O objetivo desta investigação é analisar o tráfico de escravos na Capitania do Rio Grande de São Pedro do Sul, na passagem do século XVIII para o XIX. Duas questões básicas orientaram nossa investigação: a análise das características demográficas dos escravos traficados (sexo, naturalidade, condição e faixa etária) e a caracterização da dinâmica de funcionamento do circuito mercantil (composição dos envios, concentração do tráfico e traficantes envolvidos). Verificou-se que, embora se realizasse apenas na sua etapa interna, o tráfico de escravos da capitania apresentava características semelhantes àquelas observadas nas regiões que participavam diretamente do tráfico atlântico de escravos. Quanto ao perfil demográfico, constatou-se o predomínio dos escravos africanos e uma elevada razão de masculinidade, tanto entre os africanos quanto entre os crioulos.Por outro lado, observou-se que aproximadamente 1/3 dos escravos despachados para o Rio Grande de São Pedro do Sul, entre 1788-1802, tinham entre 10 e 14 anos. No que diz respeito ao circuito mercantil, concluiu-se que o comércio se dava através de pequenos envios e era realizado por um grande número de “traficantes eventuais”. Estes pequenos comerciantes foram responsáveis pela comercialização de uma parcela importante do total de escravos e pela maior parte dos envios realizados e, deste modo, foram indispensáveis para o funcionamento do mercado negreiro sul-rio-grandense. As principais fontes utilizadas foram as guias de transporte de escravos emitidas pela Provedoria da Fazenda Real, os despachos e passaporte de escravos emitidos pela Polícia da Corte e o Livro de Sisas da Vila do Rio Grande. / The objective of this investigation is to analyze the slave trade in Capitania do Rio Grande de São Pedro do Sul, during the passage from the 18th to the 19th century. Two basic subjects guided our investigation: the analysis of the demographic characteristics of traded slaves (sex, naturalness, condition and age) and the characterization of the trading circuit (composition of shipments, trade concentration and traders engaged). It was noticed that, although it took place only internally, the slave trade in capitania presented characteristics similar to the ones observed in the regions which participated directly in the Atlantic slave trade. As to the demographic profile, it was verified a predominance of african slaves and a high percentage of males, both among africans and crioulos. On the other hand, it was observed that approximately 1/3 of the slaves sent to Rio Grande de São Pedro do Sul, between 1788-1802, was between 10 and 14 years old. Concerning the trading circuit, it was concluded that the slave trade took place through small shipments and was accomplished by a high number of “eventual traders”.These little traders were responsible for the commercialization of the majority of the slaves and of the shipments. This way, they became indispensable to the success of the slave trade in Rio Grande de São Pedro do Sul. The main sources used were the documents of slaves transportation issued by the Provedoria da Real Fazenda; the dispatching and passports of slaves issued by the Polícia da Corte and the Livro de Sisas da Vila do Rio Grande.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / The paper investigates the challenges of consolidating beneficiary participation in the planning and implementation of projects, the effects on project outcomes and the implications for community based development. It examines one of such projects in Sekondi- Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana by assessing the entire planning and implementation of the project, the participatory mechanisms used and the current state of the project in terms of its sustainability. The paper critically investigates a broad arena of literature relating to the evolution of the participatory concept and its relation to development planning and management. It further explores some of the critiques leveled against the concept. The paper argues further that beneficiary participation in Community Based Development Projects (CBDPs) in Ghana is a challenge because of the internal rigidities associated with the use of the concept. It explains through evidence from the analyzed data that understanding the strategies for the participatory process as well as the socio dynamics of the beneficiaries involved is important in ensuring positive project outcomes. / South Africa

Thesis (M. Sc. (Microbiology)) --University of Limpopo, 2019 / Informal street traders and traditional health practitioners at Ga Maja (Limpopo Province) primarily offer consumers semi-processed herbal concoctions that are indicated to have blood-cleansing, immune-boosting, detoxifying, antidiarrheal, antiHIV/AIDS and pain-relieving therapeutic properties. The focus of this study was to validate the pharmacological effects and safety of these herbal concoctions as indicated by the traders. Five herbal concoctions and their medicinal plant recipies used for their preparation were purchased from five independent traders. A laboratory concoction was prepared according to the traders’ instructions. Possible microbial contaminants were identified using Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-offlight mass spectrometry and VITEK 2. Nutritional content of the concoctions was determined by a plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was determined using standard chemical tests and thin layer chromatography. Total polyphenol content was quantified calorimetrically. Antioxidant activity was quantified using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing power assays. Antimicrobial activities were determined using a broth micro-dilution assay and bioautography. Anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity was used to determine the antiviral potential of the concoctions. Anti-inflammatory activity was determined using the cyclooxygenase inhibition assays and possible cytotoxic effects of the concoctions were evaluated using MTT cell viability assay. Growth on potato dextrose and nutrient agar plates indicated heavy microbial contamination. Sodium, potassium and zinc were most abundant in the concoctions. The concoctions had similar phytochemical profiles, and together with plant decoctions consisted primarily of polyphenolic constituents. Generally, some plant decoctions had higher antioxidant (EC50: 15.71 – 40.87 µg/mL) and antibacterial (MIC: 0.04 – 0.63 mg/mL) activities. The antimicrobial activities of the concoctions were as a result of synergistic effects of the compounds because no single compound was observed to have antimicrobial activities on the bioautograms. Combination studies showed that the combination of crude decoctions from different plant species resulted in reduced antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activities. The laboratory concoction had higher anti-HIV reverse transcriptase activity (EC50: 2.90 µg/mL) than the positive controls used (EC50: 36.65 – 40.90 µg/mL). The concoctions also demonstrated considerable antiinflammatory activity. The lack of standardisation of phytomedicines reduces their xxi pharmacological potential and consistency. However, this study validated the ethnopharmacological use of the different plant species and herbal concoctions towards the treatment of human immune-deficiency virus, pain caused by inflammation, infectious diarrhoea and for immune-boosting. This study also highlighted the complexities associated with combinations of aqueous extracts and the importance of appropriate knowledge on which plant species are to be mixed to enhance their therapeutic properties. Although the concoctions did not exhibit cyctotoxic effects, toxicities may arise from endotoxins produced by the microbial contaminants. Hygienic processing and packaging are essential to ensure that consumers receive quality products that are safe to consume.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / The Quarterly Labour Force survey by Statistics South Africa (2019) portrays a very bleak future for the South African economy and labour force. The unemployment rate is 27.6% and youth unemployment stands at 55.2%. The National Development Plan (NDP) recognises the relevance of the informal sector and the value that it will contribute to the economy and to solving the challenges of unemployment in South Africa. The NDP projects that the informal sector, which includes domestic work, will create between 1,2 and 2 million new jobs by 2030. Few studies have been conducted on informal trading projects. This study explores the case of a ‗transitional‘ informal enterprise support project aimed at micro-enterprise development wherein 10 informal traders in Cape Town took occupancy of provincial government-sponsored kiosks on 9 May 2016. The Long Street kiosks (LSK) offer 10 traders per year a unique trading opportunity in the CBD free of rent and service charges for a period of one year, with access to a unique and potentially large market. The purpose of this study is to critically examine the role played in the informal enterprise development project by the Western Cape provincial government through its project manager, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT). This research attempts to investigate aspects of project design such as the selection criteria of the informal traders for the project, and selected results such as whether the project provided the traders with enough market exposure to the formal economy and whether their businesses were improved by participation in the project. The qualitative research approach was used for this study of the LSK project, which was a single case study, as both a unit of analysis and as a research method. The study involved a combination of two approaches, namely desktop research followed by interviews and focus group sessions. The study found that a number of limitations and shortcomings in the conduct of the project impacted on the mixed results and success achieved, pertaining to selection criteria, lack of financial and other resources, training, market-related problems, skill set limitations as well as environmental factors such as transport. The study nevertheless cast useful light on potential changes and recommendations that could enhance the project going forward and provides new insights on the complex relationship between the informal and formal economies and their relative potential for addressing the challenges of employment and economic growth.

This study focused on the impact of vegetable sales on household income of hawkers in the Limpopo province. A stratified sampling technique was used. The population of hawkers was selected from the five district municipalities of the province. Three major towns from each district were randomly selected for 366 questionnaire administration. Multiple regression analysis (linear, semi-log and double-log) was used to determine the impact of vegetable sales on the household income of hawkers. The outcome of the study revealed that, nine independent variables had a significant impact on the vegetable sales of hawkers when the linear regression model was applied. On application of the semi-log regression, 11 independent variables had a significant impact on the vegetable sales. Ten independent variables had a significant impact on vegetable sales when considering the double-log regression. The cross tabulation of total sales according to districts showed that an average of 1.6 respondents earned less than R200 which is close to, but lower than R174 which is the poverty line measure in South Africa. The study showed the degree of significance of different variables that have an impact on hawkers’ vegetable sales. Vegetable hawkers generate enough income from their sales to live above the poverty line. The recommendation was that the local municipalities should build new markets and improve the infrastructure of existing markets, and also provide proper sanitation and clean water to avoid unhygienic situations in hawkers’ markets. / Agriculture and  Animal Health / M. Sc. (Agriculture)

The aim of this study is to gather insights into market efficiency and mechanisms that work in the financial markets. It provides a framework with an emphasis on liquidity and the failure of arbitrage that deepens our understanding of various financial crises. Described mechanisms are particularly relevant for the last financial crises - including 2007-2009, LTCM, and dot-com bubble. In the first chapter the concept of efficient markets is introduced. In the second chapter it is challenged from the point of view of noise trader theory and limits of arbitrage. The third chapter deals with market microstructure and liquidity. Last chapter shows importance and adverse effects of externalities, particularly of those causing liquidity spirals.

This thesis consists of two essays that each discuss a major component of the post-harvest management of maize in sub-Saharan Africa: drying and storage. The first essay uses cross-country data about on-farm storage decisions between 2013 and 2015 to assess the severity of storage loss in the absence of improved storage technologies. We find that while losses are low, farmers report on average that they lose more than expected and sell earlier than originally intended at harvest. Additionally, we look for evidence that farmers use adaptation strategies for the purpose of mitigating storage loss and find that storage chemicals are effective at both reducing loss and increasing storage duration. The second essay introduces a third-party moisture testing service to traders in western Kenya to elicit willingness to pay for external quality verification using two moisture detection devices, a low-cost hygrometer and a commercial grade moisture meter. We find that while traders value the moisture meter service more, the hygrometer service is more profitable for potential service providers. Further, when offered a chance to purchase the hygrometer device at/around market price ($2.50), only 15% of traders accepted the offer, suggesting that a service provider model is a viable way to make moisture testing more widely accessible and standard practice in the future.

Eine geringe Wertschätzung von Zwischenhändlern wie in vielen Entwicklungsländern ist auch in Ghana vorzufinden, was einerseits aus geschichtlichen Gründen aber auch aus Unwissenheit entsteht. Der Bereich der Zwischenhändler ist vorwiegend durch Frauen aus ruralen Gebieten betrieben, die Analphabeten und Autodidakten sind. Der Handel ist auf jeder Ebene organisiert, von den Kommunen über die Distriktstädte, die regionalen Hauptstädte und auch über die Grenzen des Landes hinaus. Die Händlerinnen organisieren damit den Warenfluss von den entlegenen Plätzen der Produktion oder aus dem Ausland, um es zu den Märkten mit der Nachfrage in den Ballungszentren und den großen städtischen Märkten zukommen zu lassen. Nichtsdestotrotz werden bei diversen Programmen der Entwicklungsorganisationen die Händler und vor allem Händlerinnen außen vor gelassen, die Konzentration und Aktivitäten wird auf die Produktion und teilweise auf die Handhabung nach der Ernte fokussiert. Der Wertschöpfungsketten-Ansatz verfolgt jedoch per definitionem alle Akteure in der Kette der Wertschöpfung, allein hierbei fehlen die Händler in der Umsetzung. Die Arbeit soll daher aufzeigen, welche Funktionen die Händlerinnen in den drei ausgewählten Fällen übernehmen und wie somit die Entwicklung von Wertschöpfungsketten optimiert werden und letztendlich die beteiligten Händlerinnen zu einer Verbesserung der Wertschöpfungskette beitragen können. / Trade is a widespread occupation for women in West Africa; such as petty traders that are involved with informal trade mainly. The case in Ghana is different as most of these traders are facing hostile treatment and harassment from many sides. Nevertheless, in development cooperation projects, rural economic development and development of its population is often targeted; whereas solely rural development projects have become projects to support value chains and its stakeholders. These value chains start at agricultural production, further on to processing and altering the raw product until its final condition for sale to the end consumer. The entire value chain deals with many diverse actors in rural and urban areas and also diverse areas of economies, such as micro and small enterprises, and other in private sector or public sector. Therefore, development cooperation dealing with value chain enhancement would address all actors. In Ghana, mainly production side and post-harvest management are dealt with and trade or intermediary trade is circumvented. Some projects openly state that they leave out traders from their interventions in value chains. Most prejudices of this type have derived from historical events and official institutions, also a lack of knowledge. Traders are by contrast those who are coordinating streams of goods from beyond borders to supply to domestic markets and vice versa, manage large quantities for export. The reason that women continue to work in trade is that they barely have alternatives.

L’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier la construction historique et géographique des diasporas urbaines frontalières ouest-africaines à travers les dynamiques économiques qui animent ces communautés d’affaires. Qui sont les marchands frontaliers ? D’où viennent-ils, qu’est ce qui les motive ? Comment s’organisent-ils pour construire leur richesse ? Sur la base de récits de vie de trente sept marchands parmi les plus riches installés dans la zone frontalière de Gaya-Malanville-Kamba et de Birni N’Konni-Illela, cette thèse tente de donner des réponses à ces interrogations. L’étude montre que ces marchands, pour la plupart, étaient à leur début des migrants de travail. Suite à un parcours riche d’expériences, ayant permis d’accumuler un capital social et financier, ils se sont installés dans les villes frontalières où ils ont réussi à mobiliser ce capital pour tirer profit de la rente frontalière et construire leur richesse. La thèse décrit ces acteurs du commerce organisé en réseaux flexibles, donnant ainsi à la ‘’la communauté d’affaires’’ et à la « diaspora urbaine » tout leur sens. / The objective of this thesis is to study the historical and geographical construction of border urban West African diasporas through the economic dynamics that drive these business communities. Who are the border traders? Where do they come from, what motivates them? How they are organized to build their wealth? Based on the life stories of thirty seven among the richest traders settled in the border area of Gaya-Malanville and Kamba-Birni-N'Konni Illela, this thesis tries to give answers to these questions. The study shows that these traders most were in their early labor migrants. Following a journey rich in experiences, having helped to build social and financial capital, they settled in the border towns where they have managed to mobilize this capital to take advantage of the border position and build their wealth. The thesis describes these actors of border trade organized in flexible networks, thereby giving the 'business community' and 'urban diaspora "meaningful.

自從1972年Hunt首次提出「策略群組」(Strategic Group)一詞以來，此一觀念即被廣泛地應用於分析產業結構以及廠商競爭策略與績效之關係。策略群組的基本論點在於產業中之廠商並非同質性個體，根據策略行為的差異，通常可將廠商區分為數個策略群組，廠商的績效水準以及策略行為對績效之影響，亦隨不同策略群組而有所差異。然而以往相關文獻大都偏重對釀酒業、製藥業、家電業等製造業進行研究，相形之下對服務業方面的探討就僅佔少數，至於以出口貿易商為探討對象的研究則是付之闕如。 　　我國為一缺乏天然資源的海島型國家，故對貿易的依存度（進出口總額佔國民生產毛額的比值）均偏高。根據GATT在1993年所發佈的世界貿易統計顯示，目前我國為全球第十二大出口國及第十四大進口國，可見國際貿易對我國經濟發展的重要性。在我國數目龐大的中、小企業體系下，進出口業務的達成有賴貿易商提供的各項專業服務，因此，貿易商在國內的經濟體系中扮演了重要的角色。 　　本研究以出口貿易商為對象，根據中華徵信所出版之1994年TOP 500大企業名錄中，合乎標準的288家貿易商為樣本架構，採取普查的方式。研究目的為：一、瞭解出口貿易商的經營策略重點，及策略對經營績效的影響；二、依照策略作為的相似性將出口貿易商分群，並描繪其個別群組的特性；三、瞭解各策略群組在策略形態及經營績效間的關係；四、對各策略群組間移動障礙的瞭解。研究方法：運用因素分析法(factor analysis)、集群分析法(cluster analysis)、多變量分析(MANOVA)以及迴歸分析(regression analysis)等方法，希望藉此了解不同策略群組內廠商的競爭行為和廠商策略興績效之關係。 　　本研究之主要結論有： 　　一、出口貿易商在營運時最重視的策略作為有：「根據國外買主詢價後向其提出報價」、「安排貨務運輸及擔負交貨的責任」、以及「提供裝船前的暫墊款融資服務」等三項。相對而言較忽略的是「持有配額」、「作為廠商的融資保證人或提供重開票融資服務」、「在國外設立維修服務中心以服務當地顧客」等三項。 　　二、在出口貿易產業，發現有效樣本公司可區分為七個群組，分別為：群組一：穩健經營型；群組二：積極創新型；群組三：有待努力型；群組四：傳統保守型；群組五：短小精悍型；群組六：淬勵奮發型；群組七：銷售導向型。 　　三、經過複迴歸分析結果，得知影響員工生產力的關鍵變數有：技術性的出口服務、市場接觸的服務、提供營運空間的服務、產品促銷的服務、垂直整合、水平整合、目標市場、經營規模、專業人力資源規模．研發與創新的能力．建立及維繫網路關係的能力、與從事三角貿易的能力等十二項，而影響資本效率的策略變數為：合併的服務、改進貿易流程的服務、提供營運空間的服務、產品促銷的服務．出口服務對象、出口產品的銷售地區、水平整合、經營規模、專業人力資源規模、建立與維繫網路關係的能力、以及從事三角貿易的能力等十一項。所以證明經營策略對經營績效有顯著影響。 　　四、研究結果發現群組一在出口服務項目、出口服務對象、水平整合、專業人力資源規模方面形成的隔絕機能甚強；群組二在出口服務項目、出口服務對象、與從事三角貿易的能力方面所形成的移動障礙程度較高；群組六在出口產品的銷售地區、新產品的研發與創新能力上形成較高的隔絕機能。