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The relationship between organisational culture, employee engagement and organisational performance in the public sector in South Africa.
No full textDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This study investigates the relationship between organisational culture (OC), employee engagement (EE), and organisational performance (OP) within the South African public sector. As the country’s largest employer, the effectiveness of public institutions depends significantly on the engagement, motivation, and cultural alignment of their workforce. Despite the critical importance of these factors, limited empirical research has examined their interrelationships in the South African public sector context. This study seeks to address this gap by examining how OC influences EE and how EE, in turn, affects OP. The research adopts a positivist paradigm and employs a quantitative design, using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test the hypothesised relationships. The primary objectives are to assess the influence of OC on EE, evaluate the impact of EE on OP, and examine the mediating role of EE in the OC–OP relationship. Secondary objectives explore the effects of leadership, communication, job involvement, organisational commitment, and employee satisfaction on engagement and performance outcomes. Although the initial sample targeted 285 employees from three public sector organisations, a total of 408 valid responses were received and included in the final analysis. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire and analysed using correlation analysis, regression analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis to assess both measurement and structural models. The findings confirm that organisational culture significantly influences employee engagement and that engagement plays a mediating role in enhancing organisational performance. The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical insights specific to the South African public sector and validating a conceptual model that links OC, EE, and OP through key contributing factors. Practical recommendations are offered to public sector leaders and managers, highlighting strategies to strengthen organisational culture and employee engagement to improve overall performance and service delivery
The impact of economic and demographic factors on the environment in Africa: a case for Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The study of the relationship between environmental degradation and socio-economic factors is almost at its zenith. Contemporary evidence points to economic and population growth as the biggest contributors to ecological decay, worldwide. Much of this evidence is based on empirical studies using CO2 emissions as the proxy for environmental harm. However, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions do not reflect the multi-facetedness of ecological degradation. Moreover, contemporary evidence has not settled the debate on the biggest environmental impact between economic and demographic factors, and what the nature of these impacts is in the long run. This study used the ecological footprint to fill these gaps, since it is a comprehensive barometer of the degradation of the natural environment. This study investigated the relationship among economic factors (Real Gross Domestic Product (RGDP), energy consumption and trade openness), demographic drivers (population density, urbanization and fertility) and environmental degradation (ecological footprint) in three populous economic giants in Africa (South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt) using panel data from World Development Indicators (WDI) and Global Footprint Network (GFN) for the period 1984 – 2022. The Pooled Mean Group – Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG-ARDL) approach was employed to investigate the short- and long-run dynamics. In the short run, trade openness, fertility rate and FDI were found to worsen environmental degradation, while the remaining variables were found to have insignificant impacts. In the long run, all demographic variables were found to have benign environmental impacts. Specifically, increases in fertility rates bring about environmental improvements, while increases in population density and urbanization have insignificant impacts on the environment. Conversely, all economic factors were found to degrade the environment. Energy consumption is the most significant contributor to environmental damage in the selected countries, followed by economic growth and trade openness. Fossil fuels dominate energy production in the studied countries, and the expanded use of energy to power economic activity is causing the most significant impact on the environment. It is recommended that policymakers in these three countries should consider transitioning to renewable and cleaner energy sources like solar power and natural gas to produce energy. However, the costs and benefits must be carefully considered
The influence of floods-recharged soil moisture on tree biochemical and biophysical features in Mbire and Muzarabani semi-arid lands in northern Zimbabwe.
No full textDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.In dry lands characterised by scarce precipitation, floods uniquely facilitate soil moisture recharge through deep infiltration. However, the ecological influence of flood-recharged soil moisture (FRSM) on tree growth in semi-arid lands remains poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, the aim of the study was to assess the influence of floods-recharged soil moisture on tree biochemical and biophysical characteristics in a semi-arid landscape of northern Zimbabwe which was split into the following specific objectives. Firstly, the study sought to assess the utility of remote sensing indices in understanding the nexus between FRSM with tree biochemical and biophysical features in tropical semi‐arid floodplains. Secondly, the study sought to model flood extent mapping in semi-arid floodplains in northern Zimbabwe using Sentinel-1 SAR data. Thirdly, the study sought to assess the utility of deep learning long short-term memory autoencoder algorithm applied on Sentinel-1 SAR data to model FRSM features in semi-arid floodplains in northern Zimbabwe. Fourthly, the study sought to assess the influence of FRSM on short-term biochemical properties of Z. mauritiana tree in semi-arid floodplain in northern Zimbabwe. Finally, the study sought to evaluate the long-term influence of FRSM on Z. mauritiana tree biophysical characteristics in semi-arid lands in northern Zimbabwe. Therefore, to understand the influence of FRSM on trees, this study compared a multipurpose Musawu (Shona) or Jujube (English) (Ziziphus mauritiana) tree species located inside against outside of Mbire and Muzarabani flood-prone semi-arid lands of northern Zimbabwe. The study used an experimental design, flooded constituted the experimental set-up while non-flooded the control set-up for soil moisture, leaf chlorophyll content and tree size variables to enable respective hypotheses of influence of FRSM were tested. Primary and secondary data were collected through fieldwork and downloaded from online repository respectively. Field data measurements included flood extent boundary, tree leaf chlorophyll content measured using chlorophyll meter, tree height measured using a Haglöf Vertex Laser Geo hypsometer, diameter at breast height (DBH) measured using diameter tape and canopy diameter estimated using tape measure respectively. Since floods often occur during cloudy conditions, passive remotely sensed secondary data are commonly inapplicable, hence this study undertook flood extent mapping that used temporal synthetic arperture radar (SAR) data. Firstly, to accurately map flood extent, we innovated an Ensemble of Scenarios Pyramid which is based on change detection and thresholding, utilising a normalized difference flood index (NDFI) framework with Sentinel-1 SAR data. The flood extent map was necessary to spatially discriminate flooded from non-flooded soil moisture, short-term leaf chlorophyll content and longterm tree biophysical characteristics. Secondly, the study innovated a hybrid deep learning Long Short-Term Memory-Autoencoder framework that used temporal Sentinel-1 SAR data to model soil moisture anomaly, lag and memory features compared between flooded and non-flooded locations. Thirdly, short-term post-flood leaf chlorophyll content for flooded tree samples were compared with non-flooded samples using machine learning. Finally, the long-term influence of FRSM on biophysical characteristics was evaluated using canopy diameter, tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH) as proxies of tree growth. The novel Ensemble of Scenarios Pyramid produced a more accurate flood extent map as compared to all the base NDFI scenarios using six metrics (overall accuracy = 93.204%; F1-score = 0.927; Matthews’ correlation coefficient = 0.871; Recall = 0.870; Intersect over Union = 0.865; Kappa = 0.864). The Long Short-Term - AutoEncoder detected positive (wet) FRSM anomaly, with one week lag that occurred starting from the second of February 2017, and initiating a 70-day soil moisture memory inside the flooded as compared to the non-flooded zones. On the shortterm, Random Forest machine learning rejected 43 as unimportant and accepted 16 variables as important to determine leaf chlorophyll content. The flood-related three spatial variables namely distance to river, distance to floodplain and floodplain location were ranked as the most important predictors to determine the short-term FRSM influence on Z. mauritiana leaf chlorophyll content. Thus, on the short-term, the flooded zone (hence FRSM) influenced higher leaf chlorophyll content as compared to the non-flooded zone. On the long-term, flooded trees inside the floodplain were significantly bigger compared to those in non-flooded areas in canopy diameter (p<0.001), tree height (p <0.05) and DBH (p<0.001) using the Levene’s test. Similarly, the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxn test also showed significant differences in canopy size (p < 0.001), tree height (p < 0.001) and DBH (p < 0.01). Inside flooded locations mapped with the novel Ensemble of Scenarios Pyramid, the innovated Long Short-Term-AutoEncoder modelled that FRSM clearly depicted a minimum of two months longer soil moisture memory than outside. Ultimately, this longer FRSM memory supply soil water for longer to flooded trees than in non-flooded areas, hence the higher leaf chlorophyll content for the former rather than the latter. Consequently, in the long-term, flooded trees inside the floodplain grew bigger than outside as the three selected growth biophysical proxies confirmed using non-parametric tests of differences. In conclusion, the FRSM positively influences soil water recharge in semi-arid lands, which ultimately supports flooded tree growth, thereby confirming the deep infiltration concept noted in the literature review. These results uniquely inform soil moisture and related Z. mauritiana tree management plans in semi-arid lands in view of the current deforestation triggered by its overexploitation by both humans and animals owing to its multiple uses
Characterizing the proviral landscape and APOBEC3 innate immune responses within immune cells targeted by HIV-1.
No full textDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Introduction: HIV-1 persistence despite combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is a key barrier to curing HIV, as latent reservoirs of integrated proviral DNA persist, primarily in resting CD4+ T-cells and possibly other immune cells including myeloid cells. A cure for HIV-1 can be achieved either through total eradication of the virus or a functional cure, defined as controlling HIV without ongoing ART, but both approaches remain scientifically challenging. Antiretroviral-free control of HIV by the immune system is promising but requires a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms for widespread efficacy and application. The apolipoprotein B mRNA editing catalytic polypeptide-like 3 (A3) family of cytidine deaminase proteins, particularly A3G and A3F, potently inhibit HIV-1 by inducing mutations in viral DNA, potentially rendering the virus defective. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive longitudinal analysis of the HIV-1 subtype C reservoir with immune cells from the blood of PLWH and establish the impact of A3 proteins on the viral reservoir in a cohort of young women from Durban, South Africa.
Methods: This study analysed ten women from Durban, South Africa, diagnosed with HIV during hyperacute HIV infection to evaluate the effects of ART initiation timing on HIV reservoirs. Five participants initiated ART early, within one day of plasma viremiadetection (median: 1 day post-positive viral load [DPOPV]), while the other five started ART late, during chronic infection (median: 774 DPOPV, range: 399–1202 days). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were sorted into CD4+ T-cell subsets, including central memory (CM), effector memory (EM), transitional memory (TM), naïve (N), and myeloid cells (M), for analysis at multiple time points: pre-infection, and at 1, 6, and 12 months post-infection and post-ART initiation. Total HIV DNA was quantified using ddPCR. Intact and defective HIV-1 genomes were measured using the intact proviral DNA assay (IPDA). The inducible reservoir was assessed in study participants at 3 years post-treatment using the Specific Quantification of inducible HIV-1 reservoir by LAMP (SQuHIVLa) assay. Additionally, A3G and A3F mRNA levels and proviral hypermutation were evaluated to explore the impact of host restriction
factors on viral persistence.
Results: CM and EM CD4+ T cells harboured the highest total HIV DNA levels, averaging 7,695 and 5,680 DNA copies/million cells, respectively. Naïve CD4+ T cells contained detectable levels (744 copies/million cells), while myeloid cells also exhibited detectable, albeit lower than CM and EM levels of viral DNA (1,050 copies/million cells). At 12 months post-ART, proviral DNA persisted in the myeloid compartment of 4/5 late-treated participants but only 1/5 early treated participants.
Late-treated participants showed no significant decline in proviral DNA levels over 12 months, while early treated participants demonstrated significant reductions across CM (p = 0.008), EM (p = 0.007), and transitional memory, TM (p = 0.007) CD4+ T-cell subsets. Early treated participants had significantly lower proviral DNA across all subsets compared to late-treated participants at 12 months (CM; p= 0.0079, EM; p= 0.0079, TM; p= 0.0070, N; p= 0.0476, M; p= 0.0400). Intact proviral DNA was more abundant in EM cells than CM cells in late-treated participants, while ~80% of earlytreated participants had undetectable intact HIV DNA in the EM subset after one year. Inducible reservoir levels were higher in late-treated participants (p = 0.0038). A3G expression exceeded A3F by ~1.5-fold pre-infection. Untreated HIV-1 infections led to significant downregulation of both, with greater reductions in A3G. ART partially restored A3 expression, with robust recovery in early treated participants. Defective proviral DNA levels were higher in late-treated participants across most subsets, except naïve CD4+ T cells. A3G expression correlated with larger defective reservoirs
in TM CD4+ T cells (p = 0.003). Proviral DNA sequencing revealed frequent A3Ginduced hypermutation (p = 0.0006), clustered at HIV genome regions prone to single stranded states during reverse transcription. A3G levels positively correlated with hypermutation percentages pre-infection (p = 0.027, r = 0.91) and post-ART (p = 0.032, r = 0.90). Early ART initiation preserves A3 activity, reducing intact proviruses and enhancing immune restoration.
Conclusion: This study highlights the persistence of HIV proviral DNA across immune cell subsets, including CD4+ T cells and myeloid cells. In late-treated individuals, no significant change in reservoir size was observed, whereas early ART initiation led to substantial reductions, particularly in CD4+ T cells, underscoring the critical role of early treatment in minimizing HIV reservoirs. CM and EM CD4+ T cells were identified as key contributors to reservoir maintenance, with EM cells harbouring higher levels of intact proviral DNA, making them essential targets for intervention. Early ART initiation not only reduces reservoir size but also preserves A3G mRNA expression, which plays a pivotal role in inducing hypermutation of proviral DNA. This preservation supports immune function and creates an environment favourable for targeting and inactivating the HIV reservoir. Enhancing A3G-mediated hypermutation may be a promising therapeutic strategy to disrupt HIV reservoirs. Overall, these findings advance the goal of a functional HIV cure by providing insights into reservoir seeding and decay in diverse immune cells following ART in acute or chronic infection and through studies of the expression and impact of a key innate immune mechanism. The results have implications for achieving an HIV-1 cure through combination mechanisms. Future research should focus on cell-specific regulation of A3 activity through transcriptional profiling and the development of interventions to augment A3 function
Xenophobia in South Africa: the perspectives and experiences of African international students at the University of KwaZulu Natal (Pietermaritzburg campus).
No full textDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Xenophobia is a problematic issue that has affected the social, economic, and political atmosphere in South Africa. The end of apartheid and the new democratic status of South Africa have brought substantial economic, social, and political changes that continue to affect the issue of migration in the country. After the apartheid transition, South Africa faced an increase in its migrant population from African countries. A substantial rise in xenophobia and numerous attacks on foreigners have accompanied this increase in migration. This study examines the issue of xenophobia in South Africa based on the views and experiences of African international students at the University of KwaZulu Natal (PMB Campus). This study employs a qualitative approach to collect in-depth and personal experiences and views of African international students at UKZN. The study uses semi-structured interviews by interviewing a total of [33] participants, [17] African international students, [16] local students, and [1] representative from the international office. This study uses convenience, purposive, and snowball sampling techniques to recruit the participants, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected from the selected participants. This study adopts [4] theoretical frameworks due to the complex nature of xenophobia in South Africa; these include scapegoat theory, isolation hypothesis, biocultural hypothesis, and power conflict theory as the main analytical tools to examine the nature of xenophobia in South Africa and institutions of higher education based on the views and experiences of African international students at UKZN. The findings of the study revealed that the nature of xenophobia within institutions of higher education is covert xenophobia, which is a form of discrimination that is disguised and subtle rather than public or obvious. Covert xenophobia discriminates against African international students through often unnoticeable or seemingly passive methods, and it is expressed in xenophobic attitudes and discriminatory practices. It is not expressed in violent attacks like in the South African communities.
The study reveals that African international students experience xenophobia on campus through discrimination, institutional exclusion when seeking employment or scholarships/funding, stereotyping, language barrier, isolation and social exclusion from campus activities, and fear of reporting xenophobic practices. However, most of the participants stated that on campus is a much better space than the nature of xenophobia experienced off campus, which is more intense and violent in nature. The findings reveal that African international students face a high level of xenophobia off campus, especially in the healthcare sector, for example, in public hospitals and public clinics, in such a way that some choose to self-medicate to avoid going to clinics of hospitals. The study recommends that it is essential for universities and governments to address these issues by implementing policies and programs aimed at promoting integration, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Educational institutions such as UKZN should offer resources and support for students who experience xenophobia and actively work to create a safe and inclusive environment for all students, regardless of their background or nationality. This study recognizes that xenophobia in South Africa is a complex issue that transcends national boundaries. Therefore, the author advocates for a collective effort by African states to find sustainable solutions to this African problem. By highlighting the need for African nations to work together, the study positions itself as a proponent of African-based initiatives and interventions tailored to the unique socio-political landscape of the African continent. The study recommends that by fostering a sense of shared responsibility within Africa, the researcher encourages the development and implementation of strategies that reflect the various perspectives and experiences within Africa, eventually contributing to a united and effective response to the issue of xenophobia in South Africa and institutions of higher education such as UKZN
The role of black women in shaping Soweto's methodism (1950-2000): uncovering hidden narratives of black women in a racial society through feminist critical historiography.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.In the vibrant community of Soweto, where the rhythm of life pulses with resilience, the stories of our ancestors remain enduring beacons of survival. Yet, dominant historiographies of Southern African mainstream history and Christianity marginalise, misrepresent or erase the contributions of Black women, particularly within Methodist traditions. Despite comprising a significant majority and active participation in many Christian denominations, women’s historical roles and leadership in Soweto’s Methodism remain undervalued.
Since the late twentieth century, African feminist theologians and historians have made significant strides in highlighting and vocalising women’s theological and social agency. However, most studies approach Black Methodist women’s experiences from broad continental or national perspectives, leaving gaps in localised historical analyses. This study intends to address that gap by uncovering the hidden narratives of Black Methodist women in Soweto between 1950 and 2000. It critically examines how their spirituality, social agency, leadership, and resistance to apartheid and patriarchy shaped Methodism in this context - five decades of struggle, resistance, and transformation.
Guided by feminist critical historiography, the study draws on three oral history case studies- oral testimonies, archival materials, and church records to challenge historical erasure. The findings reveal that Black women in Soweto were not passive observers, but central figures whose presence, spiritual leadership, and talents drove the growth of Methodist congregations. Their persistent advocacy for justice contributed significantly to broader social transformation.
The novelty of this study lies in its explicit focus on local narratives, recognising these women as dynamic and unique agents of ecclesial, social, and political change. By applying feminist historiography to Soweto’s unique socio-political and religious landscape, the study contributes to the contemporary feminist theology and church leadership discourse. It calls upon scholars, ecclesiastics, and policymakers to acknowledge women’s integral contributions and to reimagine church history and leadership through more inclusive, just, and contextually grounded lenses
Hybrid development in bottle gourd [lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) standl.] for drought tolerance and economic traits.
No full textDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) is a drought-resilient cucurbit widely cultivated in
sub-Saharan Africa and Asia for diverse food, nutrition, and industry uses. Its fresh leaves and
fruits are consumed as vegetables, providing essential nutrients such as vitamins B, C, and E,
minerals, fiber, and amino acids. The seeds serve as a source of edible oil, dietary fiber, and
phytochemicals. Bottle gourd possesses significant genetic diversity, presenting opportunities
for developing high-yielding and drought-tolerant varieties. However, the crop remains underresearched,
primarily cultivated by small-scale farmers using unimproved landrace varieties,
resulting in low productivity. Therefore, the overall aim of this study was to develop highyielding
and drought-tolerant bottle gourd hybrids for commercialization in South Africa to
enhance food and nutrition welfare and provide market opportunities to growers.
The first part of the study quantified the concentrations of cucurbitacins in diverse
bottle gourd genotypes and appraised the relationship to drought tolerance. The contents of
cucurbitacins B, E, and I were quantified in leaves and roots of twelve preliminarily selected
bottle gourd accessions using high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry
(HPLC-MS). The contents of cucurbitacins B and I were enhanced under increased drought
intensity for accessions BG-48, BG-81, and GC. In all the leaf and root samples, cucurbitacin
E was not detectable. This study revealed that cucurbitacins B and I are novel biochemical
markers for screening drought tolerance in bottle gourd or related cucurbits.
In the second part of the study, 53 F1 hybrids were developed and field evaluated with
12 parental accessions under NS and DS conditions in two growing seasons using a 5 × 13 α-
lattice design with three replicates. Data were collected on fruit yield per plant (FYPP), seed
yield per plant (SYPP) and drought tolerance indices computed. Significant interactions were
detected among test genotypes and water regimes for FYPP and not for SYPP. Based on
tolerance indices fourteen single cross hybrids were identified as drought tolerant including
BG-27 × BG-31, BG-58 × BG-78, and BG-58 × BG-80. The newly-developed bottle gourd
hybrids are recommended for cultivation in drought-prone agro-ecologies in South Africa and
similar environments in SSA after multi-environment testing.
In the third part of the study, eight preliminarily selected and contrasting parents with
drought tolerance were crossed using a half-diallel mating design. The 8 parents and 28 hybrids
were evaluated under NS and DS conditions across two growing seasons. Data were collected
on fruit yield and related traits and subjected to analysis of variance and combining ability.
Significant (p < 0.05) specific combining ability (SCA) and general combining ability (GCA)
effects were recorded for fruit yield per plant (FYPP). The SCA × environment and GCA ×
environment interaction effects were highly significant (p < 0.001) for FYPP and SYPP. The
significant genotype × environment interactions suggest that genetic effects were affected by
the test environment, necessitating multi-location testing across South Africa before making
any recommendations for hybrid release. Parental genotypes BG-58 and GC recorded positive
and significant GCA effects for FYPP under the DS condition, whereas GC recorded positive
and significant GCA effects for FYPP under the NS condition. The two genotypes are ideal
breeding parents for population development to select genotypes with high fruit and seed
yields. Also, GCA was preponderant for FYPP, implying that selection-based breeding
strategies can be effectively employed to improve fruit yields. Crosses BG-52 × BG-79, BG-
80 × GC, and BG-70 × GC recorded high and positive SCA effects for FYPP and SYPP under
DS condition. Crosses BG-27 × GC, BG-52 × BG-79, BG-52 × BG-58 and BG-58 × BG-80
recorded high and positive SCA effects for FYPP and SYPP under NS condition. The F₁ hybrids
outperformed their parent in fruit yields, confirming the effectiveness of hybridisation for
improving bottle gourd performance. The newly selected families and superior ones must be
subjected to multi-environment evaluation for release and commercialization in South Africa
or similar agroecologies.
The fourth part of the study determined the genotype-by-environment interactions
(GEI) for fruit yield and related traits among eight selected F1 hybrids and four checks in five
contrasting environments of varying moisture conditions using a randomized complete block
design with three replications. Data were collected on days to 50% male flowering (DTMF)
and female flowering (DTFF), total number of fruits per hectare (TNFH) and fruit yield per
hectare (FYPH) and subjected to analysis of variance, additive main effects and multiplicative
interaction (AMMI) and genotype plus genotype-by-environment (GGE) biplot models. The
AMMI model revealed significant (p ≤ 0.001) effects of genotype (G), environment (E) and
GEI for the studied traits. The AMMI model explained a higher (96.30%) variation for TNFH,
of which G, E and GEI effects explained 49.88, 24.21 and 22.21% of the total variation,
respectively. The model ascribed variations of 12.36, 73.16 and 11.41% for FYPH attributable
to the G, E and GEI effects, in that order. The GGE biplot model explained 94.53 and 96.56%
variations for TFYPH and FYPH, respectively. The hybrids BG-58 × BG-80, and BG-52 × BG-
58 attained high and stable FYPH under both water-limited and irrigated conditions. The
identified hybrids are recommended for cultivation under rainfed and irrigated conditions in
South Africa. This study offered initial insights into GEI, but broader testing across diverse
locations in South Africa is recommended for more reliable conclusions.
Overall, the present study revealed that cucurbitacins B and I are the novel
biochemical markers for screening drought tolerance in bottle gourd. The study developed and
selected promising hybrids recommended for further testing in other provinces outside
Limpopo
The impact of oil price fluctuations on the South African exchange rate.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This study investigates the nature of the relationship and the effects of changes in oil prices on South Africa's exchange rate. It fills an essential gap in comprehending how oil price shocks influence emerging market economic dynamics. South Africa is heavily dependent on imported oil, with 90% of the country’s oil and petroleum needs coming from imported sources, and the exchange rate is overly sensitive to fluctuations in oil prices. Through the use of a Bayesian Vector Auto Regressive (BVAR) model, this study examines the connections in the period from 2000-2022 between oil prices, the South African Rand (ZAR), and key macroeconomic indicators, like the Consumer Price Index (CPI), interest rates, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The study finds that the initial oil price shock to exchange rates is weakly positive in the short run, reflecting a 1% increase in oil prices, leading to a 0.08% exchange rate appreciation. This response is, however, very short-lived, as after the initial shock, results reflect a negative relationship in the long run. The study also finds an asymmetrical relationship between oil prices and exchange rates. These effects become more pronounced when global uncertainty is at its peak. This study aligns with studies such as those by Korley and Giouvris (2022), which highlight how shifts in oil prices affect exchange rates through trade balance and inflation pressures. By incorporating the concept of asymmetry into the study, this research yields information on how vulnerable the Rand is to sudden increases in oil prices, providing essential data for policymakers. The findings have implications for shaping policies in South Africa. Exchange rate stability strategies could involve diversifying energy sources and introducing risk hedging methods while striving for stability through flexible monetary and fiscal policies. This research also adds to the ongoing conversation about the susceptibility of emerging market currencies to external pressures, serving as a reference point for examining comparable economies. This research enriches the existing body of knowledge by addressing methodological gaps and providing a contemporary analysis of South Africa's exchange rate dynamics in a post-crisis global economy
Investigating South Africa’s exposure to potential currency crises.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This study investigates South Africa's potential exposure to currency crises, aiming to identify effective economic indicators for anticipating such crises. Using annual data from 1994 to 2020, a probit model analysis and the Market Turbulence Index (MTI) are employed to facilitate this investigation. The results suggest that none of the 10 variables identified in empirical literature have predictive power in the South African context. The insignificant findings can be attributed to data frequency restrictions, as annual data was used instead of daily, weekly, or monthly data
due to limited public access to monthly statistics. The study concludes that the modelling approach employed may not be helpful for policymakers and central banks in predicting currency crises in South Africa. However, the use of higher frequency data and additional variables, such as political instability, may improve the significance and predictability of currency crises. Despite the insignificant results, the study highlights the potential adoption of the MTI in identifying crisis thresholds. With higher frequency data and more influential variables, this study can contribute significantly to the literature, particularly in a country like South Africa with a volatile economic climate
Religion as agency: the impact of curriculum structure and teaching approaches on student learning in introductory religion modules.
No full textDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.The approach to teaching Religious Studies (RS) in South African higher education has long been shaped by the World Religions Paradigm (WRP), a framework that categorises religious traditions into distinct, albeit often static entities. However, this pedagogical approach has been widely critiqued for its Eurocentric biases, lack of contextual relevance, and reinforcement of essentialist understandings of religion (Smith, 1978; Masuzawa, 2005; Owen, 2011; Fujiwara, 2016; Alberts, 2017). This study critically examines how RS is taught at tertiary level, specifically whether it fosters the students’ ability to engage critically with religious diversity, and explores alternative pedagogical approaches that may enhance and support student learning in a decolonial context. Drawing on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and framed within a constructivist pedagogical perspective, this research employs a mixed-methods approach to investigate the impact of different teaching methodologies on student engagement and learning outcomes. A comparative analysis of two consecutive cohorts of students—one taught using the WRP and the other through a thematic approach—highlights the pedagogical limitations of the former and the benefits of contextually relevant, student-centred learning. The study also incorporates insights
from academics at various South African universities, examining broader disciplinary trends and the challenges exposed through the process of curriculum transformation within RS.
The findings indicate that transitioning from the WRP to a thematic, comparative approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and religious literacy by enabling students to contextualise religious traditions within idiosyncratic historical, social, and lived experience frameworks. Moreover, this shift also aligns with broader decolonial imperatives, challenging dominant epistemologies and developing a more inclusive, reflexive, and dynamic study of religion. This study contributes to ongoing debates on curriculum transformation, pedagogical innovation, and the role of SoTL in RS. The study argues that the thematic approach not only facilitates student agency and intellectual growth but also offers a more sustainable and equitable model for teaching religion in South Africa’s diverse and often fragmented educational landscape