Crime and the Regional Disparities in Tourist Inflows: A Case Study of South Africa

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of crime proxied by different indicators on regional tourist inflows to South Africa. The estimations are carried out using the Johansen estimation techniques. Monthly data gathered from March 2003 to April 2011 is employed and the results from the estimations found that total crime has a negative effect on tourists from Africa, North America, Central and Southern America, West and Southern Europe. However, the level of crime in the country appears to have no influence at all to tourist from the Middle East whilst those from Asia are more sensitive to the level of sexual crime. At the different categories of crime investigated, tourists react differently. In line with the findings of the existing literature, the real exchange rate and world income remain to have a significant effect on tourist inflows from most of the regions

Do Power Cuts Affect Productivity? A Case Study Of Nigerian Manufacturing Firms

The primary objective of this study is to examine the impact of power disruptions on firm productivity in the manufacturing sector in Nigeria. Using OLS and the Tobit models, results show that power outage variables (measured using hours per day without power and percentage of output lost due to power disruptions) have a negative and significant effect on productivity, particularly on small firms. The significance of power outage variables suggests that there is need for the Nigerian government to come up with ways of improving energy generation and supply, as well as proper maintenance of electricity infrastructure in the country. Deliberate efforts by the government to improve power infrastructure will result in the country’s being able to increase electricity production threefold and thus optimally utilize its installed generating capacity of 5900MW

Potential Utilization of Insect Meal as Livestock Feed

Globally, the utilization of alternative protein sources in livestock feed has been extensively deliberated and established to be the best novel approach. Extensive research indicated that insects provide good opportunities as a sustainable, high quality, and low-cost component of animal feed. The use of insects in animal diet sounds to be the prospective opportunity leading to sustainability of animal feeds and meet the intensifying worldwide plea for livestock products. The value of these protein sources has, however, increased due to limited production, competition between humans and animals. The use of insects for feeding farmed animals represents a promising alternative because of the nutritional properties of insects and the possible environmental benefits, given the sustainability of this type of farming. Yet little has been documented about the nutrient composition of various insect meals, the impact of insect meal in the animal feed industry, safety, and attitude and willingness of farmers to accept insect-based animal feed and food. Therefore, this chapter seeks to document the potential utilization of insect meal as livestock feed

An analysis of competition, efficiency and soundness in the South African banking sector

Background: The banking sector plays an important role in economic activity: it mobilises savings and channels them to productive sectors thus encouraging the efficient allocation of resources. The competitive nature of the environment under which the banking sector operates is of paramount importance. Aim: The main aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between competition, efficiency and soundness in the South African banking sector. Setting: The setting for this study was the South African banking sector. Methods: We used a data set of 17 local and international banks for the period 2004–2015 and stochastic frontier models to analyse efficiency. Results: Results show that the impact of competition on efficiency depended on the measure of competition used. When using the Lerner index there was a negative effect of competition on efficiency while the opposite was true when using the theoretically robust Boone indicator. Conclusion: In the case of bank soundness, competition using the Boone indicator is negatively related to the Z score, implying that competition enhances bank soundness and these results supported the prudent and efficient management hypothesis

Rethinking Zimbabwean Agricultural Land Expropriation Laws in Light of the Funnekotter Case

This study examines whether or not the Zimbabwean agricultural land expropriation laws are consistent with its international legal commitments and obligations enumerated in Article 6 of the Zimbabwe-Netherlands BIT which were expounded in the Funnekotter case. It begins by exploring the concept of expropriation, and the main features of the Zimbabwe's agricultural land expropriation laws, and proceeds to discuss the conditions of expropriation enumerated in Article 6 using the Funnekotter case as a compass, before examining whether or not the Zimbabwe's agricultural land expropriation laws are compatible with article 6 conditions of expropriation. The main conclusion reached is that despite the good intentions and public interests pursued by these agricultural land expropriation laws, they are draconian, and inconsistent with the due process, non-discrimination, and compensation conditions of expropriation. Thus, Zimbabwe may have to re-think its agricultural land expropriation laws in light of the Funnekotter case.tm2017Centre for Human RightsLLMUnrestricte

Infrastructure, FDI and manufacturing exports in Africa: the firm level analysis

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Economic & Business Sciences, 2011.The primary aIm of this study is to investigate the role that is played by the quality of infrastructure on export participation and on foreign direct investment using firm level data from the World Bank and employing maximum likelihood techniques such as the Tobit and Probit models. Results show that firm size, foreign ownership, internet access, international distance, electricity, customs and generator ownership matter in influencing export participation. Thus the reason why very few firms in Africa are outward oriented is partly because of poor market access and poor electricity and customs infrastructure. Ln the case of foreign direct investment (FDI) results show that foreign firms are attracted to a market, bigger in size and that market access is also very important. FDI results also show that a big market in an environment characterized by acute power problems negatively affects market seeking FDI. Customs problems generally have a weak negative effect on the probability to be foreign invested particularly inward FDI, but days to export matter to outward looking foreign producers. Water problems do not seem to matter for both FDI firms and exporters in this study. In light of these findings, there is need therefore for the government in collaboration with multilateral institutions like the World Bank, United Nations and other donor agencies to mobilise resources to improve Africa's infrastructure facilities particularly customs, power and international transport facilities . This could also be done by involving the private sector through various Public Private Partnership arrangements

Determination and validation of ethno-veterinary practices used as alternatives in controlling cattle ticks by resource-limited farmers in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Ticks are the most common external parasites of economic importance in the livestock farming sector of Southern Africa. They are vectors of tick-borne diseases and are commonly controlled using conventional acaricides, which are expensive and not readily available to resource-limited farmers. As a result many resource-limited farmers resort to use of alternative materials to control ticks on their livestock. Tick resistance to acaricide is an increasing problem in Southern Africa and poses a real economic threat to livestock and veterinary pharmaceutical industries. The objective of this study was to document and validate the ethno-veterinary remedies used as alternative methods of controlling cattle ticks by resource-limited farmers. A questionnaire survey was conducted in May 2007, at Qolora by-Sea and Nontshinga in Centane district, to determine tick control methods used by resource limited farmers in the Amathole District Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments were done to validate the acaricidal properties of ethnoveterinary remedies used by resource-limited farmers. Ticks were reported to be a major problem, transmitting diseases like anaplasmosis (89.8%), babesiosis (55.9%) and ehrlichiosis (16.9%), they also cause wounds that predispose cattle to screwworm infestation, tick worry and teat damage. All farmers used acaricides and dipping tanks provided by the government to control ticks, as the main tick control method. However, the majority (94.9%) were of the opinion that the dip wash was not effective in controlling ticks. As a result, farmers complemented the government dipping service with use of own initiatives like spraying with conventional acaricides (22%), household disinfectants such as Jeyes fluid (18.6%), used engine oil (10.2%), chickens feeding on ticks (5.1%), manual iv removal (5.1%), and pouricides (1.7%). In addition, some farmers also use plants (6.8%), mainly the leaf of Aloe ferox and the bark of Ptaeroxylon obliquum. The in vitro repellency models showed Jeyes fluid (76.8 and 100% concentrations) and P. obliquum (40%) had repellent properties that lasted 6 hours and 40 minutes respectively while that of, Tabard (35% diethyltoluamide) positive control, lasted for 4 hours when applied against nymphal stages of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks. In the contact bio-assay, undiluted used engine oil, T. minuta oil (50%), Ektoban® (Cymiazol 17.5% and cypermethrin 2.5%) and Jeyes fluid (76.8%) caused higher tick mortality of more than 86%. Other materials (A. ferox, Lantana camara and Tagetes minuta) had no repellence and acaricidal properties. In the in vivo study, Jeyes fluid at a concentration of 76.8% and used engine oil displayed efficacy of 71 and 76.4% respectively which was similar to that of the positive control Ektoban® at 97.8% tick load reduction. Among plant materials L. camara at 40% concentrations had an efficacy of 57% while A. ferox, P. obliquum and T. minuta were not effective at all. The remedies used by resource-limited farmers to control ticks vary in efficacy. Their ability to reduce tick load on cattle appears to be promising and a welcome development as their use could probably reduce tick burdens in cattle with less expenditure. However, further investigations need to be done before they are recommended for use. Despite being effective some of the materials have potential toxic effects in animals and also cause environmental contamination and I recommend used engine oil, Jeyes fluid and L. camara for further testing as they showed some efficacy compared to other remedies

Medicinal properties of Moringa (Moringa Oleifera Lam) leaves and the effect of its use as a supplement on goat growth performance and meat characteristics

The main objective of the study was to determine if feeding goats with Moringa oleifera leaves would lead to an increase in productivity and in value of the meat. The proximate, van Soet, atomic absorption spectrophotometric and soxhlet extraction methods were used to determine the nutritional value M. oleifera leaves of the South African. The in-vitro antimicrobial screening methods were used to determine antimicrobial activities M. oleifera extracts while in vitro and invivo models were used to determine the antioxidant activities of M. oleifera leaves. An evaluation of the potential of M. oleifera leaf meal as a feed supplement in terms of its effect on helminth load, goat growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality attributes, nutritional and consumer sensory characteristics of goat meat was done. A total of 24, eight month old goats were randomly allocated to dietary treatments of M. oleifera leaf meal (MOL), sunflower seed cake (SC) and GH (grass hay) which was the control. All the groups were fed on basal diet of grass hay ad libitum and 200g wheat bran per head per day. The MOL group was given an additional 200 g of dried M. oleifera leaves while the SC group was offered 170 g sunflower seed cake per head/day. The study showed that the dried leaves had crude protein levels of 30.3 percent, polyunsaturated fatty acids (52.21 percent), Saturated fatty acids (43.31), n-3 (44.57 percent), n-6 (7.64 percent), 19 amino acids, vitamin E (77 mg/100 g) and Beta-carotene (18.5 mg/100 g). The M. oleifera leaf extracts showed antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloace, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus kristinae. The supplementation of goats with MOL and SC resulted in decreased feacal larval count and lower Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus colubriforms and Oesophagastum columbianum worm burdens than those in the non-supplemented goats. Goats supplemented with SC and MOL had higher average daily weight gain and heavier carcasses than those in the GH group. Higher pH1 scores were observed in chevon from GH diet than the supplemented ones. The MOL and SC supplemented goats had chevon with higher values for lightness (L*) 24 hr post-mortem than the one from the GH group. The redness (a*) values of chevon 24 hr post mortem was highest in MOL supplemented goats. Warner Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values of SC (30.1 N) and MOL (29.8 N) supplemented goats were lower than those from GH diet (32.6 N). Chevon from goats fed GH diet had significantly higher cooking losses (29.5 percent) than that from MOL (25.4 percent) and SC (25.6 percent) fed groups. It was observed that chevon from MOL and SC supplemented groups had higher crude protein (23.57 and 22.95 percent, respectively) than the one from the GH group (21.20 percent). Cholesterol levels were higher in chevon from SC (42.84) supplemented goats than those from MOL (38.76) and GH (35.63 mg). Chevon from GH and MOL group had higher (P < 0.05) proportions of PUFA, n-3, PUFA/SFA ratio and lower n-6/n-3 ratio. Mean consumer scores for first bite, aroma, flavour and juiceness were higher in the MOL group than in the GH group (P < 0.05). The acetone extract exhibited higher concentrations of total flavonoids, flavonols, phenolics. The acetone extracts depicted higher percentage inhibition against DPPH, ABTS and nitric oxide radicals which were comparable with reference antioxidant (vitamin C and BHT). The M. oleifera leaf meal increased the antioxidant activity of GSH, SOD and catalase. Moringa oleifera leaves also exhibited medicinal properties by having anthelmintic, antibacterial activities and showed antioxidant properties. It was also observed that protein supplementation improved the animal growth performance, the physico-chemical characteristics, nutritional and fatty acids composition of meat hence meeting the consumer needs.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 201

Regional integration Southern Africa

This chapter examines agricultural trade integration in Southern Africa, focusing on SADC. We begin with a brief description of the evolution of SADC, followed by a detailed description and analysis of SADC agricultural trade flows and patterns and of possible drivers of the observed trade patterns. The next section discusses the evolution of regional trade agreements in Southern Africa with particular focus on SADC, and the following sections discuss trade integration in SADC, focusing on agricultural trade and possible explanations for the observed trade patterns and flows.PRIFPRI4MTI

Do power cuts affect productivity? A case study of Nigerian manufacturing firms

The primary objective of this study is to examine the impact of power disruptions on firm productivity in the manufacturing sector in Nigeria. Using OLS and the Tobit models, results show that power outage variables (measured using hours per day without power and percentage of output lost due to power disruptions) have a negative and significant effect on productivity, particularly on small firms. The significance of power outage variables suggests that there is need for the Nigerian government to come up with ways of improving energy generation and supply, as well as proper maintenance of electricity infrastructure in the country. Deliberate efforts by the government to improve power infrastructure will result in the country’s being able to increase electricity production threefold and thus optimally utilize its installed generating capacity of 5900MW