Thokozani Simelane

University of Johannesburg | uj · Department of Urban and Regional Planning

National Park, Mountain Zebra National Park, Karoo National Park, Golden Gate Highlands National Park and Vaalbos National Park shows that these communities have limited ecological knowledge and understanding of resources occurring within the parks. People within these communities rate relationships with their neighbouring parks as relatively poor....

In this study, a mathematical model which takes heterogeneity into account is presented to describe city population dynamics. Initial insight is gained by qualitative analyses of a homogeneous version of this model. To understand the population dynamics of South African cities the model is applied to case studies of three major cities, Cape Town, D...

Grazing is one of the key processes in terrestrial ecosystems and this can be provided by both indigenous and domestic ungulates. However, a question remains whether or not traditional forms of land use such as the grazing of domestic animals support the maintenance of biodiversity. If it does not, then the second question becomes to what extent do...

The demand for vertebrates by traditional healers in South Africa suggests that the use of these animals in traditional medicinal or cultural practices has major conservation implications. This is supported by the fact that 31% of vertebrates used in these practices are listed in South African Red Data Books, indicating that their conservation stat...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. To demonstrate government commitment, South Africa’s Constitution (Sections 27, 28, and 35) clearly confirms the people’s right to adequate food access. To assure food and nutrition security at the household level numerous policies, progra...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. To demonstrate government commitment, South Africa’s Constitution (Sections 27, 28, and 35) clearly confirms the people’s right to adequate food access. To assure food and nutrition security at the household level numerous policies, progra...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. The right to access sufficient food is firmly entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Sections 27, 28, and 35). Many policies, programmes, and intervention measures such as social grant systems (which include child...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. The right to access sufficient food is firmly entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Sections 27, 28, and 35). Many policies, programmes, and intervention measures such as social grant systems (which include child...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. The right to access sufficient food is firmly entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Sections 27, 28, and 35). Many policies, programmes, and intervention measures, such as social grant systems (which include child...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. The right to access sufficient food is firmly entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Sections 27, 28, and 35). Many policies, programmes, and intervention measures such as social grant systems (which include child...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. The right to access sufficient food is firmly entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Sections 27, 28, and 35). Many policies, programmes, and intervention measures such as social grant systems (which include child...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. The right to access sufficient food is firmly entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Sections 27, 28, and 35). Many policies, programmes, and intervention measures such as social grant systems (which include child...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. The right to access sufficient food is firmly entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Sections 27, 28, and 35). Many policies, programmes, and intervention measures, such as social grant systems (which include child...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. The right to access sufficient food is firmly entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Sections 27, 28 and 35). Many policies, programmes, and intervention measures such as social grant systems, including but not lim...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. The right to access sufficient food is firmly entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Sections 27, 28 and 35). Many policies, programmes, and intervention measures such as social grant systems, including but not lim...

Food and nutrition security is one of the fundamental strategic imperatives of the government of South Africa. The right to access sufficient food is firmly entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Sections 27, 28, and 35). Many policies, programmes, and intervention measures, such as social grant systems (which include child...

South Africa has enough food and numerous food programmes, yet millions of people still go to bed hungry. The HSRC recently completed a national food and nutrition security survey, which for the first time provides data that will help the government solve this problem through food security programmes targeted at district and municipal level. Food a...

The new intellectual property (IP) policy currently under development by the Department of Trade and Industry will likely define the future innovation landscape in South Africa. This is in line with the direction the country has taken i.e. transforming its economy from resource-dependent to knowledge-based. Accompanied by this strategy is the incre...

Natural and human-induced environmental hazards are becoming increasingly prominent. The frequency of recorded natural disasters rose markedly during the last century, from about 100 per in the years up to 1940 to nearly 2800 during the 1990s. Africa is the only continent whose share of reported disasters has increased over the past decade. Several...

New African Thinkers: Agenda 2063 presents the thinking of emerging scholars critical issues relating to how Africa can realise its Agenda 2063 strategy. The bool is essential reference for researchers and educators who are interested in Africa's developmental path as outlined in the Agenda 2063

The need to quantify and model transformations that have taken place in the cities of South Africa is one of the grand challenges linked to country’s transition to Democracy. Given the complexities associated with different stages of city transformation, it is imperative that models used to unpack processes of city transformation are novel. In this...

reflect that the pace of migration to renewable energy differs among these countries. More so the daunting challenge of access to electricity remains a reality for Africa particularly in the rural areas. Determining how strong policies may enhance migration to renewable energy dictates that a wide spectrum of interrelated factors be considered. Amo...

reflect that the pace of migration to renewable energy differs among these countries. More so the daunting challenge of access to electricity remains a reality for Africa particularly in the rural areas. Determining how strong policies may enhance migration to renewable energy dictates that a wide spectrum of interrelated factors be considered. Amo...

This paper presents an analysis of university students' experiences of emergency remote learning, which took place in South Africa during the Covid-19 lockdown. Qualitative data from 4433 students were analysed using thematic analysis. Results reflected five broad categories of experiences, which are electricity and internet (infrastructure), home...

The chapter evaluates the acceptance of renewable energy by communities as the alternative source of energy. Examples presented are drawn from data the was collected in both urban and rural areas of Mozambique.

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) represents a mix of countries whose energy matrix has an undeniable global impact, both in supply and demand. They represent about 38% of the world’s energy consumption, and by 2040 it is anticipated that BRICS will account for 41% of global energy demand. Fuelled by the coherent development tra...

Several factors can influence the dynamics in demand and supply of skills for all employment sectors. Here the variable drivers for construction sector employment are taken to involve the demand for employment, choice of employment and the state of the economy. A dynamical model based on longitudinal data obtained from the Construction Education an...

The thesis examines the drivers behind the transformation of city centers in South Africa. In doing this a system dynamic modelling mixed with statistical and mathematical models were used. Results reflected that in assessing the root causes of city transformation system dynamics models alone a not enough to magnify root causes of city transformati...

Sugarcane production is a complex system that encompasses several interlinked and interdependent socioeconomic , physical, environmental and technical parameters. The sugarcane production process depends on various control parameters which largely influence it as a system. System dynamics is a useful thinking and simulation tool that can be used to...

Biofuels are renewable energy sources that are alternatives to current fossil fuels which dominate energy supply systems. Since energy is a domestic necessity and also a factor of production (enabling a variety of services such as transportation, heating, and food production), the widespread production and use of biofuels can facilitate low-carbon,...

The book outlines the potential of Belt and Road Initiative as the alternative path fo Africa's Development Aspirations.

The chapter provides a synthesis of various models that worth considering for Africa's developmental planning.

Drivers of migration to the inner areas of the five largest South African cities are investigated using computational modelling based on survey data. The primary migration driver for South African cities is established to be the need to find work but this is related to income in terms of salary distributions. These distributions vary for the differ...

Africa faces many complex challenges. The bulk of these relate to the continent's ability to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and targets as set out in the United Nations Post-2015 Agenda. Addressing the complex issues related to the challenges requires systems thinking and appropriate modelling techniques. System dynamics modelling is argued...

The role of science in the practice of diplomacy and the field of international relations is explored in this chapter. This role is termed “science diplomacy.” In determining the context of science diplomacy within international relations, an analysis of strategic and tactical aspects of science diplomacy as the means of engagement between countrie...

Global value chains have shaped world production and trade. This research article examines the connections between the value chains of the BRIC economies and South Africa's role in positioning BRICS-Africa trade as a member of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) using BRIC value chains that has been tailormade to increase BRICS share o...

To bolster science diplomacy in Africa, South Africa has through the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) entered into science bilateral agreements with many countries in the continent. Additional agreements and engagements exist through Science Councils and institutions of higher learning. To strengthen its science diplomacy imperatives in A...

This paper presents an analysis of university students' experiences of emergency remote learning, which took place in South Africa during the Covid-19 lockdown. Qualitative data from 4433 students were analysed using thematic analysis. Results reflected five broad categories of experiences, which are electricity and internet (infrastructure), home...

Energy security is the lifeblood of socio-economic growth. Energy production and consumption is a catalyst for economic cooperation generally and in BRICS in particular. With their stock of natural resources, BRICS countries are an essential contributor to the global supply of energy and its dynamics. Jointly they represent a bloc whose energy safe...

Most cities in South Africa are in dire need of water security. Intervention measures to reduce the risk of water shortages now and the near future are urgently needed. This can possibly be attained through the diversification of water sources and the application of smart or digital technologies to reduce water wastage. Meaning that, cities which a...

For the period June 2019 to March 2020, there were 13 670 000 people in South Africa who were regarded as being food insecure. Food and nutrition insecurity in impoverished urban and rural household settings has been a long-standing problem, although there had been a marked decrease between 1999 and 2008. The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19)...

This paper contends that the adoption of food safety and quality standards by small businesses and informal traders can assist in containing the spread of COVID-19. This is based on the hypothesis that small business owners and informal traders are aware of the benefits of food safety and quality standards and are thus willing to integrate them in...

The inability to eradicate poverty among societies demands a synergistic approach. This calls for the development of multipronged pathways for transitioning towards sustainable development goals. Many of these have been developed and tested across the world. Some have proved to be effective in illuminating the underlying cause of the world’s inabil...

Cities are important forces of national socioeconomic development. Individuals in cities often belong to different socioeconomic statuses depending on their levels of income, education and nature of occupation. Income, employment and education opportunities are among the main attractions of most cities. In this study, we investigate the impact of s...

China’s emphasis on infrastructure development has received support from African leaders. Its focus on infrastructure development in Africa was endorsed by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between China and the African Union on 27 January 2015. The agreement outline plans for connecting African countries through transportation infrastru...

Drivers of migration to the inner areas of the five largest South African cities are investigated using computational modelling based on survey data. The primary migration driver for South African cities is established to be the need to find work but this is related to income in terms of salary distributions. These distributions vary for the differ...

The book explores various perspectives on how to mitigate the effects of climate change in Africa. It explores various options of adapting to climate change. Furthermore the book seeks to demonstrate African responses to global change in various areas of vulnerability.

Research efforts using system dynamics to understand and evaluate societal and policy-related problems in Southern Africa are becoming essential. This paper undertook a systematic review to examine the extent of utilization of system dynamics in Southern Africa between 2003 and 2014. The results showed that system dynamics has been used, or referre...

The notion of green economies seems to have gained momentum in both developed and developing countries. For South Africa, the transition to a green economy presents a mix of challenges and opportunities. This stems from the fact that South Africa faces myriad socio-economic realities that force the country to maintain a generation of industries tha...

Population dynamics and its associated impacts in the cities derive from the synergistic effects of primary and secondary factors. These factors work together to effect the transformation of cities through population increase. In the past, these factors have been studied discretely. With the emergence of system dynamic models and their abilities to...

The worldís demand for energy coupled with a decreasing stock and supply of fossil fuels is propelling the transition to renewable sources of energy. This global movement presents many opportunities and challenges to Africa. If Africa can identify the opportunities and start to position itself, with its abundant sources of renewable energy, it stan...

When a country is deciding on a policy of introducing renewable energy as an alternative energy source, affordability is a prime consideration. Affordability depends on the type of technology, policy direction and investment considerations. All these aspects have a direct bearing on the price that will ultimately be paid by the consumer. As South A...

A perception that there is a proportional relationship between the size of a conservation area and the occurrence or abundance of resources available was tested in this paper. This was done by evaluating the occurrence (from records of plant and animal species) of traditionally used biological resources from four national parks of South Africa that...

There is a link between African Traditional Knowledge Systems and the management of Biodiversity. These have been passed over from one generation to the next through oral tradition. The lack of documentation of these systems of managing biodiversity has led to the existence of a gap between the scientifi cally based systems of managing biodiversity...

SIMELANE, T.S., and G.I.H. KERLEY. 1997. Recognition of reptiles by Xhosa and Zulu communities in South Africa, with notes on traditional beliefs and uses. Afr. J. Herpetol. 46(1): 49–53.Only a few reptiles found in South Africa are being recognised by Xhosa (26 species) and Zulu (24 species) communities of southern Africa. Recognised species are k...