scholarly journals Maritime port pricing and governance in South Africa: trends and stakeholder comments

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanele Gumede ◽  
Mihalis Chasomeris

This study assesses trends and stakeholder comments on maritime port pricing and governance in South Africa. Content analysis is used to analyse Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) tariff applications, Ports Regulator records of decision and stakeholder comments for 2010 to 2012. The study gathers data on port pricing from 1999-2012 and uses descriptive statistics to analyse the trends in port pricing. The findings show the distinctiveness of South Africa’s complementary system of ports and its uniform pricing policy. The ports are financed and managed using a mix of elements from the European and Asian port doctrines, whereas the pricing methodology appears to follow the Anglo-Saxon doctrine. A port doctrine should be developed that would be consistent with the country’s vision and policies.

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 854-873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayanda Meyiwa ◽  
Mihalis Chasomeris

South Africa’s (SA) ports do not have a clearly defined port doctrine. They have certain elements resembling the Anglo-Saxon port doctrine, others the Continental doctrine and still others the Asian port doctrine. Thus, SA encounters conflicting port objectives: it runs a complementary ports system where costs are not reflective of prices charged, and the revenues and costs allocated to various commodity types remain unjustified. This is against the backdrop of intra-port, inter-port and multimodal cross-subsidisation, which found justification in SA’s developmental objectives but has been viewed as unjustifiable under current economic conditions, giving rise to dissatisfaction among various port stakeholders regarding Transnet as a state-owned enterprise and Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) governance and pricing practices that have not been adequately addressed. Using content analysis, 18 stakeholders’ submissions on the 2013-2014 TNPA tariff application, 15 stakeholders’ submissions regarding the multi-year tariff application, and 16 submissions regarding the 2014-2015 tariff application were assessed. The focus was on finding links between challenges faced by stakeholders and whether solutions would be found through SA adopting a different port doctrine. The findings show that while the Asian doctrine is more aligned with SA’s developmental objectives, adoption of it may prove premature in view of the current and foreseeable economic conditions. The study shows that the local port system may not find a perfect fit into any of the known port models and established port doctrines, but, instead, that SA needs to articulate its own port doctrine.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan C Cheruiyot ◽  
Petra Brysiewicz

This study explores and describes caring and uncaring nursing encounters from the perspective of the patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation settings in South Africa. The researchers used an exploratory descriptive design. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data through individual interviews with 17 rehabilitation patients. Content analysis allowed for the analysis of textual data. Five categories of nursing encounters emerged from the analysis: noticing and acting, and being there for you emerged as categories of caring nursing encounters, and being ignored, being a burden, and deliberate punishment emerged as categories of uncaring nursing encounters. Caring nursing encounters make patients feel important and that they are not alone in the rehabilitation journey, while uncaring nursing encounters makes the patients feel unimportant and troublesome to the nurses. Caring nursing encounters give nurses an opportunity to notice and acknowledge the existence of vulnerability in the patients and encourage them to be present at that moment, leading to empowerment. Uncaring nursing encounters result in patients feeling devalued and depersonalised, leading to discouragement. It is recommended that nurses strive to develop personal relationships that promote successful nursing encounters. Further, nurses must strive to minimise the patients’ feelings of guilt and suffering, and to make use of tools, for example the self-perceived scale, to measure this. Nurses must also perform role plays on how to handle difficult patients such as confused, demanding and rude patients in the rehabilitation settings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethel Ndidiamaka Abe ◽  
Vitallis Chikoko

Abstract Background Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educators and stakeholders in South Africa are interested in the ways STEM students make their career decisions because of the shortages in these critical skills. Although various factors including family, teachers, peers, and career interest have been reported as determinants of career decision-making, there is a scarcity of studies that have qualitatively explored the levels of influences of any of these factors in the South African context. The main aim of this study was to investigate the factors that influence career decision-making among STEM student majors in a South African university. By better understanding students’ viewpoint on these factors, educators and policymakers can assist students in making career decisions that fit their experiences, personality, and expectations. Students in their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year of study respectively, were invited to respond to a semi-structured questionnaire about the factors that were influential in their decision to pursue a career in STEM. A total of 203 texts (response rate: 63%) were qualitatively analyzed utilising a hermeneutic phenomenology approach to traditional content analysis, whereby themes develop inductively from the data. Results We used a hermeneutic phenomenological method to traditional content analysis to examine the factors influencing participants’ career decision-making. Peer interrogation, modified member verification, compact description, code-recode tactics, and assessment trails were engaged to confirm quality and rigour. Three key results emerged, namely interpersonal, intrapersonal, and career outcomes expectancy. The perceptions of STEM students of their career decision-making in the South African context are more multifaceted than reported previously. The insights could inform policies to counter skills shortages in the STEM area. Conclusions In this exploratory study, we gave attention to describing the various ranges of students’ perceptions and experiences regarding their career decision-making. Several students reported, among other factors, that their families, personality, and expectations played influential roles in their career decision-making. Here, we discuss the meaning of interpersonal, intrapersonal, and outcome expectations with respect to career decision-making from the perspective of STEM students in a South African university.


2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Penny Abbott ◽  
Xenia Goosen ◽  
Jos Coetzee

Orientation: Mentoring is considered to be such an important contributor to accelerated people development in South Africa that structured mentoring schemes are often used by organisations. There are at present few sources of development and support for coordinators of such schemes.Research purpose: The aim of this research is to discover what the characteristics of coordinators of structured mentoring schemes in South Africa are, what is required of such coordinators and how they feel about their role, with a view to improving development and support for them.Motivation for the study: The limited amount of information about role requirements for coordinators which is available in the literature is not based on empirical research. This study aims to supply the empirical basis for improved development and support for coordinators.Research design and method: A purposive sample of 25 schemes was identified and both quantitative and qualitative data, obtained through questionnaires and interviews, were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.Main findings: Functions of coordinators tend to be similar across different types of mentoring schemes. A passion for mentoring is important, as the role involves many frustrations. There is little formalised development and support for coordinators.Practical/managerial implications: The study clarifies the functions of the coordinator, offers a job description and profile and makes suggestions on how to improve the development of the coordinator’s skills.Contribution/value-add: An understanding of what is required from a coordinator, how the necessary knowledge and skills can be developed and how the coordinator can be supported,adds value to an organisation setting up or reviewing its structured mentoring schemes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (II) ◽  
pp. 280-292
Author(s):  
Hassan Adow Mohamud ◽  
Fredrick Ndede

Youth empowerment is vital for any nation. Most Kenyan youths aspire to get white-collar jobs after completing education in order to build self and the nation. To most, achieving their career goals after the 8-4-4 education system is the most critical thing hence they will not settle for anything less than what they have trained for. The Government of Kenya has made efforts over the years to empower the youth by coming up with policies that enable the youth to venture in education as well as create opportunity for income generating projects. It is on this basis that this study therefore sought to examine the effect of YEDF services on youth empowerment in Wajir County. The study objectives were: to assess the effect of YEDF entrepreneurial training on job creation, to examine the effect of YEDF provision of loans on income and to determine the effect of YEDF provision of market linkages on youth enterprise development in Wajir County. The study adopted social capital, theory of change and reform theory to assess relationship among the various factors that have been identified as important to the study problem. This study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The target population of the study consists of the 200 youth groups in Wajir County. This study used a closed and open – ended questionnaire to administer to the sample since time may be limited and information needed could easily be described in writing. The data was coded and entered on a Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software that aids in analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. The researcher adopted content analysis to analyse the qualitative data based on the objectives. The descriptive statistics was used in analysing quantitative data. The researcher adopted content analysis to analyse the qualitative data based on the objectives. The descriptive statistics was used in analysing quantitative data. In analysing the relationship between variable (YEDF services and youth empowerment) the study used regression analysis. The study found out that attending the entrepreneurship training is important in improving business performance. The youths are trained on ways of improving and retaining customers. The researcher found out that most youths in the county have loan accessibility and have been accessing it for the past one year. The study found out that most youths have attended market linkages program. By attending the programs, they have learnt various ways of improving their business performance and sharing of business ideas. Finally, the study found out that there is a significant relationship between market linkages and youth’s empowerment in the County. The study recommended that the government and stakeholders to promote entrepreneur training, offering of loans and market linkages to equip youths with business skills. The study took a year to be completed, the researcher started in June 2017 and ended in July 2018. This is an open-access article published and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License of United States unless otherwise stated. Access, citation and distribution of this article is allowed with full recognition of the authors and the source.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 610-614
Author(s):  
Olawale Fatoki

The study investigated the personal values of small business owners in South Africa. In addition, the study examined if male and female small business owners exhibit significant differences in their personal values. The study employed the descriptive research design. Data was collected through the use of self-administered questionnaire in a survey. The study used the Schwartz Portrait Value Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and the T-test were used for data analysis. The results indicated that self-direction, achievement, stimulation, power and security are the five most important personal values for small business owners. The results indicate that male small business owners give greater weight to self-direction, stimulation, achievement, hedonism and power. Female small business owners give greater weight to universalism, conformity, tradition, benevolence, and security


Author(s):  
E. R. Seary

When I first began to put my ideas on this subject in some sort of order, I did not realize that I had hit on a topic such as many an aspirant to the degree of Master or Doctor of Education, driven to writing dreary theses on ‘A Comparison of the Vocabulary Assimilation of Monoglot and Bilingual Children of Schoolgoing Age, and an Examination of certain Findings of Some Welsh Investigators on the Problem of Bilingualism, with special reference to South African Conditions,’ or, more briefly, ‘Analysis of Chemistry Text Books, 1935,’ must have searched for in vain. But how beautifully it shapes itself: Preface, with modest and grateful acknowledgments to the Director of Studies; Pre-History; the Antiquarians of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; The Germanic Invasion; Anglo-Saxon v. Latin and Greek; Eng. Lang, and Lit; The Cambridge Rebellion; The Problem Today; The Problem with special reference to Canada, South Africa, or wherever it may be; Notes; Bibliography!


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 278-294
Author(s):  
Lucia Munongi ◽  
Jace Pillay

This study aimed to determine children’s experiences of their rights. The sample consisted of 185 Grade 9 pupils (females = 95; males = 90) randomly sampled from 13 secondary schools from Johannesburg, South Africa, from a previous study. The participants were requested to write their responses to an open-ended question: ‘What do you think of children’s rights in South Africa?’ The data were analysed using content analysis since the data from the open-ended question was qualitative in nature. Results indicated that children were aware that they have rights, and that adults were still violating them. Based on the findings and a human rights-basedframework, several recommendations were made, such as, the need to adopt a more radical approach when dealing with children’s rights and the need to encourage schools and families to develop a culture of respecting children’s rights.


Author(s):  
Mary Jesselyn ◽  
Bruce Mitchell

This chapter investigates the effects networks have on the acquisition of external economies. The objectives of this chapter include determining if businesses located in clusters are benefitting from external economies and identifying the extent to which these firms are using their networks in accessing these external economies. Six SME business owners were interviewed. They form part of an automotive manufacturing network based in Port Elizabeth in South Africa. The researchers used content analysis and pattern matching to analyse the data. The findings indicate that the entrepreneurs interviewed were all using their networks to gain external economies. They used networks to gain technology spillovers in the form of information on new trends and processes in the industry and highlighted the fact that the network contacts provided opportunistic information. The study also found that some of the entrepreneurs used their network to source skilled employees from the pooled labour market and obtain specialized services and input.


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