Microfinance is a relatively young and somewhat ambiguous concept. The phenomenon has, however, proven to contribute to making the lives better for many poor people, thus the interest for the industry has grown substantially. The increased attention has stimulated the movement towards more financially sustainable organizations. Along with this transformation, concerns regarding how it affects the poor have been raised. This study aims to map the key characteristics of financially sustainable microfinance institutions (MFIs) and what features that separates them from their non-sustainable counterparts. By analyzing data from 1109 MFIs, some significant differences between sustainable and non-sustainable organizations have been found. The study shows that for-profit MFIs are self-sufficient to a greater extent than the non-sufficient ones, which might be caused by the pressure to deliver value to shareholders. Furthermore, there are indications that self-sufficient MFIs are more efficient, which can be assumed to be caused by technological advantages, or different lending methods. The findings on outreach are somewhat contradictory; sustainable MFIs are reaching more clients on average, which discards a mission drift. On the other hand, self-sufficient MFIs have larger average loan sizes and less female borrowers, two indications that a mission drift actual exists. Self-sufficient MFIs have also proven to have lower loan loss rates and lower yields on loan portfolio. Positive findings, as they indicate that the MFIs have sound loan portfolios and that they have managed to become self-sustainable not by exploiting the poor, but by reducing costs and increasing efficiency. Financial sustainability can therefore be assumed to be achieved without forsaking the poor, if the social aims of the organizations are consistent with the financial objectives.

Magister Economicae - MEcon / When looking at South African land policy, one would agree there is a clear commitment to ensuring land ownership for the previously disadvantaged. South Africa’s 1996 Constitution is widely regarded as among the most progressive in the world in terms of its emphasis on human, social and economic rights. Despite this, many South Africans desiring land ownership and access through land redistribution instruments, generally struggle to do so. This study is a mixed-method study, through its survey and interviews, calls into question the criteria used for land redistribution in South Africa. Furthermore, it makes a case why landlessness should be prioritised in the allocation criteria. Because of its interest in livelihoods and capital asset framework of the poor, the study’s basic points have caused us to explain the meaning of landlessness using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. However, the study believes the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework is not adequate to conceptualise landlessness; therefore, it comes up with a new conceptual framework to landlessness that is rooted in the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework The study uses Fezile Dabi District Municipality as a case study and, as a result, this process has now created an opportunity for the study to identify the broad typologies of landlessness which exist within the municipality. The thesis believes that considered holistically, the social and economic (tangible and intangible) assets of the rural poor will ensure that the land redistribution leg of South African land reform will achieve its main objective which is poverty alleviation.

Thesis (M. Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Local Economic Development (LED) has been practised in different countries to deal with poverty and unemployment at the local level. The success that the LED brought upon towards addressing these economic problems, led to the South African government to also undertake the LED initiatives to address poverty and unemployment that exist at the municipal level. Therefore, municipalities which are strategically closest to communities are responsible for poverty alleviation and employment creation in their local areas. The study sought to investigate the effectiveness of LED on poverty alleviation in rural areas of South Africa. The research objectives were as follows: to explore the concept of Local Economic Development, determine the types of poverty alleviation models and to assess the effectiveness of Local Economic Development to alleviate poverty in rural areas of South Africa. The study applied a semi-structured questionnaire and further considered literature review to achieve the research objectives focusing on Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality. A simple random sampling method was employed to select appropriately 100 participants in the study. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to process data, whilst, the content analysis method was also used for descriptive statistics. The study discovered that lack of resources including staff, skills and budget affect the undertakings of the LED activities in the communities negatively. Moreover, it was revealed that there is a need for community participation particularly towards successful implementation of the LED.

Thesis(MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Recent changes in the Municipalities have brought transformation. Ehlanzeni district is not excluded from this process. Due to high levels of unemployment in Mpumalanga, the National Government implemented a development initiative known as the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) to alleviate poverty in various municipalities. The study is concerned with the challenges faced by the officials in Ehlanzeni local Municipalities on the Management and Implementation of EPWP. Challenges such as lack of capacity building were cited by the officials in the department as a main obstacle to the implementation of EPWP in the area of the study. To investigate the above problem, the researcher has used a qualitative and quantitative research design to achieve the intended objective of the study. Stratified random sampling was also used to collect data from the target population. The questionnaire was used to collect the quantitative data while the interviews were used to collect qualitative data. The study revealed that a lack of capacity building in the implementation of the Extended Public Works Programme was caused by insufficient resources, equipment, clarity of policy guidelines, nepotism, inadequate training programmes and managerial skills, and a lack of alternative strategy. These factors were regarded as the main problems that hinder the implementation of EPWP in the Ehlanzeni district. In conclusion, the study recommended the provision of capacity building and other related issues to enhance the implementation of EPWP at the Ehlanzeni Municipalities in Mpumalanga Province.

With the present level of poverty, growing inequality and the inability to provide public goods, some developing countries to an extent have turned to CSOs as an alternative solution for the much-needed sustenance. This study examines the contribution of CSOs in development and is carried out in Cameroon against the backdrop of inadequate infrastructures, low household income, generalized poverty and tense political atmosphere that could trigger inclusive policies and practices to enable peace and development prevail. In as much as the debate on the legitimacy, representativeness and the shrinking spaces of CSOs remains, this research addresses the role of CSOs in the development process of Cameroon and argues that within the context of poverty alleviation, climate change and democracy promotion CSOs can be active partners in development. For, when the state-centred approach to development fails or becomes inadequate, the acknowledgement that non-state actors can play a vital and indispensable role in the development dispensation of countries becomes an option for consideration. In developing my argument, two theories inherent within the Civil society scholarship, political participation and participatory development were applied to demonstrate how CSOs participate, the kind of relationship existing between CSOs, the state and the private sector for meaningful development to prevail was explored and analysed. Findings indicate, CSOs to an extent, significantly participate in enhancing development despite some constraints. The study was carried out as a qualitative abductive case study using remote qualitative interviews. The raison d’etre for the use of remote interviews was as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and has been explained appropriately in the qualitative design method. However, other sources of data explored for the fulfilment of the thesis included documentation from secondary sources, grey literature, CSOs, government and international organisations documentations. Empirically this study draws from existing literature especially from Cameroon and Peace and development studies. / <p>Thesis Presentation </p>

Thesis (M.Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The foundation of ecotourism is associated with poverty alleviation all over the world. That is, ecotourism is believed to be significant in income generation, improvement of people’s standards of living, sustainability of the environment, political enablement of local societies and in educational purposes. However, it has been noted that regardless of the significance of ecotourism, poverty remains a major problem across the world. In some developing countries like South Africa and Botswana, among others, ecotourism could account for about 25% of their Gross Domestic Product. The Mpumalanga Province of South Africa relies on ecotourism as a source of income, employment creation and for boosting local economy. In light of this, the purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of ecotourism on poverty alleviation in Nyongane Village. The study reviewed both theoretical and empirical literature on the subject. It also adopted both qualitative and quantitative approaches in undertaking the study wherein an interview schedule and questionnaires were used for data collection. The findings of the study revealed that the Phabeni Gate Nature Reserve turned a blind eye on community participation by using the industry-oriented approach in ecotourism. They also revealed that the community members of Nyongane Village do not have access to resources in the reserve. Majority of the residents from the village argued that there is no communication from the aforementioned Nature Reserve while others argued that they are hardly communicated with. Therefore, the study recommended that there is a need for the Nature Reserve to provide employment opportunities for most people who are from Nyongane Village. It also recommended the need for the reserve to consider community participation by allowing the community members to provide inputs during decision making processes at least once in 6 months at the reserve. This could be done by hosting meetings attended by the representatives of the reserve and the community members. Lastly, the study concluded that although ecotourism adversely affects poverty alleviation in Nyongane Village, these negative effects, however, could possibly be addressed by implementing the recommendations of this study.

Thesis (M.Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / Although motivations vary across households, livelihood diversification is commonly adopted as a coping strategy against income-poverty and food insecurity in Africa. Income-poverty is disproportionately the main integral dimension of poverty in relative countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigated the extent to which rural livelihood diversification contribute to income-poverty alleviation in Madumeleng Village, South Africa. This exploratory research has adopted the methodological triangulation through qualitative and quantitative approaches. Additionally, these approaches were convenient for specific analysis of textual, factual, observation and conceptual data as well as to ensure credibility of the results. Moreover, normative design was applied to observe the relationship of livelihood diversification and income-poverty alleviation as the measurable variables of the study. Primary data was collected in Madumeleng Village through questionnaire survey which was administered to 144 respondents of the households. The households were selected through simple-random sampling and, purposively sampled traditional leader through interview schedule. The study argued that an increase in number of diverse livelihood activities strengthens ability and potential of the household to alleviate income-poverty. Notwithstanding poverty is multidimensional, findings of the study ascertained that most people embrace livelihood diversification as ideal route out of poverty. However, non-farm activities has been acknowledged as an important pathway out of income-poverty albeit prevalent barriers such as inadequate education, inaccessible formal credit facilities and fragmented infrastructure. The study recommended measures such as provision of quality rural infrastructure development and establishment of skills acquisition training programmes by local government authority, to widen access of the poor into non-farm activities and grant poor people an opportunity to eradicate entry barriers of high return livelihoods / Indigenous Knowledge Systems, National Research Foundation (IKS-NRF)

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(地域研究) / 甲第24721号 / 地博第313号 / 新制||地||121(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院アジア・アフリカ地域研究研究科東南アジア地域研究専攻 / (主査)教授 竹田 晋也, 准教授 小坂 康之, 准教授 柳澤 雅之 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Area Studies / Kyoto University / DGAM

Collaborative products are created by combining components from two or more products to result in a new product that performs previously unattainable tasks. The resulting reduction in cost, weight, and size of a set of products needed to perform a set of functions makes collaborative products useful in the developing world. In this thesis, multiobjective optimization is used to design a set of products for optimal individual and collaborative performance. This is introduced through a nine step method which simultaneously optimizes multiple products both individually and collaboratively. The method searches through multiple complex design spaces while dealing with various trade-offs between products in order to optimize their collaborative performance. An example is provided to illustrate this method and demonstrate its usefulness in designing collaborative products for both the developed and developing world. We conclude that the presented method is a novel, useful approach for designing collaborative products while balancing the inherent trade-offs between the performance of collaborative products and the product sets used to create them.

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