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The globalized and technologically advanced business environment presents significant challenges to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which play a critical role in national economic growth and innovation. These challenges include strategic orientation, effective resource allocation, and adapting to changing markets, often resulting in premature business failure. Therefore, the paper reviews recent literature on how tangible resources such as financial capital, physical assets, and technology influence SME growth, focusing on studies from the past decade that apply frameworks like the Resource-Based View. A systematic literature review was conducted, involving a comprehensive search of academic databases. Thematic analysis was applied to synthesize the findings on resource impact and management in SMEs. The review revealed that financial capital, physical assets, and technological infrastructure significantly influence SME growth. However, the extent of impact varies across contexts, depending on managerial capabilities, access to finance, and market conditions. Addressing this gap, the article aims to inform both theory and practice on SME sustainability and development and suggests avenues for future research.  

Cybersecurity is an urgent concern for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Uganda, driven by the rapid digital transformation of businesses and increasing dependence on online platforms. This study explores Ugandan SMEs' cybersecurity challenges, highlighting prevalent cyber threats, risk exposure, and a cyber maturity typology to mitigate cybercrime effectively. Using a qualitative, descriptive research design based on secondary data and a literature review, the study examines how Digital, Blended, and Traditional Business Models influence SMEs' cybersecurity preparedness. A key contribution of this research is the development of a context-sensitive typology of SME cyber maturity, which categorises businesses as Traditional, Transitioning, Digitally Enabled, and Digitally Mature, aligned with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework but adapted to Uganda's unique environment. The study identifies ongoing issues such as data breaches, financial fraud, and weak digital infrastructure, as well as gaps in policy enforcement and the disconnect between cybersecurity regulations and SME operators' literacy levels, as key cybersecurity threats. Informal responses to cybercrime, including vigilante actions, are also highlighted. This study provides a maturity typology for SMEs that guides policymakers and business owners in improving cybersecurity practices in Ugandan SMEs. The study calls for multi-stakeholder collaboration, stronger regulatory enforcement, and scalable awareness programs to build a more resilient SME sector. Overall, this study contributes to the discourse on SME cybersecurity by proposing literacy-sensitive interventions tailored to the needs of Uganda and offering a foundation for future research into the effectiveness of Uganda's cybersecurity frameworks.

Good governance is a critical component of efficient public service delivery, and its principles are vital for ensuring transparency, accountability, and sustainability within municipal structures. The King III Report on Governance provides a framework for sound governance practices in both public and private sectors in South Africa. This study examines the perceptions of corporate services within Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality regarding their compliance with the King III principles of good governance. The research adopts a qualitative approach, employing interviews and document analysis to explore the understanding, implementation, and challenges of adhering to King III principles within the corporate service divisions of the municipality. Key areas of focus include ethical leadership, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and integrated reporting. Findings suggest a mixed perception of compliance levels among corporate service personnel. While there is a general awareness of the King III principles, implementation is hindered by systemic challenges such as limited resources, insufficient training, and inconsistent monitoring mechanisms. Moreover, the study highlights a gap between policy frameworks and practical application, as well as the impact of political influences on governance processes. Despite these challenges, the study identifies positive strides made by the municipality in areas such as stakeholder consultation and ethical leadership initiatives. It recommends targeted training programs, improved resource allocation, and the establishment of independent governance monitoring committees to enhance compliance with King III principles. This research contributes to the broader discourse on governance in local government and underscores the need for a strategic and holistic approach to embedding good governance principles within municipal operations. The findings are relevant to policymakers, municipal administrators, and governance practitioners seeking to foster a culture of accountability and transparency in local government structures.

Reader lexicon quality and organization affect text comprehension. This paper integrates empirical and theoretical investigations on how lexical quality affects understanding. This study seeks to define lexicons, which are essential to reading comprehension. This research emphasises the requirement for vocabulary teaching trajectory to improve educational fluency. Qualitative research methods, including phenomenology, underpin this study. Due to its focus on subjective experiences, the study was able to contextualise how participants use lexical information to comprehend text. A focus group discussion with five carefully picked participants captured rich and in-depth participant perspectives on vocabulary learning and text comprehension. According to this study, high-quality lexical representations enable rapid word recognition, while poorer fluency limits comprehension. This paper concludes and recommends that targeted instruction in vocabulary and fluency, which support reading development, is necessary for language learning functionality and to reduce language disjuncture for students at risk for comprehension difficulties.

The local government in South Africa is important in providing critical services to communities, although local government is tasked with critical service delivery functions, many faces systemic challenges when fulfilling this responsibility. Mkhondo Local Municipality is no exception, challenges such as inefficiency, inadequate resource management, and limited public participation. This study is grounded in consequential theory, which underscores the significance of outcomes in assessing actions. This theoretical framework facilitates the exploration of strategic actions to enhance service delivery in Mkhondo. The aim of this article was to propose effective strategies to enhance service delivery at Mkhondo Local Municipality. This article adopted a qualitative methodology, with purposive sampling to select ten experienced participants from the supply chain management and finance units. Data was collected through one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with 10 key municipal staff members. The interview transcripts were analysed thematically using NVivo 12 to identify and organise the emerging themes. The results highlighted several barriers, including ineffectiveness of performance monitoring, inadequate procurement transparency, and minimal community involvement. The article recommends the implementation of performance-based accountability, improved stakeholder participation, and transparency in municipal procedures. It is recommended that municipal strategies are aligned with consequential theory to significantly improve service delivery. These interventions can foster greater transparency, efficiency, and public trust, providing a model for similar municipalities across South Africa.

Indigenous knowledge portrays rich science-related knowledge that incorporates cultural practices. Additionally, Indigenous knowledge provides constructive cultural contexts that augment a rich understanding of sociocultural practices for sustainable development. It also attempts to promote connections with modern science concerning the promotion of sustainable development. The qualitative methodology was employed to let students analyse Indigenous science for sustainable development in local community spaces. Subsequently, an analysis of students’ perceptions regarding recognition of the relevancy of Indigenous science for valuable sustainability promotion was captured through semi-structured interviews. Students’ realization revealed that local communities embrace Indigenous science to address challenges in modern science topics such as Medicine, Agriculture, Renewable energy, and Household cleaning products production. Interestingly, students find relevancy in igniting the contextualization of science teaching and learning from Indigenous knowledge. Connecting Indigenous science and modern science education can orchestrate the promotion of relevant education for sustainable development.

The swift proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and algorithmic technologies in the criminal justice system and legal profession is apparent worldwide. Machine learning algorithms are currently impacting sentencing determinations in multiple jurisdictions globally. Artificial intelligence, in contrast to the organic intelligence of humans and animals, possesses the ability to learn, adapt, and evolve through the assimilation of knowledge and new information. AI software can independently learn and enhance its performance based on the data it acquires. These algorithms can identify trends, elaborate on them, and discover more effective methods for executing specific activities via automation. Human fallibility necessitates the integration of AI as an essential instrument in judicial decision-making, especially in criminal sentencing, thereby aiding judges in achieving more precise and efficient outcomes, which permits them to concentrate on other matters. This paper assesses the application of artificial intelligence in criminal sentencing within the judicial system from a comparative standpoint. A mixed-method approach was utilised, integrating qualitative and quantitative techniques for data collecting, encompassing in-person interviews and surveys. The research demonstrated that AI systems can swiftly analyse extensive amounts of legal language, facilitating tasks such as transcription, document summarisation, and legal research. AI employs diverse algorithms to address a multitude of problems through pattern recognition and the execution of precise instructions. Through the analysis of huge datasets, AI can deliver impartial recommendations, resulting in more uniform sentence outcomes for analogous situations. Artificial intelligence can evaluate an offender's likelihood of recidivism by analysing variables such as age and educational background, thereby aiding courts in making educated sentence decisions. The study indicated that the risks and obstacles linked to AI in sentencing encompass prejudice amplification, potential coercion of judges to conform to AI suggestions, and ethical issues related to transparency and human rights. To alleviate these hazards, transparency mandates are crucial for enabling judges to comprehend the elements evaluated by AI systems. Stringent data-quality criteria must be established to avert the recurrence of inequitable sentencing practices. Proactive supervision and regulation of AI are essential, accompanied by rigorous legislation overseeing the design and development of algorithms. Consistent auditing, targeted AI training, and instruction for judges and legal practitioners are essential for the proper integration of AI in the criminal justice system..    

The research focused on the contribution of forensic accounting to the detection and prevention of money laundering in Zimbabwe. It sought to find out how forensic accounting methods are implemented, evaluate their effectiveness in ensuring compliance with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), assess the contribution of forensic accountants to the activities of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), understand the institutional challenges of implementation, and create an integrated forensic accounting model. The researchers used a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were gathered through 235 structured questionnaires, and qualitative data were obtained from 15 purposively selected key informants. Quantitative data were processed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression techniques in SPSS. Qualitative data were analysed thematically to determine the main themes and stakeholder views. The results showed that forensic accounting techniques, such as transaction tracing, risk-based auditing, and the use of technology, are extensively practised and, thus, significantly facilitate the identification of suspicious transactions. These activities positively influence the compliance of the FATF, primarily through regular audits and reporting. Nevertheless, limited funding, lack of sufficient training, and poor cooperation between agencies were some of the challenges that prevented the agency's effectiveness. The regression results reveal that the use of forensic accounting techniques, compliance with FATF standards, contributions from the FIU, and technological integration are factors that significantly improve the effectiveness of AML. On the other hand, institutional challenges have a negative impact on the effectiveness of AML, thus the need for a coordinated approach is confirmed. The study recommends integrating the use of technology, joint training, and regulatory compliance into a comprehensive forensic accounting model.

This study investigates the role of infrastructure maintenance in addressing persistent electricity outages in the eThekwini Municipality, in Metropolitan Municipality in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.  The research identifies that aging infrastructure, poor maintenance practices, and inadequate resource allocation are significant contributors to the rising frequency and duration of power disruptions across the municipality.  The impact of these outages includes economic losses, traffic disruptions, increased crime, and health risks, particularly for residents reliant on home-based medical care.  The study adopted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology, using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns, themes, and knowledge gaps related to electricity infrastructure maintenance. Key findings revealed that poor planning, limited budgetary support, skills shortages, infrastructure vandalism, and theft exacerbate the crisis.  The research achieved its objectives by highlighting the relationship between infrastructure reliability and effective maintenance practices its father proposed a set off extendable recommendations including increased investment and preventative maintenance workforce training the adoption of smart grid technologies and community engagement to reduce vandalism and illegal connections these strategies aim to improve network reliability and service delivery while addressing the social political tensions that result from frequent power failures.

The quality of public service provision in South Africa remains a major challenge particularly among institution mandated to assist vulnerable population. This study investigated the impact of public officials’ attitude on the effectiveness of service provision using South African Social Security Agency as a case study. Although structural and resource-based issues are commonly mentioned in the literature, this study suggests that the frontline official’s attitude, behavior and work ethics are important in assessing citizen experience and institutional performance. The systematic literature review approach has been adopted using existing literature including journals from previous scholars, reports available about customer satisfaction, poor communication and lack of accountability compromise the quality of services, create delays and erode public trust. On the other hand, despite structural limitations, driven and sympathetic government officials help to provide improved service delivery. The study shows that an organization culture, service outcomes and employee morale have a strong relationship.

The integration of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies into South African local government, as proposed by Ndamase et al. (2025), presents not only operational and technical challenges but also profound legal and regulatory dilemmas. While the potential for enhanced service delivery, citizen engagement, and transparency is significant, the current legal ecosystem governing municipal functions is ill-equipped to address issues of data sovereignty, algorithmic governance, cybersecurity liability, and digital inclusion. This conceptual study employs a doctrinal legal research methodology to identify the critical legal gaps impeding the responsible adoption of 4IR technologies in South African municipalities. Through a systematic review of international best practices from jurisdictions like the European Union, Estonia, and Singapore, and an analysis of South Africa's existing constitutional and legislative framework, this paper proposes a structured legal framework. This framework is built upon four foundational pillars: (1) Data Governance and Citizen Data Sovereignty, (2) Algorithmic Accountability and Transparency, (3) Mandatory Digital Inclusion and Accessibility, and (4) Adaptive Regulation through Regulatory Sandboxes. The study argues that without proactive and sophisticated legal instrumentation, the deployment of 4IR technologies risks exacerbating existing inequalities, infringing on fundamental rights, and creating new forms of unaccountable automated governance. The proposed framework aims to provide legislators and municipal officials with a roadmap for developing laws that not only enable innovation but also safeguard democracy, equity, and the rule of law in the digitalizing local state.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play an important role in poverty alleviation and job creation in developing economies. An MSME needs to develop its own brand to differentiate itself from its competitors. After having developed its brand, an MSME needs to communicate its brand to its target audience. This study aimed to explore the development of brands and brand communication practices in MSMEs. Integrated communication theory was adopted to address the research objective, and exploratory qualitative research was employed to achieve the research objective. In-depth interviews were conducted with managers of MSMEs in townships in South Africa. and primary data analysed through content analysis. The findings of this paper uncovered that MSMEs’ brands were developed with an element of uniqueness and communicated through traditional platforms and social media. The paper offers recommendations to managers of MSMEs on brand communication and suggests future research directions on the topic.

The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) is one of the food security programmes of the South African government that strives to provide proper nutrition meals to all public primary and secondary school learners nationwide. To implement the programme, NSNP hires food handlers to prepare and deliver meals to students on a daily basis. However, in terms of public sector human resource management, it is unclear how these food handlers are recruited and hired into the programme. This paper aimed at assessing the recruitment practices of food handlers into the NSNP. The paper employed qualitative research methodology using semi-structured interviews and documentary review as two data collection methods. Moreover, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) Johannesburg North District was chosen as a case study for the research strategy. The study reviewed pertinent literature, conducted semi-structured interviews to collect data. The data was analysed using thematic content analysis in order to qualitatively examine the data gathered. The paper's findings demonstrated that the GDE has a plan in place to oversee the NSNP's food handler recruitment practices, and that plan is spelt out in detail in their advising memorandum on the subject. Nevertheless, the study found that the approach does not align with the principles and practices of Public Human Resource Management (PHRM). According to the findings, the NSNP lacks a defined recruitment policy that would govern its hiring practices. It was found that there are challenges in the recruitment process. Finally, this paper offered recommendations for improved recruitment practices for food handlers.

Despite National and International commitments for gender equality and victims or survivours of sexual encounters, the envisaged protections, gaps in legislative frameworks, and institutional policies implementation exist, coupled with underreporting and inadequate institutional response. The student sexual victimisations in South African universities remain a persistent challenge, necessitating comprehensive legislative and institutional policies to ensure student safety and security for potential victims. Objectively, this study describes the effectiveness of existing legislative frameworks and institutional policies to address sexual victimisation in the selected South African rural and urban universities. This qualitative study used the descriptive research design to follow the predetermined steps of a documentary study, focusing on documentary sources and the electronic databases; the reviewed data was subjected to the non-probability: Purposive sampling for selections, the keywords/phrases were used to filter info relevant to the study objective, using the Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA), the collected data was restricted to 1979-2024 (not in sequence), with the six (6) phases of inductive Textual Content Analysis (TCA) employed for data analysis and identification of three (3) study themes. This study showcases key challenges, including staff-student power dynamics, lack of independent oversight and inconsistencies in legislative frameworks and institutional policies enforcement. The witnessed disparities between the selected South African universities and international best practices are shared, emphasising the need for victim/survivor-centred approaches, enhanced reporting mechanisms, and mandatory training programmes. The study concludes by proposing effective legislative frameworks and institutional policies as recommendations for strengthening institutional accountability, promoting awareness, and ensuring holistic support for victims.

The learning process of a new language implies many different aspects to be considered and one of those aspects is the social component, family and society, that is always present in the learning processes. It is important to get to know what those roles are in the specific social context; how families/caregivers are supporting their children and the connection these actions have with academic performance in the English first additional classroom. Thus, this, this paper addressed the following research question: What is the importance of parental input in English first additional language? The aim of the study is to explore parental input in English first additional language. Data was gathered through a systematic literature review, and during the search, only English language was the subject of teaching in settings where English is not the language of the majority. After screening the papers, settled for only those that met all inclusion criteria for data extraction and analysis. Findings revealed that that parents are their child’s first teachers; thus, their involvement in additional language development is critical in enhancing academic performance. As the children’s ?rst learning experiences are tied to their home environment, the parents are important in creating a favourable learning environment for their children. Also, parents who read books with their child before the child goes to school, particularly primary school, and parents who participate in their child’s reading and managing homework outside school hours are the best predictors of academic achievement. However, some parents in disadvantaged communities had literacy challenges, thus unmotivated to assist their children with homework, unlike the educated parents, especially in semi- and urban areas who possess some   academic knowledge to manage EFAL homework.

The quality of institutions continues to be a pertinent issue due to its potential direct and indirect effects on economic growth. The research examined the correlation between institutional quality and economic growth in Botswana from 1990 to 2022. The research utilised the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bounds model to assess cointegration and the Toda and Yamamoto and Dolado and Lütkepohl (TYDL) model to investigate the direction of causality. The ARDL methodology is favoured for this research because to its applicability to small sample sizes. This method is not constrained by the sequence of integration among the variables. The results demonstrate that corruption adversely impacts economic growth in both the short term and the long term. Regulatory frameworks and governmental stability exert a substantial favourable influence on economic growth in both the short and long term. The analysis identified a bidirectional causative relationship between government stability and economic growth, as well as a unidirectional causal relationship from regulatory rules to economic growth. This study revealed a negative impact of labour on economic vitality. The cointegrating link indicates that the Botswana government ought to prioritise investments in institutional quality, targeted procedures, and policies due to their direct influence on economic growth. The report advocates for the Botswana government to formulate and implement legislation that fosters and advances the development of the citizen sector. The Botswana government should improve and sustain the factors that contribute to institutional quality, as they facilitate development.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is transforming knowledge-intensive professional services; nevertheless, data from consulting ecosystems in emerging markets is still scarce. This study investigates the organisational and human-centric consequences of RPA implementation in consulting businesses in Johannesburg, South Africa, concentrating on company performance, job security, employee performance, and customer engagement. We performed reliability testing, rotational factor analysis, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression in SAS using a cross-sectional survey of 256 consulting staff. The results indicate a favourable correlation between RPA and employee performance as well as customer interaction, however no statistically significant link was found for business performance or job security. The paper provides context-specific empirical evidence about RPA within the South African consulting ecosystem, indicating that early value realisation may manifest through enhancements in worker efficiency and client interactions rather than immediate increases in firm-level performance. The findings underscore the necessity for change management, reskilling, and appropriate automation governance to maintain human-technology complementarity.

Celebrity endorsement is a widely utilised strategic marketing method employed by companies globally. This study examines the influence of sport celebrity endorsement, with particular emphasis on Lionel Messi's effect on the profitability of the brands he represents. Two prominent brands, adidas and Louis Vuitton, both positioned within the top ten most valuable fashion brands in 2024, were selected for analysis. The study utilised secondary data to fulfil its aims. The findings indicate that Lionel Messi has a positive impact on profit generation for endorsed brands, underscoring the effectiveness of integrating high-profile sports celebrities into marketing communication strategies to enhance profitability. Brand managers who have not yet employed sports celebrity endorsements should consider this approach, as it has demonstrated a substantial impact on company profits. This study recognises specific limitations, as is common in research endeavours. Future research should evaluate the influence of local sports celebrities on the profitability of brands they endorse within the community. 

Makhanda Municipality, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, faces difficulties such as service delivery failures, infrastructure deficiencies, and government inefficiencies. This paper aims to assess the applicability and efficacy of Lewin's model in promoting organisational change and improving performance in this particular Municipality. This paper used VOSviewer's bibliometric analysis to synthesise 36 current literature and pinpoint important trends, seminal research, and knowledge gaps about change management. The findings show that Lewin's model, which includes unfreezing, change, and refreezing phases, provides a systematic framework that, when applied in Makhanda, can greatly improve stakeholder engagement and organisational adaptability. The paper's novelty stems from its adaptation of a traditional change model to a modern municipal environment, which provides valuable insights into local governance. To improve the transformation process, recommendations include tailoring training programs for local officials and establishing a feedback mechanism. This paper concludes that effective change management is critical for enhancing public service outcomes, and Makhanda Municipality will greatly benefit from the application of the Model.

This research examined the influence of board tenure diversity (BTD) on shareholder value creation (SVC) among 95 non-financial companies listed in South Africa. A quantitative quasi-experimental research design was employed. The data collection sources included integrated annual reports, the Who Owns Whom database and the Osiris database. The study used a fixed effects model to test the hypotheses.  BTD  was measured using the Blau index (BI_BTD), average tenure (AVE_TBM), standard deviation (SD_TBM), and coefficient of variation for tenure board members (TBM), as well as dummies for short tenured boards  (AVE_TBM  3) and long tenured boards (AVE_TBM 10)  The proxies of SVC  included standard market value added (SMVA), market-to-book ratio (MTB) and Tobin’s Q (TBQ). The results of curvilinear quadratic models indicate that all BTD  measures had both positive and negative influences on all SVC measures, highlighting an inverted  U-shaped effect. The inverted U-shape effect reflects a trade-off between beneficial knowledge accumulation and harmful entrenchment or coordination problems as board tenure diversity increases beyond an optimal level. Given the inverted  U-shaped effect, many proposals for corporate governance reform explicitly stress the importance of limiting board tenure.