International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science

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.  

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.

Population growth at the household level increases pressure on water and land resources. This study examined the impact of household population growth on water and land resource depletion in Limpopo Province of South Africa, using a desktop research approach with secondary data from academic journals, government reports, and relevant policy documents. The findings show that as household population size increases, the demand for water and land also rises, leading to overuse, environmental degradation, soil erosion, pollution, and reduced availability of these resources. The study also found that low use of family planning and contraceptives contributes to faster household growth and unsustainable resource use, threatening ecosystem services and food security. Using the lens of the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) theory, the study highlighted that improving access to family planning and reproductive health education could help manage household population growth and reduce pressure on natural resources. The study concluded that household population growth negatively affected water and land resources in Limpopo Province and recommended promoting family planning programs, sustainable development practices, effective resource management, and stronger local government involvement in planning and policy implementation to ensure environmental sustainability.

This article explores the portrayal of corruption and moral decay in selected Xitsonga protest poetry, focusing on Ngobeni K.J.'s "Xana i vuphorisa ke?"  and Khosa M.A.'s "Hi lo yini hina?". The study investigates how figurative language, particularly proverbs, metaphors, and rhetorical devices, functions not only as a literary technique but also as a social critique drawing on the context theory of meaning, which emphasizes how linguistic expressions derive their meaning from sociocultural and historical contexts in which they are used, the analysis demonstrates how the poets encode complex critiques of institutional decay into culturally resonant language. The study employs a qualitative research design using content analysis to identify and interpret themes of corruption in policing and religion. The findings reveal that both ports present corruption not simply as an act of individual moral failure but as a systemic issue rooted in nepotism, bribery, and spiritual manipulation. Ultimately, the article argues that protest poetry in indigenous languages serves as a powerful tool for moral reflection and civic engagement in contemporary South African society. 

Gender-based violence (GBV) is widely recognised as a serious human rights issue; however, the experiences of male victims remain largely overlooked and underreported. This study explores the silent and often ignored reality of GBV against men within the Polokwane Municipality of Limpopo Province, South Africa. While dominant narratives frequently position GBV as violence perpetrated by men against women, this research sheds light on the growing, yet muted, phenomenon of male victimisation. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were gathered from ten purposively selected participants through semi-structured interviews, including an in-depth session with a key informant. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the findings. The study reveals that male victims frequently suffer psychological abuse, emotional neglect, and social isolation. Deeply entrenched gender norms, societal expectations of masculinity, and fear of stigma significantly hinder men from seeking help. Furthermore, a lack of targeted support services and a predominant focus of existing GBV frameworks on women and children leaves male survivors marginalised. This research emphasises the need for inclusive and gender-sensitive interventions, including awareness campaigns to challenge stereotypes and the development of support systems responsive to male experiences. By highlighting these gaps, the study contributes to a broader and more equitable understanding of GBV, advocating for policies that support all survivors, regardless of gender.

Population growth at the household level increases pressure on water and land resources. This study examined the impact of household population growth on water and land resource depletion in Limpopo Province of South Africa, using a desktop research approach with secondary data from academic journals, government reports, and relevant policy documents. The findings show that as household population size increases, the demand for water and land also rises, leading to overuse, environmental degradation, soil erosion, pollution, and reduced availability of these resources. The study also found that low use of family planning and contraceptives contributes to faster household growth and unsustainable resource use, threatening ecosystem services and food security. Using the lens of the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) theory, the study highlighted that improving access to family planning and reproductive health education could help manage household population growth and reduce pressure on natural resources. The study concluded that household population growth negatively affected water and land resources in Limpopo Province and recommended promoting family planning programs, sustainable development practices, effective resource management, and stronger local government involvement in planning and policy implementation to ensure environmental sustainability.

This article explores the portrayal of corruption and moral decay in selected Xitsonga protest poetry, focusing on Ngobeni K.J.'s "Xana i vuphorisa ke?"  and Khosa M.A.'s "Hi lo yini hina?". The study investigates how figurative language, particularly proverbs, metaphors, and rhetorical devices, functions not only as a literary technique but also as a social critique drawing on the context theory of meaning, which emphasizes how linguistic expressions derive their meaning from sociocultural and historical contexts in which they are used, the analysis demonstrates how the poets encode complex critiques of institutional decay into culturally resonant language. The study employs a qualitative research design using content analysis to identify and interpret themes of corruption in policing and religion. The findings reveal that both ports present corruption not simply as an act of individual moral failure but as a systemic issue rooted in nepotism, bribery, and spiritual manipulation. Ultimately, the article argues that protest poetry in indigenous languages serves as a powerful tool for moral reflection and civic engagement in contemporary South African society. 

Gender-based violence (GBV) is widely recognised as a serious human rights issue; however, the experiences of male victims remain largely overlooked and underreported. This study explores the silent and often ignored reality of GBV against men within the Polokwane Municipality of Limpopo Province, South Africa. While dominant narratives frequently position GBV as violence perpetrated by men against women, this research sheds light on the growing, yet muted, phenomenon of male victimisation. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were gathered from ten purposively selected participants through semi-structured interviews, including an in-depth session with a key informant. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the findings. The study reveals that male victims frequently suffer psychological abuse, emotional neglect, and social isolation. Deeply entrenched gender norms, societal expectations of masculinity, and fear of stigma significantly hinder men from seeking help. Furthermore, a lack of targeted support services and a predominant focus of existing GBV frameworks on women and children leaves male survivors marginalised. This research emphasises the need for inclusive and gender-sensitive interventions, including awareness campaigns to challenge stereotypes and the development of support systems responsive to male experiences. By highlighting these gaps, the study contributes to a broader and more equitable understanding of GBV, advocating for policies that support all survivors, regardless of gender.

South Africa’s economy is heavily reliant on coal-fired power, which contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; hence, it embraced the Just Energy Transition (JET) to realise a low-carbon economy. This ignited the emergence of competing discourses constituted of proponents of coal and advocates of renewable energy. Transforming a deeply entrenched coal-dependent energy system to renewables is not a straightforward endeavour. Thus, the JET in South Africa faces several obstacles, including political interference, financial constraints, high costs of renewables, and resistance from labour unions, among others. Coal proponents are resisting the JET under contestations that phasing coal out presents various socio-economic implications towards coal-dependent industries, communities, livelihoods and jobs, especially in provinces such as Mpumalanga and Limpopo. While renewable energy proponents are driven by the ambition to reduce GHG emissions, responding to climate change, with the promise of green industries and jobs. Through a systematic literature review, the paper examines competing discourses of the JET in the pursuit of harmonising them. The paper argues that it is important for South Africa to transition, however, not with precipitous haste. The paper recommends that the JET needs to be well-sequenced and judicious to foster energy diversification and readiness, rather than rapidly abandoning coal. This narrows the gap between the two competing discourses, protects energy security and socio-economic stability. The recommendations put forth include policy coherence, multilevel coordination, investments in storage systems, and means such as re-skilling labourers from the coal industry into the renewable energy sector to realise a genuinely just transition. 

The online media coverage often serves as the primary source of information for the public regarding their everyday lives, correctional centres included, even though these institutions are isolated from the general public. Nevertheless, the individual’s perceptions are largely influenced by online media portrayals of correctional centres. Using the non-empirical research design: Systematic review, with the objective of t exploring the portrayal of South African female prison (correctional centre) life through the use of ‘News24 and YouTube online media platforms,’ aided by ‘eNews Channel Africa (eNCA), Newzroom Afrika, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) News and Crime Watch.’ This study employed qualitative research approach. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was adopted to analyse the purposively selected studies, supported by the inductive Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) to identify, code, and interpret recurring study themes and patterns from this subject. The study findings indicate that the online media platforms construct a dualistic image of female prison (correctional centre) life, often oscillating between depictions of brutality and too lenient, resulting in mixed perceptions which may complicates the public's understanding of female incarceration. It is recommended that the online media organisations should strengthen ethical standards relating to the coverage of correctional centres and inmates, including avoiding dehumanising descriptions that can stigmatise incarcerated women and deter reintegration.