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Learner engagement in English First Additional Language classrooms is a pressing concern in many rural South African schools, characterised by overcrowding and limited digital infrastructure. This study explored how teachers integrate low-tech digital tools to enhance listening and speaking skills in such contexts. Guided by a qualitative interpretive approach, data were collected from eight English First Additional Language teachers across rural primary schools through semi-structured interviews and were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that teachers use low-tech digital tools primarily to support storytelling, manage overcrowded classrooms, and sustain learner interest despite connectivity challenges. While low-tech digital tools improved learner participation and attentiveness, infrastructural constraints and inconsistent internet access limited their full potential. The study recommends targeted teacher development, improved school-level digital support and context-sensitive integration strategies to strengthen English First Additional Language engagement. By foregrounding teachers’ lived experiences, the article contributes to ongoing debates on equitable and pedagogically sound technology integration in resource-constrained settings

This study demonstrates that transitioning into a new career at 35 is not a restart but a strategic shift enabled by business education. Through qualitative insights from mid-career participants, the findings show that motivations for pivoting often stem from the pursuit of stability, growth, and renewed professional purpose. Business education supported by mentorship, practical learning and exposure to modern business practices was found to enhance confidence, expand skill sets, and open new career opportunities. Importantly, many respondents only fully recognised the transformative value of such education during their learning journey. Overall, the study highlights the critical role of accessible and relevant educational pathways in empowering individuals to navigate career change effectively and sustainably. 

As digitalization is on the increase, deposit money banks are faced with heightened exposure to cyber threats, which pose significant risks to their financial performance and operational stability. This study investigated how cybersecurity investment and cyber insurance affected the profitability of deposit money banks, to know whether preemptive cybersecurity management strategies and transfer of risk through insurance influence financial results in the banking sector. The results revealed that both cybersecurity investment and cyber insurance have significant positive effects on bank profitability, with coefficients of 7.832 (p < 0.01) and 17.08 (p < 0.05), respectively. The study also revealed that cybersecurity investment provides more accurate estimates than cyber insurance which is reflected in its narrower confidence intervals. The results emphasize the strategic role of cybersecurity investment and insurance to improve financial flexibility, reduce operational risk, and support enduring profitability. It concluded that banks that prioritize these strategies will not only mitigate possible losses from cyber incidents but also gain a competitive advantage through strengthened customer trust and operational efficiency. The study recommended that Nigerian deposit money banks should treat cyber insurance as a vital component of cyber risk management strategies. It is also recommended that bank management should treat cybersecurity expenditure as value-adding investments rather than operational costs.

This conceptual paper examines mentoring practices aimed at supporting university lecturers in the development of scholarly writing skills. Recognizing that the ability to publish in academic journals is critical to professional growth and institutional contribution, the study explores how mentoring serves as a strategic tool to enhance lecturers' academic writing capacities. Guided by the main research question—"What mentoring practices are employed to support university lecturers in the development of scholarly writing "skills?"—the study adopts a qualitative approach grounded in the interpretive paradigm. Data were collected through an extensive review of existing literature on academic mentorship and scholarly writing support within higher education contexts. Thematic analysis was used to identify key patterns and strategies that characterize effective mentoring relationships, including peer mentoring, writing workshops, structured feedback mechanisms, and institutional support programs. Findings highlight the importance of context-sensitive mentoring practices that address both the technical and emotional aspects of academic writing. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for universities to institutionalize mentoring frameworks that foster sustainable writing cultures. This study contributes to the broader discourse on academic development and offers insights for policymakers, academic leaders, and faculty development practitioners seeking to enhance scholarly productivity among university lecturers.

This study investigates the correlation between the enhancement of digital skills and employability among university students in South Africa, with ramifications for inclusive economic growth. The escalation of graduate unemployment and the growing digitisation of the job market have heightened apprehensions regarding the disparity between higher education results and industry skill demands. This study examines the impact of several dimensions of digital skills on employability readiness and perceived employment outcomes, utilising Human Capital Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model, and Skill-Biased Technological Change theory. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey approach was employed, utilising a prepared questionnaire distributed to 384 final-year students at an Open Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) university. The data were examined via descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate generally inadequate digital skill mastery, especially in related and collaborative aspects, despite extensive utilisation of digital tools. Nonetheless, substantial positive correlations were identified between all categories of digital skills and employment readiness. Cognate skills (β = 0.271, p < 0.001) and technical skills (β = 0.263, p < 0.001) were identified as the most important determinants of perceived employment outcomes, although inventive skills exhibited no notable direct effect. The findings affirm that essential digital competencies are crucial factors influencing graduate employment within the South African setting. The research underscores the necessity for systematic integration of digital skills into university curricula and enhanced collaboration among higher education institutions, industry, and government. By augmenting digital human capital, institutions may improve graduate employability and foster greater inclusivity in the digital economy.

Leadership communication is one of the essential features of leadership that influence leadership credibility and employee trust in the workplace especially in multilingual workplaces. Despite leadership communication being discussed widely in the literature of organizational leadership, language of leadership, its impact on leadership credibility and trust has not been explored fully in the literature in African higher learning institutions. This study explores the impact of language of leadership on employees’ perception of leadership credibility and workplace trust in multilingual higher learning institutions in Tanzania. The study focuses on linguistic accommodation and how it enhances leaders-employees engagement. This study was done in one selected public higher learning institutions in Tanzania. The study adopts qualitative multiple case study design based on Communication Accommodation Theory and Organizational Trust Theory. The study collected data through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. A total of 90 participants were selected from College of Business Education (CBE), Tanzania Institute of Accountancy (TIA) and Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT). The data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that (i) the exclusive use of highly formal English in leadership communication reinforces institutional hierarchy and creates relational distance between leaders and employees; (ii) linguistically accommodative practices such as the use of Kiswahili, code-switching, and simplified explanations enhance leadership credibility and relational accessibility; and finally (iii) language clarity and transparency significantly strengthen workplace trust by reducing uncertainty and improving employees’ understanding of leadership decisions. Therefore, this study contributes to the organizational communication on leadership credibility and workplace trust that are communicatively achieved through the use of language in organizations especially in the context of multilingual settings.

Employee performance is increasingly recognized as being influenced not only by structural conditions but also by employees' psychological and relational experiences in the workplace. However, few studies have concurrently examined the comparative and mediated effects of sense of belonging, workplace spirituality, and job satisfaction within a unified framework. This study explores how these factors impact performance both directly and indirectly through organizational commitment, employing a quantitative explanatory design with survey data from 213 employees selected via proportionate stratified random sampling and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with validated and reliable measures. The results indicate that sense of belonging (β = 0.201, p = 0.043), workplace spirituality (β = 0.214, p = 0.007), job satisfaction (β = 0.357, p = 0.041), and organizational commitment (β = 0.276, p = 0.024) significantly predict performance. Additionally, sense of belonging (β = 0.297, p = 0.002), workplace spirituality (β = 0.211, p = 0.009), and job satisfaction (β = 0.725, p < 0.001) significantly predict organizational commitment, which mediates these relationships. Total effects reveal job satisfaction as the strongest predictor of performance (β = 0.312), followed by sense of belonging (β = 0.305) and workplace spirituality (β = 0.299). These findings demonstrate that employee performance is closely associated with affective and experiential workplace factors and highlight organizational commitment as a central explanatory mechanism. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing psychological attachment, meaningful work experiences, and satisfaction to support sustained performance, while providing an integrated empirical framework for future research.

Market participants usually seek exposure to global beta which are best achieved usually through large capitalization equities where higher idiosyncratic risk represents a potential source of alpha. This study empirically explored the persistence and drivers of idiosyncratic risk across the S&P 500, CAC 40, FTSE 100, DAX, and Nikkei 225 for a period of 20 years (2004 – 2024). Utilizing a quantitative risk decomposition framework, the analysis revealed a stark dichotomy where the S&P 500 exhibits minimal idiosyncratic risk, functioning as a proxy for global systematic factors. The Nikkei 225 was dominated by idiosyncratic risk which can be attributed to the unique domestic monetary policy. The European counterparts occupied a middle ground, with idiosyncratic risk amplified by sectoral concentrations. The correlation analysis further suggested a deep regional integration within the European markets and a diversification potential with the Japanese equity market. The findings challenged the notion that globalization has harmonized global financial market returns. These findings also demonstrates that idiosyncratic risk remains a significant and potentially compensable component of the concept of international investing, necessitating a strategic shift towards factor aware asset allocation.

South Africa’s economy is heavily reliant on coal-fired power, which contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; hence, it embraced the Just Energy Transition (JET) to realise a low-carbon economy. This ignited the emergence of competing discourses constituted of proponents of coal and advocates of renewable energy. Transforming a deeply entrenched coal-dependent energy system to renewables is not a straightforward endeavour. Thus, the JET in South Africa faces several obstacles, including political interference, financial constraints, high costs of renewables, and resistance from labour unions, among others. Coal proponents are resisting the JET under contestations that phasing coal out presents various socio-economic implications towards coal-dependent industries, communities, livelihoods and jobs, especially in provinces such as Mpumalanga and Limpopo. While renewable energy proponents are driven by the ambition to reduce GHG emissions, responding to climate change, with the promise of green industries and jobs. Through a systematic literature review, the paper examines competing discourses of the JET in the pursuit of harmonising them. The paper argues that it is important for South Africa to transition, however, not with precipitous haste. The paper recommends that the JET needs to be well-sequenced and judicious to foster energy diversification and readiness, rather than rapidly abandoning coal. This narrows the gap between the two competing discourses, protects energy security and socio-economic stability. The recommendations put forth include policy coherence, multilevel coordination, investments in storage systems, and means such as re-skilling labourers from the coal industry into the renewable energy sector to realise a genuinely just transition. 

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.

Rural police stations in South Africa continue to operate under conditions of severe resource scarcity. This study examines the operational realities of police officers working in under-resourced rural police stations in the Eastern Cape Province, focusing on how they adapt through improvisation and coping strategies. A qualitative research approach was employed using semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively selected police officers involved in frontline and investigative duties. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings show that officers face shortages that affect patrols, response times, and investigations. To manage these constraints, officers depend on improvisation strategies such as sharing resources, adjusting work routines, using personal devices, and cooperating closely with local communities. While these strategies demonstrate resilience and commitment, they also place pressure on officers and risk normalising inadequate working conditions. This study contributes to rural policing scholarship by demonstrating how policing is sustained through everyday adaptation under conditions of chronic scarcity and highlights the implications for institutional accountability and officer wellbeing. In doing so, the study aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), through its focus on improving working conditions and supporting police officers operating in resource-constrained rural environments.

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.

This paper investigates the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility, talent development, and performance in youth-led entrepreneurial firms operating in South Africa, where youth unemployment levels are high. It acknowledges that Corporate Social Responsibility plays a part in talent development and influencing the performance of an organization which is not well developed in young entrepreneurship. Through bibliometric analysis, the paper depicts the landscape of current knowledge and research trends to key themes, main authors and collaborative networks. Findings show that there is an emerging wake-up call to Corporate Social Responsibility as a strategic drive for the development of human capital and enhancing performance in youth-led companies, with notable gaps both conceptually and empirically on the institutional context of South African youth-owned businesses. This paper recommends that there should be more investment in culture-specific, evidence-based research and greater incorporation of Corporate Social Responsibility into programmes for youth talent development. By linking Corporate Social Responsibility to targeted talent development, long-term performance outcomes can be enhanced, and inclusive entrepreneurial growth for youth may be reinforced as a broad-based strategy for job creation, innovation, and sustainable economic development.

This study critically examines the discretionary powers conferred on the Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (SARS) under the Value-Added Tax (VAT) Act, focusing specifically on Section 72. Using a comparative analysis with the United Kingdom’s VAT framework, the research examines how discretion is shaped by principles of fairness, certainty, simplicity, and transparency. The findings show that South Africa confers broader and less regulated powers than the UK, where discretion is narrowly administrative, formally codified, and subject to stronger transparency and judicial oversight. These differences have significant implications for legal certainty, taxpayer rights, and compliance in South Africa. The study contributes by highlighting the risks of over-broad discretion in tax administration and recommends adopting a more structured and transparent approach, including the publication of binding regulations and clearer criteria for decision-making. Such reforms would align South Africa’s VAT system more closely with constitutional standards and best international practices.

Traditional asset pricing models assume rational investors and informational efficiency. However, persistent anomalies, and recurrent financial crises challenge these assumptions. This study synthesizes findings from leading international research to evaluate how cognitive biases shape asset prices and provides a comprehensive review and synthesis of behavioral asset pricing in international financial markets over a period from 2004 to 2024. Evidence from the extensive stock market data, cross-market behavioral heterogeneity and survey-based risk premia consistently demonstrates that behavioral effects are time-varying and regime-dependent. The findings indicate that behavioral heterogeneity intensifies during boom and bubble periods, diminishes during crashes, and generates predictable patterns in returns across asset classes and countries. Overall, the study re-iterates support for a dynamic behavioral asset pricing framework that integrates psychological factors into international financial market analysis.

Like any other institution, public hospitals in South Africa might be affected by natural disasters as these incidents occur unexpectedly. This article discusses disaster management plans and procedures for public hospitals. A qualitative method is used in this study. A qualitative study aimed to determine how public hospitals protect their assets, information, personnel, patients and visitors during natural disaster that may occur at any time of the year and also to examine the shortcomings in disaster risk management so that recommendations can be formulated to address risks associated with disaster managements. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, section 41 (1) (b), requires all spheres of government to "secure the well-being of people of the Republic". It also requires  the national spheres of government to develop and execute laws within this area and gives them powers and responsibilities in relation to disaster management. Qualitative data was collected through one-on-one interviews. The findings revealed the availability of disaster management plans however the implementation of such plans is still lacking, and Emergency drills are not conducted regularly to test the existing plans. These results might put employees, visitors and patients in danger should any disaster occur. This research contributes by highlighting disaster management plans and procedures that need to be implemented to keep personnel, patients and visitors in public hospitals safe. Furthermore, the development of relevant disaster management plans and procedures are recommended.

Despite growing scholarly attention to occupational stress and gender, the role of organisational design in shaping gendered stress experiences remains insufficiently theorised and empirically explored. This study addresses a critical gap by examining how organisational design, beyond individual or role-based factors, shapes gender-specific stress experiences and productivity outcomes. While existing research has explored occupational stress and gender dynamics, limited attention has been given to how organisational structures, cultures, and embedded norms sustain these disparities within specific professional contexts. Focusing on Social Auxiliary Workers in a South African public sector setting, the study provides contextually grounded insights into the organisational determinants of gendered stress. It explores how organisational arrangements generate systemic challenges experienced differently by men and women, influencing both well-being and performance. The study highlights gendered perceptions of workplace stressors, including those related to hierarchical positioning, role expectations, and unequal access to career opportunities. Data were collected from male and female Social Auxiliary Workers employed by the Mpumalanga Department of Social Development. Guided by Person–Environment Fit Theory, the study conceptualises stress as arising from the alignment or misalignment between individual characteristics and organisational environments. The findings underscore the need for gender-sensitive organisational practices, inclusive workplace cultures, and targeted wellness interventions to mitigate stress and promote equity. The study contributes to scholarship by extending theoretical and empirical understandings of gendered occupational stress within under-researched public sector contexts, while highlighting the importance of addressing organisational stressors to enhance employee well-being, sustainable productivity, and equity.

Many Bachelor of Education (BEd) students encounter difficulties in understanding research concepts, particularly in formulating problem statements which hampers their ability to articulate and develop their research effectively. This paper aims to propose strategies to enhance research skills among the BEd students at a University of Technology, focusing on research skill development and exploring the effectiveness of integrating practical research skills through face-to-face interaction. The paper is rooted in connectivism, which argues for the use of technology and life-long learning to enhance research skills. The research study was qualitative involved 30 participants. A discussion group was established on WhatsApp in order to gather qualitative data. WhatsApp is commended for being quick and easy to use, enabling participants to interact from the comfort of their own spaces. Purposive sampling was employed in this paper with 30 final year students from different specialisations. The data was analysed using themes and sub-themes. The findings indicates that many students struggle with formulating the problem statement, establishing the background of the study, and providing a rationale for their research, which negatively impacts their research development. The study proposes targeted interventions such as structured research mentorship programs, integration of research workshops into the curriculum and the use of technology-enhanced learning tools to scaffold research learning. Further propose a strategy to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical research application, ultimately fostering a culture of inquiry and academic rigor among future teachers. Based on these findings, restructuring the research component within the B Ed program is essential.  This includes integrating research components in Teaching Practice training to promote reflective practice and facilitate research skill development among BEd students.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of hybrid forecasting models that integrate the classical Autoregressive integrated moving average framework, the support vector machines, the artificial neural networks, and random forest for predicting S&P 500 index returns. Utilizing daily share price data from 2015 to 2023, the methodology used a two-stage decomposition process where ARIMA captured linear dependencies, while the ML models projected nonlinear patterns within the residuals. The Out-of-sample analysis revealed that all the hybrid models significantly outperformed their standalone ARIMA benchmark across key accuracy metrics, such as mean absolute error, root mean squared error, and directional accuracy. The ARIMA-RF hybrid achieved the highest predictive accuracy and statistical significance, though it entailed a greater computational cost. The findings confirmed that the hybrid forecasting  capabilities to mitigate linear autocorrelation and ARCH effects, offering a robust approach for financial time series forecasting.

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.