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Africa is experiencing rapid urbanization, making it one of the most urbanized continents in the world. This trend is particularly evident in the Southern African regional block. With the ongoing push for enhanced regional integration, it is anticipated that there would be a rise in the migration of individuals within the region. The escalating pace of urbanization calls for a reassessment of future cities and the implications of the rural-urban split on the establishment of sustainable human settlements. This article initially analyzes the patterns of migration within the Southern Africa Development Community. Furthermore, an analysis is conducted on the factors that contribute to the significant internal migration inside member states. Furthermore, the article examines the connection between migration and urbanization in the region once again. The article employs qualitative and quantitative methodologies to examine the consequences of migration and urbanization on both the locations from which people migrate and the areas where they settle. The primary factors contributing to migration include the pursuit of economic opportunity, political instability, access to education, and climate-induced disasters. Migration and urbanization have both gotten worse in the SADC region at the same time, as shown by empirical literature, official migration documents, and quantitative time series data from the World Development Indicators. This suggests that migration causes more people to move to cities. The rise in population has led to inadequate housing, resulting in an increase in slums that surpasses the projected capacity of cities. This article suggests promoting infrastructure development that facilitates employment creation in the nations or districts of origin in order to prevent a one-way movement of migrants. Consequently, a rise in job prospects, salaries, and health conditions will result in a reduction in migration rates and alleviate the strain on numerous cities in the area.

In the pursuit of academic excellence, scholars are dependent on trustworthy journals to disseminate their research and contribute to the collective body of knowledge. However, the academic community is not immune to deceptive practices. This letter highlights the case of the "Global International Journal of Innovative Research," where my name, along with esteemed colleagues, was falsely associated with the editorial board without consent. Despite repeated efforts to address this issue, the journal remains unresponsive. This letter announces our intention to publish an exposé article, meticulously uncovering the fraudulent practices of the journal and its publisher. A subsequent public statement aims to warn the academic community about the deceptive nature of the "Global International Journal of Innovative Research" and emphasizes the collective responsibility of scholars to uphold ethical publishing standards. Through this exposé, we hope to safeguard the integrity of academic pursuit and raise awareness about the risks associated with engaging with predatory journals.

The article aims to promote financial literacy among youngsters from low-income backgrounds, encouraging them to engage in cost-effective investments that will enable them to accumulate wealth in the future. The article outlines a novel approach in life skills that entails shifting away from relying on uncertain grants and supports. Instead, it proposes utilizing a straightforward and practical mathematical model to generate money starting from a young age. The authors demonstrate that by utilizing a highly efficient investing option, young children have the ability to generate substantial wealth. To exemplify, we demonstrate the suggested methodology utilizing sequences and summations. Our method/proposal facilitates the enhancement of boundless wealth generation by enabling those who can invest more than the minimum requirement to accumulate greater wealth. The efficacy assessment of the new method is validated through the computation of the smallest investment, which is merely symbolic, yet yields boundless financial outcomes. The study findings, which have the potential to enhance governmental decision-making, can also be utilized for personal betterment. This work is innovative as it presents an alternative approach that imparts discipline, consistency, and honesty. It allows individuals to easily adopt the model with appropriate adjustments, hence facilitating the creation of wealth.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new phase of company operations. The advent of digital transformation (DT) has fundamentally transformed the global business landscape. Despite the global prevalence of this phenomenon, there is limited understanding of digital transformation (DT) in the context of COVID-19 and its impact on private sector organizations in developing nations. This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on the process of digital transformation in privately owned companies located in underdeveloped nations. To accomplish this objective, a systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA (2020) principles, resulting in a selection of 26 studies. This study employs an inductive methodology, where pertinent topics are identified as they arise from the literature throughout the analysis stage. The technology-organization-environment framework (TOE) was subsequently employed to provide a contextual framework for these issues. The research findings suggest that the presence of resources, both financial and technological, is a crucial determinant in the adoption of digital transformation. The adoption of DT has been significantly influenced by various factors, including the role of governments, competitive forces, security, and other relevant considerations. Although organizations in underdeveloped nations encountered numerous hurdles, it was found that digital transformation progressed rapidly in all areas. Companies underwent substantial transformations to embrace digital transformation (DT), including the use of digital business models to facilitate remote operations and heightened investment in education, skills, and innovative digital tactics. Given the recent emergence of COVID-19, there remain numerous uncertainties regarding the enduring impacts that COVID-19 has had on organizations.

Fraud is a thorn in the flesh of many organizations in both local and global business ecosystems, more so in the financial sector because of the liquid nature of their services. To curb this menace, Financial Institutions including Microfinance institutions implemented fraud risk management practices. While larger financial institutions afford raft measures for curbing fraud, MFIs contend with less sophisticated practices in spite of them being the most susceptible to financial improprieties. Further, the determination of the overall effect of these practices on financial performance is critical in evaluating their success. The objective of this study therefore was to find out how fraud risk management practices affect the financial performance of Microfinance Institutions in Kenya. The study was anchored on the fraud management life cycle theory and focused on twelve deposit-taking Microfinance Institutions that were in operation in the Nairobi region of Kenya between 2016 to 2020. The study adopted a descriptive research design using cross-sectional data computed from the average financial results for five years 2016-2020. The study used purposive and stratified Random sampling methods to select a sample of 281 respondents from finance, ICT, operations, Audit, and Litigation managers and staff. The study used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the data. The results showed that fraud risk management positively and significantly affected financial performance by curbing incidents of fraud and concluded that to improve financial performance microfinance institutions should implement fraud risk management since they had a positive and significant effect on financial performance. The study recommended that firms should invest substantially in fraud risk management to reduce incidences of fraud and improve financial performance. Further, the management of Microfinance Institutions should continually evaluate and update their practices to keep abreast with the ever-changing fraud antics.

Curriculum transformation in South African universities strives to revive disadvantaged communities to change existing Eurocentric and Westernized curriculums to be Afrocentric.  However, there are debates on whether there should be the adoption of fully Africanized curriculums or infusing African values into the Eurocentric epistemologies. The study sought to bring out the roles of entrepreneurial skills in curriculum transformation in one university in the Eastern Cape. The study adopted a qualitative approach, where university students and lecturers were the key informants. To collect data interviews were used where the interview schedule is attached. It was found that universities are challenged by organizational culture, lack of resources, the existence of colonial systems, and a colonial-caged mentality. The paper illustrated that decolonizing curriculums is useful in resource-constrained institutions if resources are pumped in and if the curriculum transformation works in an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Therefore, the university should invest more resources into the curriculum transformation and African and European epistemology should be fused to come up with strong and vibrant knowledge that will positively change societies. Additionally, for a university entrepreneurship ecosystem, there should be staff empowerment on entrepreneurship education in the curriculum across disciplines. 

Financial literacy (FL) is a crucial skill set that police officers must possess, particularly in managing their funds during their tenure in the police force and as they approach retirement from their service. The extent of an individual's FL will directly impact the extent of their financial planning knowledge and budgeting abilities required as a police officer, commencing from the initial stages of their career. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the level of FL within the police force, with a particular emphasis on the factors of financial knowledge, attitude, and behaviour. The study employed a simple random sampling technique to gather data from a sample of 68 law enforcement employees stationed in Vosman and Klipfointein. The data was acquired through survey questionnaires. The data were descriptively analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of the study suggest that police officers often possess low to moderate levels of FL. However, there is a positive correlation observed between the variables under investigation. The recommendation proposes that the government should implement ongoing training and short-term interventions focused on FL, with a particular emphasis on tailoring these initiatives to individuals' income levels and lifestyles. This study utilized intervention and transformational learning theory to support law enforcement professionals in enhancing their financial planning both prior to and following their employment, by means of financial education.

The demands of raising education at a classroom level to international standards require a nuanced analytical lens involving multiple perspectives to contribute to the best practices. Most classroom research adopts a singular perspective, usually from researchers who are familiar with the nuances of the classroom context under study. In other words, published studies involving classroom observations are often analyzed by insiders who already have the insight to understand the situated dynamics of the classroom interactions they analyze. While this is an important analytical orientation, this stance may overlook important insights about teaching and learning that outsiders’ perspectives may be able to identify. The study employed a qualitative approach. Which was guided by the dialogic interactive theory. The methodological approach in Japan was face-to-face semi-structured interviews while in the South African context, virtual data generation methods were employed to interview teachers on the classroom interactions with students. The study population was English students, while in South Africa it was health course teachers who taught students from various health professions. A total of eight teachers were purposively recruited in South Africa with one student participant in Japan. Findings revealed similarities and differences in dialogic interactions and the interpretation of such interactions. Participants from both contexts had deliberate silence and reluctance to speak which was interpreted differently by the teachers, and lack of reciprocal and purposive engagements by students. Based on the dialogic interactive theory, it can be concluded that the aspirations to achieve an inclusive quality of education can best be achieved when teachers are transparent about the expected interactions for all the tenets of the dialogic theory to be achieved. It is therefore recommended that broader conversations about the analysis of situated dynamics of classroom interaction be encouraged to yield critical insights for education towards the attainment of inclusive quality education.

This article argues that digitization of services is increasingly becoming an international phenomenon. As a case in point, the South African Post Office by its very nature and as part of the global institution requires a serious conversion from traditional service provision to digital and electronic services provision. This article is based on the study that was conducted in the South African Post Office in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga Province. From the South African Post Office perspective, Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces are referred to as North Region. The primary objective of the study was to investigate the implications of digitization on service delivery in the South African Post Office, focusing in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces (North Region). The study found that service delivery is adversely affected due to non-digitization of postal services. The study recommended interventions that can be employed to improve postal service delivery. The research method employed in the study was of both quantitative and qualitative method. The majority of the respondents strongly agreed that digitization of postal services could improve service delivery and brings more income and service improvement to clients. The article concludes by providing suggestions towards improving service delivery in the South African Post Office by digitizing postal services.

This study aimed to furnish insights into the features and outcomes of positive emotions in the Nkangala district. The reviewed literature indicated that such a topic is under-researched in the Nkangala region. This study employed the affective events theory (AET). The study's research design was both descriptive and correlational and influenced by the positivism paradigm. The sample size of 808 municipal employees was conveniently selected due to not having a sample frame, and other municipal respondents were unwilling to participate in the study. In addition, other managers did not provide researchers with permission letters; hence, the data were collected from four municipalities. The data were collected using a close-ended questionnaire. A validated and reliable scales were analysed in Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 28. The results showed that autonomy was the highest feature/predictor of positive emotions. In addition, it was determined that positive emotions predicted job satisfaction. This study found that when municipal managers offer their employees autonomy, it yields happy, joyous and proud employees.  Similarly, managers who provide employees with timely feedback and who do not micro-manage employees create a positive working climate. In addition, it is recommended that supervisors and managers should submit their reports/evaluations to their employees in a timely manner and offer constructive feedback. If it is negative, managers should also provide employees with appropriate support to improve their performance. This is vital since job satisfaction is a proxy of productivity or service delivery.

The formulation of student leadership development has been a focal point and a product of shaping student leaders who occupy positions of leadership in the higher education sector. The persisting challenges of the society find a discomfort in wasted opportunity for any leadership initiative which is not aligned with the policy narrative of African development and nation building. This notion led to a situational response in student leadership development that missed an opportunity to fashion student leadership development that addresses the complex challenges of society. This study intends to pen down the experience of transitioning student leadership towards activating agency for social transformation. It also intends to address how student development must be perceived as an integral part of social innovation and a catalyst for reimagining the future of South Africa for the attainment of a sustainable future. One of the key shortfalls of the transactional approach to student leadership development is how the notion of leadership development in higher education is mismatched from the quadruple helix framework model which demonstrates failure for being futuristic in nature tends to be problematic. In this instance, the study used a quadruple helix framework to justify the transition that map the intention of Nelson Mandela University’s establishment of Madibaz YouthLab. The study is a qualitative conceptual framework using a literature review to argue this important transition. The study conclusion and recommendation are postured to add to the discourse on the reformulation of student leadership development in higher education shifting towards adding value to sustainable development.

The delivery of public services in South Africa is dependent on good governance and decisive leadership. Furthermore, the success of government programmes depends on the size of the budget that has been allocated to a given government department or entity. When the Minister of Finance delivers the budget speech in the National Assembly, there is a clear indication on how much is going to be allocated to each government department over the next financial year. It is up to the government departments to ensure that the allocated budget is used as efficiently and effectively as possible. Each government department is guided by the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA), 1999. The PFMA seeks to regulate financial management in the national government and provincial governments; to ensure that all revenue, expenditure, assets and liabilities of those governments are managed efficiently and effectively; to provide for the responsibilities of persons entrusted with financial management in those governments; and to provide for matters connected therewith. Given the objectives of the PFMA, accounting officers are tasked with the responsibility of enforcing the PFMA in all procurement processes. According to Section 36 of the PFMA, an accounting officer is the head of a department. These accounting officers play an important role in ensuring that services are delivered, while they must ensure that public funds are spent responsibly and in accordance with the relevant government policies and the PFMA. This paper analyses the role that accounting officers need to play in ensuring responsible public financial management, especially because of the limited resources available to our government. By employing a qualitative study, this paper looks at instances where accounting officers did not act in accordance with the PFMA and the implications of this failure.

The South African municipalities have continued to demonstrate weaknesses or inadequacies in monitoring and evaluation (M&E). A possible barrier in South African municipalities is a lack of M&E expertise. While M&E can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness and efficiency of a programme, some potential pitfalls and gaps were discovered during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A case study design was employed to conduct in-depth and detailed examination within two metropolitan municipalities in the Eastern Cape. A mixed methods approach was adopted in a convergent manner for data collection and analysis. In-depth interviews were utilised to collect data from 13 senior municipal managers at the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) and the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM). A total of 191 questionnaires were despatched to municipal employees and 186 were returned, giving a 97% response rate. The findings reflect the weaknesses of M&E policies in the municipalities and paints a picture of M&E not being prioritised in the municipality.  The findings also reflect the current situation at the municipalities concerned, which is that there are pitfalls and gaps when it comes to evaluation measures. Thus, the study concludes that accountability for financial and performance management is non-existent. This study attempts to make a valuable contribution by providing technical assistance, capacity building to ensure that municipalities have effective M&E systems in place to monitor and evaluate service delivery and improve the lives of communities.

This study explores the obstacles and opportunities for women who sell arts and crafts along the borders of the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. The Kruger National Park is one of South Africa's most famous symbols, both nationally and internationally. Women who stay along the borders of the Kruger National Park have also harnessed tapping into the tourism sector by trading in arts and crafts because tourists purchase them as souvenirs. Women dominate the craft industry because of fewer barriers to entry as they normally use traditional skills to create crafts. South African women in the informal sector are said to be significantly contributing to the Gross Domestic Product of the country. A qualitative research design utilising a Case study was used to explore the obstacles and opportunities for women who trade in arts and crafts in the tourism industry around the Kruger National Park. Data was collected through semi-structured interview schedules from thirty (30) women who sell arts and crafts from the Kruger National Park gates in Mpumalanga Province. Data was then summarised to capture emerging themes as well as opinions, attitudes and perceptions. The key findings reveal that women face various challenges, mainly in terms of (i) lack of access to finance, (ii) low literacy levels (iii) lack of access to infrastructure and (iv) Poor marketing skills and access to markets.

The use of force by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been widely reported. Unfortunately, the situation does not seem to be improving. However, it is not yet reported whether the members of the SAPS instinctively display aggressive or nonaggressive behaviour in response to the handling of violent and non-violent protestations in South Africa. Therefore, this article aims to assess whether police’s behaviour in the handling of protestations is instinctively aggressive or nonaggressive. Secondly, the article reflects on the possible factors that may contribute to the police’s aggressive behaviour towards protestations in South Africa. This article makes use of videography, which is a qualitative method of inquiry and interpretive in nature. Videography involves analysing video data as a focused hermeneutical and ethnographic exercise. In this regard, video recordings that are publicly accessible online which show South African police’s responses and conduct when handling protestation were analysed. Such videos were purposefully selected as they were deemed fit and useful for the object of this paper. Another method that was applied is a critical review of literature on police brutality in South Africa. Based on the analysis of evidence flowing from video analysis, it is clear that members of the SAPS tend to display aggressive behaviour when responding to violent protestations. At the same time, some members of the SAPS seem to lose their temper due to provocations by protesting individuals. The article reveals that the handling of protestations requires a thorough assessment of risks that may be incurred when applying various strategies for crowd management. This may need the state to invest in training and skilling the members of the SAPS in handling of violent and non-violent protestations. The article provides the basis for crowd management specialists within the SAPS to develop strategies suitable for ensuring professional and nonaggressive behaviour by the police in handling both violent and non-violent protestations.

There is scant literature available in South Africa that explores the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of student nursing trainees and other healthcare workers who deliver sexual health services to sexual and gender minority (SGM) communities with unique health needs. An online, mixed-method, questionnaire-based survey was employed to conveniently sample 39/78 (50%) final-year Bachelor of Nursing students from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal to understand their knowledge, attitudes and perceptions. Descriptive statistics were applied for quantitative results and thematic analysis was used for free-text qualitative data. Results suggested that over 67% of the participants lack the skills and knowledge to obtain a comprehensive history salient to the health needs of SGM populations. Students reported that social upbringing and religious beliefs impact the care they render, with many showing favourable attitudes toward the SGM community. Overall, students reported no content related to SGMs in the current nursing curriculum, however, students were receptive, highlighting the need to be clinically competent to provide relevant healthcare for SGM to meet their sexual health needs. It thus require that students must be trained and have included the SGM content in their curriculum to meet the sexual health needs of SGM population to enable non discriminatory, equitable health provision. being informed and having the necessary skills and knowledge obtained during training in the health institutions of higher learning can address the issues of greatest concern related to the HIV health needs of SGM populations.


 Chieftainship being well anchored to hold the cultural fabric of Botswana together remains an institution of interest to uphold democracy in the country. Despite this important function, political administration misconstrues the strategic function of chiefs, leading to insecurity of the institution of Chieftainship. A case in point in this study is that of the principal chief of Bakgatla-baga-Kgafela. Kgosi Kgafela II was the paramount chief of Bakgatla-baga-Kgafela from 2008 to 2011 when the government of Botswana derecognised him. This is a qualitative study that used documents as the main source of data collection. The study analysed the sequence of events and activities during Kgafela’s tenure as a Chief till he fled the country to South Africa in 2012. While there is existing literature on how chieftainship has posed a threat after democratic consolidation in many African states, not much has been done on Bakgata-ba-ga-Kgafela’s case. Documents were analysed in line with the theory of societal security which states that when a referent object is faced with an existential threat it develops a mechanism to ensure its survival. In this case, the study seeks to evaluate if there are implications for Botswana’s national security as Chiefs respond to such societal threats. Further to determine if tribesmen continue to be loyal to their chiefs. The main findings of this study were that; Kgosi Kgafela, declared that the bogosiinstitution is threatened. The institution still seeks to find itself in the governance structures with power and decision-making. Bakagtla reacted to the threats, through initiatives that the community itself carries out and also moved the matter to the political sphere and put the matter as a state agenda item which is in line with propositions of societal security. 

The rapid advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have significantly transformed the landscape of education, impacting both learning and teaching processes. The use of ICT in learning and teaching have changed the whole concept of education and had proved to be of great benefit for both the student and the lecturer. This paper draws from students and lecturers’ reflections on the use of ICT in learning and teaching environments in one South African University. An interpretive qualitative approach was adopted to conduct this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from six participants which constituted five students and one lecturer, and the thematic phenomenological analysis was used to analyse data. Findings revealed that the use of ICT in learning and teaching environments in have enhanced learning experiences, access to information and resources, collaborative learning opportunities, personalized learning among students and enhanced lecturer professional development in the university. The study recommended that education institutions should prioritize the allocation of resources for infrastructure development. Technology should be used purposefully to enhance teaching and learning, rather than integrated for its own sake. Lecturer’s must align their pedagogies with technology as suggested by TPACK theory.

This study investigates the effectiveness of Presidential Directives in comparison to the traditional policy process in Botswana. More precisely, the study determines whether the use of Presidential Directives is a more efficient and effective means of achieving policy outputs, as compared to the traditional policy process. To achieve this, the study conducted a comprehensive analysis of policies and Presidential Directives in Botswana, examining the processes through which they were formulated, implemented, and evaluated. The methodological approach adopted includes an intrepretivist research paradigm as well as a qualitative research approach for both data collection and analysis. Results reveals that Presidential directives achieve outputs faster and more effectively than the traditional policy process, Presidential Directives may have some advantages in terms of speed and flexibility, but they are not necessarily more effective than the traditional policy process in achieving their planned outcomes, policy process, which involves stakeholder consultation, evidence-based decision-making and comprehensive analysis of the policy context, is a more reliable and effective means of policy-making in the long term. However, the study also found that there are some areas where Presidential Directives may be more appropriate, such as in emergency situations or when quick decisions are required. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of different approaches to policy-making in Botswana, and its findings have important implications for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in the field of public policy. The study recommends transparency and accountability; stakeholder engagement; evidence-based policy-making and comprehensive policy evaluation.

Scholars and policymakers widely acknowledge the critical role of good governance in rural development and poverty reduction. Unfortunately, decades of good governance reforms have not reduced poverty in Nigeria. But what is good governance? The problem is that the working definition and popularized principles of good governance do not actually emanate from the poor. Moreover, there is a lack of contextualization of the concept of good governance within the Nigerian context. Rather, donors’ institutional understanding is universalized through the imposition of a good governance agenda. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining the concept of good governance through the lens of rural communities in south-west Nigeria. Understanding good governance from the viewpoint of local citizens, who are the recipients of governance reforms, is vital for effective targeted reform. The study is based on the premise that communities possess a deep understanding of their own social circumstances and possess the capacity to express their unique insights. Employing Participatory Action Research (PAR) and qualitative methods like semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions, the research engaged a purposively selected sample from three rural communities in south-west Nigeria. The findings revealed that, for these communities, good governance primarily involves the government's ability to meet basic needs and provide welfare-enhancing infrastructure. Conversely, bad governance is characterized by declining welfare, economic hardship, and inadequate infrastructure. Interestingly, participants did not prioritize reforms like regular elections or anti-corruption measures as core attributes of good governance, although they did not oppose these aspects. This study underscores the need to incorporate the perspectives of local citizens in defining good governance, allowing for homegrown solutions that might offer quicker and cost-effective strategies for development.