Research Output Repository (HSRC)
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Critical reflections on designing an online survey in a decolonial research project
No full textDiscussions of the decolonization of quantitative methods have often been overlooked in recent debates. Using Chilisa’s integrative and adaptive methodological framework, we provide a critically reflexive account of the design process of an online multi-lingual survey that sought to unpack pluriversal understandings of democracy
in South Africa. The article describes the process we developed to surface the latent assumptions of mainstream survey instruments measuring the understanding of democracy across Africa, and how we used this to inform the development of our own survey instrument. Reflecting on the relative strengths and weaknesses of this approach, we also consider the role of translation as an epistemic exercise. In turn, this leads us to question the epistemic and cultural assumptions that are embedded in the Likert scale and how uncritical adaptation may undermine decolonial intentions. By sharing these insights, we hope to expand the discussion of the decolonization of quantitative methods.
Exploring factors affecting the decision-making process among adolescents and youth in KwaZulu-Natal in accessing and utilising sexual reproductive health services
No full textDespite improved access to sexual and reproductive health services, uptake among adolescents and young people remains low. Supporting their decision-making and addressing barriers to service use is critical to improving HIV prevention, reducing sexually transmitted infections, improving treatment outcomes, and preventing early pregnancies. This analysis explored factors influencing participants sexual and reproductive health service use decisions in a study conducted between June and August 2023 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes: (1) cues to seeking sexual and reproductive health services; (2) social influences; (3) clinic experiences; and (4) perceived effort of accessing services. Most participants sought services reactively—after sex—due to concerns about potential negative outcomes, rather than proactively. Social influences and clinic experiences shaped how the effort versus the benefit of using services was evaluated. When the perceived effort outweighed the anticipated benefits, participants often avoided services. Understanding the decision process is essential for designing more responsive, user-centred programmes interventions to improve SRH service uptake among peoples.
Biko's edge: reimagining black critique
No full textTendayi Sithole shows just how original and radical Steve Biko's (1946–1977) thinking really was.
Sithole's Black Critique approach highlights how Biko's work tears apart comfortable liberal assumptions and forces us to think in new ways, to push boundaries and question what we take for granted. A focus of his analysis is what he calls Biko's generativity — how the South African activist's ideas keep sparking fresh insights and fresh challenges to conventional wisdom.
Examining Biko's edgy ideas of power and resistance, Sithole provides new insights into struggles in South Africa over land ownership, media control, shared resources, and even the historical record.
Tendayi Sithole is professor of political science at the University of South Africa.
Impact of COVID-19 on household hunger and socio-economic inequality in South Africa: a comparative analysis using NIDS-CRAM (2020-2021) and NFNSS 2022 data
No full textFood insecurity is a persistent socio-economic challenge in South Africa that was sharply exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study compares household hunger during the acute pandemic period and the early recovery phase and examines how socio-economic inequalities in food security evolved. We analyzed five waves of the National Income Dynamics Study—Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM, 2020–2021) and the National Food and Nutrition Security Survey (NFNSS, 2022). A harmonized 7-day household hunger indicator was recoded as “no household hunger” and modeled using survey-weighted logistic regression. Socio-economic-related inequality in being hunger-free was assessed using the Erreygers Concentration Index and decomposition analysis, with sensitivity checks for alternative socio-economic status (SES) specifications and model diagnostics. Hunger peaked at 26.47% in Wave 1 of NIDS-CRAM and declined to 16.07% by Wave 5, before falling to 8.19% in NFNSS. Improvements were uneven; several provinces, notably the Northern Cape, Free State and North West, remained comparatively food insecure. Across all waves and NFNSS, higher SES was strongly associated with a lower risk of hunger, and living in informal or traditional dwellings and larger household size were consistently associated with a higher risk of hunger. Erreygers indices were positive in all periods, indicating pro-rich inequality in food security that intensified during the pandemic and narrowed only modestly post-pandemic, with SES the dominant contributor. Although household hunger declined below pandemic peaks, the recovery in food security has been unequal and remains strongly patterned by socio-economic status and place, underscoring the need for structural, equity-focused policy responses.
Building resilient agricultural systems: strategies for food security in a changing climate
No full textPaper presented at the U.S. Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium, Dakar, Senegal, 2-4 Februar
Tracing informality in food systems and sectors: what does informality mean for a unified One Food approach?
No full textCommissioned by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, MarchThis report therefore provides four key contributions to enhancing the understanding of informality in food systems. Firstly, it emphasises the pervasive role of institutional governance, illustrating its significance in influencing food systems and determining the inclusion or exclusion of marginalised participants. Second, it challenges the sidelining of institutional governance in the prevailing quantitative methods that emphasise measurement rather than the governance and socio-political factors influencing informality. Third, it introduces local open livelihood systems as a better conceptual framework for grasping food systems informality, highlighting their adaptability, community-based governance, and connection with formal value chains. Finally, it applies the local open livelihood systems perspective to show how food consumption mechanisms and channels are influenced to link to informal practices like fishing, intra-household consumption, street food consumption, and food waste exhibit interconnected pathways. The report is divided into five sections. The introduction is the first section and contextualises the report. Section 2 critically evaluates existing definitions of informality and their conceptual underpinnings. Section 3 offers a comprehensive and critical review of the conceptualisation and meanings of informality and offers a new conceptual understanding of informality in food value chains. Section 4 provides illustrative examples of informality within the food value chains. Section 5 concludes and provides recommendations that include potential future research on informality in food systems.N/
The impact of technology facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) on vulnerable groups
No full textPaper presented at the launch of the Statement of Commitment and Call to Action on Safeguarding Journalists Against Online Harms, 20 OctoberNo description available.N/
A qualitative study assessing the acceptability of a multi-agent AI Chatbot for providing HIV and mental health support among men who have sex with men and transgender women in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
No full textTransgender women (TGW) and men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and mental health challenges. Mental well-being influences uptake and adherence to HIV prevention and treatment. However, gaps in mental health service delivery present challenges for scalability in public health systems. Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven chatbots may offer a novel, scalable solution to expand access to mental health support. This qualitative study was conducted at the Aurum POP INN clinic in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. A multi-agent AI chatbot, designed to simulate supportive counselling based on the Inuka model, was piloted with TGW and MSM. Ten participants engaged in in-depth interviews after interacting with the chatbot. An additional 34 participants experienced both chatbot and in-person counselling through a randomised crossover design and then participated in four focus group discussions. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and the Acceptability of Healthcare Interventions Framework guided the analysis. The chatbot was generally acceptable, with participants valuing its privacy, convenience and human- like interaction. Acceptability was enhanced by associations with modernity and anonymity. Trust, usability and accessibility improved engagement. Key barriers included slow response times, limited rapport and repetitive messaging. AI chatbots offer a promising, scalable approach to supporting mental health among key populations in HIV care.
White gold and thirsty communities: the cold war, apartheid, and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project
No full textThe Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) does not sell water. Rather, it sells gravity.1 Put another way, it sells the difference in altitude between the Lesotho highlands and the Vaal River watershed.2 Let me explain.
The LHWP transfers water impounded behind massive dams along the Orange/Senqu River and its tributaries in northern Lesotho. The project constructed a massive series of tunnels to take the water under the Maluti
Mountains and the Caledon/Mohokare River, depositing it in the Ash River. From there, it flows into the Vaal and hence into the homes of Gauteng residents fortunate enough to have access to piped water. While South Africa
transfers a large sum of money every month to Lesotho because of this project, the government is not paying for the water, per se. Rather, South Africa pays Lesotho to host the dam and tunnel infrastructure. They pay
a premium on the water because it is cheaper to have water impounded in Lesotho than in South Africa. See, the water that starts in the high mountains of Lesotho would naturally run downhill, emerging from Lesotho where
the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces meet, where it will, according to international water law, belong to South Africa.
Co-production of an evidence map of engaged research
No full textCommissioned by the Department of Science, Technology and InnovationThe National Development Plan (NDP) highlights the critical role of science, technology, and innovation in tackling South Africa’s pressing social challenges. Researchers are increasingly encouraged to focus on producing research and innovation outcomes that are ethically sound, sustainable, and aligned with societal needs and values. Engaged research has emerged as a key framework to achieve this, emphasising collaborative and participatory knowledge co-creation between researchers and stakeholders such as communities, civil society, government agencies, industry, and the public. This approach contrasts with traditional research methods by fostering continuous engagement throughout the research cycle, which enhances the relevance, uptake, and societal impact of research. A central driver of this shift towards engaged research is the growing emphasis on research impact — ensuring that research investments yield tangible benefits to society by influencing products, processes, services, and public issues. Engaged research facilitates this by enabling co-production of knowledge, where stakeholders are involved in shaping research questions, methods, and interpretations, thus ensuring readiness to apply the findings. The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) are committed to advancing engaged research within South Africa’s National System of Innovation (NSI). However, efforts have often been fragmented. To address this, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has launched the Mainstreaming Engaged Research through the NSI project, aimed at developing a cohesive strategy to promote and integrate engaged research within the NSI. The project consists of two connected streams of work.N/