Book

Social enterprises as vehicle for an inclusive development: the case of Siya Sebenza in South Africa

October 2019

Authors:

Michael Brookes

University of Hertfordshire

Sandra Ramos

Lille Catholic University

ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.

ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.

Article

Full-text available

The Effect of Power Outages on Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises in South Africa

November 2024 · Logistic and Operation Management Research (LOMR)

The frequent power outages in South Africa have had a detrimental impact on the nation’s economy overall and on small and medium-sized enterprises in particular. The goal of this study is to determine how load shedding affects small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa. The research design pinpoints practical ways to reduce the negative effects of power outages on these companies. ... [Show full abstract] This study adopts a quantitative research approach. Fifty SME owners and managers from the Mahikeng local municipality were selected to represent the entire country using a descriptive single cross-sectional design and a non-probability convenience sample technique. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 27.0, was used to evaluate the collected data. The findings of the study indicate that load shedding has caused significant operational problems for South African small enterprises since 2008. As a result, to maintain output, many companies have had to make adaptations, including establishing backup power solutions and moving to manual labor. SMEs continue to face significant challenges because of the high cost of backup systems, the increase in criminal activity during blackouts, and the requirement for open and positive customer relations, despite efforts to mitigate these consequences. The present study underscores the criticality of SMEs’ investments in crime prevention strategies and dependable backup power systems in Mafikeng and throughout South Africa to mitigate the adverse impacts of ongoing load shedding on commercial operations and economic stability. It is underlined that maintaining client confidence and ensuring continued business performance despite these challenges requires effective customer relationship management.

View full-text

Article

Full-text available

A Study on Electric Vehicle Footprint in South Africa

December 2024 · Energies

There has been a progressive global increase in the usage of electric vehicles in this dispensation. This is mostly due to the need to decarbonise the transport sector and mitigate the concerns of climate change and depleting oil reserves of which South Africa is not an exception. In fact, South Africa is the country with the highest CO2 emissions in Africa and can reduce its carbon footprint by ... [Show full abstract] embracing green mobility. Compared to the internal combustion engine (ICE) market, the electric vehicle (EV) market in South Africa is still in its early stages, with limited local production and usage since its introduction to the country’s automotive sector in 2013. Therefore, in this study, the usage of EVs in South Africa, along with adoption rates and challenges were carried out to make a stronger case that would offer a better pathway for increased EV adoption in the country. It has been discovered that the slow adoption rate of EVs is due to factors such as EV procurement, ownership costs, vehicle parts, safety issues, battery technology, tax and import duties, load shedding, and availability of charging stations. This paper also provides insights into government policies, funding, and other efforts that can support EV adoption in the country through the analyses of primary and secondary data. The proposed strategies include the introduction of tax rebates on imported EVs, local production of EVs and their vehicle parts, retrofitting ICE vehicles to EVs, and science-informed strategies to transition from ICE to electric vehicles. Furthermore, more renewable energy grid integration and renewable energy-powered EV charging stations would also provide support for the energy required to power EVs even during load shedding. Preliminary findings from the survey also suggest that the local production of EV components and government-sponsored training programmes on various EV skills are crucial for increasing the adoption rate of EVs in the country.

View full-text

Article

Full-text available

Practical Path of Green Development of Enterprises Driven by Science and Technology Innovation under...

November 2024 · Academic Journal of Management and Social Sciences

Under the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals background, green development of enterprises has become the focus of global attention, and science and technology innovation has become an important support for promoting the construction of ecological civilization and achieving high-quality economic development. This paper firstly describes the background and construction of the carbon peaking ... [Show full abstract] and carbon neutrality goals, secondly analyses the importance of science and technology innovation to drive the green transformation and upgrading of enterprises, and finally puts forward the specific practical path of implementing science and technology innovation to drive the green development of enterprises. This paper aims to promote the green development of enterprises under the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and make positive contributions to global sustainable development.

View full-text

Article

Full-text available

The Race Against Time for the Enhancement of African National Strategic Plans in the Neuroblastoma R...

December 2024 · Publications

The valuation of neuroblastoma research heterogeneity at African country level is unspecified. Therefore, the study assesses the heterogeneity of neuroblastoma research in 54 African countries and develops recommendations for national cancer-control plans. Metadata of peer-reviewed scientific publications allied to African neuroblastoma research were retrieved from the Web of Science™ Core ... [Show full abstract] Collection Database for bibliometric analysis. Comprehensive science mapping analysis and statistical analyses were performed with bibliometric online platform2 and GraphPad Prism v. 10.2.3. This study revealed that African countries focused the neuroblastoma research publications mainly on the sustainable development goal of good health and well-being. The dominating research area in Africa is oncology followed by pharmacology. Only 26 of 54 African countries were accountable for total neuroblastoma research in Africa, with South Africa and Egypt contributing 61% of the whole continent’s neuroblastoma research. Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, and Nigeria are the five most active African countries, and they are funded by different funding agencies internationally and domestically. The collected analysed data of this study draws special attention to heterogeneity and enduring upward correlating trajectory of Africa’s neuroblastoma publication numbers, their citations, acquired funds, and countries’ cooperation. Furthermore, this heterogeneity finding flags the necessity of developing a comprehensive strategic plan and implementation to cultivate neuroblastoma research as a fundamental part of each African country’s national cancer control plans.

View full-text