The challenges facing education in South Africa

There is a major emphasis on the education of the South African people to become responsible, participatory and reflective citizens that contribute to an emerging democracy. However, the government of SA is faced with many challenges that hinder the South African people from becoming an educated nation. This is based on the assumption that education plays a major role in improving the economic status of the nation. The education in South Africa is categorized into sectors, primary, secondary and tertiary which are interlinked through a fine thread that determines the success of individuals. Thus, in this manner education within the various categories can contribute to the building of a united, peaceful, and democratic country (Wilson, 2006). This paper sketches the challenges faced by a young democracy and the initiatives that have been implemented to improve the status of education in South Africa

Engineering the clothing industry towards competitive advantage : a managerial dilemma

The global economy which is enhanced through changing technologies of all types is pressurizing organisations to improve productivity of their business processes. Competition is forcing organisations to focus their energy on “core competencies.” Like many industries, the clothing industry is witnessing changes in technology, diversification of labour, managerial implications while competing on the global market. The South African clothing and textile industry has the potential to create jobs, but this potential has been steadily diminishing over the last ten years before 2007 [7]. In this context the performance of the clothing industry, whether in terms of efficiency, working conditions or degree of social protection, is unstable. The industry’s ability to generate sustainable and productive employment varies according to geographical locations. This paper explores the experiences of employees at a clothing manufacturer in South Africa through empirical data that was gathered through a series of focus group and individual interviews and analysed in terms of the idyllic relationship between management commitment and process improvement implementation in the workplace. In the development of these insights, the study aims to inform the process of the implementation of business process improvement particularly for the clothing industry in South Africa [1]

Establishing a quality culture in higher education : a South African perspective

The merger of Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) has created monolithic organisations of inefficiency and ineffectiveness in administrative and academic processes. It was the result of mismatched and outdated processes inherited from merged institutions. The student or customer is deprived of a quality service by the unwieldy processes. The end users of the product from the HEI’s are uncertain of the quality of the finished product that would be employable. Employers measure qualified students to certain quality standards. In the past-two decades industry realized to remain competitive, continuous improvement became imperative for success. HEI’s is not excluded from competitive pressures. The debate currently raging is whether total quality management (TQM) principles could be applied in HEI’s. The methodology of TQM has been utilized in industry over an extended period of time with impressive results. A major obstacle in applying TQM in HEI’s is the argument that there are environmental differences between industry and HEI’s. The aim of the article is to find common ground between industry and HEI’s. The above could be achieved by tailoring the major features and potentialities of basic TQM principles and guidelines to fit HEI’s

An analysis into the impact of globalization on the clothing industry in conjunction with the clothing industry in South Africa

The clothing industry in South Africa is seen as a conventional industry with characteristics such as: labour intensive with low levels of qualification; low salaries; low potential for investment in research and development and innovation; flexible labour legislation and powerful labour unions. However, it continues to be an important sector in terms of the South African labour market with regards to job creation. The strong impact of globalisation and delocalization in the organization of work is pressurizing the industry in terms of its competitiveness. Global competitiveness in terms of quality, price and supply chain management are reducing the viability of the industry. Few organisations are able to keep their positions in the marketplace without changes in the organisation of work and workers. Organisations that respond to the challenges have positioned themselves for economic stability. Organisations have found different methodologies in dealing with the reality of the situation. Two distinctive paths can be identified: outsourcing production with dismissal of workers and relocation of facilities; and skilling the workforce through continual improvement. The aim of the paper is to highlight the predicament faced by the clothing industry and what could be done to change the levels of productivity in the industry. This paper presents results through qualitative research analysis from the case study conducted in Kwa-Zulu Natal on several clothing organisations in comparison to international experiences

An analysis into the impact of globalization on the clothing industry in conjunction with the clothing industry in South Africa

The clothing industry in South Africa is seen as a conventional industry with characteristics such as: labour intensive with low levels of qualification; low salaries; low potential for investment in research and development and innovation; flexible labour legislation and powerful labour unions. However, it continues to be an important sector in terms of the South African labour market with regards to job creation. The strong impact of globalisation and delocalization in the organization of work is pressurizing the industry in terms of its competitiveness. Global competitiveness in terms of quality, price and supply chain management are reducing the viability of the industry. Few organisations are able to keep their positions in the marketplace without changes in the organisation of work and workers. Organisations that respond to the challenges have positioned themselves for economic stability. Organisations have found different methodologies in dealing with the reality of the situation. Two distinctive paths can be identified: outsourcing production with dismissal of workers and relocation of facilities; and skilling the workforce through continual improvement. The aim of the paper is to highlight the predicament faced by the clothing industry and what could be done to change the levels of productivity in the industry. This paper presents results through qualitative research analysis from the case study conducted in Kwa-Zulu Natal on several clothing organisations in comparison to international experiences.Mechanical and Industrial Engineerin

An engineering management framework for the SA clothing industry with a focus on Kwa-Zulu Natal

D.Phil.The SA clothing industry shed over 67 000 jobs in the past three years (Bell, 2006). There was a possibility that more jobs may be shed in the South African clothing industry over the next few years (Bell, 2006). The SA Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) reached a wage agreement with nine clothing employer associations for a 5% increase in urban areas and between 6.4% and 8.3% for non-metro areas in 2006 (Reeder, 2006).The cut, make and trim (CMT) industries who were registered with the bargaining council found it a financial burden to negotiate wage increases yearly as production costs were escalating and organisations found it difficult to compete both nationally and internationally. If laying off of workers in the clothing industry continues, the unemployment rate would continue to rise, thus increasing the poverty levels in South Africa. The SA clothing industry in particular was being challenged by forces both externally and internally. Global competition, market performance and the changing technology were some of the factors that affected the industry. This study aims to highlight the importance of existing practices that, if implemented systematically, could improve the current plight of clothing manufacturers (Urbach, 2006). The methodology of the research comprises a qualitative exploratory and descriptive design. The purpose of exploration was to gain insight into current manufacturing practices by systematic observation and discussions at clothing manufacturers in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Personal and telephonic interviews, discussions and direct observation were used to gain insight into the issues and strategies employed. Relevant literature in conjunction with national and international manufacturing trends was used to create a framework of best practices. Parts of the framework were tested at clothing manufacturers in the Durban region. A sample of clothing manufacturers were targeted by categorizing them into three groups, namely small, medium and large manufacturers. Case study type comparisons were made at various locations to analyse the strategies employed. The objective of the framework aims to enhance current practices through the employment of best practices found in industrial engineering, operations management and quality management. This would assist manufacturers in improving their productivity levels, meeting lead times, reducing costs of manufacture and providing the customer with a quality product at a market related price. By implementing a systematic approach to continuous improvement, manufacturers would be able to distinguish themselves from competitors

Programme Re-curriculation: An Experience at the University of Johannesburg

Abstract The clothing industry globally has undergone rapid change within the past few decades. The production of fashion has evolved into a multi faceted industry that is not only concerned with the manufacture of clothing but also the systems of production, distribution, diffusion, reception, adoption and consumption which drive the fashion industry. Within the last 10 years there has been a notable drop in applications for this programme even though there is a high employability rate with demand exceeding supply