An investigation of quality and compliance of agricultural fresh produce sold in the Tshwane metropolis with the agricultural products standards act of South Africa

The Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Act 119 of 1990) of South Africa provides for the standardisation of quality norms for agricultural produce (DAFF, 2018). The purpose of this research was to investigate the quality and compliance of fresh produce sold in the Tshwane metropolis with the Agricultural Product Standards Act of South Africa. A cross-sectional study survey was conducted in six regions of Tshwane metropolis, in which 200 fresh produce vendors were randomly selected from various vending sites to analyse their level of knowledge regarding the Act. Furthermore, different fruits and vegetables were sampled from different vending sites and inspected for compliance with the Act.The vast majority (89%) of respondents did not know of the existence of the Act. Quite a small proportion of fruit (51.5 %) and vegetable (56 %) retailers indicated that their agricultural fruit products have been monitored. A large proportion of fruits (from 86% to 99.8%) and vegetables (from 85.4% to 97.5%) met all the various quality requirements. In general a fair proportion of fruits (58%) and vegetables (65%) complied highly with the Act in terms of quality. There was a significant positive correlation between monitoring by officials and the level of compliance. The Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries should make sure that farmers and street vendors of agricultural produce register their businesses and are trained on the interpretation of the provisions of the Agricultural Product Standards Act. This will allow them to be tracked and traced for proper development concerning matters related to the Act.Life and Consumer SciencesM.A. (Consumer Science

Alternative marketing options for small-scale farmers in the wake of changing agri-food supply chains in South Africa

With South Africa’s urban population approaching 60%, supermarkets and fast food chains have become important players in the South African food system. These large players in the food sector have systematically modified their procurement practices especially with regard to fresh fruit and vegetables and are now circumventing spot markets in favour of sourcing via in-house sourcing companies who mainly procure from preferred supplier producers. This paper draws extensively from a global research programme which seeks to highlight the market changes that potentially contribute to continued exclusion of the small producers from mass consumer markets. This paper illustrates, through a series of case studies, how integration of small-scale farmers into the urban retail market can be facilitated and how the challenges posed by the changing food system could possibly be overcome. The case studies illustrate various initiatives through which small-scale farmers and agribusinesses can be integrated into mainstream agri-food systems and may be used as models for an innovative approach to include small-scale farmers while still maintaining profitable business operations. They highlight the need for a multi actor approach for the successful participation of smallholder farmers in order to allow them to join the supply chain at any point within the channel.Marketing, Agribusiness,

Profiling Small and Medium Family Retailers in the Tshwane Area of Gauteng, South Africa

The aim of this article was to profile the small and medium family retailers (SMEs) in the Tshwane area of Gauteng.  The questionnaire targeting small business entities was designed to capture detailed profiles of small and medium family retailers.  The final draft questionnaire (developed by BMR) was pilot tested amongst a five small businesses by a senior staff member colleague in the marketing department, which process resulted in a few adjustments. The final questionnaire focused on business location and profile. The conducted research revealed the following concerning the small and medium family retailers (SMEs) in the Tshwane area of Gauteng: •     35.1% of them have matric as their highest qualification.  •     The majority (68.6%) of these businesses are located within residential areas and operate from home, either from the house or garage. •     More than two thirds (68.6%) of respondents indicated that they own the property. Overall, over 60.0% indicated that they rent their business premises, compared to 39.6% who owned the premises. •     There is an enormous need for conceptual skills, especially in the area of marketing and sales (36.2%), financial management (23.4%) and business management (21.3%). •     21.5% of the respondents indicated that they had received financial support in the past. •     Lack of financial support was rated as the most serious constraint facing respondents. This item received an average rating score of 4.94, compared to an average rating of only 2.22 accruing to lack of water. With an average of 4.64, the problem of high transport costs, occupies second position on the rankings with high input costs (ranking of 4.51) in third position. In conclusion the article revealed that owners and managers of small businesses are predominantly technically skilled and less skilled in the area of business management, and have limited academic qualifications

No. 03: Pathways to Insecurity: Food Supply and Access in Southern African Cities

As in many parts of the world, supermarket expansion and control of food supply chains is having a major impact on the quality, quantity and price of food available to urban residents. Growing numbers of poor households in Southern African cities now obtain their food, directly or indirectly, from supermarkets. In most cities, these same households spend over 40 percent of household income on food. Supermarket expansion is also having a major impact on the informal sector. This paper reviews the changing nature of the urban food supply in Southern African cities, the role of supermarkets and the informal sector in food accessibility and the implications for the food security of the urban poor

Urban-rural interactions for diffusion of sustainability business model for food, energy and water: case study of Tshwane food and energy centre (TFEC, Gauteng) and KwaSwayimane (KZN)

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Architecture in Sustainable and Energy Efficient Cities. May 2018The study is rooted in the food-security and job-creation drive for urban areas as urbanisation and unemployment intensifies thus driving urban-agriculture innovations that focus on small-scale crop and animal production. In contrast, several rural areas with high potential agricultural land are stagnating mainly due to a lack of farming knowledge and skills especially as the younger generation migrate to cities. As a result, an opportunity emerges for the diffusion of innovations in sustainable agricultural practices from innovative urban-agriculture farmers to the slow-to-innovate rural farmers. This study therefore substantiates on this scenario based on diffusion opportunity from urban-to-rural case study communities in South Africa Based on a qualitative study approach and case-study method as well as interviews with purposely selected respondents, the study appraised and compared status-quo practices in the Tshwane Food and Energy Centre (TFEC) and kwaSwayimane communities. Primary data were also collected through direct observation based on field visits to the two case studies. Secondary data on purposely-selected reported cases on diffusion of innovation models/processes in various sectors were also captured and analysed. Data analyses were guided mainly by a comparative approach where status-quo practices across both case studies were compared, variations in practices were applied as the guide to diffusion opportunities, and secondary data on models guided the conceptualisation of the diffusion model. Following on the comparative data analysis, the study finds that even though the initially planned innovation practices for TFEC were not sustained beyond a period of about two months, the case study still serves the diffusion opportunity by demonstrating the integration/synthesis of interventions and optimisation of the economies-of-scale-benefits. Equally, the diffusion shortfalls in the project highlight areas for caution especially with regard to the critical significance of provision for initial piloting at small-scale before scale-up, security system, beneficiary-selection criteria/process and sustaining/expanding on initial networks. Coupled with additional insights from secondary data analysis of reported diffusion models/processes, the study conceptualised a two-phase model (partnering and piloting) for innovation diffusion to host community in kwaSwayimane. As part of the findings, guidelines towards implementation of the model were also conceptualised and substantiated. Besides the innovation diffusion model to be shared with the actors in the diffusion opportunity, the other key recommendation of the study is that innovations such as the integrated sustainability interventions and cooperative business model diffused into the TFEC are adaptable through reinvention towards the uplifting of rural communities such as kwaSwayimane.MT 201

Progressive Trust Formation within the South African Fresh Produce Industry through the use of Self-Service Technologies

When using self-service solutions to deliver services the challenge is to retain the trust of the end user. This is specifically the case when dealing with end users in the fresh produce market environment. This sector has not seen the adoption of self-service technologies specifically in southern Africa. In this paper we propose a model to enhance our understanding of trust formation using self-service technologies. A qualitative research approach, based on a case study was followed to create the model. This case study offers insight into how the dynamics of the product, supporting services and the technology shapes trust forming behaviour

Uneven spaces: core and periphery in the Gauteng City-Region

Peripheral areas of the Gauteng City-Region – like small towns on the edge, large peri-urban and commercial farming areas, sprawling dormitory townships, huge swathes of displaced urbanisation in ex-Bantustans, and remote industrial and mining areas – are all poorly understood. Yet there is evidence that many of these areas are undergoing rapid change, with profound implications for many current policy debates including what to do about inequitable economic growth patterns, how to manage ongoing population movements in the post-apartheid period, where best to locate large public housing schemes, and so on. Uneven spaces: Core and periphery in the Gauteng City-Region, GCRO’s sixth research report, comes from a clear recognition that despite the comparative wealth of Gauteng and its role in driving the national economy there are places of relative ‘peripherality’ in the GCR that require attention. The report is also a response to a strong focus in the existing literature on the physical and economic core of the province, the City of Johannesburg in particular. By contrast there is a relative paucity of analysis on less central parts of the city-region. The work is the result of a research partnership between the GCRO and the South African Research Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning (SA&CP), in the School of Architecture and Planning at Wits University. GCRO’s Dr Sally Peberdy wrote the first part of the report entitled ‘Uneven development – core and periphery in Gauteng’. Prof Philip Harrison and Yasmeen Dinath from SA&CP compiled the second part, ‘Gauteng – on the edge’. Both parts, albeit through different modes, consider transitions in the social- and space-economies of outlying places. The first part investigates the dynamics of peripheral areas in Gauteng through the lens of theories of uneven development. Showcasing a wealth of data and maps generated from the Census and GCRO’s own Quality of Life surveys, it analyses the multiple ways that spaces may be peripheral. These include unequal access to housing and services; the spread of income, household assets and employment opportunities; variations in perceived quality of life; and so on. The analysis builds from an initial binary delineation of parts of Gauteng as either ‘core’ or ‘periphery. It then progressively nuances our understanding by showing that notions of core and periphery are relational, that processes of change across what may be counted as core or periphery are often indeterminate and contradictory, and that there are often ‘peripheral’ areas in the heart of the GCR, and ‘core’ features in areas conventionally regarded as on the margin. This section concludes with thoughts on the role of government in creating, sustaining and ameliorating multiple forms of peripherality, The second part of the report asks the question ‘what is happening along the geographic edge of the GCR?’, and seeks to answer this both through the lens of scholarship on edge cities, peri-metropolitan areas, and agglomeration, as well as through a number of in-depth case studies in six types of peripheral areas: 1. Areas with extractive economies (Carletonville); 2. Industrialising ex-mining areas (Nigel-Heidelberg); 3. Areas with state-implanted industry (The Vaal, including Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark and Sasolburg); 4. Decentralised growth points (Babelegi); 5. Agricultural service centres (Bronkhorstspruit); and 6, Recreational hubs (Hartbeespoort). Through its exhaustive narrative accounts of the development of specific places on the edge of the GCR, this section of the report compellingly highlights the importance of history and timing, and asks us to consider how urban development drives economic development and vice versa. Although ‘core’ and ‘periphery’ are artificial constructs, these terms gesture at very real spaces of uneven growth and development. The two parts of this report, different but complementary, considerably deepen our understanding of what is going on in parts of the city-region that are less well researched, and help focus the attention of policy-makers concerned with the causes and effects of – as well as possible solutions to – spatially uneven development outcomes.AP201

Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Growth in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique

While increasing attention is being paid to the drivers and forms of entrepreneurship in informal economies, much less of this policy and research focus is directed at understanding the links between mobility and informality. This report examines the current state of knowledge about this relationship with particular reference to three countries (Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe) and four cities (Cape Town, Harare, Johannesburg and Maputo), identifying major themes, knowledge gaps, research questions and policy implications. In many African cities, informal enterprises are operated by internal and international migrants. The extent and nature of mobile entrepreneurship and the opportunities and challenges confronting migrant entrepreneurs are under-researched in Africa in general and Southern Africa in particular. Their contribution to the informal economy and employment generation in countries of destination and origin are similarly undervalued by policy-makers. Informal migrant entrepreneurs are often viewed with suspicion, if not hostility, by citizens and officials. In part, this is because central and municipal governments see them as increasing the growth of an informal sector that they want tamed, if not eradicated. Also, it is because they are often incorrectly seen as all “illegal immigrants” and, by definition, engaged in illicit activities. And, in countries with high levels of xenophobia such as South Africa, migrant-owned businesses are a visible and easy target for xenophobic attacks. Violent attacks on migrant entrepreneurs and their property have become extremely common in many South African cities. South Africa’s relatively small informal sector is accompanied by very high unemployment levels. Many commentators therefore feel that the South African informal economy ought to be much larger than it is. Given the apartheid-era repression of informal entrepreneurship, the key question may not be why the informal economy is not larger, but why, after decades of repression, it is as large and important as it is. One of the reasons is that the informal economy is not just populated by South African citizens. Migrants from other African countries play an increasingly important role in the sector and experience considerable success, something that eludes many locally-owned start-ups. Informal retailing has been the major focus of economic research on different sub-sectors of the informal economy. Particularly common are small-area case studies of survivalist street trading (particularly of food and handicrafts) in the inner city. The spaza shop sector in low-income residential areas has also been studied. Other informal entrepreneurial activities that have attracted attention include the minibus taxi industry, waste collection and recycling, shebeens, trade in medicinal plants and poverty tourism