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This article employs a structured, theory-guided comparative policy analysis to examine the persistent deficits in community trust that undermine primary health care (PHC) service delivery in Nigeria. Despite numerous reforms targeting financing and administrative structures, PHC utilization remains low and citizen confidence fragile. Drawing on policy learning theory, this study argues that Nigeria’s PHC reforms have predominantly involved first-order, instrumental adjustments, failing to foster deeper shifts in governance philosophy or state-citizen relations essential for building trust. Using Rwanda as a contrasting case, the analysis illustrates how its post-genocide PHC reconstruction leveraged second- and third-order policy learning to embed community trust within governance through co-production, robust accountability mechanisms, and deliberate institutional design. The paper identifies context-sensitive policy lessons for Nigeria, emphasizing that trust must be recognized and actively governed as a strategic resource for legitimate, responsive, and sustainable PHC systems, rather than merely a residual outcome of service delivery.

The current economic crisis which is a consequence of fuel subsidy removal and devaluation of Nigerian currency through foreign exchange unification is a reality as nearly every household is feeling the heat. The evidence is plethora including high inflation, loss of jobs, malnutrition, imbalance diets among others. These relatively impactful factors have heightened psychological and economic stress in the country in recent time. Hence, citizens result to relieving pain via humorous interjections thereby creating a nexus between economic severity and humour. This paper interrogates “humour” as a coping mechanism and instrument of political critique in the ocean of economic hardship popularised by humourists, comedians and entertainment industrialists in an organised event and social media platforms. This study relies on secondary materials and memes from social media platforms and online newspapers between May 2023 till date and thereby subjected to qualitative content analysis. The selection criteria of the memes were based on the period when those policies were implemented. Coping theory was deployed as the theoretical foundation. The study found out that humour helps to strengthen social bonds, reduction of stress, change of perception, as a means of livelihood and political critique.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education, offering both pedagogical advantages and potential academic risks for teaching and learning. This systematic review consolidates existing research to examine whether AI enhances or hinders pedagogical practices in universities. Results show that AI boosts efficiency, supports personalization, and promotes inclusivity through adaptive learning systems, intelligent tutoring platforms, and automated assessment tools. The findings, however, also indicate risks such as academic integrity issues, algorithmic bias, unequal access, and the potential deskilling of educators. Furthermore, policy gaps exacerbate these risks, subjecting institutions to ethical dilemmas and inconsistent practices. The review concludes that responsible integration, supported by strong governance frameworks, drives the impact of AI in academia. Recommendations for policymakers include introducing clear institutional policies for the use of AI in higher education, promoting equitable access to digital infrastructure, and mandating transparency and accountability to ensure trust and fairness in high-stakes decision-making. For higher education institutions, establishing comprehensive guidelines for AI use, investing in faculty training, and redesigning assessments can help ensure inclusivity, preserving creativity, and emphasizing originality and problem-solving skills less easily replicated by AI.

Customer service quality is still a major problem in Zimbabwe’s telecommunications sector. This study aimed to develop a framework to improve customer service in the sector. It focused on how network reliability, how quickly complaints are resolved, staff skills and empathy, and customer involvement in service improvement affect customer satisfaction. Customers often face network failures, slow responses to complaints, and poor communication with service providers. These problems reduce customer satisfaction.: The study used data collected in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe. A convergent parallel mixed-methods approach was used. Quantitative data were collected from a random sample of 220 customers, while qualitative data were collected from 13 purposively selected participants, including managers and frontline customer service staff. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS AMOS version 23 and thematic analysis. The results showed that network reliability had a strong and positive effect on customer satisfaction. Staff competence and empathy also had a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction, showing that skilled, respectful, and caring staff improve customers’ experiences. In contrast, complaint-resolution efficiency did not have a significant effect on customer satisfaction. The analysis further showed that value co-creation partially mediated the relationship between network reliability and customer satisfaction, as well as between staff competence and customer satisfaction. The study recommended that regulators such as Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) enforce service quality standards, and that policymakers support digital inclusion and innovation. The study contributes that customer satisfaction can be improved by upgrading network infrastructure, providing ongoing staff training, empowering frontline employees, and creating formal ways to engage customers.

Employee retention remains a critical concern across corporate sectors due to its far-reaching implications for operational efficiency, institutional knowledge preservation, and sustained organisational performance. This systematic literature review examines contemporary approaches to addressing employee retention challenges, with a specific focus on the manufacturing, healthcare, and tech industries. Drawing on peer-reviewed publications from 1998 to 2025, the study identifies and synthesises the primary drivers of employee turnover, while evaluating evidence-based strategies employed to mitigate it. The findings reveal that while financial incentives continue to play a foundational role in employee retention, they are increasingly insufficient in isolation. Sector-specific dynamics, such as labour inflexibility in manufacturing, emotional burnout in healthcare, and innovation fatigue in technology-intensive environments, necessitate tailored and context-sensitive retention strategies. Emerging themes identified include the growing influence of employee engagement initiatives, adaptive leadership practices, flexible work arrangements, and the strategic integration of technology in supporting retention goals. Notably, the review highlights a significant gap in the literature concerning psychological and behavioural dimensions of retention. Despite their demonstrated importance, factors such as intrinsic motivation, emotional well-being, and workplace stress remain underexplored. Addressing these elements is essential to formulating holistic, human-centred retention models. The study concludes by advocating for industry-aligned, psychologically informed, and adaptable frameworks that can respond to the evolving dynamics of modern organisational environments.  

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) has surfaced as a process that involves the transfer of theoretical knowledge to the actual practical application in the working environment. It is a pedagogical approach to placing students in touch with the realities of the working environment. Hence, the role of WIL is to develop student readiness for the working environment. The study explored the influence of WIL on student readiness for the working environment of the final year students in the department of Human Resources Management at the DUT. The objectives of the study were threefold: (i) to establish whether there is a relationship between WIL and student readiness of third year HRM for the working environment (ii) to ascertain the perception of third year HRM students regarding WIL, and (iii) to identify the factors that influence the effectiveness of WIL. The study adopted the positivist research paradigm and used the quantitative approach. A structured closed-end questionnaire was used to gather data which was analysed using SPSS version 30. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted to draw deductions. The study used consensus sampling and a total of 80 responses were received. The results of the study indicated that student readiness exhibited a strong positive correlation with the WIL programme effectiveness. Furthermore, readiness showed a moderate positive correlation with the preparation programme. A weaker yet statistically significant correlation was observed between readiness and support.

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted traditional Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) practices in South African Universities of Technology (UoTs), necessitating rapid adaptation to virtual, hybrid, and project-based learning models. This study investigates post-COVID WIL practices, stakeholder perceptions, curriculum impacts, and the effectiveness of newly implemented strategies. Situated within an interpretivist paradigm, a qualitative approach was adopted to explore the meanings participants ascribe to WIL experiences. An exploratory multiple case-study design enabled in-depth insights across six UoTs. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 27 participants; including lecturers, WIL coordinators, and document analysis to capture diverse perspectives and institutional artefacts. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and managed in NVivo; thematic analysis combining deductive and inductive coding was applied to generate categories, subthemes, and overarching themes aligned to the research objectives. Thematic analysis revealed four overarching dimensions: (1) current WIL practices, including communication strategy development, traditional placements, project-based learning, and collaborative mentorship; (2) stakeholders’ perceptions, highlighting opportunities and constraints in transitioning to online and hybrid modalities; (3) curriculum impacts, reflecting both enhanced work-readiness and systemic limitations such as misaligned placements, insufficient exposure, and financial inequities; and (4) a balanced assessment of WIL strategies, emphasizing the integration of virtual approaches, simulation technologies, traditional placements, and industry partnerships. The main findings demonstrate that hybrid, adaptive WIL models supported by structured mentorship, formalised industry collaboration, and reflective practices optimally cultivate employable, competent, and resilient graduates. The study underscores the need for strategic planning, institutional capacity building, and equity-focused interventions to sustain WIL effectiveness in post-pandemic higher education

This article examines whether merit-based recruitment and affirmative action in the South African public service operate as competing imperatives or as complementary mechanisms for institutional transformation. The article adopts a qualitative approach and relies on secondary sources to analyse academic publications, policies, legislative frameworks, and official government and oversight reports. The findings show that the perceived tension between merit-based recruitment and affirmative action is not inherent but is largely produced by weak implementation, political interference, and ambiguous policy interpretation. The article further finds that when merit and equity are integrated within transparent, competency-based recruitment frameworks, they function as complementary mechanisms that expand the pool of qualified candidates, strengthen institutional legitimacy, and enhance service delivery. The article concludes that sustainable public sector transformation depends not on choosing between merit and affirmative action, but on institutionalising their integration through policy refinement, governance reform, and sustained investment in human capital development.

The rapid growth of the apparel industry has created strain in textile waste generation, posing a major problem with regards to waste management and sustainability around the world.  This paper aims to create a comparative analysis of textile waste management practices between the Global North and Global South. Through a systematic desktop review this paper examines the differences in infrastructure, regulatory frameworks; technology capacity and socio economic challenges that influence waste generation. The employed theoretical framework for this study is the E-M-S framework which examines the relationship between society and the environment drawing particular attention to how influences such political systems, cultural values, economic forces and social structures can shape shift how the efficiency of waste management and sustainability awareness in the apparel industry. The main findings of the study demonstrate that the Global North has created stronger policy enforcements, better action based strategies for waste management structures that is paired with a growing investment in circular economy strategies for textile waste technologies and consumer responsibility. However, in contrast, the Global South faces challenges of health and safety risks, environmental pollution and overwhelming economic pressures from imported textile waste. Finally, this study highlights the need for collaborative work and interdependence between two regions fostering context-specific approaches to textile waste management that is aligned to technological innovation, policy reform and social inclusion to globally improve sustainability in apparel industry.

School social work has become a globally recognized specialty, but its limited integration into South African schools risks worsening psychosocial issues among learners and increasing teachers' stress. The present research explored teachers' and parents' perceptions regarding the need for school social work services to address learners' psychosocial challenges and support teachers in two underprivileged schools in South Africa. Ten high school teachers and four parents from two underprivileged high schools participated in interviews as part of a qualitative research approach. The study employed reflexive thematic analysis to analyze the collected data. The findings revealed that teachers actively observed learners’ psychosocial problems and that current support structures were inadequate, as learners were referred to community-level social workers. While teachers attempted to support learners, learners were often reluctant to disclose sensitive issues; teachers lacked appropriate training in supporting learners and were overwhelmed by this non-academic role. School social workers were advocated for and viewed as offering dual benefits: providing individualized, holistic services to learners and their parents, and equipping educators with tools to better navigate learners’ psychosocial issues. We recommend the formal incorporation of school social workers in underprivileged schools to strengthen support systems, reduce pressure on teachers, and promote holistic learner development.

This study explores the integration of smart apparel textiles into South African industrial workwear, aiming to enhance worker safety, comfort, and productivity in modern labour environments. Smart textiles, fabrics embedded with functional materials and electronic components, are gaining attention globally for their applications in healthcare, sports, and occupational safety. However, South Africa has been slow to adopt these innovations within its industrial sectors. Using a qualitative research design, the study employed semi-structured interviews with professionals in apparel production and industrial supply to examine the opportunities, challenges, and market readiness for smart textile integration. Thematic analysis identified six key issues hindering adoption: high production costs, lack of innovation, concerns over material durability, limited government intervention, low awareness, and insufficient skills development. Findings indicate that while smart textiles have potential to revolutionize industrial workwear by offering real-time monitoring and enhanced protective functions, widespread adoption remains constrained by systemic barriers. Participants emphasized that technological unfamiliarity, conservative market behavior, and insufficient infrastructure contribute to a sluggish innovation ecosystem. Additionally, the study found a significant gap in local capacity for producing, maintaining, and certifying smart garments under demanding industrial conditions. Despite these challenges, the research highlights growing interest in collaborative solutions involving government, academia, and industry stakeholders. Recommendations include policy development, investment in skills training, increased awareness campaigns, and the implementation of cost-effective design strategies. The study concludes that South Africa’s industrial workwear sector can benefit from targeted interventions that promote innovation and address structural limitations. Integrating smart textiles offers not only enhanced safety and functionality but also alignment with global trends toward sustainable, tech-enabled work environments.

Global consumers are experiencing the adverse effects of over-indebtedness, which impacts their well-being. This study article emphasises the significant repercussions experienced by consumers regarding their welfare due to over-indebtedness. A qualitative research approach was employed to identify a deliberate sample of five registered debt counsellors and financial planners. Semi-structured interviews were employed, and theme qualitative analysis was performed. The results indicate that excessive debt adversely affects consumer well-being and quality of life. Inadequate financial well-being was recognised as the primary catalyst that exacerbated other issues for over-indebted consumers, including deteriorated physical and mental health. Moreover, stress and stigmatisation have been identified as detrimental consequences stemming from financial hardships. This article demonstrates that financial debt is correlated with and adversely affects consumer physical and mental well-being, highlighting the necessity for immediate solutions, including enhanced financial education and more robust laws.   

Organizations have developed practices that sustain environmental resources in a circular economy. Yet, practices that enhance resource optimization for long-term survival of organizations and the environment in the developing world remain under researched. The study explores internal practices that sustain an environment in a circular economy in the public sector. Drawing from a resource-based perspective and employing a qualitative interpretivist design, six (n=6) in-depth interviews were conducted with participants involved in sustainability, environmental health and waste management at a local metropolitan municipality in emerging South Africa. The analysis revealed themes around internal organizational capabilities to deploy resources for implementing environmental practices. The study finds that engaging values and promoting learning entrenches ongoing recycling using green infrastructure at a local metropolitan municipality. The study contributes internal sustainable circular resource practices to resource-based perspective. Organizations ought to build valuable internal capabilities by utilizing circular inimitable resources to enhance environmental sustainability in the public sector in the developing world.

The study seeks to ascertain the factors of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) influencing consumer buying behaviour. This research aims to contribute to the ongoing debate about the factors of e-WOM that influence consumer buying decisions while making an online purchase. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to measure and analyse the relationships between observed and latent variables. The results reveal that e-WOM valence is the most influential e-WOM factor during online purchase decisions. Marketers must pay close attention to negative e-WOMs, monitor unfavourable evaluations and use negative feedback to improve product and service quality.

The incorporation of digital technology has become a crucial emphasis in the pursuit of efficiency, quality, and sustainability in contemporary healthcare operations. This study offers a theory-driven comparative analysis of digital technology integration in hospitals throughout the United States and chosen African nations: Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, utilising the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory as the principal analytical framework. This review synthesises evidence from secondary data, including peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, and institutional reports, regarding the influence of policy environments, infrastructural readiness, workforce capability, and governance structures on the adoption and integration of digital health technologies in various contexts. The results indicate that U.S. hospitals possess a sophisticated and developed digital ecosystem characterised by extensive utilisation of electronic health records, artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics, telehealth, and interoperable systems, primarily attributable to robust regulatory mandates and continuous investment. Conversely, hospitals in the chosen African nations exhibit inconsistent and fragmented integration, hampered by infrastructural deficiencies, restricted digital competencies, and regulatory inconsistencies, yet supported by adaptable mobile-first and open-source innovations. Utilising the principles of prominent diffusion theories relevant to drive contexts, the constructs of DOI (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability) delineate varied adoption trajectories and opportunities for contextualised policy learning. The study finds that the digital divide in healthcare must be reduced through measures that integrate technical methods with institutional capacity, governance frameworks, and workforce development to ensure equitable and sustainable implementation in healthcare.

Dynamic and competitive labour markets provide challenges for the higher education sector, necessitating the production of graduates capable of adaptation and proficient in self-directed learning and critical thinking. As a result, conventional teaching approaches are deemed insufficient for this objective. Learner-centred methodologies that promote a framework suitable for the application of practical knowledge, autonomy, adult education requirements, and experiential learning are essential. The educational philosophy at Durban University of Technology (DUT) was formulated within the framework of the Envision 2030 strategy, which seeks to harmonise contemporary educational methodologies with flexibility, social effect, and innovation, particularly concerning Andragogy and Heutagogy. This study seeks to examine the functions of andragogy and heutagogy in the critical shift from conventional pedagogy, via the lens of DUT's Philosophy of Education, and to evaluate how these methodologies might improve employability, lifelong learning, and student engagement. This will also analyse the implementation of DUT's Philosophy of Education within the institution and within the broader higher education sector. A conceptual review was done to examine modern pedagogical frameworks, their theoretical basis, and their implementations in higher education. Nevertheless, student engagement and autonomy are constrained in conventional instruction. Integrated heutagogy and andragogy foster self-directed education, problem-solving, and self-determined experiential learning. The DUT Philosophy of Education promotes creativity via design thinking and project-based learning to facilitate lifelong education, linked with labour market demands and educational priorities, therefore yielding proficient and adaptable graduates.

Over recent decades, the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) has traditionally served as the pinnacle of scholarly achievement, primarily preparing individuals for academic and research careers. However, shifting academic landscapes, increased competition, and changing industry demands are transforming the PhD's role from a terminal research degree into a foundational step toward academia. The objective of the article is to explore the emerging trends, underlying factors, and implications of the PhD becoming a prerequisite and stepping stone for entering academic professions. Through analysis of global patterns, institutional policies, and career trajectories, the article argue that the PhD is increasingly viewed as an essential credential for those aiming to establish a foothold in academia, shaping the future of doctoral training and academia’s workforce. This article found that PhD qualification does not always confirm the expertise of PhD holders but mostly display the research capabilities. The study also found that there are contradicting views from different scholars on the value of the PhD.

This article explores the perceptions of teachers about their role to implement the national school nutrition programme in the Harry Gwala District KwaZulu-Natal. This article originated from my Ph.D. study in which a qualitative research design with a sample of teachers was used, and nutrition coordinators who play a primary role in the school nutrition programme. Data was collected through individual interviews and document analysis. The study findings indicated that teachers perceived their role to interact with learners during feeding time as necessary in order to achieve the main objectives of the programme. The findings secondly indicated that teachers have a perception that their monitoring and supervision role ensured that there is a great need to check food stuff delivered by service providers as the key to ensure smooth running of the school nutrition programme, the findings thirdly emphasis that, teachers perceived as their role to ensure that all learners at school benefit from the programme. The findings also heighted that teachers were demotivated by unavailability of feeding equipment in their role to implement the school nutrition programme. The study also assert that school teachers had a perception that smooth running of the school nutrition programme depends on their proper management and administration of the programme. The study also find that teachers perceived safety and security on school nutrition programme as the most challenging aspect on their role to implement the programme. It was also discovered that the duty to that the service providers, Volunteer Food Handlers are not paid on time is also perceived as a barrier to programme implementation. Teachers have a perception that food for learners should be prepared and served under hygienic conditions even if the infrastructure if poorly developed. This study has a meaningful contribution to the entire implementation of the national school nutrition programme, and also fill the gap on how teachers perceive their role in the implementation of the school nutrition programme.

A fast-growing number of workers have turned to digital platforms as an alternative to traditional work arrangements. Digital platform work is assumed as short term, temporary ‘gigs’ interceded by businesses that are linking self-employed workers to clients via an application. This study explores the factors that influence the growth of gig employment in the digital economy. The study uses a systematic review to obtain relevant data from Google Scholar, Taylor and Francis and Science Direct. The study revealed that autonomy, flexibility, value creation and performance feedback motivate individuals to work as gig workers. The findings show how digital platforms have developed to attract individuals to participate as gig workers in the sharing economy. The paper contributes to the literature by highlighting factors that drives the development of digital platforms. The results of this study have implications for future research on gig employment to the society and businesses.  

Reforms in the South African public procurement system have been declared a new era of accountability and a new beginning in procurement. The modifications sought to rectify past disparities by fostering economic inclusion for under-represented groups via preferential procurement. Historically, procurement procedures benefited established organisations, restricting market access for black-owned businesses. The implementation of the Public Procurement Act introduced additional obstacles as it aimed to rectify imbalances in public procurement. The preferred procurement policy fundamentally defines "black people" as per the Broad-Based Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) framework, encompassing Black Africans, Indians, and Coloured individuals. This designation has resulted in definitional uncertainty and operational difficulties in guaranteeing equal procurement opportunities for "black individuals." This paper critically examines the South African government's failure to leverage its transformative potential by using the term "black people" to encompass three racial groups—Black Africans, Indians, and Coloureds—in procurement policies and legislation, thereby constraining the transformative impact on Black Africans' access to opportunities in public procurement. The essay advocates for a restructuring of the preferential procurement framework, based on empirical studies and policy evaluations, to explicitly prioritise black Africans, so ensuring greater inclusivity and verifiable socio-economic benefit.