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This study aims to identify and assess the factors affecting ERP deployment in South African SMEs within the construction sector, intending to offer insights that better decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and fulfil customer expectations. A quantitative research methodology was utilised, employing a probability sampling procedure to guarantee equitable opportunity for sample selection. The researcher performed a comprehensive literature study to pinpoint knowledge deficiencies and employed data analysis techniques, such as descriptive statistics, reliability assessments, exploratory factor analysis, and normality evaluation. The research indicated that South African SMEs in the construction sector must assess essential elements prior to adopting an ERP model. The components encompass evaluating client requirements, analysing the experiences of current ERP system users, comprehending system maintenance necessities, and predicting anticipated performance results. The results offer practical suggestions for construction SMEs seeking to use ERP systems. By concentrating on the highlighted pivotal aspects, enterprises can improve their ERP implementation processes, mitigate operational inefficiencies, and more effectively match with customer and sustainability requirements.  This research enhances the scarce understanding of ERP implementation obstacles in South African construction SMEs. It offers a distinct viewpoint on how strategic ERP implementation can enhance operational efficiencies and facilitate sustainable growth practices within the sector.

Smallholder agriculture is crucial for sustaining rural livelihoods across South Africa; nevertheless, involvement in global value chains (GVCs) is still restricted. This study examines the socio-economic determinants affecting the incorporation of smallholder maize farmers into global value chains in the Eastern Cape, a region marked by significant rural poverty and dependence on agriculture. The study evaluates the engagement levels of 200 farmers by a cross-sectional survey and multinomial logistic regression analysis. Findings indicate that elevated education levels and income substantially enhance the probability of moderate involvement in value chains; yet, no farmers attained complete participation owing to institutional impediments, including the absence of export permits. These findings indicate that human characteristics alone are inadequate; structural barriers are also essential. The report advocates for structural reforms, particularly those aimed at enhancing education, broadening market access, and eliminating licensing obstacles, to foster inclusive and sustainable participation of smallholder farmers in global value chains.

Unlawful mining poses a significant global challenge. It contributes to environmental degradation, corruption, and exploitation, with Africa being disproportionately affected. This qualitative, exploratory study investigated the factors that drive unlawful mining in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa, in response to growing concerns about its substantial economic and social impacts. Through semi-structured interviews, 26 purposively selected participants from diverse backgrounds, including law enforcement and key stakeholders, provided varied perspectives. The findings consistently highlight unemployment and poverty as primary drivers that compel individuals to engage in illegal mining activities. The participants also emphasized the inherent dangers faced by illegal miners and the complex socio-economic dynamics that perpetuate this illicit enterprise. Critically, existing policing strategies were perceived as inadequate. The study concludes that effectively mitigating unlawful mining in Ekurhuleni requires comprehensive approaches that address underlying socio-economic vulnerabilities and foster active community involvement. This underscores the need for coordinated efforts to reduce its impacts and support local safety and development.

Blended learning has emerged as a transformative approach in higher education, yet for many lecturers, the rapid integration of digital tools has created more challenges than opportunities. This study aimed to critically evaluate how lecturers at a University of Technology perceive and integrate digital tools and teaching strategies within blended learning environments, addressing a gap in the literature on lecturer-centred, contextually grounded perspectives in South African Universities of Technology. Adopting a qualitative research approach within an interpretivist paradigm, the study employed a case study design, involving twelve purposively sampled lecturers who actively engage with blended learning. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis, ensuring rich, context-sensitive insights. The findings revealed a spectrum of practices: some lecturers primarily used digital tools for content delivery, while others employed innovative, student-centred strategies aligned with TPACK and Community of Inquiry frameworks, demonstrating enhanced cognitive, social, and teaching presence. Institutional factors, including professional development, infrastructure, and peer support, were found to significantly influence pedagogical decision-making. The study contributes to the understanding of blended learning in South African higher education by highlighting the interplay between lecturer agency, pedagogical reasoning, and institutional support, and it recommends targeted professional development, strategic infrastructural support, and the promotion of collaborative communities of practice to enhance effective blended teaching.

In the era of e-commerce and the increasing digitalization of consumer journeys, online customer reviews have become a decisive factor influencing potential buyers’ decisions. This study investigates the effect of online experience sharing on consumers’ purchase intentions across six key dimensions: emotional valence, quantity, content quality, responsiveness, reviewer reputation, and review recency. A quantitative research design was employed using data collected from a sample of 320 online consumers. The dataset was analyzed through multiple linear regression models to assess the relative impact of each dimension. The findings reveal that all six dimensions exert a positive and statistically significant influence on consumers’ purchase intentions, with emotional valence and review content emerging as the most influential factors. These results contribute to the growing body of literature on online consumer behavior and provide valuable managerial insights for digital marketing practitioners aiming to optimize electronic word-of-mouth strategies.

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation represents a significant occupational hazard for outdoor workers, contributing to various health outcomes including dermatological conditions, ocular diseases, immune system impairment, and decreased productivity. Workers engaged in industries such as construction, agriculture, and transportation are frequently exposed to UVR levels exceeding recommended safety thresholds, thereby increasing their risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), pterygium, cataracts, and immunosuppression. Despite widespread awareness of these risks, current preventive measures and occupational regulations are often insufficient. This systematic review aims to compile and analyze current evidence regarding the health impacts of occupational solar UVR exposure among outdoor workers. Additionally, it seeks to identify existing gaps in knowledge and policy to support the development of effective preventive strategies and guide future research efforts. A comprehensive, systematic search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines across multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Keywords and MeSH terms related to UVR exposure, outdoor occupations, skin and eye health, and preventive interventions were utilized. Studies selected for inclusion focused on adult outdoor workers and addressed UVR-related health outcomes or exposure assessments. Due to heterogeneity in study designs, findings were synthesized thematically. Research consistently indicates that outdoor workers experience UVR exposure levels two to three times higher than indoor workers, often exceeding safety limits established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). There is strong evidence linking chronic UVR exposure to increased risks of NMSC (relative risk 1.43–2.42), pterygium, and cataracts, with biomarker studies corroborating UV-induced immunosuppression. Additionally, UVR exposure has been associated with cognitive performance, productivity, and absenteeism, leading to considerable economic impacts. While preventive measures such as sunscreen use, protective clothing, and educational programs have improved protective behaviors by approximately 20–40%, adherence to these practices remains limited. Currently, global regulatory frameworks are inadequate, with only about one-third of countries implementing comprehensive occupational UVR guidelines.

This study examines the effects of global tariff adjustments on the susceptibility of South African manufacturing exports from 2020 to 2025. The escalation of protectionism and uncertainty in trade policy has progressively impacted export performance in emerging manufacturing economies. This study seeks to evaluate the impact of tariff changes on export volume, sector composition, and firm-level adaptation techniques in South Africa's manufacturing sector.A quantitative methodology was utilised, employing secondary data from international trade and macroeconomic databases, encompassing sector-specific export statistics, tariff exposure metrics, exchange rate controls, and global demand variables. Descriptive statistical analysis and multivariate regression modelling were employed to investigate the correlation between tariff exposure and export performance in principal industrial sectors. The results indicate that tariff adjustments had a statistically significant adverse effect on the growth of industrial exports. A one-percent increase in tariff exposure correlated with an estimated 0.5–0.6 percent decline in export growth within tariff-sensitive sectors. The automotive and textile industries displayed the greatest susceptibility, whereas processed manufacturing exports showed enhanced resilience, possibly attributable to regional market diversification. company-level adaptation options, including regional market growth and investments in automation, alleviated export losses but demonstrated inconsistent success across different sectors and company sizes. This study enhances the trade resilience literature by offering empirical evidence that connects global tariff changes to sector-specific export susceptibility in a middle-income manufacturing economy. The results highlight the significance of industry enhancement, regional trade integration, and export diversification in reducing vulnerability to external trade disturbances. The findings provide significant insights for industrial and trade policies intended to improve South Africa's long-term manufacturing export competitiveness in the context of persistent global trade volatility.

This study focuses on the governance challenges in enhancing Local Economic Development (LED) in Vhembe District Municipality (VDM). Good governance is a critical factor in enhancing LED, as it ensures transparency, accountability, inclusivity, and efficient resource management. However, the municipality faces a multiplicity of local economic challenges, including poorly maintained infrastructure, a lack of an LED strategy, limited capacity, and low community participation. The article employed a mixed-method approach that comprised quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Data were collected through a closed-ended questionnaire and structured interviews. For data analysis, the article adopted statistical methods for quantitative data and thematic content analysis for qualitative data. The article found that a lack of accountability, ineffective policy implementation, poor communication, and insufficient financial management practices are challenges VDM faces in enhancing LED. To address these challenges, the municipality should implement stronger accountability measures for officials to ensure transparency and improve the effectiveness of LED efforts. Community engagement should be enhanced by creating more inclusive platforms for participation. The municipality must implement regular, targeted training initiatives to enhance officials’ skills, knowledge, and capacity to drive effective governance and sustainable economic growth. Training programs for municipal officials will improve governance and support economic development.

In the digital era, public administrations face the dual challenge of modernizing internal processes while improving citizen services, amid rising expectations for transparency, accountability, and integrity. Citizens demand faster, more accessible, and more transparent services, while pressures to cut costs and boost efficiency intensify. E-government and broader digital transformation thus emerge as strategic levers to address these demands. This study aimed to assess how, and under what conditions, e-government initiatives enhance service delivery and transparency, while identifying mediating factors, including technical, organizational, and political factors. An in-depth qualitative literature review and analysis of secondary data (the UN E-Government Survey, open data indicators, and corruption perception indices) was conducted to explore these dynamics. The study followed the integrative review standards, screening the e-government adoption literature, the United Nations E-Government Survey, global benchmarking reports, and digital government evaluations published between 2010 and 2025, and using thematic coding to ensure replicability and analytic depth. The findings provide practical recommendations for policymakers and administrators to enhance service quality, transparency, and citizen engagement. The study contributes to the growing literature on public sector digitalization by synthesizing key success factors, common obstacles, and emerging trends across diverse national and cultural contexts, offering insights for effective governance in the digital age.

Small and medium-sized businesses, or SMMEs, are vital to the global economy because they foster innovation, job creation, and economic expansion. Their success and performance depend largely on external support from other organizations, including financial institutions. The objective of this research was to investigate the extent to which financial assistance affects SMMEs' overall performance. Officials from financial institutions and SMMEs in the Vhembe District Municipality comprised the study population. 16 research participants were chosen for the sample using stratified random sampling. An interview guide was used to gather data from the participants. Data was analysed using Atlas.ti. The results indicate that the effect of the financial support leads to business sustainability, business/ local economic growth, and relationship building. By encouraging SMMEs' sustainability and local economic growth in Vhembe District, where outside investment from financial institutions serves as a crucial enabler for innovation and job creation, this study emphasizes the importance of financial support in bolstering entrepreneurial ecosystems. It highlights the stakeholder links between financial officials and SMMEs, encouraging cooperative solutions that improve regional development plans and business performance.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa’s tourism sector increasingly rely on business excellence practices to enhance competitiveness and performance. This study examines how employees in Cape Town tourism SMEs perceive business excellence, using a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative survey data with qualitative thematic insights. The findings identify key critical success factors underpinning business excellence, namely customer and employee satisfaction, operational efficiency, and organisational growth, with satisfaction emerging as the most dominant driver of performance. Additional enabling factors include strong leadership, continuous employee training, effective communication, and the implementation of quality management practices. While most employees indicated the presence of quality plans, gaps in understanding formal business excellence frameworks were evident, suggesting a disconnect between practice and conceptual awareness. These findings reinforce the importance of service quality as central to achieving sustained competitiveness in tourism SMEs. The study contributes to the effective and efficient adaptation of business excellence in both existing and future strategies for tourism SMEs' organizational development. The study contributes empirically to the limited South African literature on business excellence in SMEs and highlights the relevance of employee-centred performance dimensions. Practically, the results suggest that tourism SMEs should prioritise staff development, embed quality management systems, and foster a culture of continuous improvement, while policymakers and industry stakeholders should support SMEs through targeted training and capacity-building initiatives to enhance the effective adoption of business excellence frameworks. The main implication of the study results is that when business excellence principles are implemented, success and better results are easily achieved.

This study’s main goal is to find out how blockchain technology may improve food safety and quality management in supply chains serving emerging markets. The increasing pressure on the global food supply chain to ensure the safety and quality of food products served is the driving force behind this study, particularly in poorer countries where infrastructure and regulatory oversight may be less developed. The information asymmetry, weak traceability systems, and fragmented structures that often define supply chains in emerging markets provide significant challenges to food safety and quality control activities. In recent years, blockchain technology has emerged as a potential solution to these problems. The study employed qualitative research approach using a qualitative data analysis programme, ATLAS. ti 23. Having embraced the interpretivist paradigm, about 25 supply chain professionals were purposefully selected for this study. Following thematic analysis, the following themes emerged from the primary data: Blockchain technology fundamentals, challenges in emerging market supply chains, blockchain applications and mechanisms, benefits and challenges of blockchain adoption, policy and regulatory considerations, socio-economic impacts. Using blockchain technology will enable real-time tracking of agricultural goods from farm to consumer in supply chains in emerging markets, like South Africa. Better traceability is ensured, allowing businesses to promptly pinpoint the cause of contamination or quality problems. This reduces the likelihood of widespread foodborne illnesses and recalls. By making sure that all parties involved farmers, suppliers, distributors, and retailers are held responsible for upholding safety and quality standards, this can lessen fraud and tampering. Blockchain technology is becoming more and more popular in developed market supply chains, but its potential in emerging countries is still limited, especially when it comes to food safety and quality control. This study offers fresh perspectives on how blockchain might be tailored to these regions’ particular opportunities and problems, like disjointed supply chains, constrained infrastructure, and inconsistent regulations.

This study explored the complex decision-making process and the factors used by people, influencers, and brands when selecting social media platforms. The various factors include target demographics, values, content style, and overall marketing strategy. The study aimed to assess the importance of aligning personal preferences, user fit, and creative vision in selecting which social media platforms to use for a brand. To build a stronger level of engagement, content must be designed in a way that creates value for individual consumers. The Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) provided a framework for understanding the motivations of millennials seeking a specific type of content on social media and how brands select social media platforms. A mixed-methods approach was used for the study to obtain the perspectives of both social media content creators and customers. The target population comprised millennials in the greater Durban area. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of 400 participants for quantitative data and 10 content creators for qualitative data collection. Data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively using thematic analysis and SPSS version 28.0, respectively. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamic interplay between personal preferences, user fit, and creative vision in shaping the digital landscape. The study findings suggest that influencer marketing can be a powerful tool for promoting brand preference. Brands should carefully select influencers whose followers align with their target audience and ensure they have a strong following and the trust of their followers. The findings emphasise the effectiveness of diverse content types and customer appreciation posts. Businesses should tailor their content strategies to suit their brand identity and connect with their audience effectively. Different social media platforms offer unique features and formats.    

This study aims to examine Type 2 diabetes care as a strategic health ecosystem and to identify how differences in ecosystem design and coordination strategies influence system-level performance across countries. A cross-national comparative strategy analysis is conducted using secondary data from international and national health statistics covering the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China, India, and Taiwan during the period 2015–2024. The analysis is guided by an ecosystem-based strategic framework that integrates contextual system characteristics, core care strategies, and intermediate performance outcomes, including prevention orientation, accessibility of care resources, technological integration, coordination mechanisms, and community engagement. Multi-dimensional analytical and visualization techniques are applied to compare strategic configurations and performance patterns across national care ecosystems. The results reveal a continuous global increase in the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, alongside substantial heterogeneity in care effectiveness across countries. Stronger ecosystem performance is associated with integrated care strategies, advanced digital coordination, stable primary care structures, and high accessibility supported by universal coverage and community-based networks. The study concludes that effective management of chronic disease depends not only on medical interventions but also on the strategic design and governance of healthcare ecosystems, emphasizing the importance of prevention-oriented strategies, digital maturity, reduction of access disparities, and localized ecosystem activation as critical levers for improving long-term system performance.

This article examines the impact of Black Tax on peer relationships, family dynamics, and personal identity among young Black professionals in the Mopani West Education District, Limpopo, South Africa. Black Tax refers to the monetary and social contributions made by first-generation earners to sustain extended family members, a practice shaped by historical dispossession and systemic racial inequality. The study is framed within Social Capital Theory and Structural Functionalism, employing a qualitative phenomenological design. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with five purposively selected participants and analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2021) six-step thematic analysis framework. The findings reveal five interrelated themes: conceptual understanding of Black Tax, proportional financial experiences, psychological effects, the role of family background in shaping financial responsibility, and the tension between family support and personal growth. The study demonstrates that Black Tax simultaneously functions as a source of social capital, reinforcing communal solidarity, Ubuntu values, and intergenerational support, and as a source of social pressure that constrains personal savings, investment, and psychological well-being. These findings contribute to a growing body of literature on informal financial obligations in post-apartheid South Africa and carry implications for policy interventions in financial literacy, mental health support, and intergenerational dialogue.

Youth development in rural communities is strongly shaped by cultural norms that influence behaviour, identity formation, and social roles. This qualitative study explored the influence of Vhavenda cultural norms on youth development in Ha-Muraga Village, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Using an exploratory research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 young people aged 15–25 years (5 males, 5 females). Data were analysed using thematic analysis guided by Cultural Identity Theory and Social Learning Theory. Findings indicate that Vhavenda norms play both positive and negative roles in youth development. Positive influences include promoting discipline, respect for elders, and a strong cultural identity through practices such as initiation rites and Ubuntu philosophy. Negative influences include restrictive gender roles that limit educational opportunities, particularly for girls, and pressure on boys to assume provider roles prematurely. The study recommends community education programs, mentorship initiatives that integrate traditional and modern values, and policy interventions that promote gender equality while preserving cultural heritage. These insights are valuable for community leaders, educators, and policymakers seeking to strengthen positive cultural practices while addressing norms that hinder inclusive youth development.

This study investigated the role of social media engagement in supporting the Internal Auditing profession, focusing on how platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn contribute to education, professional development, and career readiness. The study was underpinned by the Social Learning Theory (SLT), which explored how modelling and interaction within online communities influence the knowledge, skills, and professional identity of Internal Auditing students and practitioners. A quantitative survey was administered to 441 students and practitioners, which yielded a strong response rate of 88.2% (441/500) and a reliable basis for analysis. Descriptive results highlighted that respondents valued social media for developing competencies such as leadership, adaptability, and digital skills, while also acknowledging concerns about stress and limited enhancement of critical thinking. Reliability testing produced a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.852, confirming high internal consistency. Factor analysis revealed a three-component structure that explained 56.5% of the variance, and these include Social Media for Academic Interaction (29.2%), Responsible Digital Citizenship (15.9%), and Psychological and Cognitive Strain (11.4%). These findings confirm that social media engagement is a crucial tool which offers opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional growth. However, the study identified challenges in the use of social media, such as the lack of credibility, privacy, and psychological well-being. The study recommends that educators, professional bodies, and industry leaders adopt structured strategies that enhance content quality, engagement approaches, and digital skills training to maximise benefits while mitigating risks. Finally, this study concludes that social media serves as a critical enabler of lifelong learning, professional identity, and future career preparedness in the Internal Auditing profession when strategically facilitated.

Community engagement has evolved as a key pillar in the transformation agenda of South African Universities, particularly with regards to social justice, decolonisation, and inclusive knowledge development. This paper employed a bibliometric analysis to analyse the evolving literature on community engagement within South African higher education. The analysis analysed publication trends, keyword co-occurrences, authorship networks and institutional contributions, by providing a systematic overview of how community engagement is conceptualised, practised and theorised in relation to social justice and inclusion. The findings show consistent growth in academic interest over the past decade, corresponding with national calls for decolonial, socially responsive, and participatory academic practices. Key topic clusters show connections between community engagement, change, participatory research approaches and epistemic justice. Emerging patterns indicate that researchers are increasingly conceptualising community engagement as a catalyst for undoing structural inequities, developing reciprocal connections and amplifying historically marginalised perspectives within and outside university settings. The bibliometric mapping reveals additional differences among institutions, highlighting distinct capacities and commitments to engaged scholarship. This paper adds to the discourse by providing a comprehensive evidence-based synthesis that clarifies the conceptual structure of the discipline. It contends that community engagement, when conducted ethically and constructively, can develop inclusive pedagogies, co-create socially grounded knowledge, and increase universities' democratic role in society. The paper recommends increased multidisciplinary collaboration, methodological innovation, and institutional support to improve the transformative impact of community engagement in South African higher education.

The study examines how quality of governance influences the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study adopts a quantitative research strategy that utilises panel data of selected countries during 28 years, that is, 1996-2023. Indicators of governance like Government Effectiveness (GE), Political Stability and Absence of Violence (AV), Rule of Law (RL), Regulatory Quality (RQ) and Voice and Accountability (VA). The findings indicate that Strong Governance frameworks significantly enhance FDI inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa. VA was found to be a very strong positive determinant. GE and PS were also found to have negative relationships in within-country analyses. The IFRS adoption, being a uniform variable throughout the sampled countries, was observed to increase investor confidence. These results imply that the improvement of governance are synergies that help to establish the stable, transparent, and predictable environment sought by investors. Thus, policymakers can improve the governance systems and provide citizen involvement in order to boost foreign investment and attract sustainable capital and economic growth in the region.

The application of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) highlights the importance of monitoring natural resources and significantly aids decision makers in planning for urban settings with dense populations. In this context, LULC studies are crucial tools for evaluating flood risk mapping and urban growth, especially in study areas that have not yet undergone LULC changes analysis in the past few years. uMlazi is one of the townships in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, that have experienced climate change disasters such as floods due to spatial planning. This study compared three machine learning classification algorithms Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Landsat 8 in classifying LULC in uMlazi. Furthermore, to determine the change detection between 2013 and 2022. Change distribution dynamics of each class is reflected in table 6 such as built-up areas from 1.13 km² (19.01%) in 2013 to 2.51 km² (42.14%) in 2022. Barren land saw a reduction of 65.6% due to built-up areas, 2.9% due to grassland, 9.2% due to tar roads, 0.46% due to trees, and 1% due to water bodies. RF achieving the highest accuracy and Kappa coefficient of 0.97 in 2013 and 0.989 in 2022. These findings support improved spatial planning and flood-risk mitigation in rapidly urbanizing townships.