scholarly journals Can South Africa sustain and diversify its exports?

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Matthee ◽  
Ernst Idsardi ◽  
Waldo Krugell
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Comparative Advantage ◽  
Export Growth ◽  
Intensive Margin ◽  
Manufactured Products ◽  
Low Levels

The aim of this paper is to examine the diversification of South Africa’s exports over the period 1994 to 2012. A decomposition of export growth shows that exports of non-fuel primary commodities as well as medium-skill and technology-intensive manufactured products increased. The largest decrease was in the export of resource-intensive manufactures. These changes reflect South Africa’s endowment of relatively low levels of physical and human capital. The analysis shows that export products that are further from the country’s comparative advantage, make smaller contributions to growth in the intensive margin. It clearly shows the challenge of sustainably diversifying the export basket.

Reassessing the Export Competitiveness of Vietnam

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 539-549
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Comparative Advantage ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Industry Trade ◽  
Export Competitiveness

In this paper, primarily the export specialisation pattern of Vietnam has been examined from the perspective of domestic value added exports. In addition, an effort has been made to identify presence of exaggeration in gross exports measures of industries level competitiveness. Empirical findings suggest that the export specialisation of Vietnam has reversed, and there is presence of exaggeration in the estimates of comparative advantage of ‘human capital and technology intensive’ industries that has also caused in ballooning up their shares in gross exports. Such pattern has arisen because intra-industry trade has become increasingly significant in Vietnam. Received 11th March 2019; Revised 17th October 2019, Accepted 20th October 2019

scholarly journals An industry analysis of the power of human capital for corporate performance: Evidence from South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 486-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Morris
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Market Performance ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Revenue Growth ◽  
Earnings Per Share ◽  
Capital Efficiency

Even in industrialised emerging economies, the value-generating competencies of a workforce, known as its human capital efficiency, are a key resource for commercial success. The objective of this research is to empirically investigate the relationship between human capital efficiency (as measured by value-added human capital) and the financial and market performance of companies listed on the Main Board and Alternative Exchange (ALT-X) of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Return on assets, revenue growth and headline earnings per share were used as financial performance indicators; while market-to-book ratio and total share return were used to measure market performance. Multivariate regressions were performed, with panel data covering 390 companies in the financial, basic materials, consumer services, consumer goods, industrial and technology industries from 2001 to 2011. First, human capital efficiency was found to have no effect on the market performance of listed companies in South Africa. Secondly, higher human capital efficiency was found to result in the extraction of greater returns from both tangible and intangible assets in all industries. Thirdly, higher profitability was found to be associated with higher human capital efficiency in almost every industry in South Africa, with the exception of the technology industry, where human capital efficiency was found to be independent of headline earnings per share. Finally, higher revenue growth was found to be positively associated with human capital efficiency in those industries which are not consumer-driven. In the consumer-driven industries, human capital efficiency contributes to bottom line profitability even though it is not a driver for revenue growth. Overall, the results of this study confirm that human capital efficiency enhances a company’s financial performance, whether it be through a greater capacity for production and service delivery, tighter cost controls or better use of company resources. Management in all South African industries are encouraged to develop the value-creating abilities of their employees through employer-driven personnel enrichment and training programs and by incentivising workers to pursue further education.

Enhancing Water Security through Restoration and Maintenance of Ecological Infrastructure:  Lessons From the uMngeni River Basin, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Jewitt ◽  
Catherine Sutherland ◽  
Sabine Stuart-Hill ◽  
Jim Taylor ◽  
Susan Risko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Constitutive Relationship ◽  
Ecological Infrastructure ◽  
Sustainable Water Supply

<p>The uMngeni River Basin supports over six million people, providing water to South Africa’s third largest regional economy. A critical question facing stakeholders is how to sustain and enhance water security in the catchment for its inhabitants. The role of Ecological Infrastructure (EI) (the South African term for a suite of Nature Based Solutions and Green Infrastructure projects) in enhancing and sustaining water and sanitation delivery in the catchment has been the focus of a project that has explored the conceptual and philosophical basis for investing in EI over the past five years.</p><p>The overall aim of this project was to identify where and how investment into the protection and/or restoration of EI can be made to produce long-term and sustainable returns in terms of water security assurance. In short, the project aimed to guide catchment managers when deciding “what to do” in the catchment to secure a more sustainable water supply, and where it should be done. This seemingly simple question encompasses complexity in time and space, and reveals the connections between different biophysical, social, political, economic and governance systems in the catchment.</p><p>Through the study, we highlight that there is an interdependent and co-constitutive relationship between EI, society, and water security. In particular, by working in spaces where EI investment is taking place, it is evident that socio-economic, environmental and political relations in the catchment play a critical role in making EI investment possible, or not possible.</p><p>The study inherently addresses aspects of water quantity and quality, economics, societal interactions, and the governance of natural resources. It highlights that ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water resources requires both transdisciplinary and detailed biophysical, economic, social and development studies of both formal and informal socio-ecological systems, and that investing in human resources capacity to support these studies, is critical. In contrast to many projects which have identified this complexity, here, we move beyond identification and actively explore and explain these interactions and have synthesised these into ten lessons based on these experiences and analyses.</p><ul><li>1 - People (human capital), the societies in which they live (societal capital), the constructed environment (built capital), and natural capital interact with, and shape each other</li> <li>2 - Investing in Ecological Infrastructure enhances catchment water security</li> <li>3 - Investing in Ecological Infrastructure or BuiIt/Grey infrastructure is not a binary choice</li> <li>4 - Investing in Ecological Infrastructure is financially beneficial</li> <li>5 - Understanding history, legacy and path dependencies is critical to shift thinking</li> <li>6 - Understanding the governance system is fundamental</li> <li>7 - Meaningful participatory processes are the key to transformation</li> <li>8 - To be sustainable, investments in infrastructure need a concomitant investment in social and human capital</li> <li>9 - Social learning, building transdisciplinarity and transformation takes time and effort</li> <li>10 - Students provide new insights, bring energy and are multipliers</li> </ul>

scholarly journals An Alderfer perspective of the higher education restructuring in South Africa

2005 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Arnolds
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Peer Relations ◽  
Employee Motivation ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Organisational Commitment ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

The consequences of the restructuring of higher education in South Africa have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study investigates the impact of the abovementioned restructuring on employee motivation (as measured by Alderfer’s ERG theory), organisational commitment and job performance. The results show that the respondents exhibit low levels of organisational commitment and low satisfaction with monetary remuneration and fringe benefits. The results, however, show high levels of satisfaction with growth factors, peer relations and performance intentions. These results are interpreted in the light of the multiple regression analyses conducted of the interrelationships among the variables. Opsomming Die nagevolge van die herkonstruksie van hër-onderwys in Suid-Afrika is nog nie deeglik ondersoek nie. Hierdie studie ondersoek die invloed wat bogenoemde rekonstruksie op die motivering (soos gemeet deur Alderfer se teorie), organisatories toegewydheid en werksprestasie van werknemers het. Die resultate toon dat die respondente lae vlakke van organisatoriese toegewydheid en lae tevredenheid ten opsigte van monetêre beloning en byvoordele tentoonstel. Die resultate toon egter hoë vlakke van tevredenheid in soverre groeifaktore, kollegiale verhoudinge en werkprestasievoornemens betref. Hierdie resultate word vertolk teen die agtergrond van veelvoudige regressie-analises wat op die inderlinge verwantskappe tussen die veranderlikes uitgevoer is.

scholarly journals Modern Services Exports from Emerging Countries—Perspectives and Opportunities

2012 ◽  
Vol 51 (4II) ◽  
pp. 209-226
Author(s):  
Shahbaz Nasir
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Comparative Advantage ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Emerging Countries ◽  
Export Growth ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Emerging And Developing Countries ◽  
Technological Improvements ◽  
Modern Services

Traditionally, developed countries are the major exporters of services; however, technological developments in IT and communications over the last two decades have made it possible for developing countries to exploit their comparative advantage in some modern services. The driving force for this comparative advantage is the large pool of semi-skilled and skilled graduates in emerging countries who can deliver their services across borders, using advanced communication technologies. Why do emerging countries have increasing modern services exports? How are these exports explained by theory? What are the factors behind this export growth and the reasons to expect future growth? These are some of the important questions that researchers and policy-makers would like to find answers to and an attempt has been made to answer these questions in this paper. Identification of the sources of services export growth from emerging and developing countries can be attempted through established theories of goods trade and production. This paper reviews selected theory and empirical work in order to explain the underlying causes for growing exports of services. Causes for the export of modern services may include a comparative advantage of the exporting country, cost reduction for the importing firm through outsourcing, reduction in trading costs due to technological improvements and an increase in gains from services trade.

Lifelong learning, human capital development and the career advancement of women in the telecommunications industry in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 192-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akinola George Dosunmu ◽  
Kolawole Samuel Adeyemo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Career Advancement ◽  
Telecommunications Industry ◽  
Human Capital Development ◽  
Quantitative Research Methods ◽  
Capital Development

This article offers insights into the concepts of lifelong learning and human capital development (HCD). It highlights HCD as the core of career advancement and lifelong learning for women as an important mechanism for progressing to senior management positions. The two concepts are considered in relation to women’s career choices and their professional advancement in South Africa. This approach is premised on the understanding that access to learning is critical to HCD. Methodologically, quantitative research methods was used. Questionnaires were administered to 133 junior workers at a mobile telecommunications network in South Africa. The findings show that continuous learning may offer a defence against gender discrimination and may create pathways for women to build their careers. The authors argue that HCD and lifelong learning are critical in creating opportunities for women to become leaders in the workplace and society. However, for this to happen, there must be supportive leadership, a conducive organizational culture and management integrity.

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