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In Southern Africa, the human immunodeficiency virus constitutes a significant public health challenge, characterised by elevated rates of new infections in rural populations. Conversely, biomedical interventions have facilitated advancement. The incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems into Human Immunodeficiency Virus preventive techniques is still little investigated. This systematic analysis assesses the incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems into community-based HIV prevention strategies in Southern Africa. This systematic review complied with the PRISMA principles. A search was performed across various electronic databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and CINAHL, for papers published from 01 January 2015 to 31 June 2025. A total of 51,972 studies were discovered, of which 14 matched the inclusion criteria and were evaluated. The analysis revealed that incorporating Indigenous Knowledge Systems into community-based HIV prevention programs in Southern Africa improved cultural relevance, community involvement, and trust in health initiatives. Traditional healers significantly contributed to counselling, education, and the increase of HIV testing in rural regions, leading to enhanced service accessibility and diminished stigma. Notwithstanding these advantages, several projects nevertheless lacked official policy support and organised collaborations between conventional and biological health sectors.

Gender-based violence (GBV) against women is one of the most widespread and long-established social issues in South Africa that is conditioned by historical, cultural, and structural factors that have created a normalized environment of male dominance and accepted different types of gendered violence. This study provides a sociological explanation of GBV in terms of power and patriarchy and structural inequality area and how these interconnected factors create and maintain violence in intimate relationships, families, and the broader social institution. Using the feminist theory, intersectionality and sociological theory of power relations, the research questions the role of cultural norms, economic dependence, socialisation process as well as institutional failures in causing high incidences of violence against women. However, even after the enactment of progressive laws, including Domestic Violence Act, Sexual Offences Act, etc, the lived conditions of women still portray the vulnerabilities of the system to historical disparities, deep-rooted patriarchal philosophies and gender hierarchies. A qualitative research design was used to gather the data, where in-depth interviews, focus group and documentary analysis of women who have experienced GBV, community members and key informants including social workers, activists and legal practitioners were used to collect data. It shows that the patriarchal systems of power exist on a variety of levels family, community, cultural and institutional to naturalize violence, victimize the victim, and absolve the criminal. Results participants affirm the importance of social norms of masculinity, poverty, inequality in access to resources, and inadequate institutional responses in perpetuating fear, dependence, and subsequent exposure to violence within women. In addition, the study demonstrates how the combination of poverty, race, rurality, and social support services worsen the vulnerability of women, which leads to a reflexive relationship in which violence turns into an individual and societal problem. This study concludes that GBV in South Africa cannot be examined solely as the instances of violence but should be examined as the expression of unequal power relations, which can be found within social structures. The solution to GBV would therefore have to be multi-level and involves efforts to confront patriarchal norms, foster community accountability, bolster legal protection, and increase socio-economic opportunities of women. The results add to the existing pool of sociological research on the topic of gender and violence, providing an important insight into the reasons why GBV continues to be a problem and the changes in the structure that are required in order to mitigate it.

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a critical issue in South African universities, affecting students' access to safe and quality education. Despite universities’ reputations for inclusivity, societal expectations have made them less welcoming, and GBV cases continue to rise with insufficient policy enforcement. This study was motivated by the rising cases of GBV in South African universities. Drawing on social norms’ theory, the study aimed to identify the drivers, effects, and potential mitigation strategies for addressing GBV. The goal was to build a stronger basis for improving policies and creating safer, more inclusive university environments. A qualitative approach was used to gather secondary data from various sources, including journal articles, books, government documents, and news reports. The literature revealed that GBV in South African and other universities has sparked frequent protests centred on issues of sexual, physical, and emotional violence. Moreover, it was also highlighted that many students refrained from reporting GBV incidents due to concerns about stigma and the impact on their careers, with victims often facing anxiety, depression, and physical symptoms, which further impeded their participation in university life and restricted their educational opportunities. This study concluded that GBV restricted students' access to quality education and, if unaddressed, might lead to declining university enrolment. Thus, it recommended collaboration between universities, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and families to tackle GBV and called for a review of policies to improve enforcement and provide better protection for students.  

Indigenous knowledge portrays rich science-related knowledge that incorporates cultural practices. Additionally, Indigenous knowledge provides constructive cultural contexts that augment a rich understanding of sociocultural practices for sustainable development. It also attempts to promote connections with modern science concerning the promotion of sustainable development. The qualitative methodology was employed to let students analyse Indigenous science for sustainable development in local community spaces. Subsequently, an analysis of students’ perceptions regarding recognition of the relevancy of Indigenous science for valuable sustainability promotion was captured through semi-structured interviews. Students’ realization revealed that local communities embrace Indigenous science to address challenges in modern science topics such as Medicine, Agriculture, Renewable energy, and Household cleaning products production. Interestingly, students find relevancy in igniting the contextualization of science teaching and learning from Indigenous knowledge. Connecting Indigenous science and modern science education can orchestrate the promotion of relevant education for sustainable development.

Rehabilitation remains a core mandate of correctional services; however, in South African Correctional centres, particularly within Limpopo, its effectiveness is constrained by persistent structural and social barriers. Overcrowding, limited resources, unsafe environments, and the entrenched culture of gangsterism undermine rehabilitation initiatives and compromise both staff and inmate safety. Correctional officers, who play a central role in rehabilitation delivery, face excessive workloads, inadequate support, and poor working conditions, resulting in stress, burnout, and diminished service quality. These conditions contribute to ineffective rehabilitation, increased recidivism, premature inmate releases, and violations of offenders’ rights, raising concerns about the overall credibility of the criminal justice system. This study examined barriers to rehabilitation in Limpopo correctional centres, focusing on correctional officers’ experiences. A quantitative approach was adopted, with purposive sampling of 345 officers across six centres. Findings revealed that overcrowding is the most critical challenge, negatively affecting healthcare, accommodation, food provision, and access to training programmes, while weakening institutional control. Gangsterism, evolving from protection-based groups to networks of power and illicit trade, further obstructs rehabilitation. Officers reported unsafe conditions, exposure to violence, and shortages of resources, compounded by recruitment, retention, and training gaps. The study recommends diversion of minor offenders, deportation of foreign nationals, broader use of community corrections, enhanced anti-gangsterism strategies, and partnerships with external stakeholders to support sustainable rehabilitation.

This study examines the role of the Economic Activation Office (EAO) in advancing entrepreneurship within a rural higher education institution in South Africa. The study is informed by Entrepreneurial University Theory, the Triple Helix Model, and the Resource-Based View (RBV), which are integrated to explain how institutional orientation, ecosystem collaboration, and resource mobilisation jointly shape entrepreneurship support. A qualitative exploratory design was adopted within an interpretivist paradigm. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 purposively selected participants comprising EAO staff, university entrepreneurship practitioners, and student entrepreneurs. Thematic analysis identified four interconnected roles of the EAO: entrepreneurship awareness creation, capacity and skills development, stakeholder collaboration and ecosystem coordination, and institutional support and resource mobilisation. The findings show that the EAO operates not only as an administrative support office but also as a boundary-spanning mechanism that connects students and university resources with external entrepreneurial opportunities. However, limited funding, incubation infrastructure, long-term mentorship, and uneven cross-faculty participation constrain its ability to translate awareness and capability development into sustained entrepreneurial outcomes. The study contributes a rural EAO ecosystem perspective in which awareness and capability development are strengthened by institutional resources and external ecosystem relationships, while rural structural conditions moderate the effectiveness of these mechanisms. The study recommends dedicated institutional funding, cross-faculty integration, formalised ecosystem partnerships, structured incubation and post-training support, and targeted policy measures for rural universities.

The importance of mental health among women and girls cannot be overemphasised. However, mental health remains a phenomenon that is not adequately addressed within social, public, and community health. Women and girls fundamentally experience huge pressure emanating from pressure that affects their mental health. Various risk factors affect the well-being and mental health of women and girls. Globally, mental health is considered a public health concern and has been increasing at an unsustainable rate. Mental health is important to the well-being and health of women and girls. Social and environmental risk factors such as family hardships/dynamics, dysfunctionality, health risk behaviours, social risks, and poor mental health behaviour have a close association with mental health. Mental health is also associated with stigmatisation and discrimination. The primary focus of this study is the mental health of women and girls, and the risk factors associated with the phenomenon. It further focused on the programs aimed at promoting the mental health of women and girls. The paper used comprehensive electronic desktop research to collect data. The resilience theory was the theoretical framework adopted to provide a foundation and background for the study. The promotion of coping mechanisms, resilience of women and girls, and empowerment programs were fundamental in the study. Prevention of the risk factors that affect the mental health of women and girls was significantly considered. In addressing resilience, empowerment, and the prevention of mental health problems, the paper will provide guidelines for the well-being of women and girls. Examined strategies may be used to improve the mental health of women and girls.

The advent of democracy in South Africa ushered in a new wave of the provision of accelerated service delivery to communities. At the centre of acceleration, democracy was addressing the historical imbalances in the provision of services that were created by the apartheid regime, which mainly benefited the minority. Despite the government’s commitment to accelerate service delivery, South Africa has witnessed a proliferation of service delivery protests characterised by the destruction of valuable assets like road infrastructure, government fleet, and buildings as well as loss of life in some instances. Service delivery protests happen whilst the government has put in place mechanisms such as the Batho Pele principles to enhance how it interacts with its people. This paper is conceptual in nature and relies profoundly on literature to fortify its argument. It deploys a qualitative research technique to answer its principal question, which seeks to understand the relationship between service delivery protests and the failure of the government to implement Batho Pele principles. Moreover, through this approach, the study will respond to its ancillary question, which seeks to understand how the government can use Batho Pele principles as a strategic tool to interact with its communities, thus reducing service delivery protests in South Africa. The study will contribute to the ongoing discourse on how the government can use its existing mechanisms to address service delivery protests in South Africa. Moreover, the study will shape the policy direction and be a springboard for emerging scholars.

This study examines the role of women in power, politics, and decision-making, focusing on the factors that influence political representation, the effect of women's participation on governance, and the efficacy of gender quotas and affirmative action policies. Guided by Feminist Political Theory, the study examines how patriarchal structures, socio-cultural norms, gender stereotypes, political violence, and structural inequalities continue to shape women's political experiences and opportunities. Using a desktop-based methodology, the study systematically reviews scholarly literature, policy documents, and institutional reports. Data were analysedthematically to identify recurring patterns and key issues relating to women’s political participation. The findings revealed persistent underrepresentation of women in political leadership, socio-cultural norms and gender stereotypes, the positive impact of women’s participation on policy and governance, the prevalence of political violence and discrimination against women and the important role played by civil society and feminist movements in promoting gender equality. The study concludes that while progress has been made, achieving substantive gender representation requires comprehensive structural reforms, inclusive political institutions, and continued advocacy for gender justice in governance.

Public sector institutions are often characterised by service delivery delays, time management challenges, paper-based activities, and limited application of digital technologies. Digital transformation has become a crucial tool for enhancing institutional efficacy for the purposes of achieving set goals and objectives, and ultimately improved service delivery. This article explores the significance of digital transformation in enhancing institutional efficacy in public sector institutions. The Department of Home Affairs, Vhembe District served as a reference. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data from 120 officials of the Department of Home Affairs using a quantitative research method. The findings indicate that digital transformation improves service quality and speed, supports informed decision-making, enhances collaboration and communication and increases administrative efficiency and accuracy. The article highlights digital transformation as a strategic enabler of institutional performance that promotes responsive, accountable and citizen centred government. The study recommends strengthening digital infrastructure, investing in continuous staff training, integrating communication platforms and promoting citizen centred digital services.