1,720,963 research outputs found
An overview of the cultural tourism sector of Greater Polokwane: challenges and prospects
Get PDFCultural tourism is a fast-growing sector in many countries. In South Africa, it is a key growth segment of local economic development (LED). South Africa is home to many cultural institutions such as museums, art galleries, theatres, monuments and festivals that – thanks to a growing number of international and local interests – encourage entrepreneurship and help generate local business growth and employment opportunities. South Africa’s Limpopo Province is predominately known for its wildlife and hunting tourism. However, it is endowed with many cultural institutions that are contributing significantly to the regional economy – specifically in the metropole of Greater Polokwane. As yet, no study has researched the size and impact of this cultural contribution on the local economy vis a vis more well-known tourism activities. This study sketches the size and nature of the cultural tourism industry in Greater Polokwane. In the first phase of the study, a database of formal cultural institutions in Greater Polokwane was created. In the study’s second phase, interviews with staff members of these institutions using both quantitative and qualitative methods, were conducted. The data revealed that most employees, including senior managerial staff, are local Black Africans. None of these cultural institutions are state funded; they all operate privately, but some are located on state-owned land. Thus, government support for cultural tourism in this region is minimal. Insufficient funds and resources inhibit the growth of this sector. Some employees expressed dissatisfaction with their working conditions and remuneration. Nonetheless, these cultural institutions generate local economic growth and employment opportunities.M. Sc. (Environmental ManagementEnvironmental Science
Book Review: Field guide to the battlefields of South Africa: Anglo-Zulu War, 1st & 2nd Anglo-Boer Wars, colonial & frontier conflicts and indigenous & voortrekker battles
Get PDFBook Title: Field guide to the battlefields of South Africa: Anglo-Zulu War, 1st & 2nd Anglo-Boer Wars, colonial & frontier conflicts and indigenous & voortrekker battlesBook Author: Nicki von der HeydeCape Town: Struik Travel & Heritage. 2013, 351 pages. ISBN: 9781431701001 Paperbac
Contested Heritage(s) – The Case(s) of the Battle of Blood River (December 16th, 1838), Dundee and Nquthu, South Africa
No full textBattlefield tourism is a well-established niche in cultural and heritage tourism the world over. This paper explores the contested nature of a specific battlefield in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where two separate museums exist to memorialise the same event, but from two perspectives. The Battle of Blood River (December 16th, 1838) remains a contested event in history books, portrayed from Afrikaner and AmaZulu points of view at the Blood River Heritage Site and Ncome Museum, respectively. People interested in visiting battlefields are slowly dying out, and if South Africa wants to take advantage of growing Battlefield Tourism in the future for surviving generations of those involved in these battles, a new approach will be necessary to sustain and develop this niche of cultural and heritage tourism in the country. This paper uses netnography to analyse the internet footprint of this historical event through the museums’ websites. The paper argues that a more balanced and two-sided perspective should be given at both museums to grow and develop the interest in battlefield tourism across South Africa and encourage mutual visitorship to both museums on the same battlefield site
The organisation, geography and local developmental impacts of heritage tourism in South Africa
Get PDFPh.D. (Geography)Abstract: Heritage tourism scholarship is a growing domain of research in South Africa and with contributions from a range of different academic disciplines, including geography. Consistent with trends in tourism research most research on heritage and heritage tourism is in the context of countries located in the global North. The opportunities for developing heritage tourism in several countries in the global South has seen a parallel welcome growth of writings on heritage tourism outside of North America, Europe and Australasia. This study focuses on issues relating to an emerging heritage tourism region in the global South, namely South Africa, where heritage tourism was identified early in post-apartheid planning as an important niche for tourism promotion and diversification of product mix, as well as offering unexploited potential for local and regional tourism development. As niche tourism planning has expanded in significance for national policy-makers, heritage tourism has been afforded greater prominence. It is observed that recognition of the importance of heritage tourism extends across the different tiers of government in South Africa from national to provincial to local. At the local scale of government, it is striking that several South African cities have sought to capitalise on aspects of heritage tourism as components of local strategies for urban tourism development, and of broader local economic development planning. This said, heritage tourism so far occupies only a minor position in the growing academic literature on tourism both in South Africa and the wider region of Southern Africa. This study seeks to extend African debates around heritage tourism. The core focus of the study was to analyse the organisation, geography and local impacts of heritage tourism in South Africa. In addition, the study contains a policy focus on identifying the key challenges facing the development of contemporary heritage tourism in South Africa, in terms of maximising its potential as a niche sector of the South African tourism economy. To achieve these research objectives, the study undertook the collection of primary resources, which included a national audit of heritage assets, an analysis of national and local policy documentation and extensive primary interviews with heritage tourists, and local heritage stakeholders..
Environmental justice in the context of sustainable urban renewal / regeneration: the case for heritage at Constitution Hill
No full textSince the birth of democracy in South Africa, Urban Geography has
experienced many paradigmatic and epistemological shifts; within Human
Geography 'planning' faces various challenges in the new Millennium.
Environmental management, in light of the emphasis on sustainable
development, sees many urban planners and politicians strive to reconcile
environmentalism with development that is equitable. The emergence of the
environmental justice discourse is significant, since inter-generational justice
(as enshrined in sustainable development) is a key issue, this research report
used heritage as a lens to explore this complex relationship in regard to
urban regeneration. Using a case study approach this report shows the
nature and context of postmodern urban environmental management.
Special reference to the significance and impact of environmental justice on
the cityscape of Johannesburg is made, as this report suggests that
environmental justice is a useful conceptual framework to give depth and
meaning to sustainable development, in urban regeneration as a policy
objective. The use of Constitution Hill as a case study placed the project in a
post-apartheid South African context
Heritage tourists’ experiences of ‘struggle heritage’ at Liliesleaf Farm Museum and the Hector Pieterson Memorial & Museum South Africa.
Get PDFHeritage tourism has emerged as an important part of tourism growth in the new South Africa, with a growing interest in ‘struggle heritage’. Heritage tourism contributes significantly in demonstrating the diverse cultural offerings that the country has to offer. Struggle heritage is one of the elements within this niche of cultural tourism, which attract tourists to visit South African museums. Using a mixed methods approach of quantitative and qualitative data, this paper explored a comparative study of the motivations, experiences and understanding of heritage amongst 100 local tourists at Liliesleaf Farm Museum (50 respondents) and the Hector Pieterson Memorial & Museum (50 respondents), both based in Johannesburg, South Africa. This research adds to the debates on how people perceive heritage and how important heritage is to them. The findings suggest that South Africans desire to visit heritage sites but due to the unavailability of information and inadequate communication between museum marketers, local authorities and the public, local tourists are less likely to visit these heritage sites. Overall, this paper suggests that although creating memorable and unique visitor experiences is essential, being in regular contact with repeat and prospective visitors is paramount for the growth and sustainability of the museum and the continued dialogue of ‘the struggle’, as well as the development and advancement of heritage tourism in South Africa
South African Geography educators’ contributions to Geography Education: A perspective from the 35th International Geographical Congress, Dublin City University, Ireland, August 2024
Get PDFA key responsibility of academic scholarship is to contribute to and further develop the field of enquiry. This paper offers a critical qualitative reflection on how South African Geography Education (GE) scholars are contributing to and advancing the field of enquiry from the perspective of the International Geographical Congress (IGC). This event, held every four years, is the largest gathering of geography scholars and researchers in some 43 commissions, one of which is GE, in the world. The two-part analysis provides an overview of who is producing knowledge and where it is being produced in the Global North and Global South. This is followed by a thematic analysis of the abstracts of the South African papers. The findings affirm the scholarly contribution our scholars are making to the field individually and in collaboration with colleagues and postgraduate students. Secondly, the findings reveal an unevenness in terms of who is contributing, and it highlights constraining factors impeding participation. The paper concludes by making some tentative propositions on a future research agenda that may help to advance the field and how constraining factors may be addressed so that we cultivate a stronger, more inclusive, Global South voice in the field
Grade 6 primary school learners’ views on minibus taxis and their drivers
Get PDFDATA AVAILABILITY : The data that support the findings of this study are not
openly available due to confidentiality and are available
from the corresponding author, C.D. v.d.M., upon reasonable
request.BACKGROUND : This study identifies potential assets of the minibus taxi industry space and
alerts taxi drivers to the expectations of various role-players in education, through
understanding the views of various role-players about minibus taxi drivers and their role in
supporting education.
AIM : Viewing the minibus taxi industry through alternative lenses may lead to
development which may ultimately lead to an improvement in the attitudes of the taxi
industry towards the education sector and perceived negative behaviour of taxi drivers.
SETTING: The study took place at three schools in Gauteng, South Africa.
METHODS : The study followed an interpretive, qualitative research approach for exploring and
understanding various views. A case study design using Lefebvre’s, ‘Production of Space’
theory and asset-based theory, were used as a theoretical framework in conjunction with
the Johari Window model. Convenient sampling was applied. Focus group interviews,
semi-structured questionnaires, fieldnotes, and observation were used for data collection and
construction.
RESULTS : The results indicated that views which are embedded in individuals have many facets;
hence, it is important to be aware of them to be able to identify the assets of minibus taxi drivers.
CONCLUSION : Minibus taxi drivers are key role players, valuable facilitators and role models
for learners, although educational development is needed.
CONCLUSION : Very little work has been done on the educational value of spaces such as taxis
and transport vehicles; this research adds considerable value to this research lacuna.http://www.sajce.co.zaam2024Humanities EducationNon
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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