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Africa’s labour market is undergoing rapid transformation driven by technological disruption, demographic shifts, climate-related pressures, and evolving employer expectations. For higher education institutions, this context presents both a challenge and a strategic opportunity: the need to recalibrate curricula to meet the demands of a future driven workforce to address this imperative, the study employs a structured desktop review drawing on scholarly literature, policy frameworks, labour market analytics, and regional case studies across African higher education, between the period of January 2020 and January 2026.  This methodological approach enables the systematic synthesis of cross-sector insights and supports a critical evaluation of the misalignments between current curriculum practices and the competencies required in an evolving labour market. The aim of this study is to critically examine the alignment between African higher education curricular and the evolving demands of the labour market, and to identify curriculum design principles that can support the development of adaptable, digitally fluent, and socially responsive graduates suited to a future driven African workforce. The analysis examines how African higher education can intentionally align curriculum design with emerging workplace realities to produce graduates who are adaptable, digitally fluent, and socially responsive. The findings reveal persistent limitations in traditional content-heavy programmes, which often fail to cultivate the flexible, interdisciplinary, and technology-enabled competencies demanded by contemporary employers in response, this study argues for a shift toward competency based, industry informed, and contextually grounded curriculum models. Curriculum recalibration is a critical lever for shaping a resilient, innovative, and inclusive African workforce. A future proof curriculum, it argues, must integrate technological competence, adaptability, and social responsibility to prepare graduates for fluid, technology-enabled, and socially responsive careers.

The South African Society of Radiography noted that a great number of South African radiographers were leaving the government sector to seek employment abroad as well as in private practices. The aim of the research was to determine the factors that affect radiographers' intentions to leave public health care institutions in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The study used a quantitative approach. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey using a stratified random sample of 220 employed radiographers in various public hospitals across KwaZulu-Natal. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of intention to leave. The results reflect that the intention to leave the organization was strongly related to several factors such as incentives, employee engagement, leadership, and burnout levels. Discontentment with leadership increased the likelihood of exit sevenfold. Employees with medium engagement were found to be twice as likely to exit compared to highly engaged employees. Radiographers with insufficient and moderate incentives were 90% and 93% less likely to exit the organization, respectively. Those with reduced burnout were 92% less likely to exit the organization. The findings highlight leadership, employee engagement, incentive structures, and burnout as key determinants influencing employee intention to leave. Focusing on these areas could improve job satisfaction and reduce turnover rates

Despite efforts made by the government and organizations with the intent of improving gender equality and promoting women’s participation at the highest levels of management within the financial sector and other male-dominated industries, women still lag significantly. This issue persists despite the prevalence of biases that affect their performance. This study examined the experience of female leaders working within the financial services sector of a South African organization with regards to the availability of access to mentoring and the glass ceiling phenomenon. A qualitative approach of research methodology was employed through the application of semi-structured interviews with an in-depth exploration of the opinions of nine female leaders. Themes were used to identify patterns that emerged with the application of this approach. The study results indicated that the female executives experience numerous difficulties that include inequality during the process of selecting employees, pay disparities between the female and male employees, lack of respect from their fellow workers or employees at their respective institutions of employment, as well as a lack of adequate mentoring programs. Women’s leadership journeys are affected by structural, cultural, and individual barriers. To foster the growth of female leaders, organizations should embrace solid gender equity initiative implementation and promote inclusive cultures at the workplace. This study’s results are useful in designing improved pathways of access and minimizing gender-related barriers within the male-dominated sector

This study aims to evaluate the representation of entrepreneurship in business studies syllabus in South African Schools. A qualitative research methodology was used to evaluate the entrepreneurship in South African secondary schools.  Furthermore, little representation of entrepreneurship in the syllabus and business studies have direct link with entrepreneurship. Currently, the Grade 10-12 curriculum for Business Studies focus on the development of knowledge, skills and values. This study calls for Self- Directed Learning in Business Studies Grades 10 -12 to promote entrepreneurship in South African Schools.  A purposive sample of ten Grade 12 teachers were selected from five secondary schools, to cater for all quintile 1 to 5 in Edendale circuit. A case study research design was employed. Data collection was prepared using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Generate data was analysed through thematic analysis.  The study adopted the Achievement Goal Theory. The findings indicated that challenges facing students is the lack of practical demonstration because business studies is a practical topics.  Moreover, the findings revealed obstacles in successful teaching and learning of business studies in secondary schools, due to lack of competent teachers, insufficient instructional resources and bad teaching methods. The study recommends for the implementation of self-direct learning program on entrepreneurship were learners for grade 8 to 12 can learn on their pace. In addition, incorporating entrepreneurship courses into the curriculum, fostering an entrepreneurial mind-set, and providing mentorship can equip learners with the skills and knowledge necessary to start their own businesses. Furthermore, collaboration with local entrepreneurial ecosystems, and funding organizations is important.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa previously faced challenges due to limited resources, restricted access to technology, and the need to constantly adapt to a dynamic business environment. The introduction of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerged as a potential solution to these issues, promising to enhance operational efficiency and strategic decision-making. As a representative of developing economies, South Africa experienced a growing interest in AI technologies. This study was conducted to explore the impact of generative AI on SME productivity in South Africa, an area which had been underexplored. Employing a qualitative methodology, the study evaluated the current state and implications of generative AI in South African SMEs. It involved in-depth interviews to gather perceptions, experiences, challenges, and benefits from SME owners and managers regarding the adoption of generative AI technologies. The findings analysed via R Statistical Software revealed significant insights into the specific areas where generative AI substantially impacted SME productivity. It also identified the challenges and opportunities associated with the adoption of generative AI by SMEs, as well as the potential long-term implications. Key findings included notable improvements in data-driven decision-making, operational efficiencies, and market expansion strategies. However, the study also highlighted barriers such as the lack of technical expertise, initial setup costs, and concerns over data security. Overall, the impact of generative AI on SMEs in South Africa was found to be predominantly positive, paving the way for further technological advancements and adoption in the sector.

As extreme weather events continue to impact every continent and the world moves towards establishing a lower-carbon economy, the banking industry is expected to incorporate climate risk into their risk management practices. Climate change poses significant risks to bank loan portfolios through increased physical and transition risks. This study systematically analysed the literature to identify effective strategies for managing these risks. Our findings reveal that climate-related events can lead to substantial loan defaults and credit losses. To mitigate these impacts, banks can integrate climate risk into their risk management frameworks, adopt sustainable lending practices, and diversify their portfolios. Some banks have already implemented measures to mitigate climate risk through insurance policies, while others are incorporating sustainability criteria into their lending practices, such as financing green projects. By proactively addressing climate risks, banks can protect their portfolios, enhance financial resilience and contribute to a low-carbon economy.

The South African construction sector is confronted by significant obstacles, particularly concerning cost overruns and project delays within the road construction sphere. This research sought to investigate the factors impacting cost and duration in road construction projects under the purview of a KwaZulu-Natal municipality. A qualitative research approach was adopted to explore this phenomenon. A sample size of 27 participants was selected from a population of 171 for in-depth semi-structured interviews. Critical determinants of cost overruns and delays were identified as ineffective communication, suboptimal procurement processes, deficient stakeholder management, and shortcomings in project execution and personnel capabilities. This study offers valuable insights into the relationship between cost, time, and the successful delivery of road projects within the local government context. By illuminating these factors, the research contributes to a deeper theoretical understanding, informs evidence-based policy development, and provides actionable recommendations for enhancing project management practices.

This research offers a comprehensive examination of immigrant entrepreneurship within Eastern Cape Province towns, with a specific focus on Sterkspruit and Aliwal-North The purpose of this was to investigate the opportunities and challenges faced by immigrant entrepreneurs within towns in the Eastern Cape Province. The qualitative research approach which followed a phenomenological research philosophy was adopted. The non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to select 10 immigrant entrepreneurs. Thereafter, in-depth interviews were employed in gathering primary data from the selected sample which is African and Asian immigrant entrepreneurs operating in the selected towns (Aliwal-North and Sterkspruit) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The results of the study indicate that immigrant entrepreneurs enjoy some opportunities and also are faced with challenges in doing business in these towns. The results furthermore indicate that immigrant entrepreneurs know the causes of their challenges as they explain them. The results also indicate the possible ways the challenges can be managed or overcome. The study, therefore, concluded that some of the opportunities and challenges identified by the interviewed participants were of South African government policies and regulations. It was therefore recommended that as a way of improving the handling of business engagement, immigrant entrepreneurs attend business workshops and exposes.  

A little over two years ago, from the 9th to the 18th of July 2021, South Africa experienced one of the worst incidents of civil unrest since the beginning of its democratic dispensation. Although the main catalyst for this unrest was not directly issues of service delivery or public participation, many observers, experts or not could not help but see the connection to issues of poverty, unemployment and overall lack of service delivery. Public participation has long been established as a vital tool in the hands of the government for efficient service delivery & development. The Newcastle Local Municipality (NLM) as an institution in South Africa, is governed by numerous public participation legislation which essentially states it must always consult & involve all its citizens on all issues that affect the community at large. Despite its adherence to these stipulations, this brief study, through a qualitative inquiry making use of an interview schedule, finds that NLM practices a type of participation strategy known as “Degrees of tokenism” where the result is the appeasement and placation of the masses as opposed to true participation that gives the masses real power. The results indicated that the officials entrusted with ensuring the implementation of the public participation mandate faced numerous challenges that rendered their stellar efforts inefficient. Issues such as a lack of understanding of the fundamental importance of good governance and public participation led to a shortage of resources and increased apathy toward municipal affairs. In investigating the nature of the public participation framework in NLM the researcher aimed at providing more insight into the complex issues at play responsible for the largely concerning state of local government in South Africa, thus possibly providing solutions in the process.