Monthly expenditure category fluctuations and trade-off in South Africa bottom of the pyramid households

This exploratory study investigated changes in the allocation of household expenditure between various product or service categories in a sample of South African low-income or 'bottom of the pyramid' (BoP) households. First, the mixed methods research quantified the monthly income and expenditure fluctuations in the sample of households over a period of four months. In addition, study identified and quantified expenditure category trade-offs in the target households. Finally, a qualitative inquiry explained the reasons for the fluctuations and the trade-offs identified in the first two components. The study was based on the existing BoP proposition and specifically focused on BoP consumer decision-making theory. Methodologically, the study was a monthly longitudinal panel over four months. The quantitative component employed a once-off baseline questionnaire to gather household data. The participating households then completed monthly self-complete financial diary questionnaires that recorded both income and expenditure. The qualitative component involved interviews with representatives from the participating households and provided details to explain the underlying causes for changes in monthly expenditure patterns. The study was conducted in four provinces with eighty BoP households participating in the research. The study found significant variation in both household income and expenditure between months. The variation and consequent trade-offs between expenditure categories was caused by calendar-related phenomena (such as the festive season), income shocks, unforeseen expenses and spreading the household budget over multiple months. In addition, large fluctuations in income resulted in a constantly shifting allocation of expenditure to categories that required the most attention at a particular point in time. Informal savings (stokvels) and micro-enterprise expenses also contributed to fluctuations in income and expenditure. This study provides unique insights that fill a vacuum in the current body of academic and industry knowledge for this segment of close to forty million BoP South Africans. No study of this nature has been published in either South African or international journals

A content analysis of social media posts among recreational cyclists: A gender perspective

Recreational cyclists are pertinent but rarely studied leisure and tourism segment. Recreational cycling has traditionally been considered as a ‘masculine stereotyped’ sport. The purpose of the research is to better understand a gendered consumer view of recreational cycling and to possibly promote recreational cycling to women and men in countries like South Africa with keen interests of recreational cycling in the form of sport tourism. This research employs a content analysis of social media posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as a research method. Specifically, the gendered nature of recreational cycling is focused upon. In total, 2,504 posts from 1,598 unique authors from South Africa are analysed. As a result, this research shows that in the South African context male cyclists tend to like to attend the specialised event and race for their health and fitness while female cyclists seem to find more enjoyable and family-friendly (children focused) cycling. The results also confirm the paradox that women are generally presented in more family oriented roles, while men are typically shown as more independent in the media. Managerial implications and future research are also presented

A Content Analysis of Social Media Posts among Recreational Cyclists : A Gender Perspective

Publisher Copyright: © 2020. AJHTL/Author(s).Recreational cyclists are pertinent but rarely studied leisure and tourism segment. Recreational cycling has traditionally been considered as a ‘masculine stereotyped’ sport. The purpose of the research is to better understand a gendered consumer view of recreational cycling and to possibly promote recreational cycling to women and men in countries like South Africa with keen interests of recreational cycling in the form of sport tourism. This research employs a content analysis of social media posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as a research method. Specifically, the gendered nature of recreational cycling is focused upon. In total, 2,504 posts from 1,598 unique authors from South Africa are analysed. As a result, this research shows that in the South African context male cyclists tend to like to attend the specialised event and race for their health and fitness while female cyclists seem to find more enjoyable and family-friendly (children focused) cycling. The results also confirm the paradox that women are generally presented in more family oriented roles, while men are typically shown as more independent in the media. Managerial implications and future research are also presented.Peer reviewe

Factors influencing the International Church of Christ's decision not to require formal theological training for its Ministers from 1979-2002

This thesis seeks to investigate why the International Church of Christ (ICoC) schism adopted a very different ministerial training approach to the one long supported by its parent church, the mainline Church of Christ (CoC). I explore how the ICoC (Formerly called the 'Boston Movement') became an independent Christian movement and identify specific reasons for the ICoC's departure from the CoC's expectation that church ministers receive an academic qualification in theology. The conclusions for this research were drawn from four sources. First, I analysed the socio-historical influences on the ICoC's philosophy of training ministers. Second, I drew from Max Weber's theory of ?charisma and routinization? to provide a theoretical understanding of how the ICoC's philosophy of education was partially an issue of authority. Third, I examined the literature directly relevant to the ICoC's training choices. Finally, I conducted a series of interviews with prominent members of the ICoC who gave their personal retelling of the early Boston Movement and why, from their perspective, the Movement adopted its methods of training. I argue that although a simple rationale was given at the time, at least eight sociohistorical factors influenced the ICoC's pendulum swing towards an almost exclusively practical approach to ministerial formation. These influences were interlinked with a high degree of corroboration between them. The influences were: - The Boston Movement's schismatic conflict with the CoC. - Kip McKean's personal experience of formal theological training. - The CoC colleges' perceived loss of training credibility. - Kip McKean's authority within the Boston Movement - The Boston Movement's narrow definition of a 'trained church minister'. - The Boston Movement's model of church replication and multiplication. - The Boston Movement's allocation of resources towards missions. - A foundation of ministers who already had a formal theological education. The thesis closes with a reflection on the findings and the ICoC's transition into its second generation of leadership

[In Press] Marketing financial services in Africa : exploring the heterogeneous middle-class consumer across nine countries

Our paper investigates how the heterogeneous structure of the middle class in sub-Saharan Africa infuences its consumption of fnancial services, identifying drivers for their selection of these services. Implications for marketing practice are outlined. This research is an across-country city-based exploratory study in ten cities where structured questionnaires were used in interviews to obtain information from respondents over a period of 2 years. Our fndings identify the importance of the fnancial realities of the three middle-class groups of the Accomplished, Comfortable and Vulnerable on their consumption of fnancial services and answer the question of what drives demand for these services. The three groups have varied spending and saving habits, perceptions of fnancial services and fnancial aspirations. We identify six key drivers for selecting services, namely availability, accessibility, afordability, status, security and trust. Technology is a key mediating variable of the marketing mix considerations. Marketing practice implications indicated a need for marketers to recognise the importance of the heterogeneity of the middle class and its infuence on segmentation strategies. Opportunities for new approaches to new product development and marketing communication strategies that leverage the heterogeneity of the middle class are outlined. Marketers should also consider the varied infuence of the drivers for the choice of fnancial services among the three groups. Our fndings reinforce the need and potential that exist for fnancial services providers to improve the fnancial inclusion of previously marginalised consumers

[In Press] Researching the marginalised bottom of the pyramid in Africa : lessons and prospects for inclusive, relevant practices

Africa is home to 27 of the world’s 28 poorest, marginalised and most vulnerable countries. There are limited studies on the challenges and opportunities of researching marginalised consumers in Africa, even though more than 440 million marginalised consumers consume products and services that require market research. This paper aims to critically identify and discuss the challenges and opportunities for researching marginalised consumers in Africa using insights from empirical studies conducted in various countries between 2009 and 2022. The paper proposes a conceptual framework that outlines the methodological and operational challenges and enablers for market research and concludes with practical guidelines of considerations that researchers should take for researching the marginalised in Africa

[In Press] Targeting the floating middle of pyramid consumers in Africa : revisiting marketing mix considerations

This research reports on a cross-country based investigation of the floating middle class in Africa demonstrating how their behavior and structure influences the design of marketing mix strategies used by marketers. Questionnaires were used to collect data in ten African cities. Key findings include the importance of branding and core drivers for purchase such as durability, origin, popularity, affordability, and a unique circle of quality variables. Innovative adaptations for pricing, distribution and marketing communications are outlined to assist marketers develop appropriate context relevant strategies to target the floating middle class. The discussion also outlines theoretical and practical implications

Revisiting middle-class consumers in Africa : a cross-country city-based investigation outlining implications for international marketers

This article reports on a cross-country city-based investigation that profiled the middle class in Africa and distinguished discrete segments that demonstrate the importance of heterogeneity when studying the middle class. The authors identified three distinct middle-class segments by administering both qualitative and quantitative questionnaires across ten cities. Consumer-behaviour-related factors, like lifestyle and purchasing, were explored to answer calls to provide more marketing insight into the African middle class. The discussion also outlines theoretical and managerial implications

Worlds apart : an investigation of South Africa’s established and emerging middle class consumers

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to investigate the nature of variations among established and emerging middle class consumers in South Africa in response to the institution context factors associated with emerging markets that are established in international business studies. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory research approach using semi-structured expert interviews was used to collect data. Findings – Key findings indicate distinct approaches in dealing with factors such as different fallback positions, asset ownership, education, language, family responsibility, career aspirations and risk protection in the middle class process of attaining and sustaining middle class status. Research limitations/implications – The focus on one country has the potential to minimize the generalizability of findings from the study, however, South Africa has a significantly high proportion of sub- Saharan middle class consumers. This provides a basis for further a basis for further research into other sub- Saharan African countries. Practical implications – Findings from the study provide practical insights on risk profiling of middleclass consumers for marketing practitioners. Social implications – The study provides insights into the distinct variations between emerging and established middle class consumers in areas such as language and education. These insights have potential implications on the implementation of government policies such as the Empowerment Policy and consumer protection. Originality/value – The paper expands the research agenda in the area of middle class consumer behavior in emerging markets. By concentrating on South Africa, the research expands existing knowledge beyond emerging giants like China and India, which are often a focus in literature

Personal Values and Willingness to Pay for Fair Trade Coffee in Cape Town, South Africa

Understanding ethical buying behaviour is an important component in the study of sustainability. Multiple studies on fair trade have been conducted in established markets in Europe, with limited but increasing research in emerging markets. This study used a questionnaire survey to investigate South African consumers’ ethical buying behaviour, using conjoint analysis to imitate the multi-attribute decision consumers face when buying coffee. Based on previous research, factors concerning consumers’ personal values, willingness to pay, and knowledge are combined. In the results, participants were segmented based on their willingness to pay for fair trade labelled coffee and these segments were then compared in terms of their fair trade knowledge and personal values. The study profiled four different segments and concluded that conventionalism, rationalism, sincerity, and personal satisfaction did not differ significantly across segments. The segment ‘Fair Trade Lovers’, however, exhibited higher levels of humanitarianism than the segment ‘Brand Likers’, and were willing to pay a higher fair trade premium. While knowledge of fair trade did not differ significantly between segments, the total sample displayed above average fair trade knowledge and 63% were willing to pay a 10% premium. Insights from this study suggest that marketing managers promoting fair trade in emerging markets can design more effective targeting and promotional strategies by highlighting the psychological determinants affecting the willingness to pay for fair trade products