scholarly journals The energy transition patterns of low-income households in South Africa: An evaluation of energy programme and policy

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 75-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Olawumi Israel-Akinbo ◽  
Jen Snowball ◽  
Gavin Fraser
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Energy Carriers ◽  
Marginal Effects ◽  
Electricity Access

The transition to modern energy carriers like electricity is an important way to achieve to eradicate energy poverty. This study investigated energy transition patterns and trends in low-income South African households. The marginal effects of the different determinants on the probability of choosing a specific energy carrier were computed and the influence of some endogenous characteristics in transitioning to modern energy carriers was explored. It was found that energy ladder behaviour exists for cooking while energy stacking was most likely for space heating and the pattern for lighting tended towards energy stacking. Dwelling type, household size and geographical location were among the key determinants of the energy transition pattern. Policies to reduce energy poverty need a multi-pronged approach and not only a focus on electricity access.

Sustainable housing financing model to reduce South Africa housing deficit

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 410-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bashir Olanrewaju Ganiyu ◽  
Julius Ayodeji Fapohunda ◽  
Rainer Haldenwang
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
South African Government ◽  
The South ◽  
African Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mortgage Payment

Purpose This study aims to identify and establish effective housing financing concepts to be adopted by government in achieving its mandate of providing sustainable affordable housing for the poor to decrease the building of shacks, as well as proposing solutions to the housing deficit in South Africa. A rise in demand and shortage in supply of housing calls for the need to address issues of affordable housing in South Africa, and developing countries in general, to ensure a stable and promising future for poor families. Design/methodology/approach Literature has revealed that the South African government, at all levels, accorded high priority to the provision of low-cost housing. Thus, government has adopted subsidy payment as a method of financing affordable housing to ensure that houses are allocated free to the beneficiaries. This also addresses the historically race-based inequalities of the past, but unfortunately, this has not been fully realised. This study uses a sequential mixed method approach, where private housing developers and general building contractors were the research participants. The qualitative data were analysed using a case-by-case analysis, and quantitative data were analysed using a descriptive statistical technique on SPSS. Findings The results of the qualitative analysis reveal a gross abuse of the housing subsidies system by the beneficiaries of government-funded housing in South Africa. This is evident from illegal sale of the houses below market value. This has led to a continual building of shacks and an increased number of people on the housing waiting list instead of a decrease in the housing deficit. The results from quantitative analysis affirm the use of “Mortgage Payment Subsidies, Mortgage Payment Deductions, Down-Payment Grant and Mortgage Interest Deductions” as viable alternatives to subsidy payment currently in use to finance affordable housing projects by the South African Government. Practical implications At the moment, the focus of the South African National Government is continual provision of free housing to the historically disadvantage citizens, but the housing financing method being used encourages unapproved transfer of ownership in the affordable housing sector. This study thus recommends the use of an all-inclusive housing financing method that requires a monetary contribution from the beneficiaries to enable them take control of the process. Originality/value The relational interface model proposed in this study will reduce pressure on government budgetary provision for housing and guarantee quick return of private developers’ investment in housing. Government must, as a matter of urgency, launch a continuous awareness programme to educate the low-income population on the value and the long-term benefits of the housing.

scholarly journals “You Mix Up the Thinking, and then You Look at the Journey”: ‘Pausing’ to Reflect on Masculinities in a South African Township

2020 ◽  
pp. 1097184X2092587
Author(s):  
Antonella (Toni) Pyke
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
South African ◽  
Black Men ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Democratic Governance ◽  
Minority Literature ◽  
South African Township ◽  
Gender Change ◽  
Men And Masculinity

Changes in political, social, and economic structures in South Africa during the transition from apartheid to democratic governance in 1994 have put men and masculinity/ies under public and scholarly scrutiny. Attention has generally focused on the links between masculinity and violence, particularly among black men from low-income backgrounds, in attempts to understand the widespread levels of sexual violence throughout the country. Together, but in tension with the focus on men and violence, has been a literature that documents gender change in South Africa. This literature argues for example, that men are embracing fatherhood and becoming more engaged in childcare. Nevertheless this is a minority literature that is overshadowed by a focus on men and violence. In this article, I reflect on the lives of a group of men living in Alexandra township in Johannesburg, who are exploring what it means to be a man in a contemporary township setting, and the issues and challenges they face in attempts to transition their masculine identities.

PATCHWORKED MEDIA: MOBILE DEVICES AND CREATIVE PRACTICE IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Anja Venter
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Material Reality ◽  
Development Trajectories

There has been a recurring narrative in research that revolves around mobile technologies and society, particularly in relation to Africa: that these technologies have the potential to reconfigure and revolutionise the development trajectories of entire countries (Donner & Locke, 2019). But if these narratives are to be the case, then, indeed, the role that mobile devices can play in production (in this case of art, media, and design) is going to have to be something that allows people in the global South to earn a living. This paper presents an exploration of the creative practices, with a focus on mobile creative practices, of a cohort of Extended Curriculum Program (ECP) Visual Design students from a university in Cape Town, South Africa (2014). All of these students came from low-income, resource constrained contexts in the townships that surround Cape Town. In questioning whether mobile technologies can help young South African creatives forge careers or attain resources that could help them do so, the role of mobile technologies is complicated. While these devices offer new emerging creative affordances, and in some cases, can offer means to generate income, the material reality is a different story. I conclude by arguing that instead of these devices offering access to a global network, they, at best, provide the means for young creatives, such as those featured in this study, to a forge a media patchwork.

Energy poverty and cooking energy requirements: The forgotten issue in South African energy policy?

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 4-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Balmer
Keyword(s):  
Energy Policy ◽  
South African ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Household Energy ◽  
Human Need ◽  
Cooking Energy ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Low Income Households

Cooking energy is a necessary input for satisfying the basic human need of survival. Much has been written about poverty, energy, development, envi-ronment and gender, but unfortunately, recent poli-cies adopted by the South African government have completely failed to adequately address the issue. The focus of energy and most notably renewable energy policy has shifted form the previous approach of increasing access to energy sources for low-income households to addressing climate change issues. Pro-poor policies have suffered and important fuel such as wood fuel is not addressed. It is argued that without adequately addressing ther-mal requirements of low-income households, ener-gy poverty cannot be addressed. The aim of the paper is firstly, to contextualise cooking and cooking energy within a framework of household energy, poverty, multiple fuel use and gender issues and secondly, to provide an overview of the cost and externalities associated with household cooking. Lastly, the paper proposes interventions to address cooking energy in a sustainable manner in South Africa.

Determinants of energy poverty in South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 66-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaakirah Ismail ◽  
Patrick Khembo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
National Income ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Income Dynamics ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Expenditure Patterns ◽  
Regression Framework ◽  
Individual Household

This paper provides empirical evidence on the determinants of energy poverty in South African households using the National Income Dynamics Survey (NIDS, 2012), while controlling for individual, household and demographic characteristics. This is formulated within a logistic regression framework, while defining energy poverty using the expenditure approach consistent with the definition by the Department of Energy (DoE) of South Africa. The model reveals that household expenditure patterns, race, education level, household and dwelling size, location of the household and access to electricity are important factors in explaining the state of energy in South African households. This paper also discusses limitations in defining energy poverty using the expenditure approach. Finally, some recommendations are made for regulators and policy makers.

scholarly journals Risk factors for failure in newly established small, micro and medium-sized enterprises in the tourism sector of Gauteng Province, South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 8-18
Author(s):  
Zeleke Worku
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
The South ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Networking Ability ◽  
Tourism Enterprises

The annual report issued for the financial year 2013/2014 by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2015) shows that the business confidence index of South Africa was equal to 89.3% in January 2015. According to the South African National Department of Tourism (2015), the tourism sector contributed 93 Billion Rand (3%) to the South African GDP in the year 2012. The contribution of the tourism sector was equal to 189.4 Billion Rand in the year 2009. This figure is projected to grow to 499 Billion Rand by the year 2020. According to the South African Small Enterprise Development Agency (2015), newly established and emerging business enterprises conducting business in the tourism sector of Gauteng Province are less viable and efficient in comparison with well-established tourism enterprises. The objective of this study was to identify and quantify risk factors for underperformance and bankruptcy in the tourism sector of Gauteng Province in South Africa. The study was based on data collected from a stratified random sample of size 311 tourism enterprises that operate in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Data was collected on a large number of socio-economic factors that adversely affect entrepreneurial activities in the tourism sector of Gauteng Province. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analyses was used in the study. Examples of variables on which data was gathered was level of entrepreneurial skills, level of formal education, location of business, duration of experience, amount of capital, number of employees, ability to network with other tourist operators, degree of competition from rival operators, geographical location, category of business, category of entrepreneurial skills, average number of visitors per month, net profit, size of business, market share, access to finance, and degree of support from Government agencies. Results obtained from the study showed that the long-term survival and viability of African entrepreneurs in the tourism industry of Gauteng Province was significantly and adversely affected by the degree of competition from rival operators, poor networking ability, lack of entrepreneurial skills, low capital, and geographical location. The study found that African entrepreneurs in the tourism industry of Gauteng Province lagged behind their white counterparts significantly in terms of networking ability, capital and entrepreneurial skills. In addition, 82% of the 311 African entrepreneurs who participated in the study lacked suitable skills due to their poor and irrelevant academic and vocational background, and that 59% of entrepreneurs had received little or no assistance in terms of mentoring or training opportunities from South African Government agencies.

scholarly journals Energy transition and social justice: Do renewable energy levies have an impact on income distribution and energy poverty?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Priesmann ◽  
Saskia Spiegelburg ◽  
Reinhard Madlener ◽  
Aaron Praktiknjo
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Gini Coefficient ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Relative Increase ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
The Gini Coefficient ◽  
Ex Post

Abstract Energy systems are decidedly the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Therefore, transitioning them from fossil to renewable systems is a top priority for societies committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, such transitions involve substantial costs. In many cases, these costs are proportionally passed on to final energy consumers through levies on their electricity consumption. In our paper, we investigate the impacts of renewable support levies on social justice or, more specifically, on income inequality. For our study, we chose Germany where inflation-adjusted electricity prices for private households increased substantially because of such a levy for renewables. We base our analyses on representative household panel data with over 40,000 households from 2003 to 2018. Our results indicate that indiscriminate renewable support levies on electricity consumption increase income inequality and energy poverty. For our case in 2018, renewable support levies alone led to a relative increase of ~0.23% of the Gini coefficient and ~11.31% of the high cost low income (HCLI) energy poverty indicator measuring energy poverty intensity. Based on our findings, we propose a reform of the renewable support levy and analyze three options: (1) the abolition of the levy, (2) levies which are income-progressive proportionally to the income taxes, and (3) a high and flat levy in conjunction with an income-degressive compensation payment. Our ex-post analyses for 2018 indicate that a reformed levy system would have slightly decreased overall income inequality with relative decreases of ~0.23%, ~0.32%, and ~0.59% of the Gini coefficient for options (1), (2), and (3), respectively. But more importantly, such a system would have substantially decreased energy poverty by ~11.31%, ~30.45%, and ~31.45% for the HCLI energy poverty indicator for options (1), (2), and (3), respectively.

scholarly journals Corporate social investment and a company’s image: A case of a CSI initiative in a South African low income community

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 130-135
Author(s):  
Paul-Francois Muzindutsi ◽  
Tshediso Joseph Sekhampu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Social Investment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
A Company ◽  
Corporate Social Investment

One of the goals of corporate social investment (CSI) is to ensure that a company becomes a responsible entity which acts as a conscientious citizen within a society. CSI plays an important role in enhancing how a company is perceived within the community it operates in. This paper used a combination of qualitative and quantitative research designs to investigate the effect of a specific CSI initiative on a company’s image within a low income community in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaire were used to collect data from community members in the township of Bophelong, South Africa. Results show that, if adequately managed, CSI initiatives tend to enhance company’s image as well as its relations with the community it operates in. However, if not adequately managed CSI can created unreachable expectations that can negatively affect a company’s image. Thus, companies better manage their CSI initiatives have an increased opportunity to enhance their reputation within the community they operate in.

scholarly journals Knowledge and attitudes about HIV infection and prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in an urban, low income community in Durban, South Africa: Perspectives of residents and health care volunteers

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 171-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Firoza Haffejee ◽  
Katie A. Ports ◽  
Maghboeba Mosavel
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
South African ◽  
Low Income ◽  
African Women ◽  
Hiv Education ◽  
Testing Procedures ◽  
South African Women ◽  
Hiv Aids

Background: HIV prevalence is high among South African women of reproductive age and transmission of HIV from mothers to children is a concern. This study ascertained the level of knowledge about HIV infection and prevention, particularly prevention of mother toc hild transmission (PMTCT) amongst South African women from a low income community. It also established the challenges in delivering HIV education from the perspectives of health care volunteers.Method: Female residents (n = 67) from Kenneth Gardens, a low income community in Durban, South Africa were interviewed. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 health care volunteers who were either health care workers or residents who provided some form of social support in the community.Results: The majority of respondents indicated that a mother could transmit HIV to her child but were unable to specify how. Many women had general HIV/AIDS knowledge but were unable to identify essential prevention behaviours and were not very receptive to more information on HIV/AIDS. They were supportive of routine testing procedures and child bearing amongst HIV positive women. Health care volunteers indicated a need for a community clinic in the area.They also had limited knowledge of PMTCT and indicated that there was a need for more education on HIV, particularly to encourage the youth and men to use preventative measures.Conclusion: Innovative ways to impart knowledge particularly of PMTCT and updated standards of practice are essential. It is important that the community understands how transmission occurs so that prevention can follow.

Consumer Journeys of Adolescent Girls and Young Women in South Africa: Implications for Marketing HIV Prevention Products

2021 ◽  
pp. 152450042110309
Author(s):  
Michelle Dugas ◽  
Kenyon Crowley ◽  
Guodong (Gordon) Gao ◽  
Lorcan McHarry ◽  
Louise Kenmuir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
South African ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Consumer Journeys

Background: Female-initiated prevention products could reduce HIV infection rates in contexts with pronounced gender inequality like South Africa, but uptake and adherence remain low when available. Insights into the behavior of target consumers are needed to effectively promote these products; however, perceptions of stigma may discourage honest reporting. Focus of the Article: To address this need, we examined differences among the consumer journeys of six segments of South African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), who vary on sexual health beliefs, sexual experience, and self-enhancement, when buying hygiene products. Research Question: We hypothesized that segments would differ in what motivated their purchases and in engagement with different touchpoints, reflecting a need for targeted outreach strategies. Methods: 1,500 low-income, Black South African AGYW (14–25 years of age) were surveyed face-to-face in their homes about their consumer journeys when purchasing deodorant and sanitary products, with the aim of extending the insights obtained to HIV prevention. Results: We found notable similarities across segments but also several important differences underscoring the potential for tailored marketing of HIV prevention products. Among some of the segments, differences were found in prepurchase mindsets and touchpoints, retail and brand drivers, and postpurchase feelings. Recommendations for Research or Practice: These findings highlight the need for tailored outreach among AGYW and may inform the design of effective, personalized marketing strategies that enhance the appeal of HIV prevention products. Limitations: To circumvent potential stigma associated with HIV, survey questions were anchored on personal hygiene products. While this may encourage greater honesty, findings may not fully generalize to HIV prevention products.

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