a result of exporting and so contribute to employment. The primary objective of the study was to make a comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa and the BRICS countries. Data was obtained from the World Bank Enterprise surveys to conduct an empirical analysis on firms in the BRICS countries. The empirical analysis provided descriptive statistics on internationalising firms and SMEs in the BRICS countries. The descriptive statistics was used to make a comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in the BRICS countries (primary objective). South Africa has the highest percentage of exporting SMEs, followed by India, Brazil, Russia and China. China had the most exporting SMEs with an internationally recognised certification. The top managers of Chinese exporting SMEs are higher educated than those in India and South Africa. SMEs in Russia internationalise at by far the youngest age and thus are likely to follow the rapid international theories. South African SMEs had the highest average age, meaning that SMEs first are established in the domestic market before they internationalise through exports. Internationalisation has become an important strategy for firms that want to achieve further growth, but it is also very tough to survive in the international market. An interesting finding of this study was that the two obstacles South Africa had in the top 5 namely, crime, theft and disorder, and electricity were not a top 5 obstacle for any of the other BRIC countries. Another objective of the study was to empirically determine the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa. SMEs in South Africa are more likely to internationalise through exports if they are, amongst others, older (longer established in the domestic market), have a larger market share in the South African domestic market, have a top manager with experience and a higher education level (some university training minimum) and have less competitors in the South African domestic market. The comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs of the BRICS countries provided several lessons for the South African government and exporting SMEs. The areas or aspects that the South African government need to develop in order to transform the economy into an emerging economy that can compete with the BRIC countries, include assisting SMEs in exporting at an earlier age, improving the education levels of top managers in SMEs, increasing the national market share of SMEs and lessening, or even eliminating, obstacles like crime, theft and disorder as well as electricity. These aspects, together with the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa, are vital to improve SME competitiveness. Therefore, if SMEs' competitiveness improves, then it may be less risky for them to internationalise, which can lead to them being able to export more successfully, grow as a result of exporting and so contribute to employment. / Thesis (M.Com. (International Trade))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Univ., Diss.--Göttingen, 2007.

Thesis (doctoral)--Rijksuniversiteit te Utrecht, 1983. / "Stellingen": [6] p. inserted. Includes bibliographical references (p. 253-257) and index.