Faan Pelser’s scientific contributions

Within the COVID-19 outbreak context, some industries were seriously affected, and the travel and tourism industry was undisputedly one of those industries. Mumpreneurs operating in the tourism sector are on the rise, particularly in the accommodation and hospitality sub-sector. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on mumpreneurs operating in the tourism sector as businesses were closed for some period at the beginning of the crisis, leaving them without any income. Therefore, the research paper has been undertaken to examine mumpreneurs' business recovery plans in response to new challenges within the context of the pandemic in South Africa and likewise to explore the underlying business management practices needed by mumpreneurs to recover and continue to operate post-COVID-19. Using a phenomenological research approach, in-depth interviews were conducted to comprehend the experiences of mumpreneurs and understand their recovery plans post-COVID-19. The findings of the study indicated that the pandemic impacted the business operations of mumpreneurs, and as a result, various business recovery strategies were employed to mitigate the risk posed by the pandemic. The findings can be utilized to make viable decisions to boost mumpreneurs in South Africa since they are a valuable proportion of the economy.

The large increase in skilled professional migration between countries in recent years poses new challenges for policymakers. It is important to observe how this phenomenon impacts South Africa due to its unique socioeconomic context. One may also reason that as much as globalization has resulted in the easy movement of labor, in the case of South Africa, most of the push factors driving brain drain are a combination of structural and socioeconomic dynamics. The aim of the paper is to explore the factors that contribute to the migration of skilled professionals and, furthermore, the long-term implication of brain drain on the sustainable development of the South African economy by collecting pre-existing textual data. Evidence from reviews suggests that globalization has contributed to brain drain in emerging economies. Many emerging markets are experiencing significant human skill losses, which in turn has a negative impact on their development. Furthermore, the reviews have emphasized the contributing factors to the migration of highly skilled professionals to other countries. In addition, findings reveal that the migration of skilled professionals poses a threat to South Africa's development objectives. To overcome this challenge, it is important to deter skilled professionals from leaving and encourage them to return by addressing concerns like safety and security.

Entrepreneurship among the youth can be linked to the pursuit of eradicating poverty by creating employment opportunities to reduce youth unemployment and advocate for social change through entrepreneurship. This study investigates the perceptions of the youth regarding entrepreneurship in South Africa. In an area with distinct socio-economic dynamics and obstacles, it is critical to comprehend how the youth see entrepreneurship and its potential as a career route. This study aimed to determine the elements that influence young people's views on entrepreneurship, as well as the obstacles they face and the potential role that they can play in effecting social change through entrepreneurship. A purposive sampling technique was applied for the selection of a maximum of twenty young adults from a township to participate in focus group interviews to ascertain the perceptions of entrepreneurship among the youth. The transcriptions of the data recordings were verbatim, and thematic data analysis was performed following the coding of the data. Findings indicated that there are barriers to entry perceived as obstacles to pursuing entrepreneurship, which include the lack of mentorship, financial resources, and educational opportunities focused on entrepreneurship. Notwithstanding, the findings also reveal that the youth have a positive perception of entrepreneurship and show a strong willingness to pursue it as a career path.