Glass beads from Mutamba : patterns of consumption in thirteenth-century southern Africa

Mutamba is a settlement located on the northern slopes of the Soutpansberg in South Africa. Radiocarbon and material culture suggest contemporaneity with regional developments of social complexity primarily concentrated in the Shashe-Limpopo Confluence Area around the important site of Mapungubwe. The spatial location of Mutamba on the apparent political and economic periphery of Mapungubwe means that it is well suited to investigate patterns of distribution between centres of political influence and their larger hinterlands. It is proposed that trade goods followed variable patterns of distribution and consumption shaped by patterns in taste preference. In addition, this study suggests that, far from being deprived of trade goods, hinterland communities actively participated in regional networks of trade and exchange.The National Science Foundation [grant number 1058306], the MacMillan Centre for International and Area Studies at Yale, Yale University Council for Archaeological Studies and the University of Pretoria.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/raza20hb2016Anthropology and Archaeolog

Archaeological salt production at the Baleni Spring, Northeastern South Africa

Baleni is a mineral spring in the South African Lowveld where radiocarbon and ceramic evidence indicates a 2000-year salt-production record. Excavations have found that episodic production during this period closely mirrored that of more recent ethnographic accounts. Use-alteration of ceramics clearly indicates the important role these vessels played in the production process.http://www.archaeologysa.co.za/saab/am201

An action learning approach to entrepreneurial creativity, innovation and opportunity finding

A generally accepted definition of an entrepreneur is an individual with the ability to realize a specific vision from virtually anything, a definite human creative action. A differentiating factor defining the true entrepreneur is represented by the entrepreneurial skills: creativity and innovation. The fundamental skill to "create", therefore generate an idea and transforming it into a viable growth-oriented business, forms an unconditional and integrated necessity in entrepreneurship training programs. Many researchers in this field emphasize the need for and the lack of training models regarding this intervention. Courses offered by training institutions focus on training the traditional manager and not the entrepreneur. A lack of skills training for growth-oriented business is also evident. A critical deficiency in models directly addressing the Creativity, Innovation and Opportunity finding issues, as part of entrepreneurship training, creates a situation of minuscule differentiation between a business idea and an opportunity, in a training context. It is furthermore apparent that a lack of tools, textbooks and approaches to cultivate creativity exist in the field. The latter generates stifling pedagogical paradigms in teaching business and entrepreneurship. This study demonstrates a new action learning approach and model, developed to increase creative and innovative behavior and actions of the entrepreneurship learner. Three purposive samples were used, on the basis of an experimental design. Ratio data was obtained by means of a reliable measuring instrument (Chronbach’s alpha on an acceptable level). ANOVA as well as a Discriminant analysis indicated statistical significant differences between the different groups. This study illustrates that the proposed training methodology that was used enhance the level of creativity and innovation of the entrepreneurship learner on this program. Recommendations regarding future research in this exiting field of study are addressed.Thesis (DCom (Business Management))--University of Pretoria, 2005.Business Managementunrestricte

Faunal remains from MNR 74, a Mapungubwe period settlement in the Limpopo Valley

This research presents an interpretation of the faunal remains from MNR 74, a small 13th century AD settlement located in the Limpopo Valley, east of Musina in South Africa. Archaeological excavations undertaken in 2013 yielded material that connects the site to the larger socio-political interaction sphere of the Mapungubwe polity (c. AD 1220–1290).The widespread impact of the development of social complexity in the Limpopo Valley is best understood through a regional approach.However, only a limited number of archaeozoological reports from Mapungubwe period settlements are available. The data from MNR 74 provide a valuable addition to our understanding of regional faunal use patterns. Here, subsistence strategies focused on herding (cattle and sheep/goats), while wild animals were intermittently hunted, trapped and collected.The presence of a possible black rat (Rattus rattus), together with traded glass beads, confirm that the people at MNR 74 participated in broader Indian Ocean trade networks.The South African Department of Arts and Culture to S.U and a University of Pretoria Research and Development Grant funded A.A.’s excavations at MNR 74.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/nfi_ditsongam2016Anthropology and Archaeolog

Report on excavations at Penge, a first-millennium Doornkop settlement

Penge is an Early Iron Age farming settlement in the Sekhukhuneland region of Limpopo Province. Excavations were conducted in 2005 as part of a mitigation process for the expansion of the Penge town waterworks. Ceramic analysis suggests that the site is part of the Doornkop facies of northeastern South Africa. Radiocarbon results place occupation at between the seventh and ninth centuries AD. The faunal assemblage indicates the exploitation of domesticates and game, and the utilization of animal-based raw materials such as worked bone and shell. The data presented here contribute to the chronological, ceramic and subsistence database on early farming communities in the South African interior.http://www.sahumanities.org/ojs/index.php/SAH2016-03-30hb201

Assessing the innovative nature of the agricultural based small businesses in Rwanda - the case study of the coffee industry

Innovation is one of the characteristics that distinguish an entrepreneurial venture from one that is nonentrepreneurial. In a situation where undifferentiated mass production is the defining feature of the global coffee industry, some Rwandan coffee producers have undertaken innovative actions in branding and niche marketing by developing speciality coffees. Though Rwandan farmers could in the past survive without innovation initiatives, seeing as they only competed in protected environments, with current globalisation initiatives innovation is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Innovative practices do not only marginalise the volatile nature of costs faced by these producers but also increase their profit margins. The purpose of this study is to assess the innovative nature of the agribusinesses, specifically a case study of the coffee industry in Rwanda. The coffee industry has been transformed from a highly controlled, politicised industry to a liberalized sector that is quickly developing a prized niche product, (namely specialty coffee). This study highlights important recommendations that governments and NGOs supporting the agricultural sector in Rwanda, could apply to enhance innovation in the Rwandan agricultural sector in general, and the coffee industry in particular.http://www.academicjournals.org/AJA

Plant use in southern Africa’s Middle Iron Age: the archaeobotany of Mutamba

Mutamba is a thirteenth-century settlement located on the Soutpansberg Mountains in northern South Africa with links to the regionally important Mapungubwe polity. This paper provides a detailed report of the range and utilisation of archaeobotanical taxa found at Mutamba. This research provides base-line evidence on the little understood, but significant role of plants in southern African Iron Age society. The analysis of 100 randomly selected samples from domestic features yielded 11 identifiable species and two genera. The results provide evidence for a potential crop package made up of finger millet (Eleusine coracana), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) and mung beans (Vigna radiata). Mutamba also contains the first documented example of Vigna radiata as a crop component in South Africa, the first tangible indication for the occurrence of malted grains used in beer brewing and the first archaeological links between Gossypium herbaceum and cotton spinning, previously based only on ethnographic data.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/raza202021-02-20hj2020Anthropology and Archaeolog

Shell disc beads and the development of class-based society at the K2-Mapungubwe settlement complex (South Africa

DATA AVAILABILITY: The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are curated by the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Pretoria, and consent for publication is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.The K2-Mapungubwe settlement complex is widely regarded as the centre for the development of class-based society out of earlier ranked communities between c. AD 900 and AD 1300 in northern South Africa, southern Zimbabwe, and eastern Botswana. Beads made from ostrich eggs, the shells of Achatinidae snails, and freshwater bivalves formed an important part of the K2-Mapungubwe economy. Although thousands of shell beads have been excavated at the K2-Mapungubwe complex, this assemblage has never been analysed or even quantified in any meaningful manner. As such, only rough estimates of the distribution, use, and meaning of shell beads at these important sites were done. This article represents the first focussed research effort on this assemblage. The results demonstrate distinct spatial and chronological changes in the shell bead assemblage. Achatina beads are more common earlier in earlier phases, but after AD 1220, ostrich eggshell beads dominate. This could indicate access to new sources of raw materials. Our analysis took into account the spatial and social contexts of beads. This indicated that shell bead assemblage from the higher-status royal living areas remained morphologically constant over time, with a clear preference for smaller-sized beads. In contrast, beads from the lower-status areas could be grouped into distinct clusters of larger and smaller beads. The grouping of smaller bead on lower-status areas closely resembles elite assemblages. Smaller beads however become proportionally rarer outside elite areas over time. This may reflect changes in elite control and preferential access to shell beads. These results demonstrate how the use and manufacture of shell beads intersected with the socio-political changes that characterise the period. It also highlights the need for careful consideration of shell beads as a significant component of the political economy in the southern African Iron Age.Open access funding provided by University of Pretoria. The research was supported by the National Research Foundation (South Africa).https://www.springer.com/journal/12520Anthropology and Archaeolog

SMME procurement issues in local government : a Gauteng metropolitan study

This article explores current issues pertaining to the SMME procurement process on a local government sphere within the scope of three Gauteng metropolitan areas. The process itself is known to be the subject of various concerns regarding, firstly, the efficiency and effectiveness of local government and, secondly, entrepreneurial performance on the part of SMMEs. Government procurement offers rewarding business opportunities for the SMME sector, with the resultant beneficial outcomes, such as economic growth and social-economic development. This process has to integrate an efficient entrepreneurshipenabling environment that supports and simplifies the procurement process and contributes to developing long-term business sustainability. This study endeavours to create a platform for enablement by identifying the current issues that impede a positive and effective procurement system from both the supplier and government/client sides of the value chain. The research study is of particular relevance to policy makers and local government procurement managers as it examines the extent and characteristics of SMME involvement in the procurement process in terms of benefits and risks, and enabling and constraining factors towards business efficiency.http://www.saapam.co.za/nf201

An exploratory study on the potential value add of social networking to the entrepeneurial process

It is widely established in scientific literature that entrepreneurship directly contributes to both employment generation and economic growth. Entrepreneurship is said to be subject to a very specific process which includes opportunity recognition, resource allocation, innovation and networking. Networking specifically, is an essential part of the entrepreneurial process as it is employed to assist entrepreneurs to capitalise on opportunities, allocate resources, find ways to innovate and contest ambiguity. With the advent of Web 2.0 and online social networking platforms the way in which people exchange information and network has changed significantly and has spawned a new social culture on a global level. The purpose of this study is to examine the value that online social networking adds to the entrepreneurial process, specifically focussing on the South African landscape.http://sajesbm.com/nf201