Exploring consumers’ attitudes, knowledge and perceptions of the National Credit Act

Abstract: The current research paper investigated customers’ level of knowledge and perception of the influence of NCA towards a selected micro lender in an effort to prevent consumers from over-indebtedness. A quantitative research methodology in the form of survey questionnaire was implemented for the purposes of the study. Following data completion with consumers of a micro lender, a total of 232 responses were considered for further statistical analysis. The findings of the study established that respondents possessed favourable attitudes, knowledge and perceptions regarding the application of the NCA in regards to the micro lender. These results can further assist financial institutions and policy makers to instil positive attitudes, better knowledge and higher level of understanding towards the implementation of the NCA in South Africa

Who Visits A Nature Based Urban Attraction And Why? An Exploratory Study Of The Motivations To Visit The Pretoria Zoo In South Africa

ArticleUrban tourism is one of the most dynamic types of tourism. The demand for travel to specifically cities, has greatly increased over the last few decades. Although much of the world’s tourism activity occurs in urban areas of major cities such as Paris and London, it is only recently that urban tourism has been identified as a significant sector of tourism worthy of academic attention. The purpose of this study was to identify if the reason for the existence of zoological gardens (zoos) is the main reason why people visit them. The Pretoria zoo is the largest and only national zoo in South Africa and is classified as an urban attraction. The zoo is part of the National Research Foundation (NRF) which is a public entity that fosters research within the country. As part of the NRF, the NZG’s focus is on the promotion of research; in addition to that the other main functions of the NZG include conservation and education. It is therefore important to establish whether tourist see zoos as inter-alia centres of conservation, education or is there another reason why tourist visit zoos. In order to determine the answer(s) to this question, a self-administered questionnaire was used as a research instrument. The questionnaire was distributed at the research site. A total of 400 completed responses were received and were included in the statistical analysis

Prospects for passive immunity to prevent HIV infection.

CAPRISA, 2017.Abstract available in pdf

The Effects of Chemical and Mechanical Control of Woody Plants on Resprouting and Seedling Production in Communal Rangelands

In many African countries, communal rangelands are threatened by woody plant encroachment. We sought to explore potential solutions for communal ranchers that would be cost-effective. We conducted two field experiments to determine (1) the effects of various tree removal treatments (10%, 20%, 50%, 75% and 100%), and herbicide application on resprouting ability and vigour of several woody plant species; and (2) the effectiveness of Tree Poppers® (a weed wrench) as a low-cost mechanical control tool to physically uproot seedlings and saplings of woody species. In the first experiment, we examined 12 plant species from 20 plots (30 m x 30 m) each subjected to tree removal, followed by herbicide application on half of the stumps for each plot. In the second experiment, eight dominant tree species were grouped into three height classes (0-49 cm, 50-99 cm, 100-150 cm) of ten seedlings and saplings per species per height class. All the tree species in this study resprouted six months after cutting. Herbicide application significantly reduced the resprouting ability of Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn, Ehretia rigida (Thunb.) Druce, Vachellia robusta (Burch.) Kyalangalilwa & Boatwright and Ziziphus mucronata Willd. Tree removal positively influenced the resprouting ability and vigour of only Euclea crispa (Thunb.) Gürke. The diameter of stumps was an important factor in determining resprouting ability, with shoot production decreasing with increasing stump diameter. We found no significant differences in the number of seedlings and saplings uprooted by Tree Poppers® among the different size classes. There were significant differences in the number of juveniles uprooted using a weed wrench with only a few individuals of Vachellia species uprooted. Woody plants are more likely to resprout and survive as juveniles than as adults after cutting. Communal ranchers may mechanically control shallow-rooted tree seedlings with a weed wrench but not deep-rooted ones, such as Vachellia species

Collection Priorities of Pasture Genetic Resources in the Paniceae Native to South Africa

There is an urgent need for the prioritization and ex situ conservation of pasture grass species. Many pasture grasses are still in the process of domestication and grasslands in the tropical, subtropical, semi-arid and arid regions of the world are therefore a major source of genetic material for future forage improvement. Within South Africa, it was found that the Paniceae contains several species with high pasture value and that many populations of these species are found in water-limited environments. Therefore, it was proposed that a strategy be developed for the South African National Forage Genebank to prioritize efforts to collect and conserve seed of grass species within the Paniceae, focussing especially on those species in genera Anthephora, Brachiaria, Digitaria, Panicum and Setaria located in areas receiving less than 600 mm of annual precipitation

THE MEANING OF SERVICE DELIVERY PROTEST: A CASE STUDY OF SOUTH AFRICAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The purpose of this article is to investigate the causes of service delivery protests in South African local government. The study utilized secondary data for the purposes of data collection. Local government in South Africa has witnessed lots of service delivery protest throughout the country and the cry is for effective and efficient public service delivery to the local communities throughout the country. It is vital to highlight that most of these protests are taking place as a result of corruption and bad management in South African local government. The general population is aware of this since media coverage of comparable incidents in South Africa is often quite public. The majority of South Africans are unemployed and they have to endure insurmountable poverty and deplorable living circumstances. As a consequence, the number of violent demonstrations in South Africa has increased

Enhanced Biogas Production through Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Agricultural Wastes and Wastewater: A Case Study in South Africa

Received: 6 March 2023. Accepted: 30 May 2023.The authors wish to express their appreciation to the Green Engineering Research Group at the Durban University of Technology for proving necessary equipment to make this study a success. Also, the eThekwini Municipality and the REFFECT Africa project team for their kind assistance and support.The sustainable management of agricultural wastes (AWs) and their valorization for biogas production offer promising alternatives to fossil fuels and contribute to environmentally responsible waste management strategies. This study examines the anaerobic co-digestion (Co-AD) of various AWs, including apples, bananas, carrots, butternuts, and potatoes, combined with wastewater (WW) from a local fruit and vegetable market, using activated sludge (AS) as the inoculum. The biomethane potential test (BMP) was performed in 1L capacity digesters with an 80% working volume and maintained at 40℃ over a 21-day period. A mixing ratio of 1:1 (% w/w) between WW and AWs and 1:2 between the cosubstrates and inoculum was utilized. Biogas production was monitored daily to evaluate the effectiveness of the Co-AD process. The control group yielded a total production of 450 mL/day, while the apple and banana substrates demonstrated the highest biogas output at 595 mL/day and 585 mL/day, respectively. The potato substrate generated 525 mL/day, mixed AWs produced 485 mL/day, and butternut and carrot substrates resulted in 485 mL/day and 475 mL/day, respectively. These findings suggest that the Co-AD of AWs and WW, in combination with AS, presents a viable and eco-friendly approach to enhanced biogas production