International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science

The digital divide (DD), which refers to the gap resulting from unequal access to digital technology hardware, software and ideological-ware resources, arises from disparities in accessing, material and physical resources that enable internet access. In the contemporary world, this divide extends beyond internet access to include the ability to manipulate educational technologies in the knowledge building process. Therefore, the installation of the internet infrastructure in communities should not be considered as the sole facility to access. In attempting to curb the DD, blended learning is seen to be a possible viable option. It is against this backdrop that this article sought to explore the role of blended learning in neutralising DD. This qualitative case study employed the resources and appropriation theory as a lens to analyse DD as a result of societal inequalities and unequal distribution of resources. The community of Inquiry (COI) framework was also used as a theoretical lens to guide the implementation of social and cognitive knowledge-building in a blended learning context. The reported study employed purposive sampling involving 26 participants who were the recipients of blended learning in one institution of higher learning (HEI) in Lesotho. Data were generated through reflective journals and one-on-one semi-structured interviews, and guided analysis was used to interpret the generated data. The findings established that blended learning has the capacity to neutralise DD, as it affords students the flexibility to design and engage in individualised learning experiences through both offline and online modes of teaching and learning, thereby meeting their access needs. The recommendation proposed in this article, thus, is for HEIs to adopt blended learning to eliminate categorical inequalities and social divisions in education, ideally promoting equilibrated inclusion of individuals from diverse socio-economic backgrounds in the teaching and learning process.

The constantly evolving technology landscape inevitably calls for technological integration in learning and education. It is essential in the world we live in today for every learning method to include the use of new technologies. The study's primary goal is to examine strategies to integrate modern technologies into teaching in South Africa. The paper strives to understand the state of education in South Africa; the government’s contribution to education so far; teachers’ attitudes and competencies; as well as, and the benefits that new technologies can offer the education system in South Africa. A systematic review of literature that relates to the infusion of conventional technologies into educational settings has been adopted. The research conducted in this paper demonstrated that integrating technology into the teaching-learning process can be a useful strategy for training educators and learners for improved learning and educational outcomes in South Africa. Furthermore, the study's findings revealed that many South African instructors have a negative attitude regarding the usage of modern technologies for teaching. The paper recommended that the government should prioritizes funding for education; and concluded that blended learning is best used as the instructional strategy in South African classes.

African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS) are values that were passed among African generations by word of mouth. Despite the Fourth Industrial Revolution's (4IR) facilitation of rapid communication for every aspect of society, many Africans have not embraced it to store AIKS, mainly due to concerns over biases and prejudices embedded in aspects like information and communication technologies (ICTs). Using decoloniality theory, this paper aims to show the importance of AIKS, which faces extinction due to the combined effects of the deaths of members of the old generation and acculturation. In the methodology section, Afrocentricity, which celebrates rootedness in African culture and history, was used together with storytelling as a means to examine the perceptions of Afrocentric scholars as revealed in their folktale works that were analyzed qualitatively. Results revealed that lack of exposure to ICTs is one of the main reasons for the scant AIKS virtual literature. Many African people do not have access to other needs like food, education, clothing, electricity, and shelter, which effectively renders ICTs ‘secondary, yet access to information and participation are fundamental rights. We urge stakeholders to implement policies that promote the preservation of AIKS in electronic repositories. Memory devices and other ICT accessories should be responsive to African cultures. Investment in ICT infrastructure and training, reliable electricity, and addressing all the basics are critical.

The South African taxi industry has a negative image that is associated with violence and disrespect for its clients. This has led to it losing many of its clients to other industry players leading to more violence as taxi owners lose profits. The issue of communication as a possible solution to the challenges the taxi industry experiences, from the perspectives of the taxi drivers, has not been explored. Hence, this paper sought to gather the views of drivers on the role of improved communication to bringing about peace and good relations with passengers. A qualitative approach was adopted as a form of data collection in which 12 participants were interviewed in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa. The participants were selected among the taxi drivers who were asked to share their communication challenges and strategies. The findings revealed that poor communication skills and language can be a barrier to communication between drivers and passengers and between taxi associations. Effective communication strategies can contribute to economic freedom and peace. A further finding from the study is that taxi drivers, acting on their own agency, can tackle communication challenges in the eThekwini taxi industry and contribute to change.

The progress and sustainability of a nation's economy are attributed to its human capital, and a country lacking competent, knowledgeable, and productive manpower will struggle to thrive due to a dearth of talented individuals in the job market. To enhance the quality of skilled manpower in industries, the South African government is promoting digital literacy among its youth. This research aims to investigate the use of ICTs skills and competencies as an enabler for promoting sustainable advancement of youth employability in South Africa, as the country's youth unemployment rate for the 15-34 age group was 55.2% in the 1st quarter of 2019. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era has exacerbated job scarcity and inequality due to the scarcity of advanced ICT skills. As a result, South Africa has chosen to increase ICT usage to enhance economic activity and job creation. A critical literature review was conducted to support the research inquiry through a systematic literature review (SLR) as the research methodology since the contents are based on existing literature studies in identifying research needs and gaps, collecting or gathering lines of thoughts Memon et al. (2020) and views in relation to ICT skills and competences as an enabler for sustainable advancement of youth employability in South Africa. The approach was supported using the Sustainable Livelihood Theory as the research framework to support the findings.

The digital divide (DD), which refers to the gap resulting from unequal access to digital technology hardware, software and ideological-ware resources, arises from disparities in accessing, material and physical resources that enable internet access. In the contemporary world, this divide extends beyond internet access to include the ability to manipulate educational technologies in the knowledge building process. Therefore, the installation of the internet infrastructure in communities should not be considered as the sole facility to access. In attempting to curb the DD, blended learning is seen to be a possible viable option. It is against this backdrop that this article sought to explore the role of blended learning in neutralising DD. This qualitative case study employed the resources and appropriation theory as a lens to analyse DD as a result of societal inequalities and unequal distribution of resources. The community of Inquiry (COI) framework was also used as a theoretical lens to guide the implementation of social and cognitive knowledge-building in a blended learning context. The reported study employed purposive sampling involving 26 participants who were the recipients of blended learning in one institution of higher learning (HEI) in Lesotho. Data were generated through reflective journals and one-on-one semi-structured interviews, and guided analysis was used to interpret the generated data. The findings established that blended learning has the capacity to neutralise DD, as it affords students the flexibility to design and engage in individualised learning experiences through both offline and online modes of teaching and learning, thereby meeting their access needs. The recommendation proposed in this article, thus, is for HEIs to adopt blended learning to eliminate categorical inequalities and social divisions in education, ideally promoting equilibrated inclusion of individuals from diverse socio-economic backgrounds in the teaching and learning process.

African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS) are values that were passed among African generations by word of mouth. Despite the Fourth Industrial Revolution's (4IR) facilitation of rapid communication for every aspect of society, many Africans have not embraced it to store AIKS, mainly due to concerns over biases and prejudices embedded in aspects like information and communication technologies (ICTs). Using decoloniality theory, this paper aims to show the importance of AIKS, which faces extinction due to the combined effects of the deaths of members of the old generation and acculturation. In the methodology section, Afrocentricity, which celebrates rootedness in African culture and history, was used together with storytelling as a means to examine the perceptions of Afrocentric scholars as revealed in their folktale works that were analyzed qualitatively. Results revealed that lack of exposure to ICTs is one of the main reasons for the scant AIKS virtual literature. Many African people do not have access to other needs like food, education, clothing, electricity, and shelter, which effectively renders ICTs ‘secondary, yet access to information and participation are fundamental rights. We urge stakeholders to implement policies that promote the preservation of AIKS in electronic repositories. Memory devices and other ICT accessories should be responsive to African cultures. Investment in ICT infrastructure and training, reliable electricity, and addressing all the basics are critical.

“Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” is a bestselling memoir that was written by Trevor Noah, a South African-born comedian of global acclaim. In the book, Noah relives his upbringing in South Africa, when apartheid policies and legislation were designed and harshly implemented to keep the country’s citizens apart based on race and ethnicity. Yet, in relieving this oppressive and traumatic period and proceeding to the 1994 democratic era, Noah applies humor as a storytelling strategy to downplay this harsh period. Hence, this paper adopts the incongruity theory to present the juxtaposition that is evident in the form of surprises and tensions in the narrative, which the readers may find humorous. In addition, the paper draws on Apartheid Studies and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as theoretical frameworks to conduct this qualitative study. CDA is used as a research tool to indicate how a text authored by a comedian from the global south is used to humorously resist political and social power relations. It is found that Noah manages to criticize the segregation that was there in a subtle manner and to educate the audience through humor about socio-economic challenges in the country. Even though his writing is mainly in a language of the global north for possible economic reasons, he draws from the languages of the global south to correctly represent the culture of the South African people he is part of.

The South African taxi industry has a negative image that is associated with violence and disrespect for its clients. This has led to it losing many of its clients to other industry players leading to more violence as taxi owners lose profits. The issue of communication as a possible solution to the challenges the taxi industry experiences, from the perspectives of the taxi drivers, has not been explored. Hence, this paper sought to gather the views of drivers on the role of improved communication to bringing about peace and good relations with passengers. A qualitative approach was adopted as a form of data collection in which 12 participants were interviewed in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa. The participants were selected among the taxi drivers who were asked to share their communication challenges and strategies. The findings revealed that poor communication skills and language can be a barrier to communication between drivers and passengers and between taxi associations. Effective communication strategies can contribute to economic freedom and peace. A further finding from the study is that taxi drivers, acting on their own agency, can tackle communication challenges in the eThekwini taxi industry and contribute to change.

The progress and sustainability of a nation's economy are attributed to its human capital, and a country lacking competent, knowledgeable, and productive manpower will struggle to thrive due to a dearth of talented individuals in the job market. To enhance the quality of skilled manpower in industries, the South African government is promoting digital literacy among its youth. This research aims to investigate the use of ICTs skills and competencies as an enabler for promoting sustainable advancement of youth employability in South Africa, as the country's youth unemployment rate for the 15-34 age group was 55.2% in the 1st quarter of 2019. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era has exacerbated job scarcity and inequality due to the scarcity of advanced ICT skills. As a result, South Africa has chosen to increase ICT usage to enhance economic activity and job creation. A critical literature review was conducted to support the research inquiry through a systematic literature review (SLR) as the research methodology since the contents are based on existing literature studies in identifying research needs and gaps, collecting or gathering lines of thoughts Memon et al. (2020) and views in relation to ICT skills and competences as an enabler for sustainable advancement of youth employability in South Africa. The approach was supported using the Sustainable Livelihood Theory as the research framework to support the findings.