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The study assessed the effectiveness of On-The-Job training on the performance of employees, focusing on the Integrated Tertiary Software Users at Walter Sisulu University. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews. The study employed a qualitative approach, focusing on in-depth knowledge from the participants rather than numerical facts. Participants were employees from the Registrar’s division within Walter Sisulu University, and students and a sample of twelve participants were purposefully selected. Seven of the thirteen participants were employees from the same division but different units: The examinations office, the Admissions and Registration office, and one faculty officer. Six participants were students from various faculties. Data were analyzed using Atlas ti, version 9. In this study, the light was shared on the importance of On-The-Job training and its effectiveness on employee performance and productivity. The focus of the interviews was on the effectiveness of this training method, and the study found that this method is effective in upskilling recruits and existing employees. Training and employee motivation were seen as the essential elements of increasing employee performance in this technology-infused University. It has been discovered that development programs directly influence organizational effectiveness, advancement, and development is critical for an effective organization.

This article discusses the influence of historically disadvantaged background on the culture of reading in some primary school learners from a school district. Investigation for this article was administered through a qualitative research approach, assisting in attaining first-hand information directly from the participants, thereby generating nonnumerical data. Embedded in this qualitative investigation was a case study design. As qualitative research concentrates on acquiring a comprehended understanding of how individuals perceive lived experiences, the main purpose of entrenching a case study was to dig deep into the in-depth descriptions coupled with the personal experiences of the subjects. It draws from semi-structured interviews conducted with primary school language teachers. The interview schedule specifically designed for this inquiry contained open-ended question types. During interviews, recordings were made in their natural settings through interacting with each participant. Data coding and analysis were informed by the iterative approach. The main findings of this investigation indicate that (i) teaching reading remains one of the basic skills in learning but was (ii) compromised by the lack of reading material, stemming from the disadvantaged background of the studied schools. Also, though motivation by parents seems to yield good results, there seemed to be (iii) a lack of influence and intervention strategies regarding available resources in the learners’ homes. I argue that family background does correlate (have an impact on learner reading ability) with learners’ reading ability. I conclude and propose that teachers need to employ teaching and learning methods that accommodate various cultural notions learners bring to school, as this is likely to impart positively on their academic performance.

The influence of macroeconomic variables on aspects of business and the country's economy has been a subject of robust discussion. This study was conducted to identify the effect of macroeconomic variables, namely inflation rate, economic growth, exchange rate and share price, on listed companies in South Africa. The goal was to study the long run and short run effects of macroeconomic volatility on company performance because of the world’s recent pandemic experience. To achieve this objective, the study applied the panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model on annual panel data from 2010 to 2020 to analyse the short run and long run effects of macroeconomic variables on a company’s performance. The study results suggested a positive impact of economic growth, exchange rate and share price on asset returns, whilst a company's equity return is supported by economic growth and share price in the long run. The short run revealed that none of the independent variables has a sufficiently significant effect to influence a company's performance changes in the short run. Based on the findings, it was recommended that policymakers and economic authorities should introduce and implement strategies that favour and enhance the country's economic growth and stable exchange rate in order to improve company performance. Additionally, given that the company's short-run performance may highly depend on internal factors such as corporate governance, internal policies and business strategies, these decisions should be taken with precaution and a high level of professionalism.

Given that undergraduates, graduates and tertiary institutions of higher learning are uncertain Given that undergraduates, graduates, and tertiary institutions of higher learning are uncertain regarding the expectations of employers in the work organizations on the skill that graduates possess, the study presented in this paper attempts to provide some meaningful clues in that directions. The study followed a research question that interrogates what employability skills employers expect graduates to possess for an entry-level job. Designed as a descriptive study, a quantitative research approach was chosen, where the survey method of data collection was employed through a closed-ended structured questionnaire. The study targeted employers (managers) of public and private work organizations in the health and education sectors in a South African town Mthatha, from where a sample of 41 participants (representing organizations) was drawn. The study employed a stratified random sampling in selecting the participants, which ensured that the principle of selecting representatives of the target population was met. Data collected from the participants were analyzed by the use of selected descriptive tools. The analyzed data revealed that all employers expect graduates to possess all the 13 skill areas that employees require to function in the workplace. Surprisingly, the employers mostly expect least from the young graduates in terms of quantitative skills and leadership capabilities. While this finding corroborates what exists in the literature, it provides a new dimension with regard to priority skills needed by employers in the South African labor market. The study, therefore, recommends that the work organizations and higher institutions of learning should form a partnership and a close relationship so that they can assist one another in building the employability skills of graduates.

Substance abuse is one of the most pervasive problems facing our nation, especially in the townships. Curbing this problem requires an integrated approach in which community stakeholders and society work together to improve safety by tackling the fundamental causes of criminality through mobilising state and non-state capacities and resources at all levels. This study seeks to assess the strategies and successes of community initiatives and circumstances that bestow on the path towards helping to fulfill the community’s aim to prevent and combat drug abuse. This study made use of a sample of 90 respondents 18 years and older who responded to the survey. A purposive sample of 10 staff members from the community-based organisations participated in oral interviews, while a simple random sample of 80 community members responded to questionnaires. Furthermore, secondary data sources were consulted to back up the claims that emerged from this study. While the study evaluated community strategies and documented some of the successes, including the rehabilitation of drug addicts, it also highlighted the lack of capacity of community organisations to make meaningful contributions in this regard. In particular, the lack of cooperation/collaboration and trust between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the community stakeholders is a cause for concern that may hinder any efforts to combat drug abuse. This study, therefore, highlights strategies that require a collective effort from government stakeholders.

Thulamela's tourism sector has experienced growth in recent years, contributing to a steadily rising regional GDP. However, persistent unemployment and poverty raise concerns about the extent of local community involvement in tourism planning and decision-making, which is essential for ensuring equitable benefits, cultural preservation , and sustainable development. this study examined community participation and interactions with local businesses and authorities in Thohoyandou and surrounding villages within the Thulamela Local Municipality. A quantitative survey involving 304 community members was conducted, and the data were analyzed using SPSS version 29.0 with appropriate statistical techniques. the results reveal a significant gab between communities and administrative governance structure , along with a strong demand for inclusion in the formulation and drafting of tourism policies and participatory planning platforms. This study contributes to the scholarship on community involvement in tourism and offer potential insight for academics, managers, planners and policymakers who seek to enhance inclusive, community-centered tourism governance in developing contexts such as South Africa.

This paper examines the challenges facing the provision of low-cost housing conundrum, with specific reference to the Eastern Cape Province. The paper will further explore policy alternatives to the idea of low-cost housing scheme delivery over time with a view to improving delivery of low-cost housing inquest for integrated sustainable communities in the province. Against the above stated background, the aim of this paper is to investigate challenges facing the provision of low-cost housing on the people of Eastern Cape Province.  The guiding research question of this paper is: what is the efficacy way of implementing integrated low-cost housing strategy in addressing the problem of affordable housing shortage for the poor in the Province through the Integrated Human Settlement Plan? This papers setting is in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A mixed method approach is employed to explore and describe the complexities at play in the policy tensions conundrum in the Eastern Cape Province. The findings of this paper suggest that the goal and vision of Integrated Human Settlement Plan should be consistently communicated in clear simple terms to all affected, especially the rural poor communities as they are most affected by the provision of low-cost housing provision. This article contributes to the scholarship of Public Administration and Development Management of resources surrounding the ongoing debate on the implementation of Integrated Human Settlement programme’s and government interventions that are targeted at low income and poor communities in South Africa with regard to transformation, development and policy implementation. The main argument of this paper is that with an adequate policy execution of the government’s development agenda we can improve service delivery as well as integrated human settlement that brings human dignity to the province of the Eastern Cape.

Curriculum transformation in South African universities strives to revive disadvantaged communities to change existing Eurocentric and Westernized curriculums to be Afrocentric.  However, there are debates on whether there should be the adoption of fully Africanized curriculums or infusing African values into the Eurocentric epistemologies. The study sought to bring out the roles of entrepreneurial skills in curriculum transformation in one university in the Eastern Cape. The study adopted a qualitative approach, where university students and lecturers were the key informants. To collect data interviews were used where the interview schedule is attached. It was found that universities are challenged by organizational culture, lack of resources, the existence of colonial systems, and a colonial-caged mentality. The paper illustrated that decolonizing curriculums is useful in resource-constrained institutions if resources are pumped in and if the curriculum transformation works in an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Therefore, the university should invest more resources into the curriculum transformation and African and European epistemology should be fused to come up with strong and vibrant knowledge that will positively change societies. Additionally, for a university entrepreneurship ecosystem, there should be staff empowerment on entrepreneurship education in the curriculum across disciplines. 

The South African municipalities have continued to demonstrate weaknesses or inadequacies in monitoring and evaluation (M&E). A possible barrier in South African municipalities is a lack of M&E expertise. While M&E can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness and efficiency of a programme, some potential pitfalls and gaps were discovered during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A case study design was employed to conduct in-depth and detailed examination within two metropolitan municipalities in the Eastern Cape. A mixed methods approach was adopted in a convergent manner for data collection and analysis. In-depth interviews were utilised to collect data from 13 senior municipal managers at the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) and the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM). A total of 191 questionnaires were despatched to municipal employees and 186 were returned, giving a 97% response rate. The findings reflect the weaknesses of M&E policies in the municipalities and paints a picture of M&E not being prioritised in the municipality.  The findings also reflect the current situation at the municipalities concerned, which is that there are pitfalls and gaps when it comes to evaluation measures. Thus, the study concludes that accountability for financial and performance management is non-existent. This study attempts to make a valuable contribution by providing technical assistance, capacity building to ensure that municipalities have effective M&E systems in place to monitor and evaluate service delivery and improve the lives of communities.

The rapid advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have significantly transformed the landscape of education, impacting both learning and teaching processes. The use of ICT in learning and teaching have changed the whole concept of education and had proved to be of great benefit for both the student and the lecturer. This paper draws from students and lecturers’ reflections on the use of ICT in learning and teaching environments in one South African University. An interpretive qualitative approach was adopted to conduct this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from six participants which constituted five students and one lecturer, and the thematic phenomenological analysis was used to analyse data. Findings revealed that the use of ICT in learning and teaching environments in have enhanced learning experiences, access to information and resources, collaborative learning opportunities, personalized learning among students and enhanced lecturer professional development in the university. The study recommended that education institutions should prioritize the allocation of resources for infrastructure development. Technology should be used purposefully to enhance teaching and learning, rather than integrated for its own sake. Lecturer’s must align their pedagogies with technology as suggested by TPACK theory.