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Internal control systems and the compliance support structures of the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform
Full text linkThesis (Master of Internal Auditing)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019The non-compliance with the public finance management act, national treasury regulations, and internal financial controls hinder service delivery within most local government institutions. Consequently, the region is worse affected by sporadic service delivery protests. To prevent this, internal control units (ICU) were established within government departments. The establishment of ICUs is necessary as an essential internal control mechanism, as a monitoring tool, and ensuring compliance processes are upheld within the department. They also manage any risk of financial mismanagement of public funds. Against this background, this paper reports on compliance support structures of the ECDRDAR, as this department shares with district municipalities the role to develop rural communities.
This paper sought to establish factors that lead to non-compliance issues and their effect on financial management and service delivery in the mentioned department. This research study’s main objective was to determine the extent to which the management support to the ICU’s role could help to properly manage the government funds. The study employed a quantitative research cross-sectional survey method to investigate the effectiveness of the ICU’s role using a sample of 110 with valid interviewer-administered questionnaires. Data were collected from the finance employees of the department, which consisted of unit managers, their assistants, and internal control unit Directors.
This study employs several statistical techniques such as the descriptive statistic, correlation, and ANOVA to analyse the data from the survey. The survey results reflected that poor management communication about compliance procedures among finance employees, inadequate training, ICUs independence and objectivity, and lack of management support were the main deterrence to the effectiveness of the ICU. Based on the drawn conclusion, appropriate recommendations were suggested to assist the government departments to overcome non-compliance issues. Although the study provided some useful insights, it is also acknowledged that further research could employ larger sample sizes and other departments
The effectiveness of social media marketing strategies among microbreweries: a perceptual analysis
Full text linkThesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019Craft beer has taken a large interest within the liquor market in South Africa, hence there are microbreweries targeting this niche market and the competition is on the rise. The craft beer market is unique and requires different marketing to mass-produced beer, social media marketing has been on the rise and suites the user demographics of the craft beer drinker. With this study, the researcher will analyse the perceptions of the micro-brewers as to whether they perceive social media marketing techniques to be successful.
The data collection methods used in this research study were unstructured interviews one-one-one with the microbrewery owner, questionnaires which were distributed to the microbrewery employees for feedback and various case studies. The types of data analysis that has been utilized in this study are thematic analysis, content analysis and framework analysis - charts will be utilized to create a visual representation of the data as well as mapping and interpretation.
The recommendations for the microbrewery provided by the were the following:
Adopt a social media marketing strategy plan
Have a dedicated employee focusing on content creation and management of social media applications
Microbrewery owners to gain a deeper understanding of social media and acquire the skills to be able to market effectively
Make use of multiple social media applications
Staff should be more involved and have an understanding of the business social media footprint
The findings will assist brewers who are not yet informed of social media marketing and assist those who will enter the market in the future. This research will also assist future procedures and decisions with planning and implementing more superior marketing strategies with a focus on social media.
The study found that microbreweries have a positive perception of social media marketing and that the major benefit of it is low costs. The research also concluded that Facebook is the most effective social media platform and that microbreweries prefer social media marketing in comparison to traditional marketing strategies
The risks of outsourcing services at selected facility management companies in Cape Town
Full text linkThesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019The outsourcing of facility management services has become increasingly competitive and success now depends on companies’ ability to assess and manage risks of low employee morale, intellectual property right, legal, increased costs, unrealistic savings projections and reputational damage successfully. This paper examined outsourcing risks at selected facility management companies in Cape Town.
Previous study identifies loss of control, cost and life cycle impact and time inefficiency as anecdotal evidence of outsourcing risks. In the facility management sector, the identification and management of risks have begun to shift progressively from external to internal – like resource and capability management and the strengthening of internal control mechanism. This quantitative study utilised self-administered questionnaire to collect data from 142 randomly selected respondents; employees of participating facility management companies in Cape Town.
The paper found that top 6 risks ranked from the highest are information security, legal, ethics/compliance, contractual, financial and economic. The higher end of the mean scoring indicates a greater emphasis on controllable (internal) risks, with 4 out of the top 6 ranked items identified within the internal risks’ category.
This research provides insight to understand outsourcing, risks of outsourcing and risk assessment techniques with emphasis on internal risk management. The examination of outsourcing risks enables companies to understand risk assessment, evaluation and mitigation requirements and categorisation for successful management of risks associated with the outsourcing of facility management services
The role of self-regulation in the development of computer literacy at a vocational college in the Western Cape
Full text linkThesis (MEd (Learning and skills))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019In TVET colleges, in the Business faculty students’ need to be computer literate in order pass and graduate. All the students in the Business Faculty at a TVET college in the Western Cape of South Africa have a subject Computer Practice, which is a practical subject where they learn the basics about computers and develop computer literacy.
The key concern in this study is to determine how self-regulation can explain why some participants have high computer literacy and others have low computer literacy. Participants in this study are not familiar with personal computers and this in turn has a negative impact on student’s learning at the TVET college.
The importance of self-regulated learning (SRL) is emphasised by the importance of developing not only subject knowledge, but higher-order thinking skills, critical thinking skills and life-long learning, so that students are able to prepare themselves for an ever-changing world. SRL can also refer to the degree to which students are proactive and responsible participants of their own learning process.
In order to o address the research questions, the researcher made use of a sequential explanatory mixed-method design. The quantitative phase was first conducted and allowed the researcher to investigate the phenomenon of self-regulation in the participants’ computer literacy skills, in a vocational college and then a qualitative phase followed in order to explain the phenomena identified in the quantitative phase.
The results of this study indicate that self-regulation can help to explain why some participants have high computer literacy and others have low computer literacy. Both groupings were able to engage successfully in task analysis skills and have the ability to use and set goals, they make use of the skill of strategic planning, especially with regards to time management and planning, although low computer literates tend to rely on the lecturer more. Furthermore, both cohorts are able to use self-recording strategies by checking their notes, taking notes, keeping track of things and asking for help. They are also both able to engage in self-evaluation and check their goals. But where self-regulation is able to explain the differing levels of computer literacy is in the self-reaction phase. Here there is a difference between what high computer literates do. High computer literates are able to try new things, work things out for themselves, try different strategies if they do not achieve their goals and are able to work on their own. Low computer literates on the other hand always tend to ask for help rather than react independently and state that trying harder might produce a different result. High computer literates therefor engage in adaptive self-reaction. There were other issues that came to the fore in this study that are not related to self-regulation and could help explain why the participants have such low levels of computer literacy. What the computer literacy test and interviews showed is that the participants do not understand exactly what computer literacy entails, that they are governed by fear of computers and that many of them do not have personal computers on which to practice. Furthermore, 80% of the population are being taught in a language that is not their home language. Language issues have come to the fore in this study, as the participants have indicated that they often do not understand what is expected of them.
In conclusion, it is extremely important to be computer literate because computers have become part of our everyday lives. For students to have a successful academic learning outcome, prime factors such as self-efficacy, commitment and self-regulation strategies are needed. Together with these prime factors, the input and support from the educator would also lead to promoting academic achievements and life-long learning
Tthe effect of Kaizen-based training on the work-readiness of graduates from South African universities of technology
No full textThesis (DEd (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019Universities, particularly those that offer vocationally-oriented programmes, aspire to increased student employment rates; while students in vocational education have expectations with regard to their employment prospects in their chosen fields. Concerns about graduate unemployment in the University of Technology sector in South Africa has led the sector to engage in collaborative, international interventions with the intention to enhance students’ work-readiness. The focus of this study is a kaizen-based short course, known as the ‘Employability Improvement Programme’ (EIP), an initiative between the South African Department of Higher Education and Training, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and South African Universities of Technology, with the intention to equip students with work-readiness skills and dispositions that are valued by employers. While potential employers generally regard University of Technology graduates as being technically competent, they have expressed concerns about students’ work-readiness in terms of their inter-personal skills, as well as their internalisation of work-related values, including professional ethics.
The literature on work-readiness was drawn on to develop a conceptual framework for work-readiness in technical and vocational fields. The conceptual framework, that is, ‘the main things to be studied – the key factors, concepts or variables – and the presumed relationship among them’ (Miles & Huberman, 1994: 18) provided the key indicators by which the EIP was evaluated. The study also developed a theoretical framework based on Legitimation Code Theory’s ‘Specialization’ dimension (Maton, 2014: 29-33). The Specialization dimension includes the concept of ‘gazes’. The idea of the gaze, which is more commonly applied in fields related to the Arts and Humanities, was extended for application in technical and vocational education. The gaze of the technical practitioner is a ‘trained gaze’, but this gaze is insufficient for work-readiness. Drawing on concepts of work-readiness and the theory of specialised ‘gazes’, this thesis studied the effect of the EIP curriculum, pedagogy and spatial affordances across a range of technical and vocational fields. The evaluation methodology assessed the curriculum, pedagogy and spatial affordances the programme against a framework of abilities and dispositions that could enhance their future work-readiness.
The findings of the study revealed that participants displayed some features of work-readiness following completion of the EIP, but found that the short course was insufficient to address all work-readiness factors. The thesis thus shows that a short course has a limited ability to extend the trained gaze of the technical student to encompass work-readiness, and argues that longer-term, more integrated forms of training are necessary to expand the technical gaze of the University of Technology student towards work-readiness
Biochemical processes for Balsamic-styled vinegar engineering
Full text linkThesis (PhD (Chemical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019The South African wine industry is constantly facing several challenges which affect the quality of wine, the local/global demand and consequently the revenue generated. These challenges include the ongoing drought, bush fires, climate change and several liquor amendment bills aimed at reducing alcohol consumption and alcohol outlets in South Africa. It is therefore critical for the wine industry to expand and find alternative ways in which sub-standard or surplus wine grapes can be used to prevent income losses and increase employment opportunities. Traditional Balsamic Vinegar (TBV) is a geographically and legislative protected product produced only in a small region in Italy. However, the methodology can be used to produce similar vinegars in other regions. Balsamic-styled vinegar (BSV), as defined in this thesis, is a vinegar produced by partially following the methods of TBV while applying process augmentation techniques. Balsamic-styled vinegar is proposed to be a suitable product of sub-standard quality or surplus wine grapes in South Africa. However, the production of BSV necessitates the use of cooked (high sugar) grape must which is a less favourable environment to the microorganisms used during fermentation. Factors that negatively affect the survival of the microorganisms include low water activity due to the cooking, high osmotic pressure and high acidity. To counteract these effects, methods to improve the survival of the non-Saccharomyces yeasts and acetic acid bacteria used are essential.
The primary aim of this study was to investigate several BSV process augmentation techniques such as, aeration, agitation, cell immobilization, immobilized cell reusability and oxygen mass transfer kinetics in order to improve the performance of the microbial consortium used during BSV production.
The work for this study was divided into four (4) phases. For all the phases a microbial consortium consisting of non-Saccharomyces yeasts (n=5) and acetic acid bacteria (n=5) was used. Inoculation of the yeast and bacteria occurred simultaneously. The 1st phase of the study entailed evaluating the effect of cells immobilized by gel entrapment in Ca-alginate beads alongside with free-floating cells (FFC) during the production of BSV. Two Ca-alginate bead sizes were tested i.e. small (4.5 mm) and large (8.5 mm) beads to evaluate the effects of surface area or bead size on the overall acetification rates. Ca-alginate beads and FFC fermentations were also evaluated under static and agitated (135 rpm) conditions. The 2nd phase of the study involved studying the cell adsorption technique for cell immobilization which was carried-out using corncobs (CC) and oak wood chips (OWC), while comparing to FFC fermentations. At this phase of the study, other vinegar bioreactor parameters such as agitation and aeration were studied in contrast to static fermentations. One agitation setting (135 rpm) and two aeration settings were tested i.e. high (0.3 vvm min−1) and low (0.15 vvm min−1) aeration conditions. Furthermore, to assess the variations in cell adsorption capabilities among individual yeast and AAB cells, the quantification of cells adsorbed on CC and OWC prior- and post-fermentation was conducted using the dry cell weight method.
The 3rd phase of the study entailed evaluating the reusability abilities of all the matrices (small Ca-alginate beads, CC and OWC) for successive fermentations. The immobilized cells were evaluated for reusability on two cycles of fermentation under static conditions. Furthermore, the matrices used for cell immobilization were further analysed for structure integrity by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after the 1st cycle of fermentations. The 3rd phase of the study also involved the sensorial (aroma and taste) evaluations of the BSV’s obtained from the 1st cycle of fermentation in order to understand the sensorial effects of the Ca-alginate beads, CC and OWC on the final BSV. The 4th phase of the study investigated oxygen mass transfer kinetics during non-aerated and aerated BSV fermentation. The dynamic method was used to generate several dissolved oxygen profiles at different stages of the fermentation. Consequently, the data obtained from the dynamic method was used to compute several oxygen mass transfer parameters, these include oxygen uptake rate ( 2 ), the stoichiometric coefficient of oxygen consumption vs acid yield (/), the oxygen transfer rate (2 ), and the volumetric mass transfer coefficients (). During all the phases of the study samples were extracted on weekly intervals to evaluate pH, sugar, salinity, alcohol and total acidity using several analytical instruments. The 4th phase of the study involved additional analytical tools, i.e. an oxygen µsensor to evaluate dissolved oxygen and the ‘Speedy breedy’ to measure the respiratory activity of the microbial consortium used during fermentation.
The data obtained from the 1st phase of the study demonstrated that smaller Ca-alginate beads resulted in higher (4.0 g L-1 day−1) acetification rates compared to larger (3.0 g L-1 day−1) beads, while freely suspended cells resulted in the lowest (0.6 g L-1 day−1) acetification rates. The results showed that the surface area of the beads had a substantial impact on the acetification rates when gel entrapped cells were used for BSV fermentation. The 2nd phase results showed high acetification rates (2.7 g L-1 day−1) for cells immobilized on CC in contrast to cells immobilized on OWC and FFC, which resulted in similar and lower acetification rates. Agitated fermentations were unsuccessful for all the treatments (CC, OWC and FFC) studied. Agitation was therefore assumed to have promoted cell shear stress causing insufficient acetification during fermentations. Low aerated fermentations resulted in better acetification rates between 1.45–1.56 g L-1 day−1 for CC, OWC and FFC. At a higher aeration setting, only free-floating cells were able to complete fermentations with an acetification rate of 1.2 g L-1 day−1. Furthermore, the adsorption competence data showed successful adsorption on CC and OWC for both yeasts and AAB with variations in adsorption efficiencies, whereby OWC displayed a lower cell adsorption capability compared to CC. On the other hand, OWC were less efficient adsorbents due to their smooth surface, while the rough surface and porosity of CC led to improved adsorption and, therefore, enhanced acetification rates. The 3rd phase results showed a substantial decline in acetification rates on the 2nd cycle of fermentations when cells immobilized on CC and OWC were reused. While cells entrapped in Ca-alginate beads were able to complete the 2nd cycle of fermentations at reduced acetification rates compared to the 1st cycle of fermentations. The sensory results showed positive ratings for BSV’s produced using cells immobilized in Ca-alginate beads and CC. However, BSV’s produced using OWC treatments were neither ‘liked nor disliked’ by the judges. The SEM imaging results further showed a substantial loss of structural integrity for Ca-alginate beads after the 1st cycle fermentations, with minor changes in structural integrity of CC being observed after the 1st cycle fermentations. OWC displayed the same morphological structure before and after the 1st cycle fermentations which was attributed to their robustness. Although Ca-alginate beads showed a loss in structural integrity, it was still assumed that Ca-alginate beads provided better protection against the harsh environmental conditions in contrast to CC and OWC adsorbents due to the acetification rates obtained on both cycles. The 4th phase data obtained from the computations showed that non-aerated fermentations had a higher /, 2 , 2 and a higher . It was clear that aerated fermentations had a lower aeration capacity due to an inappropriate aeration system design and an inappropriate fermentor. Consequently, aeration led to several detrimental biochemical changes in the fermentation medium thus affecting and several oxygen mass transfer parameters which serve as a driving force.
Overall, it was concluded that the best method for BSV production is the use of cells entrapped in small alginate beads or cells adsorbed on CC under static and non-aerated fermentations. This conclusion was based on several factors such as cell affinity/cell protection, acetification rates, fermentation period and sensorial contributions. However, cells entrapped in Ca-alginate beads had the highest acetification rates. The oxygen mass transfer computations demonstrated a high when Ca-alginate beads were used under static-non-aerated conditions compared to fermentations treated with CC. Therefore, a fermentor with a high aeration capacity needs to be designed to best suit the two BSV production systems (Ca-alginate beads and CC). It is also crucial to develop methods which can increase the robustness of Ca-alginate beads in order to improve cell retention and reduce the loss of structural integrity for subsequent cycles of fermentation. Studies to define parameters used for upscaling the BSV production process for large scale productions are also crucial
A land-based hf transmitter for ionospheric propagation studies using superdarn radars
Full text linkThesis (MEng (Electrical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019The goal of this project is to design, build and characterize a low power High Frequency (HF) transmitter. The transmitter will be installed and operated in Antarctica to establish a beacon at the South Pole station to be received by the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radar installed at SANAE IV. The transmitter is specified and designed to transmit at 12.57 MHz (continuous wave) from the South Pole. It must achieve a frequency drift of 41.8_mHz or better. The transmitter must operate normally under extremely low temperature conditions down to -40°C. The transmitted wave will be refracted by the ionosphere and received by the SuperDARN radar at SANAE IV. The ground distance between the HF transmitter and the radar is approximately 2000 km. The goal of the experiment is to form a bi-static radar configuration in order to study the ionosphere, especially travelling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs), which are signatures of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs). A 25 dBm transmitter prototype was developed using a GPS disciplined oscillator in order to achieve the frequency stability required for this project. The HF transmitter proved to conform to the power and frequency stability requirements both during propagation tests conducted between Hermanus (34.4241° S, 19.2247° E) and Pretoria (34.0558° S, 18.4589° E) in South Africa, as well as when the device was exposed to temperatures that ranged from +40°C to -45°C. Although the antenna design was beyond the scope of this project, various determinations and considerations are presented in the link budget analysis, which have been confirmed during field tests. Therefore, certain recommendations on the antenna design are given. Propagation in Antarctica is expected to differ from the field tests conducted due to the differences in density and dynamics of the polar ionosphere, compared to the mid-latitude ionosphere
Fault ride-through capability of multi-pole permanent magnet synchronous generator for wind energy conversion system
Full text linkThesis (MEng (Electrical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019Wind has become one of the renewable energy technologies with the fastest rate of growth. Consequently, global wind power generating capacity is also experiencing a tremendous increase. This tendency is expected to carry on as time goes by, with the continuously growing energy demand, the rise of fossil fuels costs combined to their scarcity, and most importantly pollution and climate change concerns. However, as the penetration level increases, instabilities in the power system are also more likely to occur, especially in the event of grid faults. It is therefore necessary that wind farms comply with grid code requirements in order to prevent power system from collapsing. One of these requirements is that wind generators should have fault ride-through (FRT) capability, that is the ability to not disconnect from the grid during a voltage dip. In other words, wind turbines must withstand grid faults up to certain levels and durations without completely cutting off their production. Moreover, a controlled amount of reactive power should be supplied to the grid in order to support voltage recovery at the connection point.
Variable speed wind turbines are more prone to achieve the FRT requirement because of the type of generators they use and their advanced power electronics controllers. In this category, the permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) concept seems to be standing out because of its numerous advantages amongst which its capability to meet FRT requirements compared to other topologies. In this thesis, a 9 MW grid connected wind farm model is developed with the aim to achieve FRT according to the South African grid code specifications. The wind farm consists of six 1.5 MW direct-driven multi-pole PMSGs wind turbines connected to the grid through a fully rated, two-level back-to-back voltage source converter. The model is developed using the Simpowersystem component of MATLAB/Simulink. To reach the FRT objectives, the grid side controller is designed in such a way that the system can inject reactive current to the grid to support voltage recovery in the event of a grid low voltage. Additionally, a braking resistor circuit is designed as a protection measure for the power converter, ensuring by the way a safe continuous operation during grid disturbance
Anaerobic digestion of high strength wastewater in high rate anaerobic bioreactor systems: case of Poultry Slaughterhouse Wastewater (PSW)
Full text linkThesis (PhD (Chemical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019Considering global and local challenges such as water scarcity, the pollution of surface water, the proliferation of water-borne diseases, and levies imposed by municipal Councils to industries for the discharge of untreated wastewater, it becomes essential for industries to select and implement enhanced wastewater treatment strategies geared towards reducing the concentration of contaminants and benefiting from the organic content of their effluent, if applicable and depending on the selected treatment process. An interesting option for the treatment of organic-laden wastewater, such as poultry slaughterhouse wastewater (PSW), is high rate anaerobic digestion. The latter has become popular since the development of configurations aimed at promoting a long solid retention time (SRT) for short hydraulic retention times.
This thesis elaborates on the treatment of poultry slaughterhouses effluent with three high rate anaerobic bioreactors systems (HRABS), including the Down-flow Expanded Granular Bed Reactor (DEGBR), the Expanded Granular Sludge Bed (EGSB) reactor, and the Static Granular Bed Reactor (SGBR). Moreover, it motivates the selection of HRABS for the treatment of PSW, after discussing different processing options for the conversion of different poultry slaughterhouses solid wastes into marketable by-products. Before selecting these HRABS, the PSW was analyzed, characterized and specific key water quality assessment parameters (tCOD, BOD5, and FOG) were correlated towards the reduction of cost, time, and chemical waste generated from these analyses. Subsequently, to ensure conducive operation in down-flow HRABS (DEGBR and SGBR) relying on the support of an underdrain system to enable the retention of the required anaerobic biomass and the steady circulation of the HRABS’ effluent, some packing materials (white pebbles, pea gravel, small-sized pumice stones, Ceramic marbles, and medium-sized pumice stones) were selected and evaluated. These were initially selected based on their inertness, affordability, and availability. Additionally, further suitability assessment parameters were defined and used for the selection of the most suitable packing material for the underdrain system. These parameters included their porosity, their permeability, their anaerobic sludge retention capacity, and their induced pressure loss. The medium-sized pumice stones showed the best suitability for the underdrain system with the lowest induced pressure loss, and the highest permeability, porosity and anaerobic sludge retention capacity.
The selection of the most suitable packing material led to the operation and the assessment of the DEGBR, which showed a good performance for the treatment of PSW, with tCOD, BOD5, and TSS average removal percentages >95%, and a FOG average removal percentage of 93.67 ± 4.51%, for an organic loading rate varying between 1.1 to 38.9 gCOD/L.day. Subsequently, the performance of the SGBR and EGSB was also investigated for the treatment of PSW. The EGSB also provided good results with 99.1%, 99.5%, and 97%, for the removal of tCOD, BOD5 and FOG, respectively. At last, the SGBR achieved tCOD, BOD5 and FOG percentage removal of 97.6%, 99.2%, and 97.7%, respectively. This good performance of down-flow HRABS led to recourse to the modified Stover-Kincannon and the Grau Second-order kinetic models for the prediction of the DEGBR and the SGBR, as well as their plant footprint. This study provided the best prediction of the performance of the down-flow HRABS with the modified Stover-Kincannon model
The influence of a green building concept on the value of a building
Full text linkThesis (Master of Construction (Construction Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019This study examines the influence of a green building concept on the value of a building. Comprehensive literature was carefully reviewed to provide an overview on the concept of green building and its influence on the value of a building, subject to its overall benefits in South Africa. Several studies have been conducted giving guidelines for the determination of the best capitalisation rates needed for valuing green building properties. However, the information is still inadequate in providing evidence of the relationship between green building features and its influence on the value of a building, leaving most buildings with green features undervalued. This is a peculiar concern this research seeks to bring to notice and with its limited scope proffer possible recommendations and conclusions.
A quantitative approach was adopted, facilitating the collection of data through the use of a questionnaire survey that involved randomly selected construction professionals in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The motive behind the adoption of the quantitative method is to facilitate a reliable manner of satisfying the established aim and objectives for determining current practices in valuing green buildings. The above description paved the way for the use of theoretical, statistical and mathematical techniques for computation and interpretation of data to support objective reasoning and measures.
Data was analysed with the application of descriptive and inferential statistical analysis tools, wherein the mean values and one-way analysis of variance were carefully determined.
The findings demonstrate that the benefits of green building are critical for enhancing a building’s value. The benefits are divided into tangible and intangible benefits to classify impact on a building value. The classification of the impact cut across reduction of the consumption of energy and water, lowering operating cost and developing flexible design options. Some of the significant features of the green building include water metering, a photovoltaic solar panel system, electrical sub-metering, high performance building façade and skylight and borehole water. Further findings indicate that kitchen and water-closet (WC) water efficient fittings is ranked highest with a mean value (MV) of 3.91, followed by megawatt photovoltaic solar plant with an MV of 3.79, and water metering for monitoring and leak detection with an MV of 3.74. In light of the MVs, it is evident that these features significantly influence the value of a green building. Subsequently, the features are classified as: eco-friendly materials and energy conservation feature; water saving and renewable energy feature; safety feature; natural day light and control feature; sun shade and light feature; water management and flooring feature, and special utility feature. Information as gathered in the study demonstrate that the current practices engaged in valuing green building projects do not specifically differ among construction participants, although the perceptions of construction professionals regarding the most significant green building features that enhance the value of a building is on the average.
Modalities towards promoting the concept and value of green building require resolute actions that should be implemented by the Green Building Council of South Africa. This concerns the creation of new growth strategies to escalate the awareness and implementation of a green building concept. Based on the benefits and significant features of green building, as determined through respondent affirmatives, this study broadens the view of construction professionals on the influence of a green building concept on the value of a building in South Africa