scholarly journals Transport Modes and the Green Economy

Author(s):  
Nthaduleni Sam Nethengwe

AbstractThis chapter provides empirical evidence regarding the various transport modes and the green economy in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Issues pertaining to green transport, strategies for implementation and any challenges associated with the transition towards green transport are grounded on empirical research conducted in the province. In South Africa, transitioning to a green economy is envisioned as a vital means to respond to critical development challenges that the country is facing and will continue to face in the near future. Many of these challenges are intertwined and they range from high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality, to energy, security and climate change. The transition to a greener economy is articulated in the national development policy through a series of frameworks, strategies, policies and Acts which all enshrine sustainability or the notion of making the South African economy greener (Department of Environment Affairs (2016) . However, the implementation of green transport in general and particularly in the Limpopo province, is still in the infancy stage.

Author(s):  
Jason Samuel Ogola

AbstractTo identify and evaluate possible impacts of climate change on transportation in Limpopo province, it is necessary to define the scale and scope of the transportation system in the province and determine its sensitivities to climate change. This chapter, therefore locates the environment, climate change and the green economy matters in context. The science of climate change is explored, while the main sources of greenhouse gases are discussed. Additionally, the impacts of climate change in South Africa is outlined. Strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the transport sector are provided.


Author(s):  
Sejabaledi Agnes Rankoana

Purpose The study explored the impacts of climate change on water resources, and the community-based adaptation practices adopted to ensure water security in a rural community in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The participatory approach was used to allow community members to share their challenges of water scarcity, and the measures they have developed to cope with inconsistent water supply. Findings The study results show that the community obtains water for household consumption from the reticulation system supplied by Mutale River and the community borehole. These resources are negatively impacted by drought, change in the frequency and distribution of rainfall, and increased temperature patterns. The water levels in the river and borehole have declined, resulting in unsustainable water supply. The community-based adaptation practices facilitated by the water committee include observance of restrictions and regulations on the water resources use. Others involve securing water from neighbouring resources. Originality/value This type of community-based action in response to climate change could be used as part of rural water management strategies under climate change.


Author(s):  
Mathodi F. Motsamayi ◽  

Beads and beadwork have played a role in South Africa’s Limpopo Province dating back to the pre-colonial times. Whether the beads were produced locally or imported via trading networks, the region already had a rich tradition of constructing beadwork before the arrival of Europeans. Today, this tradition is continued by new generations of women beaders. It has been found that literature on contemporary Limpopo beadwork produced by Vhavenḓa women is scarce. This article addressed this imbalance. It is vital to state that, during the last decade and in the context of South African heritage and tourism, there has been a steadily increasing number of scholarly studies on Nguni beadwork. This study offered new insights into contemporary beadwork traditions. It also contributed to an understanding of Vhavenḓa beading by drawing on the knowledge and experience of beadworkers, identifying influences from the past, and countering some stereotypical perceptions of beadwork production.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebua Silas Semenya ◽  
Alfred Maroyi

To the best of our knowledge there are presently no ethnobotanical surveys focusing on the utilisation of herbal remedies for asthma in South Africa. The present study is therefore an attempt to fill this gap in knowledge. A total of 140 Bapedi traditional healers (THs) practicing in the Capricorn, Sekhukhune, and Waterberg districts of the Limpopo Province (South Africa) were queried using semistructured questionnaires, supplemented by field observations during face-to-face interview. A total of 104 medicinal plant species (92 indigenous and 12 exotics) belonging to 92 genera, distributed across 54 botanical families, mostly the Asteraceae and Fabaceae (18.5%, for each) as well as Malvaceae (12.9%), were used as antiasthmatics and related symptoms by these THs. Most of the plants were trees and herbs (37.5%, for each), with root (57%), leaf (15.8%), and bark (7.5%), respectively, being the saliently used parts for preparation of remedies.Clerodendrum ternatum,Cryptocarya transvaalensis,Lasiosiphon caffer,Enicostema axillare,Mimusops obovata,Sclerocarya birrea, andStylochaeton natalensiswere widely used and valued by all THs across the surveyed districts. Furthermore, these taxa also scored both the highest use value and fidelity level indexes as asthma therapies. Overall, the larger number of species documented in the present study is recorded for the first time in literature as asthma and/or related symptoms remedies. Our study finding generally contributes towards an establishment of South African database of herbal therapies used traditionally against these conditions.


Author(s):  
King Costa

Postgraduate students in South Africa and other parts of the world, particularly in developing nations struggle to complete the research component of their studies. According to the National Development Plan ( 2013) it has become a requirement for South African institutions to play a pivotal role in knowledge production so as to transform South Africa from a resource-based economy towards a knowledge-based economy.  In pursuit of meeting this requirement and further to increase subsidy from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), South African institutions of higher learning have been on the drive for recruiting postgraduate students en masse. One of the main problems facing South African institutions is that the number of students enrolled does not correspond to those who graduate at the end of the postgraduate programme study period.  This study is a systematic review of literature on challenges in postgraduate supervision and further proposes a possible solution.  Five South African institutions of higher learning’s postgraduate throughput data is carefully studied and substantiated by previous research on postgraduate supervision challenges on these particular institutions. Study findings present challenges related to research capacity development and burden of supervision at these institutions.  Collaborative methods of supervision such as the C.O.S.T.A model are hereby proposed as possible solutions to the current throughput problem in South Africa.


Author(s):  
P. Mozias

South African rand depreciated in 2013–2014 under the influence of a number of factors. Internationally, its weakness was associated with the capital outflow from all emerging markets as a result of QE’s tapering in the US. Domestically, rand plummeted because of the deterioration of the macroeconomic stance of South Africa itself: economic growth stalled and current account deficit widened again. Consumer spending was restrained with the high household indebtedness, investment climate worsened with the wave of bloody strikes, and net export was still prone to J-curve effect despite the degree of the devaluation happened. But, in its turn, those problems are a mere reflection of the deep institutional misbalances inherent to the very model of the national economy. Saving rate is too low in South Africa. This leads not only to an insufficient investment, but also to trade deficits and overdependence on speculative capital inflows. Extremely high unemployment means that the country’s economic potential is substantially underutilized. Joblessness is generated, first and foremost, by the dualistic structure of the national entrepreneurship. Basic wages are being formed by way of a bargaining between big public and semi state companies, on the one hand, and trade unions associated with the ruling party, on the other. Such a system is biased towards protection of vested interests of those who earn money in capital-intensive industries. At the same time, these rates of wages are prohibitively high for a small business; so far private companies tend to avoid job creation. A new impulse to economic development is likely to emerge only through the government’s efforts to mitigate disproportions and to pursue an active industrial policy. National Development Plan adopted in 2012 is a practical step in that direction. But the growth of public investment is constrained by a necessity of fiscal austerity; as a result, the budget deficit remained too large in recent years. South African Reserve Bank will have to choose between a stimulation of economic growth with low interest rates, on the one hand, and a support of rand by tightening of monetary policy, on the other. This dilemma will greatly influence prices of securities and yields at South African financial markets.


Author(s):  
M.E. Kyobe

E-commerce is critical to national development. Small and Medium sized organizations (SMEs) are encouraged to adopt it to address poverty, improve competitiveness and productivity. However, the escalation in electronic crime (e-crime) and lack of compliance with e-commerce regulations threaten e-commerce success in South Africa. While many strategies for improving e-commerce have been suggested, the focus has mainly been on economic and technological factors and less on human and social aspects such as compliance behaviors. This has resulted in the development of e-commerce systems that do not incorporate regulatory requirements. Consequently, the level of exposure to cyber-risks and legal liabilities has increased and SME market competitiveness compromised (Kyobe, 2009). This chapter examines the factors influencing compliance with e-commerce regulations and e-security requirements and how these impact on e-commerce optimization in South African SMEs. It also provides some useful frameworks and checklists SME managers can use to evaluate their compliance behaviors and security practices in order to make improvement to their e-commerce activities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-57
Author(s):  
Zafezeka Mbali Zikhali ◽  
Paramu L. Mafongoya ◽  
Maxwell Mudhara ◽  
Obert Jiri

This study assessed the provision of informal training offered by the Limpopo Department of Agriculture, South Africa, to agricultural extension officers (AEOs). The study used surveyed 90 public extension officers purposively sampled. There were statistically significant differences in extension officers’ exposure to climate change between their education levels and in the provision of climate change training between extension officers’ work experience ( P⩽0.05). The study concluded that the majority of AEOs have not been fully exposed to climate information prior to their employment. This suggests that the information gap in Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) stems from the slow mainstreaming and integration of climate change information.


2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mookgo S. Kgatle

This article demonstrates a practical theological approach to the challenge of poverty in post-1994 South Africa by using Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) as a case study. It argues that while the Reconstruction Development Plan, the Growth Employment and Reconstruction strategy, Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa, New Growth Path and the National Development Plan have achieved some level of economic growth, the majority of people in South Africa still live in poverty. To establish this argument, the article starts first by describing the challenge of poverty in post-1994 South Africa. The different economic approaches to the challenge of poverty in post-1994 South Africa are also explained in detail. Lastly, the article elaborates on the ways in which the AFM through its local assemblies can alleviate poverty. The article concludes that the AFM is a collaborator to the post-1994 South African government.


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