Moving East and West: An evaluation of South Africa’s foreign policy conundrum and prospects for inclusive development cooperation

There are various challenges to foreign policy execution in South Africa. Disagreements over policy direction among political parties, factions, and interest groups may be the most significant of them. As a result, South Africa is at a loss about which partners to choose between traditional Western allies or eastern partners like China and other BRICS partners. This chapter explores how the discord in policy positions and consequent geopolitical implications affect South Africa\u27s international development cooperation agenda. The study adopts a qualitative literature review to draw its conclusion. Theoretically, the chapter leans on Group Theory to guide its research and conclusion. The study shows significant disparities in foreign policy adoption, leading to significant geopolitical and domestic problems. Political parties, foreign actors and elements like NGOs and other interest groups all have disagreements. The chapter makes the argument that these disagreements and consequent delays cause major challenges for South Africa’s development cooperation agenda. In this regard, the chapter makes various recommendations on how South Africa can navigate this conundrum while balancing relations between both Eastern and Western partners for a sustainable development path. Furthermore, it is also recommended that South Africa set a foreign policy agenda that surpasses partisan and party-political interests to minimise these effects. This chapter seeks to contribute to wider discussions on international development cooperation in the changing geopolitical and North-South relations

Bridging policy gaps in climate-resilient water and sanitation governance: Critical analysis and reform pathways for South Africa’s Eastern Cape province

This study rigorously analysed policy deficiencies and structural vulnerabilities in climate-resilient water and sanitation governance in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The research employed a qualitative approach, utilising semi-structured interviews with fifteen purposefully selected stakeholders, comprising municipal water technicians, engineers, planners, national and provincial authorities, and civil society representatives. The investigation examined the interaction between climate-induced pressures—such as droughts, floods, and rainfall variability—and governance deficiencies that undermine water and sanitation systems. The data collection concentrated on personal experiences of infrastructure failure, discrepancies between policy and reality, and obstacles in institutional coordination. Findings indicated that despite the province functioning inside advanced national frameworks like the National Water Act and the Disaster Management Act, their execution is cursory and predominantly reactive. Participants emphasised an excessive dependence on obsolete national climate models that neglect spatially distinct vulnerabilities across urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. Chronic underinvestment in infrastructure maintenance has become a persistent issue, as municipal budgets prioritise new capital projects over lifespan asset management. The technical team had institutional memory but lacked decision-making power because of bureaucratic procurement processes and disjointed interagency collaboration. The study additionally revealed significant deficiencies in real-time monitoring and enforcement capabilities, as well as gender discrepancies that marginalised women\u27s involvement in governance frameworks. The study concludes that without immediate reforms to decentralise climate data generation, incorporate localised risk assessments, enhance preventive maintenance systems, and institutionalise participatory, technology-driven governance mechanisms, the water and sanitation systems in Eastern Cape will continue to be structurally fragile and susceptible to climate impacts. These insights provide novel empirical evidence to the discourse on sub-national climate adaptation in Africa, highlighting the necessity for multi-tiered, data-driven, and gender-sensitive reforms rooted in the realities of communities impacted by climate change

Gendered power and reproductive justice: a study of structural and cultural barriers to sexual and reproductive health rights among rural married women in South Africa

The realization of married women’s sexual and reproductive health rights remains a persistent global, continental, and national challenge. In South Africa, rural married women continue to face heightened vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, largely due to male partners’ denial of their agency in exercising these rights. This article critically examines the barriers rural married women encounter in asserting their sexual and reproductive health rights within marital unions. The article draws from a qualitative study that explored married men’s perceptions and experiences regarding their spouses’ sexual and reproductive autonomy. Despite growing discourse on gender and health rights, there remains a paucity of empirical research addressing this intersection within the context of marital relationships. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with twenty-eight rural married men residing in the Lephalale villages of the Waterberg District in Limpopo Province. A non-probability sampling technique was employed, and data were analyzed using Tesch’s eight-step method of qualitative data analysis. Key findings revealed a significant lack of autonomy among married women, influenced by entrenched patriarchal norms. Moreover, socio-economic marginalization, religious doctrines, and cultural practices emerged as structural impediments that silence women and inhibit their ability to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights

Exploring strategic leadership influence on accelerating management decision-making: A case of a public higher learning institution

The ever-evolving and often higher education system, full of internal and external turbulences within the context of South Africa in the Western Cape provinces, necessitates a strategic leadership process that has resilience, agility and adaptive improvisation in navigating demanding socio-economic, geo-political, and institutional challenges. This study examines the influence of strategic leadership on expediting the executive problem-solving impetus and concomitant decision-making within the pedagogical and academic fraternity, within the higher education institution as a unit of analysis. The study is inspired by the increasing complexities confronting the critical role of higher educational institutions in the broader higher learning ecosystem and stakeholder situational analysis with inclusion, legitimacy, and relevance while navigating through transformation, transition and a paradigmatic shift within the era of breathless speed of technological advancement, innovation, and sustainability. The study is to explore how strategic leadership influences the speed, integrity, and efficiency of organisational decision-making processes. A qualitative semi-structured and open interview utilising a purposive sampling was pursued. Thematic analysis was used to categorize main and sub-themes in the study. The findings illuminate the significance of strategic leadership application within the broader consultative decision-making that is inclusive and participatory, as the key attribute for staff performance and organisational productivity. &nbsp

Fertilizer subsidies, rainfall variability, and maize productivity among smallholder farmers in East Africa

Drawing on multi-wave panel data from over 5,000 households in the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study–Integrated Surveys on Agriculture microdata across Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi, this study investigates how fertilizer subsidies interact with rainfall variability to influence maize productivity among East African smallholders. Using a difference-in-differences framework applied to household-level panel data combined with FAOSTAT indicators, the analysis compares yield responses of subsidy beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries under contrasting rainfall conditions. Results show that fertilizer subsidies significantly raise maize yields in normal rainfall years but provide limited benefits during drought or excessive precipitation, highlighting the conditional effectiveness of input support.  Cross-country differences reveal that program design, especially targeting efficiency and the timing of subsidy delivery, strongly shapes yield outcomes. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating fertilizer support with climate information services, soil health interventions, and adaptive policy mechanisms. This study contributes empirical evidence for designing climate-smart and context-sensitive subsidy systems aimed at enhancing resilience and food security in East Africa.    

Framework for competitive intelligence implementation by SMEs: a systematic literature review

External environmental changes manifest in erratic economic situations that adversely impact human lives, economies, and SMEs globally. This constitutes a significant global danger to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Small and medium-sized enterprises significantly contribute to the national gross domestic product. Nevertheless, the majority of SMEs have limitations, particularly in terms of resources. SMEs must embrace CI to forecast and make educated decisions regarding the efficient management of existing, often limited resources. Government assistance, in multiple capacities, is equally essential. Moreover, the implementation of Continuous Improvement (CI) by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) may facilitate nations in attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8, which aims for reduced unemployment through sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all. Nonetheless, there exists a paucity of literature regarding CI implementation frameworks that assist SMEs in implementing CI techniques for resource management and the advancement of a sustainable economy. This study seeks to establish a framework for Continuous Improvement (CI) implementation to assist SMEs in adopting CI technologies for resource management and enhancing operational efficiency. A systematic literature review (SRL) methodology is utilised to discern essential elements vital for the implementation of continuous improvement (CI) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study enhances the sparse information on CI in SME contexts by synthesising best practices and significant insights from global literature. It enables SMEs to manoeuvre through economic volatility and assists policymakers in formulating specific actions. The framework ultimately promotes sustainable economic development and enhances the capacity of SMEs to endure external shocks, including IoT and AI analytics, as well as their consequences for business ecosystems.

An exploration of SME survival and growth strategies in Ethekwini metropolitan area during and post Covid-19 crisis

Globally, SMEs were severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in developing nations where systemic vulnerabilities are more noticeable. This study examines the growth and survival tactics used by SMEs in South Africa\u27s eThekwini Metropolitan Area during the pandemic\u27s peak and the subsequent recovery period. The study, which was based on a quantitative design, used a structured questionnaire to survey 304 managers and owners of SMEs. The results show that SMEs used a variety of survival tactics, such as lowering operating costs, integrating digital technology, and making short-term changes to their business models. Product diversification, strategic alliances, and the adoption of e-commerce were among the growth strategies. The Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities Theory, which shed light on how SMEs used internal resources and adjusted to external shocks, serve as the foundation for this study. Recovery efforts were, however, hampered by obstacles like a lack of digital infrastructure, difficulty accessing relief funds, and complicated regulations. A post-crisis policy reflection and a SWOT analysis provide strategic insight into enhancing the resilience of SMEs. The study ends with specific managerial and policy suggestions that can be applied to urban SME ecosystems in developing nations

Empowering IT expatriates: Unleashing the synergy of psychological capital, cultural intelligence, cross-cultural adjustment, and organizational citizenship behavior in a globalized tech frontier

Grounded in Conservation of Resources theory, this study examines how psychological capital influences organizational citizenship behavior among Vietnamese IT expatriates in Taiwan, focusing on the mediating role of cross-cultural adjustment and the moderating influence of cultural intelligence. Survey data from 500 participants were analyzed using PROCESS Macro and AMOS. The results show that hope, self-efficacy, and optimism significantly predict cross-cultural adjustment, whereas resilience does not. All psychological capital dimensions positively predict organizational citizenship behavior, and cross-cultural adjustment partially mediates these relationships, indicating that psychological resources promote discretionary behaviors more effectively when expatriates achieve cultural ease. Cultural intelligence significantly strengthens the psychological capital, cross-cultural adjustment link, with the strongest effects observed for self-efficacy and optimism, highlighting the importance of cultural capability in resource deployment. This study advances expatriate research by integrating psychological capital, cross-cultural adjustment, cultural intelligence, and organizational citizenship behavior into a unified model within an East Asian technology context. Practical implications include developing psychological capital-cultural intelligence training, enhancing intercultural onboarding practices, and supporting migrant professional networks to improve expatriate retention and performance

Rural entrepreneurship success factors for sustainable tourism ventures: Evidence from the Wild Coast

Rural entrepreneurship has emerged as a significant focus and is widely recognised as a crucial contributor to the tourism sector and overall economic development of the Wild Coast in South Africa. Rural entrepreneurial ventures frequently function in unstable and resource-limited contexts, rendering them susceptible to various factors that may impede their sustainability. This study aimed to examine the success factors affecting the sustainability of rural tourism entrepreneurs in the Wild Coast region of the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. This study employed a descriptive research design and quantitative methodology. Additionally, inferential statistics were utilised to derive descriptive statistics from a sample of 310 tourism ventures, enabling inferences about population parameters via correlation analysis. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select a sample of business respondents from the Wild Coast in the context of rural tourism entrepreneurship. The research findings indicate a significant correlation among skills development, motivations for entrepreneurship, business challenges, and strategic and management knowledge as critical success factors for rural enterprises. This study contributes to the under-explored domain of success factors influencing rural tourism entrepreneurs. This study identifies success factors for rural entrepreneurs and advocates for ongoing efforts and interventions to optimise their utilisation. This study significantly enhances the understanding of the impact of specific variables on the performance of SMTEs. This is especially important in the Eastern Cape Province, where there is a lack of research examining the factors that contribute to the sustainable success of rural tourism entrepreneurs

Effects of Customer Support on Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in the Automobile Industry

Customer satisfaction is a key driver of competitive advantage in the automobile industry. Understanding how customer support influences perceived service quality becomes increasingly important as service expectations rise. This study investigates the role of customer support in shaping service quality perceptions and its impact on overall satisfaction. A quantitative survey of 504 customers across various industries assessed perceptions of service quality, support effectiveness, and satisfaction levels. Results show that customer support significantly strengthens the relationship between service quality and satisfaction. Customers receiving higher levels of support reported greater satisfaction. These findings highlight the need for organisations to deliver high-quality services and invest in robust support systems. The study offers empirical evidence and practical insights for adopting a customer-centric approach to enhance loyalty and sustain market competitiveness