921 research outputs found
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Student ability to learn at home
No full textThe rise of the Covid-19 pandemic led South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, to declare a national
state of disaster on 15 March 2020. In response to the announcement, tertiary education institutions
and student residences around the country closed in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These
institutions were required to come up with remote teaching and learning solutions in a relatively short
period of time. While virtual classes on personal tablets may have become the global norm, many
South African students lack access to internet and data connectivity, and may rely on shared
or mobile devices off which to learn. In addition, glaring structural inequalities plague a multitude
of socio-economic factors in South Africa. These factors shape the household environment in
which many students have found themselves, and in which they have been expected to learn new
academic material.Support from the Kresge and Spencer
foundations for this research activity
is hereby acknowledged. Opinions
expressed, and conclusions arrived at,
are those of the authors and cannot
necessarily be attributed to these
foundations
Labour market dynamics in South Africa in the time of COVID-19: Evidence from wave 1 of the NIDS-CRAM survey
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic is a health crisis that will exacerbate the South African unemployment crisis. As a temporary measure, the lockdown has prevented a substantial number of people from going to work. In addition, the longer term implications of a global recession have not been adequately recognized. This paper conducts an analysis of labour market dynamics in South Africa during the initial period of lockdown, from the end of March to the end of April 2020, using the first wave of the NIDS-CRAM (2020) survey. Within our sample of over 6000 adults aged 18 to 59, we found that there was a very large decrease in employment. The fraction of the sample that was conventionally classified as employed decreased from 57% in February to 48% in April. If we further exclude temporarily absent workers, this fraction decreases further to 38%. Thus, about 1 out of every 3 employed people in our sample either lost their job or did not work and received no wages during April. This has extremely large implications for poverty and welfare. We further analyse the labour market by comparing across demographic groups as defined by race, by gender, by age groups, by geographic areas, and by education levels. The over-arching finding from this analysis is that the job losses were not uniformly distributed amongst the different groups. In particular, groups who have always been more vulnerable – such as women, African/Blacks, youth, and less educated groups – have been disproportionately negatively affected. In addition to the poverty implications, this will also likely affect the inequality situation in South Africa.This paper was funded by the CRAM study and is available on their website. We are grateful for comments from Murray Leibbrandt and participants in the CRAM Labour workshop. All errors and omissions remain the responsibility of the authors
Private transfers and graduate responsibilities: Evidence from the National Income Dynamics Study
No full textIn this paper, we re-examine private transfer behaviour in light of recent public and media discourse on black tax. In particular, we aim to better understand whether graduates of post-secondary education face disproportionate responsibilities to meet family needs through increased ability to offer financial support. Firstly, we reject a unitary model of household decision making for remittances, suggesting that a collective model of household behaviour is likely to govern remittance-sending behaviour. This means an individuals’ characteristics, preferences and responsibilities are likely to underpin remittance decisions. Indeed, we find that graduates are more likely to be remitters than other individuals, and that part of this responsibility arises from graduate status alone – that is, over and above labour market characteristics and living arrangements. We additionally observe a weaker relationship between remittance value and graduate remitters’ income, suggesting the amount sent by graduates is not as strongly determined by the income they earn – consistent with graduates facing a responsibility regardless of their income. Lastly, we consider a measure of intra-household sharing, and find that a sizeable share of children receive transfers towards their education expenses from co-resident family members who are not their parents. Thus intra-household transfers may form an integral part of the black tax narrative, although they are not typically observed in survey data.This work forms part of Emma Whitelaw's PhD thesis. The authors acknowledge support from the Kresge Foundation. Opinions expressed, and conclusions arrived at, are those of the authors and cannot necessarily be attributed to the Kresge Foundation
The Siyaphambili Website: An interactive platform to track South Africa’s post-school qualification attainment
No full textThe Siyaphambili website is a product of the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) post-school education and training research project at the University of Cape Town and was funded by the Kresge Foundation. SALDRU and UCT participate in Siyaphumelela ("we succeed") which supports South African universities' ability to improve student learning and academic success.Inspired by the Lumina Foundation’s Stronger Nation interactive website, which tracks American qualifications beyond high school, this website provides a platform to track qualification attainment in South Africa. The graphs on this website are based on analysis of publicly available StatsSA data. The tables containing the values shown in the graphs are downloadable in Excel format.A strong motivator behind this website is the need to share information and create awareness about our country’s skills needs. Goal 2030 provides a reference against which to measure year-on-year progress in qualification attainment. The project team recognises that South African post-school qualifications information is available, but not in an interactive format. This website exists to create such a platform to support policymakers and the general public to identify how South Africa can achieve its ambitions.Support from the Kresge foundation
for this research activity is hereby
acknowledged. Opinions expressed
and conclusions arrived at, are those of
the authors and cannot necessarily be
attributed to the Kresge Foundation
Urban inequality and protests in Ecuador and Chile
No full textMobility is a multifaceted concept with social, economic and political implications. Spatial mobility, inequality and precarity intertwine. This article reflects on the role of mobility and precarity and the emergence of protests in both Ecuador and Chile in 2019. We argue that the announced increases in transport and fuel costs in Chile and Ecuador unveiled the obstacles to mobility and the degree of existing inequalities. Whereas protests emerged as a response to the announcement of a reduction in fuel subsidies and the possible increases in the costs of transport, they reflec something deeper related to the vulnerability of the livelihoods of segments of the population; this in spite that both Chile and Ecuador observe improvements in poverty and inequality indicators. Undertaking a more dissagragated analysis of the effects of reduction in fuel subsidies or increases in metro tickets we find that mobility correlates with a pattern of structural marginalisation that perpetuates inequality, which is not necessarily visible to aggregate economic indicators
What and where you study matters in the labour market
No full textMany young people enter the labour force with limited skills due to low levels of school completion, low enrolment in post school education and training and even lower qualification completion rates. This reality stands in strong contrast to the demand for high skilled employees in the labour market, resulting in skills
mismatch and many being excluded from the labour market. This report unpacks how employment and wages vary by qualification and institution type.The Siyaphambili project acknowledges support from the Kresge Foundation to build a hub for post-schooling
information and research in South Africa and towards this research activity in particular. We are grateful for
your commitment to advancing post-school education in South Africa.
Opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the
Kresge Foundation or any of their officers or employees
An analysis of cheap cigarettes in South Africa
No full textUsing wave 5 of the National Income Dynamics Study, conducted in 2017, this paper investigates the market for very low-priced cigarettes, which probably are illicit. We find that approximately 30% of cigarettes consumed in South Africa are bought for R20 or less per 20-pack. Low-priced cigarettes are found across all nine provinces and these products are consumed in substantial quantities across all racial and socio-economic groups. At the margin, purchase of very cheap cigarettes in South Africa is associated with lower socio-economic factors, such as having lower levels of income and educational attainment. Cheap cigarettes are also strongly associated with specific packaging types, specifically 20-packs and cartons of 200. As illicit cigarettes undermine both the fiscal and health agendas of tobacco taxation policy, we strongly urge the relevant authorities to implement measures to curb the illicit trade.Funding for this research from the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is gratefully
acknowledged.
We would like to thank Elizabeth Baldwin for her assistance in editing this document. Any errors or
omissions are the authors’ own. This report was compiled at the request of the National Income
Dynamics Study and does not reflect their views
A profile of young NEETs: Unpacking the heterogeneous nature of young people not in employment, education or training in South Africa
No full textGlobally, the large numbers of young people who are not in any kind of education, employment or training (NEET) are a cause of great concern. These youth are often seen as disengaged from the labour market and from society more broadly. With more than 5.5 million youth between the ages of 15 to 29 who are NEET, South Africa shares this concern but has remained without a clear understanding of the characteristics of these young people. Drawing on second quarter 2018 Quarterly Labour Force Survey and 2017 General Household Survey data, this working paper of the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit investigates the heterogeneity of the group of NEET youth in the country and explores what microeconomic factors are associated with being NEET among black youth.This work is funded and provided with technical support by the European Union-funded Capacity Building Programme for Employment Promotion based in the National Treasury’s Government Technical Advisory Centre
The agency and resilience of NEET youth and what we can do to support them. Evidence from a synthesis of qualitative research with young people in South Africa
No full textRecent years have seen a growing body of knowledge on the situation of young people, and particularly young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) in South Africa. Much of this research is focused on statistical analysis and emphasises the staggered and difficult transitions that young people make as they attempt to secure employment. This paper contributes by synthesising the findings of several qualitative studies in order to add the voice of young people to the picture. It illustrates the immense challenges that young people face, ranging from a sense of social exclusion and the implications this has for relationships, belonging and mental health; the consistent barriers to work-seeking such as lack of information and high costs; as well as their struggles to access higher or further education. While there are a range of initiatives attempting to address youth unemployment, this paper offers insight into how young people experience navigating these initiatives. We also draw lessons from young people themselves, about what kind of support they require. This working paper has contributed to the evidence that informs the development of the Basic Package of Support for NEET youth in South Africa.This working paper is one in a series of reports and working papers by the project “Towards a Basic Package of Support for Young People who are not Employed, in Education or Training (NEET) in South Africa”. The BPS project, which commenced in November 2018 and runs until March 2020, explores the feasibility and design of a South African intervention to provide more comprehensive support to young people, aged 15 – 24 years, who are NEET.
Based on research and consultations, the project has put forward a detailed proposal for a programmatic intervention that can provide well-targeted, individualised and long-term support to young people in South Africa, while building a local community of practice to support both youth and the services and opportunities that exist for them. The proposal carefully sets out the various building blocks of such an intervention, founded in a review of best practices. It concludes with a proposal for a pilot that can be implemented at the local level across different South African municipalities. It also proposes an approach to develop an overarching, national institutional framework that can both ensure sufficient resource allocation and safeguard the quality, integrity and coherence of the intervention when rolled out at scale.
The project builds on earlier work, led by the Poverty & Inequality Initiative and the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU), both at the University of Cape Town, in partnership with a coalition of partners in government, academia and civil society, to conceptualise a more comprehensive approach to support South Africa’s youth.
The 2018 – 2020 phase is led by SALDRU and conducted in partnership with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Africa; the Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA), University of Johannesburg; DG Murray Trust; and The Jobs Fund. The work was funded and provided with technical support by the Capacity Building Programme for Employment Promotion (CBPEP), funded by the European Union and based in the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) in the National Treasury.
Baldry, K., Graham, L., & De Lannoy, A. (2019) The agency and resilience of NEET youth and what we can do to support them. Evidence from a synthesis of qualitative research with young people in South Africa. Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit Working Paper No. 253. Cape Town: SALDRU, University of Cape Town & Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg.
This study is co-funded by the European Union Programme under the Capacity Building for Employment Promotion based in the National Treasury’s Government Technical Advisory Centre Programme. Its contents are the sole responsibility of
Kim Baldry, Lauren Graham and Ariane De Lannoy and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.saldru.uct.ac.za/project/youth/a-youth-guarantee-for-south-africa/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LeaveNoSAYouthBehind/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SAYouthSupportThis study is co-funded by the European Union Programme under the Capacity Building for Employment Promotion based in the National Treasury’s Government Technical Advisory Centre Programme. Its contents are the sole responsibility of
Kim Baldry, Lauren Graham and Ariane De Lannoy and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union
Towards a Basic Package of Support for Youth in South Africa. Policy review report and recommendations on an institutional approach
No full textSouth Africa is a policy rich environment, with many excellent policies that accurately identify the challenges facing young people as they transition through school and towards work. However, young people still face significant challenges in this transition period. This paper reports on a policy review undertaken as part of the Basic Package of Support for Youth in South Africa project, which involved an assessment of existing policies and several consultations with various departments about how they support NEET youth. The policy assessment focuses on policies that pertain to the multidimensional needs of young people, including education, training, health, wellbeing, and employment. It does so in order to identify key policies and programmes that set out mandates to support young people who are not in employment, education and training. It provides the overarching policy context, identifies which departments have mandates to serve youth and what programmes exist, and reports which departments report a willingness to participate in developing a basic package of support for youth. The key finding is that there are a number of programmes that exist, but that young people continue to fall through the cracks because of a lack of policy coordination and integration. Based on this, the paper proposes an institutional framework to support a basic package of support for youth in South Africa.This working paper is one in a series of reports and working papers by the project “Towards a Basic Package of Support for Young People who are not Employed, in Education or Training (NEET) in South Africa”. The BPS project, which commenced in November 2018 and runs until March 2020, explores the feasibility and design of a South African intervention to provide more comprehensive support to young people, aged 15 – 24 years, who are NEET.
Based on research and consultations, the project has put forward a detailed proposal for a programmatic intervention that can provide well-targeted, individualised and long-term support to young people in South Africa, while building a local community of practice to support both young people and the services and opportunities that exist for them. The proposal carefully sets out the various building blocks of such an intervention, founded in a review of best practices. It concludes with a proposal for a pilot that can be implemented at the local level across different South African municipalities. It also proposes an approach to develop an overarching, national institutional framework that can both ensure sufficient resource allocation and safeguard the quality, integrity and coherence of the intervention when rolled out at scale.
The project builds on earlier work, led by the Poverty & Inequality Initiative and the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU), both at the University of Cape Town, in partnership with a coalition of partners in government, academia and civil society, to conceptualise a more comprehensive approach to support South Africa’s youth.
The 2018 – 2020 phase is led by SALDRU and conducted in partnership with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Africa; the Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA), University of Johannesburg; DG Murray Trust; and The Jobs Fund. The work was funded and provided with technical support by the Capacity Building Programme for Employment Promotion (CBPEP), funded by the European Union and based in the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) in the National Treasury.This study is co-funded by the European Union under the Capacity Building Programme for Employment Promotion based in the National Treasury’s Government Technical Advisory Centre Programme. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Lauren Graham, Ariane De Lannoy, Solange Rosa and Jessica Breakey and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union