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Social entrepreneurship has arisen as a pivotal mechanism for tackling intricate societal issues while fostering sustainable growth. This study examines the crucial function of social entrepreneurs in promoting inclusive growth, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment. Social businesses merge creative business models with social objectives, effectively reconciling profit and purpose while providing scalable solutions to challenges like poverty, inequality, and climate change. The research investigates the processes by which social entrepreneurship advances social development in South Africa, emphasising case studies from various industries and locations. It also examines the facilitating environments—policy frameworks, financial tools, and educational initiatives—that promote the development of social companies. The findings highlight the capacity of social entrepreneurship to initiate systemic change, underscoring its importance in fostering resilient and equitable communities. This research enhances the dialogue on sustainable development by framing social entrepreneurship as not only a corporate strategy but also a crucial catalyst for enduring social impact.    

This study investigates the role of policy support in addressing barriers to effective small-scale cooperative farming in South African municipality, with a focus on identifying potential solutions to improve the success rate of agricultural co-operatives in the uMhlathuze local municipality. Despite their potential, agricultural co-operatives face significant challenges, with studies indicating an alarming failure of 88% in the country. This high failure rate underscores the need to understand how policy support can address the shortcomings hindering the success of agricultural co-operatives. The high failure rate of agricultural co-operatives in South Africa highlights a critical gap in policy support, necessitating an exploration of how policy interventions can mitigate challenges and enhance the viability of co-operative small-scale farming. The research adopts a secondary data collection method and thematic data analysis. Findings indicate that a combination of lack of member commitment, insufficient training and capacity building and financial constraints are a result of inadequate policy support; policies are not effectively addressing co-ops needs. The study recommends that policymakers should revise and tailor existing policies to better address the unique needs and challenges of small-scale farming co-operatives, enhancing their viability and sustainability.

Internal migration significantly influences South Africa's urbanisation path, affecting urban planning, service delivery, and governance mechanisms. This research investigates the impact of migration-related elements on civic engagement and urban development approaches within municipal administrations. Utilising a comprehensive examination of existing academic literature and governmental documents, the research examines the limitations of conventional participatory methods in the context of rapid urban growth and demographic changes. The findings indicate that internal migration challenges static population assumptions, contributes to the growth of informal settlements, and places pressure on urban amenities, services, and municipal resources. Traditional participation frameworks, typically established within stable, geographically bounded communities, may marginalise mobile and underprivileged groups, therefore limiting inclusive government. Consequently, the research advocates for flexible public engagement by highlighting ongoing involvement, institutional learning, adaptation, and multilevel collaboration. Adaptive engagement could bolster municipal resilience by improving responsiveness, inclusivity, and preparedness to modify planning and governance practices in accordance with changing demographic circumstances. The study enhances the understanding of local governance by connecting internal migration to adaptive governance and demonstrating how participation can be customised to demographic shifts. It additionally presents pragmatic approaches for towns to integrate migration into their planning, budgeting, data-driven governance, and intergovernmental cooperation.

This paper examines how drawing skills can be taught to unemployed youth in under-resourced contexts to support the expression of their lived experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Framed within a vocational education and training (VET) skills ecosystem orientation, the study positions creative skills development as part of broader human development and livelihood sustainability initiatives in informal settings. The paper aims to explore the potential of arts-based research (ABR) as a pedagogical and methodological approach for developing 21st-century skills, with a specific focus on drawing as a tool for communication and reflection during a crisis. We employed a qualitative arts-based research design that combined creative workshops, visual artefacts, and participant reflections. Due to pandemic-related restrictions, the research design was adapted to a digital environment, with WhatsApp used as the primary platform for skills instruction, interaction, and data collection. The dataset comprised visual drawings produced by unemployed youth participants, reflective narratives, and facilitator observations generated during a series of online creative workshops. The qualitative and visual data were analysed thematically, resulting in six key themes that captured participants’ experiences of unemployment, uncertainty, resilience, identity, and the challenges of learning creative skills in a digitally mediated, resource-constrained context. The main findings demonstrate that (i) drawing skills can be effectively taught using low-cost digital platforms, even in under-resourced settings; (ii) creative processes enable unemployed youth to articulate and reflect on their lived experiences during a pandemic; and (iii) a VET-oriented skills ecosystem provides a useful framework for situating arts-based skills development within broader livelihood and social support structures. Despite a small sample size, the study contributes practical insights into conducting arts-based research during crises and offers guidance for integrating creative skills development into informal youth skills ecosystems.

Poverty continues to pose a significant challenge to educational development, particularly in the early years of a child’s life. Teachers, as primary facilitators of learning, are uniquely positioned to observe how socioeconomic conditions influence children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development. Hence, the current study explored teachers’ perceptions on the effects of poverty on early childhood learning at a selected village in Limpopo Province. The study used a qualitative exploratory research design. A sample of 12 participants was selected through purposive sampling. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews using an interview guide and analyzed through thematic content analysis. The findings revealed that poverty affects learners’ academic performance in the classroom, including poor participation in classroom activities, poor scholastic performance, poor attendance, and dropping out of school. The results further revealed that children are affected psychologically due to bullying, being labeled poor, and stress. The findings of this study show that poverty has a profound and multidimensional impact on learners’ academic and psychological well-being. Therefore, the government, schools, parents, and the community can help reduce the negative effects of poverty on learning by collaborative efforts.

This research investigates the ways in which collaborative learning enhances access to scientific education for students with impairments. Science classrooms can often be daunting, characterised by complex concepts, technical terminology, and traditional teaching methods, which may not accommodate various learning requirements. This research expands upon Vygotsky's social constructivist framework, particularly the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), and advances collaborative learning as a method of jointly generating knowledge among students via peer engagement and guidance from mentors. The study emphasises the importance of equity, involvement, and the removal of structural obstacles, in alignment with the principles of inclusive education philosophy. Conversely, the social interdependence hypothesis emphasises the significance of constructive group dynamics that enhance motivation and responsibility. The research investigates peer support, collaborative problem-solving, and group dynamics as methods for enhancing engagement, comprehension, and self-assurance among learners with disabilities, based on an extensive literature analysis. The research indicates that collaborative learning can improve cognitive growth as well as promote social inclusion, equity, and empowerment in science education. The research ultimately provides educators with recommendations for the effective use of collaborative learning frameworks to enhance the openness, interactivity, and inclusivity of science classes for all students. Ethical evaluation and approval were exempted for this study by the Institutional evaluation Board as it does not include vulnerable populations or sensitive topics.

This study investigates the structural impact of greenwashing perceptions on green purchase intentions through the dual mediating mechanisms of green skepticism and green confusion within the local skincare brand context in Indonesia. Grounded in the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework, a quantitative research design was executed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) on a purposive sample of 105 Generation Z consumers in Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. The findings demonstrate that greenwashing perceptions directly suppress green purchase intention (β=−0.460,p=0.014) while significantly driving both green skepticism (β=0.660,p=0.005) and green confusion (β=0.741,p<0.001). Furthermore, green skepticism (β=−0.244,p<0.001) and green confusion (β=−0.252,p<0.001) exert negative effects on green purchase intention. Specific indirect effect testing confirms that both green skepticism (VAF=25.9%) and green confusion (VAF=28.9%) function as partial complementary mediators. This study advances sustainable business ecosystem strategy by illustrating how deceptive environmental communications trigger parallel psychological barriers that diminish consumer engagement. Managerial recommendations prioritize transparent sustainability disclosures, verifiable third-party eco-certifications, and educational branding to build long-term stakeholder trust.

Effective leadership and organisational performance in technically demanding sectors increasingly depend on values-driven, human-centred approaches that extend beyond conventional managerial competencies. This qualitative study examines how workplace spirituality shapes leadership behaviour, organisational dynamics, employee development, and soft skill cultivation within a South African engineering organisation. Employing an interpretivist phenomenological design with fifteen purposively selected participants and inductive thematic analysis via Atlas.ti, six interrelated themes emerged: (1) understanding of spirituality; (2) challenges in employee development; (3) employee development strategies; (4) impact of spirituality on workplace dynamics; (5) spirituality and leadership decision-making; and (6) soft skills. Findings reveal that spirituality understood as connectedness, calling, integrity, and altruism enables transformational, servant, and spiritual leadership orientations that create psychologically safe, values-aligned environments. These environments demonstrably improve organisational commitment, ethical decision-making, human resource development outcomes, and soft skills formation, with direct implications for leadership strategy and organisational culture design. The study contributes to humanistic leadership and HRD scholarship in emerging economy engineering contexts, with practical implications for workforce transformation in post-apartheid South Africa.

AI-enabled assessment technologies are increasingly used by higher education institutions to protect academic integrity, scale online assessment and respond strategically to generative artificial intelligence. This paper examines how online proctoring, automated scoring, AI writing detection, and learning analytics risk flagging reshape institutional governance, stakeholder trust, and assessment strategy in higher education business ecosystems. Using a systematic-narrative review approach informed by PRISMA 2020 reporting principles, the study synthesises peer-reviewed literature and authoritative policy guidance published between 2015 and 2025. The analysis is organised around an integrated theoretical framework that combines assessment validity, academic integrity values, algorithmic accountability, and ecosystem strategy. The findings show that AI-enabled assessment can support identity verification, monitoring capacity, workflow triage and timely feedback when deployed as human-governed decision support rather than automated adjudication. However, over-reliance on surveillance and detection creates strategic risks: false positives, bias against linguistically diverse students, privacy intrusion, opaque decision-making, weakened due process and construct distortion when assessments measure surveillance compliance instead of intended learning outcomes. The review further shows that institutional legitimacy depends less on the technical promise of tools and more on governance capability, including proportionality, transparency, contestability, equity auditing, privacy protection and authentic assessment redesign. The paper contributes to business ecosystem and strategy scholarship by positioning academic integrity technology as a strategic governance issue within higher education service ecosystems. It recommends integrity-by-design, cross-functional AI governance, vendor accountability and assessment strategies that preserve fairness, validity and stakeholder trust.

Social media has emerged as a transformative tool in contemporary policing, enabling both crime prevention and crime detection through enhanced community engagement and digital guardianship. This desk research study investigates the utilisation of social media within community police collaboration in South Africa, drawing on Routine Activity Theory and Community Policing Theory as an integrated theoretical framework. Through a systematic review of scholarly literature, policy documents, and official reports, the study examines how social media is conceptualised, identifies documented evidence of effective community police collaboration, and highlights associated opportunities, limitations, and ethical considerations. Findings indicate that social media facilitates the detection of criminal behaviour, deters potential offenders by increasing perceived risks, and strengthens cooperative engagement between citizens and law enforcement. However, unregulated use presents ethical, legal, and operational challenges, underscoring the need for policy-guided, transparent, and accountable practices. The study contributes theoretically by integrating two complementary frameworks to explain crime prevention through detection in digital environments, and practically by providing insights for policymakers and police institutions seeking to leverage social media responsibly.

Rural African classrooms continue to face persistent behavioural challenges, yet many schools still rely on reactive and punitive discipline approaches that are culturally misaligned and inconsistently implemented. This study examines how Indigenous African storytelling, rooted in Afrocentric epistimologies and Ubuntu rational ethics, can be integrated with low-cost digital usage to create a culturally grounded, scalable behavior-guidance model for resource-constrained Limpopo classrooms. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the study draws on classroom observations, teacher and elder interviews, learner groups, and digital use records collected across several rural primary schools. Findings show that indigenous storytelling effectively communicates behavioural expectations by strengthening learner identity, supporting emotional regulation and reinforcing communal norms. Simple digital tools such as offline stories, WhatsApp messages, and SMS caregiver reminders extend these lessons into the home context and enhance continuity. The combined approach led to improved learner engagement, reduced behavioural disruptions, a more positive classroom climate, and a stronger home environment and school communication. The study demonstrates that embedding indigenous storytelling within an accessible digital reinforcement structure that provides a culturally congruent, humanizing, and feasible behavior support model for rural African schools. It contributes to scholarly conversations on decolonial education, culturally responsive pedagogy, and inclusive behaviour frameworks by illustrating how traditional knoewledge systems and morden technologies can work together to promote learner well-being and classroom harmony.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming teaching and learning in accounting education. While AI technologies offer opportunities to enhance learning outcomes, academic performance is also influenced by broader educational factors such as teacher competence, institutional support, curriculum design, and student engagement. This study investigates the role of AI and educational factors in shaping academic performance in accounting education through a systematic literature review of studies published between 2020 and 2025. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a structured search of major academic databases yielded 168 initial records. After screening and eligibility assessment, 28 studies were retained for final analysis. The review synthesizes empirical evidence on AI applications in accounting education and identifies key factors influencing student performance. The study is grounded in Human Capital Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, which provide insights into how technological and educational investments influence learning outcomes. The findings reveal that AI technologies such as intelligent tutoring systems, generative AI tools, predictive analytics, and automated assessment platforms enhance academic performance through personalized learning and data-driven feedback. However, the effectiveness of these technologies depends on teacher digital competence, student motivation, curriculum alignment, and institutional support. The study proposes an integrated conceptual framework linking AI adoption and educational factors to academic performance in accounting education. The findings provide implications for educators, policymakers, and curriculum developers seeking to improve accounting education in the digital era.

This paper aims to examine the quantile-based frequency connectedness between cryptocurrencies and palladium returns across different market conditions and investment horizons. In this paper, it is also aimed to evaluate the asymmetric and time-varying spillover dynamics between cryptocurrency markets and palladium returns in order to determine their diversification, hedging, and safe-haven characteristics. The study discussed the Heterogeneous Market Hypothesis together with the concepts of cryptocurrencies and palladium as part of the theoretical and conceptual foundation of the analysis. We employed a hybrid analytical framework combining Quantile Regression (QR), Quantile-on-Quantile Regression (QQR), and Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) to capture the non-linear and frequency-dependent relationships between the selected variables. Daily time-series data on palladium prices and major cryptocurrencies, namely Cardano (ADA), Binance Coin (BNB), Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), TRON (TRX), Tether (USDT), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Ripple (XRP), sourced from CoinMarketCap and Bloomberg Terminal, were analysed over the study period. Main findings of the study demonstrate that (i) the connectedness between cryptocurrencies and palladium returns is generally weak in the short term, indicating limited immediate spillover effects between the two markets, (ii) medium- and long-term horizons exhibit stronger and predominantly positive connectedness across most quantiles, particularly from cryptocurrencies to palladium returns, suggesting increasing financial integration over time, and finally (iii) the cryptocurrency–palladium return nexus is asymmetric and state-dependent, with palladium occasionally displaying limited hedging and safe-haven properties during periods of market distress. The study concludes that cryptocurrencies primarily function as diversification instruments rather than consistent hedging assets against palladium market risks. Based on the findings, investors and portfolio managers are encouraged to adopt medium- to long-term investment strategies when integrating cryptocurrencies and palladium within diversified portfolios, while closely monitoring persistent cryptocurrency market trends that may influence palladium price dynamics over time.

This study explores the relationship between gender diversity in South African audit committees and financial reporting quality (FRQ) of non-financial companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange from 2020 to 2024. A quantitative approach was employed to investigate these relationships, utilising an ex post facto design to collect data from the Osiris database and integrated annual reports. Gender diversity within audit committees was assessed using several measures: dummy variables indicating whether an audit committee had one female director (ACFD1) or two or more female directors (ACFD2), as well as the proportion of females on the committee (ACGD) and its square (ACGD²). FRQ was assessed using earnings management (EM), evaluated through accrual earnings management (AEM) and real earnings management (REM). The study applied both linear and curvilinear models, using fixed-effects models and Two-Stage Least Squares to test the hypotheses. The regression results revealed that ACFD1 had an insignificant negative impact on AEM and an insignificant positive impact on REM. In contrast, ACFD2 showed a significant negative impact on both AEM and REM. Additionally, ACGD had a significant positive impact on AEM, while ACGD² exhibited a significant negative impact. For REM, ACGD also had a significant positive effect, whereas ACGD² demonstrated a significant negative impact. These results indicate that audit committee gender diversity has an inverted U-shaped effect on both AEM and REM. The study's inverted U-shaped results align with critical mass theory, which suggests that a balanced representation of female directors (between 40% and 60%) can reduce earnings manipulation and enhance FRQ. Furthermore, these results provide a strong business case for increasing female representation to critical-mass levels, thereby minimising EM. Theoretically, this research underscores the importance of critical mass and collective action when examining the economic benefits of gender diversity in audit committees. Regulators are encouraged to consider audit committee gender diversity beyond mere numbers.

Community policing was introduced in post-apartheid South Africa to rebuild trust between law enforcement and communities. However, its crime prevention role is limited by persistent challenges. This study explores these limitations through the perceptions of police officers and community members in Bizana, Eastern Cape, using a qualitative design and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified key obstacles: limited police resources, rural–urban inequalities, weak community engagement, and inadequate training. While community policing contributes to social control, crime prevention, and safety, its impact is undermined by poor police–community cooperation and fear of victimisation, which deters reporting and hotspot identification. Structural factors, including poor roads and a shortage of police vehicles, fuel rising rural crime, especially stock theft and drug-related offences. Limited institutional support for Community Policing Forums and night patrols further reduces their sustainability and effectiveness. The study offers context-specific insights into the implementation of community policing in rural South Africa and underscores the need for better resource allocation, stronger partnerships, and context-responsive strategies. It also advances global development priorities, particularly SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), by emphasising accountable, inclusive, and effective policing systems.

This paper provides a systematic constitutional analysis of telemarketing regulation in South Africa, arguing that intrusive practices violate the foundational rights to privacy, dignity, freedom of association, and equality. Using a doctrinal methodology, it examines the jurisprudential evolution of these rights in digital commerce, the efficacy of key statutes such as the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), and the normative influence of international law. The analysis reveals a critical disjuncture between robust constitutional guarantees and their practical enforcement, exacerbated by systemic challenges including inadequate regulatory capacity, technological advancement outpacing legislation, and the disproportionate targeting of vulnerable populations. The paper concludes by proposing an integrated, rights-based reform agenda, contending that effective telemarketing regulation is essential not only for protecting fundamental rights and human dignity in the digital age but also for promoting consumer trust, ethical business conduct, and sustainable digital market development.

This study investigates how a major South African private hospital group adopts and scales multiple renewable energy sources (MRES) within a mission-critical healthcare environment characterised by chronic grid instability. Using a qualitative single‑case study design, the research draws on semi-structured interviews with senior executives and technical managers, complemented by documentary analysis, to explore the barriers, enablers and governance mechanisms underpinning MRES adoption. The results reveal that financial and economic constraints, regulatory fragmentation, legacy infrastructure, and supply chain limitations constitute multidimensional barriers. In contrast, economic viability, executive leadership, risk-managed implementation, and energy-security imperatives serve as decisive enablers. The study demonstrates that effective adoption arises not from technology choices alone, but from an integrated organisational approach that combines diversified energy portfolios, phased implementation strategies, contractual procurement, and structured sustainability governance. The proposed Integrated MRES Adoption Framework synthesises these dimensions, offering a holistic model for energy transition in high-risk medical settings. The study concludes that hospitals can meaningfully advance renewable energy penetration when technical diversification is embedded within robust governance, financial feasibility assessments, and patient-safety-aligned risk management. Limitations include a single-case scope and senior-level perspectives; future research should compare public and private systems, evaluate long-term performance, and deepen inquiry into staff-level change processes.

The rapid shift to online teaching and learning (OTL) during and after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant institutional and infrastructural challenges in higher education. While existing research has examined experiences of emergency remote teaching, limited attention has been given to systematically identifying the foundational pre-conditions necessary for sustainable OTL implementation, particularly within business school contexts in developing settings. This study aimed to identify the pre-conditions required for effective OTL implementation at the Durban University of Technology Business School (DBS). A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining quantitative survey data (n = 82) with qualitative open-ended responses. Quantitative data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, reliability testing and chi-square goodness-of-fit tests, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis. The findings reveal strong convergence between quantitative and qualitative results. Structural barriers, mostly related to internet connectivity, device access and staff development, emerged as the most critical pre-conditions. Participants also emphasised digital skills, stable power supply and institutional support as foundational requirements. The study contributes empirical evidence on institutional readiness for OTL and provides a structured framework for prioritising infrastructure, capacity building and support systems in similar higher education contexts.

The research investigates the impact of conflicting role obligations on the aspirations for postgraduate education among administrative staff in higher education institutions (HEIs). It subsequently presents a conceptual framework aimed at enhancing comprehension of the obstacles and incentives linked to inter-role conflicts in regard to postgraduate ambitions inside higher education institutions. Utilising illustrative case data and employing a qualitative systematic literature review approach, the research investigates the impact of conflicting role demands on individuals' motivation and ability to attain advanced academic levels. Anchored on Role Conflict Theory, Boundary Theory, and the Conservation of Resources Theory, which together address role interference, domain permeability, and resource depletion, the research investigates how perceived conflicts within study domains influence aspirations for postgraduate pursuits. Research indicates that occupational stress combined with personal and familial obligations presents considerable obstacles to academic progress, while simultaneously driving individuals to seek postgraduate education as a means of career enhancement and professional development. The research emphasises the dual function of conflict as both a motivator and a limitation in influencing postgraduate educational ambitions. Despite the constraints posed by the lack of literature specifically addressing postgraduate ambitions among administrative staff in higher education institutions, the research provides significant exploratory perspectives on the lived experiences of this underexplored demographic and underscores the necessity for institutional measures that facilitate a balance between work and study. The study offers a cohesive conceptual framework that connects conflicting inter-role tensions to intentions for postgraduate studies, thereby making a significant contribution to career development research and laying the groundwork for future empirical studies within the administrative sector of higher education

The study evaluating social entrepreneurial activity as a strategy to enhance sustainable rural Economies in South Africa, using the uMhlathuze community. Sustainable local economic development is a paramount concern in South Africa, as ongoing inequality, unemployment, and spatial underdevelopment persistently hinder inclusive progress. This research assesses social entrepreneurial activity as a strategic approach to improving sustainable local economies, especially in marginalised and resource-limited areas. The research used a qualitative approach with original interview from selected participant to examine the ability of social businesses to foster grassroots creativity, create job opportunities, and enhance community resilience. Research demonstrates that social entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in local economic diversification, promotes social cohesiveness, and improves access to important services. Nonetheless, its influence is frequently restricted by insufficient legislative backing, inadequate financial frameworks, and institutional obstacles that impede scalability. The study presents a framework for incorporating social entrepreneurship into local development plans, highlighting collaborative governance, capacity building, and conducive regulatory frameworks. The research positions social entrepreneurship as a catalyst for sustainable development, highlighting its capacity to foster transformational and inclusive economic results in South Africa.