A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts by Coursework and Research Report Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand, 2017 / This research project was designed with the aim of understanding how tailoring a particular township experience known as “loxion management” in a Gauteng township of Tembisa could insert more knowledge and re-envision literature on precarity. This project hopes to not only re-envision “loxion management” as a possible intersection between the labour market and township life but to also unpack the intricacies within this idiom. With attempting to unpack this idiom, most participants and external conversations to this research project revealed an assortment of terms used in the township which have the possibility to obscure an understanding of what “loxion management” really encapsulates. Therefore, this research project highlights that a misinterpretation of the terms glosses over the significant undertones permeating experiences of this idiom. Thus, it argues that “loxion management” is an idiom which has been loosely defined in the township, which not only serves as a circuitous network contributing to social cohesion amongst men but also as a site where employment information, even of a precarious nature circulates. Key words: loxion management, precarity, Post-apartheid township life, unemployment, labour market, masculinity, “conduits”, circuitous network, social ties. / GR2018

The research aimed at assessing the extent to which the provincial Government's development programmes are succeeding in reducing regional unemployment. The research focused on the North West Province Central District, which is the second largest of the four districts. It comprises of 5 Municipalities of Mafikeng, Ditsobotla, Setlakgobi, Tswaing and Zeerust. The objectives of the research were to determine: Assess the extent of unemployment. poverty and development status of each of the municipal areas falling within the central region. To assess the prevalence of unemployment in the study area with a specific focus on providing analysis of socio-economic development trends. To development programmes aimed at eradicating poverty in the province especially in the Central District. To evaluate the extent to which government development policies programmes and projects are succeeding in curbing the increasing of unemployment and underdevelopment in the region. From the information gathered, the following results or findings were discovered: The challenges of poverty and unemployment cannot be dealt with by the current approach from the provincial government's planning processes, which tend to focus more on smaller projects than large- scales projects. The current level of migration of people from rural to urban areas seems to be a viable option for most people caught in poverty and under-development in the rural areas. Most people have moved out of the central district to look for jobs outside the region. The majority of the funded projects are too small to make any noticeable impact on the major challenges facing the province. The majority of the proposed projects directly initiated by the provincial government have not taken off the ground. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng campus, 2006

The research study was conducted in Mazakhele, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The aim of the study was to understand the impact of unemployment on the inhabitants of Mazakhele. The primary question of this study was: How does unemployment affect the jobless in Mazakhele? The sample consisted of five females and five males aged between 25 to 55 years who were unemployed. Purposive sampling was used. In-depth interviews were used to collect the data that were analysed using the five steps of qualitative analysis. The findings of the study revealed that unemployed people (a) felt a lack of purpose in life that resulted in them experiencing difficulties in structuring their time, (b) generally spent their time with passive and purposeless activities and (c) experience frustration and anger that may lead to violence, substance abuse, prostitution, drug trafficking and sometimes even suicide. In addition, the participants indicated that unemployed people lose not only their jobs, but also their sense of social identity and self-worth. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration (Entrepreneurship)))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Graduates face challenges to secure relevant employment; even worse, obtaining a qualification does not guarantee employment or employability. The labour market no longer only searches for a qualification but also for a set of skills. Graduates are required to improve upon proficiencies that would qualify for positive performance and would benefit the employer to use for business purposes. In addition, scarcities of expertise, besides working environment knowledge, indicate that businesses are unwilling to employ graduates, hiring more experienced people as an option. This research has studied the developing concept of social entrepreneurship; but principally examined the context in which social entrepreneurship can be used to improve graduate employability. A quantitative method was used with the help of a structured questionnaire in order to achieve a high level of reliability in relation to data analysis. The subjects for this research comprised 187 social entrepreneurs who are formally registered as non-profit organisations within Cape Town, and are registered on the Western Cape Charity South Africa database. The data collected for this study were analysed and illustrated using tables, bars and pie charts. It is hoped that this study will not merely add to the knowledge of social business enterprise, but also disclose the likely roles that social entrepreneurs can play to improve graduate employability. / National Research Foundation(NRF)

M.Ed. / The research report in this study is an attempt to ascertain young women's needs for non-formal education and training programs in the area of Thulamahashe. The study explored - through the combination of personal survey interviews and direct observation - the needs as expressed by these women in the area. The study focuses on empowerment for rural women and involves activities such as vocational education and non-formal education programs. Evidence from the study suggests that the members of the research sample view themselves as victims of unemployment. Findings from the study suggest that these women are losing community status and they need to be helped to acquire a skill through non-formal training programs. The main implications of the findings are: There is a need for non-formal education and training programs in the area. There is a need for the community leaders to seek financial assistance from non-Govenmental Organisations (NGO's) so that these women can be trained and be self-employed.

M.Ing. / The low level of living standard of South Africa's black population is a characteristic of its history. The economic growth and development of any country rely on its factors of production. The main factor of production that can not be neglected is its labour force. The labour force of South Africa is plagued by its history, where the strategy of the past government of that era was to ensure that the black population remains uneducated. South Africa has however moved beyond its past and is looking into the future where its people can live in harmony. The majority of the population fall between the ages of 15-35 classified as youth. Unfortunately the highest unemployment rate occurs amongst the black youth of South Africa. The challenge South Africa faces is to alleviate poverty and the high rate of unemployment. The focus is to boost the work force by changing the skills profile of the people, which is currently enforced by the government through the Skills Development Act. The study undertaken indicated that to achieve a better life for all a paradigm shift in the educational system of the country must be initiated. A much needed technical skills development is required. However the long term remedy could be to ensure that the schools provide quality learners who will be able to be utilised in the work place. Another important factor of production is technology innovation, the only set-back is that there is a small community of engineers in the country and the enrolment figures for this field of study are not promising. One of the root causes of this is the low percentage of mathematics and physical science learners completing school. As a result there are a low percentage of learners moving into a technical field of study especially engineering. One of ways to unlock South Africa's economic growth is an investment in its people and engineers are the most suitable custodians. The engineer can drive technology which is one of the portals to techno-economic growth. While humanity shares one planet, it is the planet on which there are two worlds, the world of the rich and the world of the poor. Raanan Weitz, 1986. We cannot rebuild our society at the expense and standard of living of ordinary men and women. We cannot develop at the expense of social justice. We cannot compete without a floor of basic human standards. Nelson Mandela The school in many underdeveloped countries is a reflection and a fruit of the surrounding underdevelopment, from which arises its deficiency, its quantitative and qualitative poverty. But little by little, and there lies the really serious risk, the school in these underdeveloped countries risks becoming in turn a factor of underdevelopment. Joseph Kizerbo, former Minister of Education, Burkino Faso

Despite high rates of unemployment in South Africa, there is little consensus about its origins and solutions to the problem. Job search (how and when people search for work) is one aspect of the unemployment problem. Job search is shown to be a complex process strongly linked to the endogenous structure of the labour market. The flaws in traditional methods (theoretical and measurement) highlight this. Using data from a tailor-made survey in Duncan Village (a peri-urban area in Buffalo City, South Africa) the research examines factors that influence the effectiveness of job search. The results show that mode of search (how people look for work) is used as a signal by employers. Degrees of success are stratified amongst searchers using either ‘word of mouth’, place-to-place or formal modes of search. The thesis provides a method-test to reveal a complex body of evidence that has yet to be fully explored by practitioners in this field.

South Africa is characterised by inequitable growth and development, a high level of poverty, increasing demands and limited resources and the challenge of integration. The need for improved standards of living and access to better infrastructure which are seen as crucial issues in addressing poverty have necessitated the introduction of programmes that aim to alleviate poverty. The South African democratic government has, since 1994, implemented various programmes in an attempt to improve the quality of lives of its citizens through policy interventions. The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is one of the many programmes offered by the National Government to provide poverty and income relief through temporary work for the unemployed to carry out socially useful activities. The study is descriptive in nature. The researcher seeks to gain insight into the effectiveness of the EPWP as poverty alleviation strategy in the Oudtshoorn Municipal area. The researcher needs to understand the impact it has made on the beneficiaries focussing on Bongolethu and Bridgton as critically distressed settlements. The researcher used, inter alia, policy documents, circular letters, accredited journal articles, newspaper reports, minutes of the Oudtshoorn Municipal Council meetings as sources of data collection. The findings reveal that there are short term poverty alleviation initiatives in Oudtshoorn. The study also revealed that the problem of poverty is still a challenge in the Oudtshoorn Municipal Area and a review of the current policies is necessary.

Unemployment is a huge challenge for the South African government and it has been identified as an important variable in the fight against poverty and inequality in the country. The unemployment rate in the Eastern Cape Province is higher than the national unemployment rates in the country and the unemployment rate in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is higher than the provincial average. The purpose of this study is to uncover the barriers to employment in Nelson Mandela Bay. Chapter one presents the rationale and background to the study including the research aims, objectives and the scope of the research. Chapter two provides an extensive literature review about the major factors that influence unemployment rates, the government inititiatives that were deployed to reduce unemployment rates in the country and the impact of labour market inflexibility on employment outcomes. Chapter three provides the research methodology followed in this study and chapter four includes an analysis and discussions of the questionnaire data. Chapter five concludes the research report with recommendations for policymakers.

The role that women play in the economy of any society is a desirable goal for equity and efficiency considerations. Just as with the rest of the world, the South African women lagged behind their male counterparts within the economic empowerment space and in the formal labour force. However, the role of women has undergone some transformations with issues relating to employment opportunities, such that their labour force participation has risen considerably since 1994. The female labour force participation rate is still seen to be persistently lower compared to the male participation rate even in the second decade of democracy. The rate of women labour force participation is even lower than the average. On the other hand, the increases have also been coupled with the rising rate of unemployment among women. The objective of this study was to investigate the determinants of female labour force participation in the South African labour market. The study uses a regression analysis on a cross sectional panel data covering a period of 1995 to 2010. Unlike most popular beliefs, the findings of this study reveal that fertility though not statistically significant, positively influences labour force participation of women. Other variables that are statistically significant in explaining female labour force are HIV/AIDS, marital status, age, household income and education. Race was found to be insignificant in explaining female labour force participation in the South African labour force.