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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.

Celebrity endorsement is a widely utilised strategic marketing method employed by companies globally. This study examines the influence of sport celebrity endorsement, with particular emphasis on Lionel Messi's effect on the profitability of the brands he represents. Two prominent brands, adidas and Louis Vuitton, both positioned within the top ten most valuable fashion brands in 2024, were selected for analysis. The study utilised secondary data to fulfil its aims. The findings indicate that Lionel Messi has a positive impact on profit generation for endorsed brands, underscoring the effectiveness of integrating high-profile sports celebrities into marketing communication strategies to enhance profitability. Brand managers who have not yet employed sports celebrity endorsements should consider this approach, as it has demonstrated a substantial impact on company profits. This study recognises specific limitations, as is common in research endeavours. Future research should evaluate the influence of local sports celebrities on the profitability of brands they endorse within the community. 

Entrepreneurship has become a vital force for economic development and innovation in the 21st century. Higher education institutions are pivotal in preparing students to succeed in this dynamic landscape by nurturing entrepreneurial skills and mindsets. This systematically reviewed the 23 empirical studies from databases between 2014 and 2024 to explore the imperative role of higher education in fostering entrepreneurship. It examines the evolving demands of the global economy, emphasising the need for individuals equipped with the creativity, resilience, and adaptability characteristic of successful entrepreneurs. The research findings highlight the pivotal role of higher education in fostering entrepreneurial skills and mindsets. Key findings include adopting interdisciplinary curriculum design and integrating business, technology, and creative fields to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of entrepreneurship. The findings reveal that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are critical in promoting entrepreneurial skills and mindsets. They can achieve this by driving entrepreneurial growth, providing practical learning opportunities, promoting cross-disciplinary and collaborative learning, and addressing challenges in entrepreneurship education. To fully realise this potential, a comprehensive approach is needed, including changes to the curriculum, development of academics, institutional support, and community involvement. This will enable HEIs to produce competent, knowledgeable graduates who drive innovation and economic development. Experiential learning opportunities such as internships and startup incubators significantly nurture entrepreneurial mindsets by offering real-world experiences and enhancing problem-solving skills. The study emphasises the importance of entrepreneurial ecosystems within higher education institutions, promoting collaboration and innovation through partnerships with various stakeholders.

Amid growing consumer and societal expectations for environmental responsibility, this study examines how retailers’ sustainability practices drive customer loyalty through the mediating role of retailer legitimacy and the moderating role of consumer scepticism. Drawing on legitimacy theory, the objective of this study is to develop and test a conceptual model linking sustainability practices, corporate reputation, retailer legitimacy, consumer scepticism, and customer loyalty. Data from a cross-sectional survey of South African retail consumers were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results show that sustainability practices enhance both retailer legitimacy and customer loyalty, with legitimacy significantly mediating the effects of sustainability and corporate reputation on loyalty. Corporate reputation also strongly predicts retailer legitimacy. The study’s novelty lies in being the first to empirically test retailer legitimacy as a mediator in the sustainability–loyalty relationship within retailing, and to reveal the moderating influence of consumer scepticism. From a managerial perspective, the findings underscore the importance of transparent and credible communication of sustainability initiatives in strengthening legitimacy and fostering enduring customer loyalty, particularly in emerging markets where scepticism may be heightened.

This study explored the bank-specific and macroeconomic factors influencing capital adequacy in South African commercial banks. In this research, a balanced panel data set comprising 11 recapitalized banks was employed, spanning the period from 2008 to 2019. Employing panel regression techniques including OLS, Fixed Effects, Random Effects, and the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), the analysis examines the influence of profitability (ROA), bank size, leverage, broad money supply, and the central bank’s monetary policy rate on the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR). The results indicate that profitability, bank size, leverage, and the broad money supply are critical determinants of capital sufficiency. Banks with increased profitability and increased exposure to the money supply typically demonstrate more robust capital positions. Larger bank size and increased leverage levels negatively affect capital adequacy ratios. The little impact of the delayed CAR signifies minimal persistence in capital buffer methods over time, implying that banks may not significantly depend on prior year capital conditions in their current capital planning. The study highlights the complex nature of capital sufficiency, influenced by microeconomic factors such as size and leverage, as well as macroeconomic indices like the money supply. The findings substantiate the Capital Buffer Theory and furnish critical insights for regulators, bank executives, and policymakers seeking to bolster the resilience of the banking industry in South Africa.

Armed conflict significantly disrupts public health systems, yet the mechanisms linking violence to endemic disease outbreaks remain insufficiently understood. This study examines how violent conflict affects disease governance and health service delivery across Sudan’s conflict-affected regions between 2000 and 2024. Using a spatial panel dataset that combines geo-referenced conflict events from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), epidemiological surveillance records, environmental indicators, and subnational governance measures, the analysis evaluates the relationship between conflict intensity, governance capacity, and endemic disease incidence. The results indicate that areas experiencing higher levels of violence exhibit significantly greater incidence of malaria, cholera, and measles. These effects are particularly pronounced where health infrastructure has been damaged and administrative capacity has weakened. Regions with stronger local governance demonstrate greater resilience, maintaining partial vaccination coverage and disease surveillance despite ongoing conflict. Spatial models further reveal significant spillover effects, with outbreaks spreading along displacement corridors and border regions. The findings highlight the central role of governance capacity in mediating health outcomes during armed conflict and underscore the importance of conflict-sensitive health interventions. Strengthening decentralized health governance, protecting health infrastructure, and improving cross-regional disease surveillance are essential for mitigating endemic disease risks in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

As technology becomes increasingly integrated into policing, with social media particularly contributing to smart policing, understanding frontline officers’ attitudes in this regard remains pivotal towards the successful implementation of social media usage in policing in South Africa. This study explores how detectives in Edenvale perceive WhatsApp and Facebook for reducing house robberies, anchored in the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) Theory. Employing a qualitative, exploratory design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with purposively selected detectives and were analysed thematically. The findings reveal cautious optimism among the officers as they view social media as offering a clear relative advantage in terms of speed, real-time, and enhanced community engagement. Nonetheless, concerns regarding complexity (digital literacy gaps), compatibility (fit within existing investigative protocols), and organisational readiness, including institutional support and policy clarity not only undermine optimism but also pose some challenge to full and effective adoption. Limited opportunities for trialability and the mixed observability of successful outcomes further temper enthusiasm. The study concludes that targeted digital literacy training, structured pilot projects, and clear organisational policies could enhance the diffusion and sustained use of social media for house robbery prevention. This research contributes to understanding the dynamics of innovation adoption within policing contexts in South Africa, highlighting the nuanced role of technological integration in community safety.

Climate change and agricultural transformation are increasingly affecting cocoa production in Sub-Saharan Africa, where smallholder farmers face growing environmental and socioeconomic constraints. This study investigates their effects on cocoa productivity in the Mvila Division of South Cameroon, with particular attention to agricultural modernization, rainfall variability, cooperative membership, fertilizer use, and farm-level characteristics. The study combines qualitative evidence from administrative and policy documents with quantitative data from cocoa farmers and secondary sources, including MINADER, IRAD, FAOSTAT, ICCO, CHIRPS, and the National Cocoa and Coffee Board. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple regression, robustness tests, and scenario projections were used to assess productivity across five subdivisions. The results show that cooperative membership, favourable rainfall conditions, farmer education, fertilizer use, and farm size significantly increase cocoa productivity, while ageing plantations reduce yields. Agricultural transformation has also strengthened farmer organizations, extension services, and adoption of improved practices, although mechanization remains constrained by inadequate infrastructure, limited finance, and uneven institutional support. Ebolowa I and Ebolowa II consistently record higher productivity, associated with stronger institutional support and greater adoption of improved practices. The study contributes empirical evidence on the interaction between climate variability and agricultural transformation in cocoa-producing smallholder systems and highlights the importance of combining climate-smart practices, plantation rehabilitation, producer organizations, extension services, and appropriate mechanization to improve productivity and strengthen farmers' resilience in Cameroon.

This study examines the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices on corporate financial performance in Zimbabwe's mining sector using a case study of Zimplats Holdings Limited. The main aim was to determine whether and to what extent ESG practices contribute to financial outcomes at the firm level. The objective of the study was to examine the overall ESG and financial performance relationship, to analyse the effects of individual ESG dimensions on financial performance, and to assess the moderating role of firm-specific factors on ESG practices. Informed by the stakeholder theory, the resource-based view, and legitimacy theory, a quantitative approach was adopted, using secondary data extracted from Zimplats' Integrated Annual Reports (2023–2025) through a structured data extraction template aligned with GRI standards. Key findings reveal a positive but lagged ESG and financial performance relationship. Governance emerged as the most stable and financially material ESG pillar, while environmental and social investments showed transitional efficiency deterioration before expected long-term gains. Firm-specific factors such as asset expansion, capital structure, production volume, and multinational ownership, significantly moderated the timing and magnitude of financial returns, compressing short-term profitability indicators such as return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). The study contributes firm-level empirical evidence on unlisted Zimbabwean mining firms, extending ESG theory to emerging market contexts. Recommendations include targeting governance enhancements for immediate financial returns, allowing longer investment horizons for environmental and social initiatives, and maintaining conservative capital structures to sustain ESG investment during earnings volatility.

The transition from informal to formal economy represents a fundamental transformation in how organisations manage their human resources, especially regarding employee training and development. This study explores how formalisation reshapes training and development practices in Zimbabwean business enterprises, focusing on the link between enhanced employee capabilities and perceived career growth opportunities. Drawing on an interpretive phenomenological study of 25 participants, including employees, HR managers, business owners/executives and policymakers from organisations that have formalised their operations within the past five years, the research captures lived experiences of training transformation across manufacturing, retail, hospitality, construction, mining and transport sectors. The findings reveal a significant shift from unstructured, experiential learning characterised by “trial and error” and peer observation to systematic, structured training programmes including formal induction, technical upskilling, safety compliance workshops, customer service training and regular refresher courses. Crucially, formalisation has made it possible for long-term career advancement through employer-funded external certifications, nationally recognised qualifications, leadership development and clear progression pathways. However, challenges persist including uneven access to training across departments, resource constraints affecting training frequency and difficulty balancing productivity with development activities. With implications for practice and policy in transitioning economies, the study provides empirical data on how formalisation changes human capital development from a survival mechanism to a strategic career-enabling function.