Integration of the Demographic Dividend into Government Plans: A Case of the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa

The Population reference Bureau policy brief, (Gribble and Bremmer, 2012):1) described the demographic dividendas “…the accelerated economic growth that may result from a decline in a country’s mortality and fertility and thesubsequent change in the age structure of the population. With fewer births each year, a country’s young dependentpopulation grows smaller in relation to the working-age population. With fewer people to support, a country has awindow of opportunity for rapid economic growth if the right social and economic policies developed and investments made”. Several South Africa based studies have explored age structure and the prospects of a demographic dividend. These studies range from those that explore timing of the dividend to those that investigate readiness to harness the dividend. Three aspects of the demographic dividend are investigated by this research. Firstly, the paper will explorethe age structure of KwaZulu-Natal population to ascertain the timing of the age-structure (youth bulge) that is a pre-requisite for the dividend. Secondly, demographic, health and education characteristics that are knows to affect the achievement of the dividend will be examined. Lastly, the extent of integration of the demographic dividend into Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in the province will be explored

Effects of aspect and altitude on scorpion diversity along an environmental gradient in the Soutpansberg, South Africa

Landforms with steep environmental gradients provide natural laboratories for studying regional dynamics of diversity. The Soutpansberg range in South Africa presents contrasting habitats and climatic conditions on its northern and southern slopes. Scorpions are well adapted to arid environments, with greatest diversity in temperate deserts, but few studies have investigated the effects of aspect and altitude on scorpion diversity. We surveyed scorpion diversity along an altitudinal transect across the Soutpansberg by actively searching for scorpions during the night and day. Patterns of scorpion diversity along the transect were compared to those of ants and woody plants. Unlike these taxa, scorpions exhibited a significant difference in species richness between slopes; higher on the arid northern slope, and greater at lower than higher altitudes. Endemic taxa were restricted to mid-to higher altitudes of the northern slope. Species turnover decreased at higher altitudes and assemblage structure was influenced by slope, altitude and rock cover. The Soutpansberg appears to be a hotspot of scorpion richness and mimics patterns of diversity in southern Africa. The richness and endemism of the scorpion fauna of the arid northern slopes and foothills of the Soutpansberg emphasizes the need to prioritize the conservation of these areas