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A theory and outcome evaluation of the Allan Gray Orbis foundation's association programme
Full text linkEntrepreneurship is increasingly recognised as a viable strategy for addressing persistent socio-economic challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and inequality— particularly in developing countries where state resources are often insufficient to foster a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem. In response, various initiatives have emerged to cultivate entrepreneurship through targeted education, training and support. This research presents a theory- and outcome-based evaluation of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation's Association Programme (AP), a South African initiative aimed at nurturing entrepreneurial capacity among youth. The theory evaluation investigated the extent to which the AP's underlying programme theory is supported by empirical evidence, with the goal of refining its theoretical model. Concurrently, the outcome evaluation assessed the effectiveness of the programme in achieving its intended outcomes and in contributing to meaningful change among its participants. A qualitative research design was employed for both evaluations, with the Success Case Method (SCM) adapted and integrated into the outcome evaluation. For the theory evaluation, seven experienced entrepreneurs (each with over 10 years of entrepreneurial experience) were interviewed, and findings were triangulated with existing literature to assess theoretical alignment. The outcome evaluation involved in-depth interviews with sixteen programme fellows. According to the findings of the theory evaluation, participation in the Entrepreneurship Development Pathway along with capital support and networking skills lead to the establishment and scaling of socially responsible high impact businesses. The fellows that had engaged with the AP had started businesses and/or were practicing intrapreneurship, as per the findings of the outcome evaluation. Those who had started businesses were able to access funding through E-squared, the Foundation's impact investor partner, but were met with some challenges in obtaining the capital. Findings from both evaluations offer insights into the design, implementation, and impact of the AP, contributing to broader discussions on entrepreneurship development in resource-constrained contexts
How can emerging technology remedy the deficiency in robust enforcement mechanisms for digital copyright infringement within the South African music industry?
Full text linkThis dissertation examines the deficiency in robust enforcement mechanisms for digital copyright infringement within the South African music industry, which constant technology developments have worsened. The emergence of technology has been a dual-edged sword for the music industry. While it empowers musicians to reach vast consumers, it simultaneously simplifies and accelerates unwarranted copying, access, and reproduction of copyrighted material. Consequently, protecting intellectual property rights has become strenuous due to the rapid increase of file-sharing systems, therefore, prompting a dire need for modernised solutions. The principal purpose of this research is to explore how emerging technologies can assist in reinforcing enforcement mechanisms and analyse the deficiencies in the South African music industry context. This study utilises a desk research method examining emerging technologies and their association with the enforcement of copyrights in the music industry. Technologies such as Digital audio watermarking, Blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, digital audio fingerprinting, and machine learning will be examined in this paper, and how these emerging technologies can potentially establish robust enforcement mechanisms. In particular, the findings of this research reveal the dual role of technology that enables digital copyright infringement, which presents a substantial threat to the protection of copyright, however, emerging technology can be tactically employed to address the enforcement challenges, and the need for Copyright laws to be at par with technological advancements. This dissertation provides informative and valuable awareness of the relationship between merging technology and enforcement mechanisms within the context of the South African music industry and how this relationship can foster an environment that upholds copyright works and affords musicians the recognition and financial incentive they deserve
Genetics of Waardenburg Syndrome in Africa: A Systematic Review
Full text linkWaardenburg syndrome (WS) represents a group of genetic conditions characterized by auditory and pigmentation defects. Pathogenic variants in PAX3, MITF, SOX10, EDN3, EDNRB, SNAI2, and KITLG genes have been associated with WS across multiple populations; a comprehensive study of WS in Africa has not yet been reported. We conducted a systematic review of clinical expressions and genetics of WS across Africa. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and the study protocol was registered on PROSPERO, the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (2025 CRD420250655744). A literature search was performed on Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Global Index Medicus, African-Wide Information, ScienceDirect, Connecting Repositories (CORE), and the Web of Science databases. We reviewed a total of 15 articles describing 84 WS cases, which showed no gender bias and a mean age at reporting of 17.5 years. Congenital, sensorineural, and profound hearing loss was described in most cases (66.7%; n = 56/84). WS type 2 (WS2), with characteristically no dystopia canthorum, is the predominant subtype (36.9%; n = 31/84). Pathogenic variants in four WS known genes, i.e., PAX3 (13 families), SOX10 (7 families), EDNRB (4 families), and EDN3 (1 family), were reported in Morocco, Tunisia, and South Africa. One candidate gene (PAX8) was described in one family in Ghana. Two non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) genes (BDP1 and MYO6) were reported in two separate families in South Africa, suggesting a possible phenotypic expansion. The highest number of WS cases was described in South Africa (38.1%; n = 32/84) and Tunisia (26.2%; n = 22/84). Gene variants were missense (27/43), deletion (7/43), splicing (5/43), nonsense (2/43), indel (1/43), and duplication (1/43), chiefly segregating in an autosomal dominant inheritance mode. There was no functional data to support the pathogenicity of putative causative variants. This review showed that WS2 is the most common in Africa. Variants in PAX3 and SOX10 were the predominant genetic causes. This study emphasizes the need to further investigate in-depth clinical characterization, molecular landscape, and the pathobiology of WS in Africa
Assessing vicarious traumatisation and utilisation of psychological support services amongst prehospital emergency care providers in Limpopo Emergency Medical Services: a cross-sectional survey
Full text linkIntroduction: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers face frequent exposure to traumatic incidents. Such exposure can cause vicarious trauma (VT), a psychological condition characterized by symptoms akin to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). VT affects individuals empathetically engaged with trauma survivors, resulting in emotional, cognitive, and physical impacts that may lead to burnout. The Vicarious Trauma Scale (VTS) is a validated tool for assessing vicarious trauma. The aim of this study was to measure distress and exposure to VT, and to describe the awareness and utilisation of psychological support services (PSS), by EMS providers in Limpopo Government EMS, South Africa. Methods: A narrative review of the literature pertaining to vicarious trauma and the utilisation of psychological support services among prehospital emergency care providers is provided in Part A. Part B describes an observational cross-sectional study employed a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire incorporating the VTS and Satisfaction with Work Scale in EMS personnel in Limpopo province, South Africa. Results: Of the 258 participants (mean age: 46.2 ± 5.8 years), 58.5% were male, and 77.5% were employed in clinical or operational roles. The average VTS score was 36.6 ± 8.6, with 29.8% of participants falling into the high VT category. While 82.6% reported being exposed to distressing material, only 16.3% found it challenging to cope. Job satisfaction was moderate, with a mean score of 23.4 ± 6.0, and 65.5% considered their job to be ideal. Common coping strategies included listening to music (65.5%), reading (62.8%), and participating in debriefing sessions (55.0%). However, 61.2% were not aware of available PSS, and only 11.6% had utilized them. Regression analysis indicated that being female, along with the use of alcohol and non-prescription medications, was associated with higher VTS scores, while age and job satisfaction were linked to lower scores. Conclusion: Limpopo EMS providers encounter VT, yet PSS use seems low, indicating a major gap in mental health interventions, hence the need for removal of access and utilization barriers to ensure well-being of providers and quality of patient care
Exploring the socio-economic outcomes of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) social safety nets in Epworth and Hopley urban suburbs - Zimbabwe
Full text linkThis study seeks to contribute to scholarship lacking knowledge on the impact of Non- Governmental Organizations' (NGO) social safety net interventions in a context of existing social insecurity in Zimbabwe. The theoretical framework of the Capability Approach and the Ecological Perspective were adopted as the qualitative research and in-depth evaluative tools. A qualitative explorative case study research design was employed to elicit beneficiaries' experiences of NGOs social safety net interventions to gauge the socio-economic effects by examining how poor and vulnerable people survive in a desperate socio-economic environment. The study premised in Zimbabwe upholds the need to consider social safety nets in empowering resource poor urban communities on sustainable livelihoods programs. Using purposive non-probability sampling technique and in-depth face-to-face interviews with a semi-structured open-ended interview schedule, data was collected from a total 21 participants in selected Zimbabwean urban communities. Collected data from the study was thematically analysed which inductively gave rise to the following major findings: social safety nets in the form of cash transfers are an effective policy option in social protection to propel households out of vulnerability and poverty and the study highlighted the great impact of cash transfers in improving household disposable incomes to improve social aspects at family to community level. The study gave an appreciation of improved socio-economic well-being, the urban dwellers in poor urban settlements are susceptible to vulnerability as a result of complex urbanization typified by structural failures. Despite being parsimonious and short-lived as is typical of non-state external actors' social safety net programmes, cash transfers prove to be efficacious in fighting poverty and allowing communities to be resilient and there is great need to invest in these sustainable livelihoods programs that calls for community meaningful and active participation. As another recommendation, cash transfer model in Zimbabwe empowers parents to keep children in school; necessitate investment in economic opportunities and mitigate against mental health risks by restoring human dignity amongst other areas of development at local levels. Thus, both state and non-state actors should resource input towards supporting communities to realise indigenous systems on safety nets programs. Findings from this study illustrate unmitigated gaps in social protection which underscores the need for cooperation between government and external actors. Future research should further explore susceptibility to urban vulnerabilities for social protection planning and interventions
Barcoding alien invertebrates and biological control agents in South Africa, with a focus on the natural enemies of Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick)
No full textAlien invertebrate species and agricultural pests pose economic challenges through impeding crop production and threatening biodiversity in South Africa. Invertebrates are particularly successful invaders owing to their short generation times, high reproductive output, widespread occurrence across terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments, and considerable morphological diversity. The false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick), is a notable pest in South Africa, as it attacks important export crops such as citrus and stone fruit, greatly reducing returns on these exports, while threatening the country's access to international markets. While several wasp species have been recorded parasitising T. leucotreta, their distribution in South Africa is poorly documented, while only two species have been trialled as biological control agents against the pest. The projected shifts in species distribution patterns due to globalisation and climate change underscore the need for comprehensive baseline genetic and distribution data of alien invertebrate species and biological control agents. Such data are important for mitigating and managing biological invasions. A useful genetic tool in this respect, is DNA barcoding, which uses a short genetic marker to aid in the delimitation of species. However, there is no recent database of barcoded alien invertebrates and biological control agents in South Africa. In addition, thermal physiological traits of invertebrates are useful data for modelling species distributions, especially under climate change. However, current baseline physiological data of important pests and their biological control agents remain limited, negatively impacting our understanding of their present and future distribution patterns. This study aimed to: 1) review the DNA barcoding status of alien invertebrates and biological control agents in South Africa; 2) sample T. leucotreta parasitoid wasps in organic and IPM orchards within the Western Cape; and 3) to determine the critical thermal limits of Trichogrammatoidea cryptophlebiae Nagaraja, an egg parasitoid used as a biological control agent against T. leucotreta, in the laboratory. The review of alien invertebrate species in South Africa identified major gaps in DNA barcoding, particularly among arachnids and platyhelminths (flatworms). While 66.8% of all alien invertebrate species in the South African dataset were accessioned on BOLD (Barcoding of Life Datasystems), only 24.3% of these records represented specimens collected in South Africa. Furthermore, 44.6% of alien invertebrate species records on BOLD were not accompanied by images. This research has identified important gaps in the baseline knowledge of alien invertebrate species, pests, and biological control agents in South Africa. The paucity of South African specimens and image records on BOLD constrains the effectiveness of these records for identification. Despite conducting sampling under ideal conditions, no T. leucotreta parasitoids were sampled in the Western Cape. This absence may be attributed to low parasitoid population densities or suboptimal sampling methodology. The lack of T. leucotreta parasitoids sampled in the Western Cape suggests that natural wasp populations may be insufficient for pest control, supporting the case for augmentative biological control whilst highlighting the need for more intensive sampling and trials of parasitoid wasps as biological control agents. Using thermal tolerance assays, the critical thermal minimum and maximum of T. cryptophlebiae were determined to be 8.15°C ± 0.58°C and 44.50°C ± 0.41°C (mean ± SE), respectively. The critical thermal minimum of T. cryptophlebiae determined in this study exceeds the wasp's lower developmental threshold, indicating that adult wasps are less cold-tolerant than other life stages. These thermal tolerance data provide valuable baseline information for predicting potential distribution shifts of T. cryptophlebiae under climate change scenarios. Overall, this study contributed to baseline data on alien invertebrate, pest and biological control agent species, including T. leucotreta and its parasitoids, in South Africa. These baseline data underscore the need for further research on the distribution and biology of these important species
Barriers and enablers to the emergence of distributed leadership in a Western Cape Government Health and Wellness district hospital
No full textDistributed leadership has been proposed to offer value for health systems – by enabling people to work towards collective goals within settings such as hospitals. Yet, there is still lack of clarity about what distributed leadership is and how to nurture its development. To address these knowledge gaps, this case study draws on conceptual work in empirically examining leadership in one district hospital in the Western Cape province, South Africa, seeking to identify evidence of distributed leadership and the factors influencing its emergence. Data were extracted from 28 academic theses, policies and strategic documents relating to health leadership, management and governance in the provincial health system (Phase 1) and 12 semi-structured, in-person interviews were conducted with hospital personnel (Phase 2). Phase 1 data provided the context of the case and guided the collection of data in Phase 2. All data were thematically analysed. The analysis reveals that there were pockets of distributed leadership within the hospital, as characterised by chains of multiple leaders working together to co-create shared meaning, take collective decisions and achieve common goals, enabled by relational leadership practices. These pockets supported both routine service delivery and bottom-up service improvement action. However, the unequal distribution of decision-making power, in the context of bureaucratic and professional hierarchies, limited the widespread emergence of distributed leadership. The case study suggests that distributed leadership can emerge in district hospitals with positive consequences for health service delivery, but that efforts to nurture its emergence should both bolster the leadership capabilities of individual leaders and address the bureaucratic and professional hierarchies that characterise the context within which hospital leadership unfolds. To aid the future practice of, and research about, distributed leadership the paper presents a comprehensive definition of the concept, synthesised from the wider literature and this study's empirical findings
Evaluating convolutional neural networks and transformer architectures for image-based prediction of protein localization in eukaryotic cells
No full textBackground: Accurate prediction of protein subcellular localization is critical for understanding protein function and guiding experimental research. Recent advances in deep learning have enabled high-throughput image-based methods to tackle this problem by leveraging large-scale immunofluorescence microscopy datasets. The aim of this study is to comparatively evaluate convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures and Transformer- based models for the multi-label classification of protein subcellular localization in eukaryotic cells, using large-scale immunofluorescence image datasets. Methods: In this study, we comparatively evaluated convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures (DenseNet121, Xception, and InceptionV3) and transformer-based models (Vision Transformer and Swin Transformer) for multi-label classification of protein localization in eukaryotic cells. Using 12,565 immunofluorescence images from the Human Protein Atlas—representing 15 subcellular compartments—we performed transfer learning by replacing the final layers of pretrained ImageNet models to accommodate multi-label output. All models were trained with iterative stratification to handle class imbalance and evaluated on held-out test images. Results and discussion: Our findings indicate that CNN-based models, particularly DenseNet121 and Xception, achieve the highest overall accuracy and F1-scores, successfully recognizing both abundant and underrepresented classes. In contrast, transformers demonstrated variable performance. While the Swin Transformer surpassed the Vision Transformer, neither consistently matched CNN performance—likely reflecting the data requirements and hyperparameter sensitivity of transformer architectures. Visualization techniques (Grad-CAM in CNNs and attention maps in transformers) confirmed that well- performing models localize salient features to biologically relevant regions, suggesting they learn meaningful morphological cues Conclusion: These results underscore CNNs' suitability for subcellular localization analysis with moderate-scale datasets, while transformers may require more extensive tuning or larger training sets to reach comparable accuracy. Our findings suggest that CNNs, especially DenseNet121 and Xception, exhibit superior performance over transformer models in predicting protein localization. CNN-based models demonstrate higher accuracy and interpretability, positioning them as preferred choices for advancing functional proteomics and computational drug discovery
Developing a validated framework for a Patient Blood Management (PBM) toolkit appropriate for the South African healthcare context
Full text linkPatient blood management (PBM) is a patient-centred, systematic, evidence-based approach to improve patient outcomes by managing and preserving a patient's own blood while promoting patient safety and empowerment. The historic inappropriate use of risk-associated blood transfusions in treating anaemia and blood loss needs to be replaced with evidence-based PBM practices. This study was aimed at developing a validated framework of cost- effective, feasible, evidence-based PBM measures to guide the development of a toolkit that can support PBM implementation in hospitals, and assist clinicians in optimising the care of patients and minimising inappropriate blood transfusions. A mixed-methods research design was applied. One-on-one semi-structured interviews with PBM champion participants in the qualitative phase provided insight into the challenges and barriers to PBM implementation in South Africa, and the educational and clinical practice guiding tools needed to support implementation. The thematically analysed data from the literature and the interviews were used to develop statements that were subsequently rated by a panel of PBM experts in a three-round Delphi survey in the semi-quantitative phase of the study. Consensus was gained on the tools deemed essential for primary, secondary, and tertiary-level hospitals in South Africa, including the educational needs and overall barriers that need to be addressed. The findings revealed four broad categories of tools: (i) definitional tools to contextualise PBM and frame the importance of its implementation in South Africa; (ii) policy and procedural tools to guide evidence-based clinical practices, taking into account resource and infrastructure capabilities in the various levels of hospitals; (iii) education and training tools directed at bridging PBM educational gaps among doctors, nurses, healthcare leadership stakeholders, and patients; and (iv) planning, assessment and evaluation tools to assist hospitals with planning and implementing PBM interventions. The framework for a PBM toolkit as the outcome of this research contributes significant value by proposing an actionable, evidence-based model that adapts international PBM principles to resource-limited settings, promoting safer and more effective patient care while minimising inappropriate blood transfusions. Education supported by the right mix of clinical practice guiding tools informed by the PBM toolkit framework can make PBM implementation possible in South Africa and beyond
Vanadium and titanium extraction from titaniferous slag using a roast-leach process
Full text linkVanadium (V) is typically extracted from the titaniferous magnetite (titanomagnetite) ore using either the V primary production and V and steel co-production process. The V primary production process is the roast-leach process which involves roasting, leaching, precipitation, and calcination of the titanomagnetite. The V and steel co-production process entails the smelting of titanomagnetite in the presence or absence of the fluxes. In the presence of flux i.e. the fluxed smelting approach, most of the V reports to the pig iron, whilst titania (TiO2) reports the slag. This slag is discarded since the TiO2 grade is considered too low for upgrading. Also, this titaniferous slag has a complex phase chemistry such that the spinel and pseudobrookite solid solution (ss) phase incorporate most of the V and Ti species. The objective of this project was to investigate a roast-leach process that would maximize the extraction of V from the titaniferous slag and remove high amounts of impurities from the water leach residue to maximize the TiO2 grade in the product residue. The slag produced by the now-defunct EVRAZ Highveld Steel and Vanadium Cooperation (EHSV) of South Africa (SA) was used as a case study. The EHSV titaniferous slag contains about 0.9% V2O5 and 35.6% TiO2. The best roasting conditions were investigated through the variation of Na2CO3: NaOH ratios, stoichiometric Na additions, roasting temperatures, roasting times, particle size distribution (PSD), and Na reagents i.e. Na2CO3, NaOH, and Na2SO4 salts. The roasting stage is aimed at the conversion of V2O5 in the titaniferous slag to a water soluble sodium metavanadate (NaVO3). The produced roast products were leached using water at standard conditions of 70°C, 120 minutes leaching time, s:l ratio of 1:4, and agitation speed of 350 rpm. The produced water leach residue was further subjected to acid leaching using HCl as a lixiviant with 20% acid concentration, at 110°C, 24 hours, s:l ratio of 1:4, and agitation speed of 350 rpm. The acid leaching stage was conducted in order to remove impurities such as Al, Ca, Mg, and Fe. The resulting acid leach residue was further upgraded through caustic leaching for Si impurity removal. The standard caustic leaching conditions that were used include 2.15 M NaOH solution as a lixiviant, leaching temperature of 100°C, leaching time of 3 hours, s:l ratio of 1:4, and agitation speed of 350 rpm. The best roasting conditions were used to measure the best leaching conditions by variation of the leaching time from 1 to 24 hours and acid concentration from 15% to 25%. The residue from the best leaching conditions were subjected to standard caustic leaching conditions. The high TiO2 grade that resulted from the removal of impurities was washed to remove the Na present in the residue. The best roasting conditions were 200% stoichiometric Na addition of Na2CO3: NaOH ratio of 100:0 and 0:100, 1000°C, 120 minutes, PSD of -850+105 μm. The best V extractions of 75.7% and 73.7% were attained when 200% stoichiometric Na2CO3 and NaOH were used respectively. Na2CO3 salt was the reagent that was used for downstream upgrading of the water-leach residue since it is cheap and used in industrial operations. The TiO2 grade of 68.7% was attained in the caustic-leach residue when the best roasting conditions were used for roasting the titaniferous slag. The phase composition results showed that pseudobrookite ss and the spinel do decompose when excess Na was added. After this decomposition, the SEM showed that the Na3MgAlSi2O8 phase forms after roasting. This phase also decomposed during water leaching to form the Na2MgTi2O6 phase which contains high Ti and Si species and several impurities. Acid leaching results showed the possibility of minimising Mg, Ca, and Fe impurities. Al impurities in the acid-leach residue remained high in concentration. The phase composition results showed that Al species were present in all the phases that formed after acid-leaching. The caustic leaching process was a success since most of the Si impurities were removed. The phase composition results showed that the minor Si species present in the caustic-leach residue were in the rutile phase. The produced caustic-leach residue still contained several impurities. The best leaching conditions were 24 hours leaching time and 25% HCl lixiviant concentration. Using these best conditions resulted in TiO2 grades of 71% in the caustic leach residue. Washing of this caustic leach residue further increased the TiO2 grade to 79.6%. The phase composition of the washed sample showed that the concentration of Na and Si impurities in the residue decreased. The rutile phase also contained a variety of Mg, Al, Cl, and Ca impurities. The impurity extraction degrees showed an increase with increasing leaching time. The extraction degrees followed the order of Mg > Fe > Al > Ca when leaching times were varied. The R2 values of Mg and Fe showed that the rate controlling mechanism is the surface chemical reaction whilst Al and Ca are controlled by diffusion across product layer and interface transfer. The evaluation of V and impurity extraction from the titaniferous slag was possible at the attained best conditions. The impurities were not fully removed to their maximum, hence the high TiO2 grade product was still contaminated with impurities. The produced TiO2 grade did not meet the TiO2 feedstock specifications as the MgO, CaO, Al2O3, and FeO impurities were still high in the final product, therefore further optimization work is required