OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "Rogers, Steven Nabieu"

Browsing by Author "Rogers, Steven Nabieu"

Now showing 1 - 13 of 13

Open Access
Comparative assessment of matching grants and microcredit interventions in improving livelihood of peasant farmer in Mazabuka District, Zambia
(2015) Kabengele, Godfrey; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
Financing peasant farmers using sustainable and effective approach can reduce poverty level significantly among peasant farmers. Development Institutions and government deploy various financing models to fund peasant farmers as a means of intervention to alleviate poverty. This study assesses and compares two financing model i.e. matching grants and microcredit in order to know which model has greater impact in improving livelihoods of peasant farmers so that it can be advocated for as a model best suited to fund peasant farmers. The respondents for the study are peasant farmers who have accessed funding from Vision Fund Zambia a microcredit institution and Smallholders Agriculture Promotion Program an Institution that provides matching grants. The study is based on assessing livelihood improvement of peasant farmers using Care International framework that is focusing on capabilities, economic activities and assets. A total of one hundred and forty six respondents were selected using simple random procedure. The data was analysed using statistical package for social science (SPSS). Using descriptive statistics and focus group discussions, the finding shows marginal difference in livelihood improvement between microcredit and matching grants on assets and capabilities of the respondents. Matching grants exhibit higher impact on economic activities of the recipients as compared to microcredit. The study recommends that institutions offering matching grants must consider streamlining the process of project approval and disbursement while microcredit institution must tailor their services to client's needs and charge interest taking into consideration the vulnerability context. Overall matching grants are a better model for financing poor and vulnerable peasant farmers.
Open Access
The determinants of participation in microfinance and its impact on rural welfare: case study of the National Development Bank Botswana's Temo Bokamoso Lending programme in Kweneng District
(2015) Bayen Bayen, Edmund; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
This thesis investigates the determinants of participation in microfinance programmes and its impact on rural welfare in order to suggest improvements to the level of participation and the effectiveness of the programmes. The level of participation by rural smallholders in Botswana is much lower than expected in spite of the availability of schemes and their ease of access. The study uses one of National Development Bank Botswana's credit schemes in Kweneng District to investigate this problem. A field survey was carried out on 112 smallholder farmers, half of whom are scheme participants, to establish what factors affect the probability of their participation in the scheme. The study applied a logit model to determine which variables significantly affected the probability of participation in the credit scheme. The results indicated that some variables like gender and educational status had little effect on the probability of participation. A number of policy variables which include age, previous experience of credit use, respondents' perception of group collateral, distance from the National Development Bank, access to irrigation and total landholding size were found to have a significant effect. On the welfare effect, more than half of participants in the microfinance credit scheme indicated that their welfare improved as a direct result of the programme. As future research, it would be useful if the study could be extended to all districts of the country to enable the generalization of findings and provide valuable information for agricultural and poverty alleviation policy purposes.
Open Access
The effects of the economic structural adjustment programs on agriculture in Sub Saharan Africa: a case study of Zimbabwe 1990-2000
(2016) Shoko, Ropafadzo; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
The Zimbabwean economy has been in decline for the past two decades with the economic situation reaching its worst state in 2008. This period was followed by the adoption of a multi-currency regime in 2009, which the Zimbabwean government hoped would lend some stability to the crumbling economy. The agricultural sector, which was previously considered the cornerstone of the economy has been contributing increasingly less and less to the country's gross Domestic Product, with the current state of the sector being the worst it has been since the country's independence in 1980. Much research has been done to establish the source of the decline in the sector with the major findings pointing toward unfavourable weather conditions, the issue of the equitable distribution of land and the IMF and WB mandated Economic Structural Adjustment Program. This research focused on the effects of ESAP on the agricultural sector with a view to highlight the themes that emerged on key indicators over the adjustment period from 1990 to 1995 as well as a period after to 2000 in order to consider the time lagged effects of adjustment policies. In addition to this, this research investigated the extent to which the ESAP policies were applied, and whether this may have been a reason for ESAP's perceived failings. This paper concluded that despite the shortcomings of ESAP, policies recommended pursuant to this program were not the direct source of the decline of the sector, but rather the non or poor implementation of policies as well as the socio-political environment in the country.
Open Access
Evaluating the impact of Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in South Africa's economy
(2017) Ndlovu, Simphiwe; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
Several studies have examined the relationship between trade liberalisation policies, economic growth and development. These existing studies have in many ways overlooked the role played by Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) since its inception as early as 2000. This study attempts to highlight and evaluate the role of AGOA within a South African economy context through the use of inductive quantitative research technique. The auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) framework was used in the bound testing cointegration process, which enabled the researcher to obtain the current impact on trade liberalisation and economic growth under AGOA in South Africa. Since the study used ARDL to test AGOA benefits in human capital, capital investment, unemployment rate and trade liberation means of finding interchanging of ideas between South Africa and United State of America and importantly the improved economic growth. The results showed no improvement in human capital, stagnant unemployment rate, no evidence of South Africa economy transformed into knowledge based economy; the transfer of investment in South Africa through AGOA legislation does not show an improving economy and this could be coursed by the tertiary sector growing faster relative to other sectors. The study concludes that the AGOA deals must at least ensure the USA firms are opening new branches in South Africa which will create new jobs and with the outcome of the production of goods and services which will directly increase the demand of highly skilled work force.
Open Access
An exploratory study of project financing urban infrastructure
(2016) Magqaza, Ayanda; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
This research paper aims to explore the use of project finance to fund urban infrastructure in order to aid the development of affordable housing. This is due to the high rate of urbanisation in developing nations, leading to the challenge of providing adequate shelter and the requisite infrastructure. Although South Africa has been lauded for making observable strides in housing and infrastructure provision, infrastructure is still required. There is reluctance to bring private finance into infrastructure development in developing economies because full recovery of invested capital is not easy to achieve. Project finance is recommended to improve the rate of shelter provision as well as to catalyse the eradication of slums. Project finance was investigated through interviewing selected participants, based on their role in the infrastructure provision sector. The outcomes indicated that project finance is an appropriate tool due to its characteristics.
Open Access
The impact of public spending on education in Nigeria
(2017) Adesiyan, Olufunmilayo C; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
This study investigated the impact of public spending on enrolments in primary and secondary education in Nigeria using a multiple regression model. The model was constructed to identify the relationship between government spending, primary and secondary enrolments rate while also considering the interaction with control variables; per capita income, workers remittances, and population growth. Using the OLS approach to analyse the data for the period 1981 to 2013. Interesting observations were made which are explained for by inconsistency in government allocation or spending on education in Nigeria. It was observed that a significant positive relationship exists between per capita income, government spending, and primary school enrolment rates while a negative relationship exists between population growth, workers' remittances and primary education enrolment. As for secondary education enrolment rate, there is a positive relationship between per capita income, population growth but a negative relationship with government spending and workers' remittances due to the fee-paying secondary schools and interest in informal trade. These findings add nuance to the understanding of the variables affecting education enrolment rates in Nigeria beyond that of government spending, to other variables which are critical to the structure of the economy given its high immigration and out of school children population. This study is part of the growing empirical literature addressing education finance and outcomes gap. Beyond the consistency required in financing, the Nigerian government must build infrastructure that will support improvement in the overall social wellbeing of the growing populace and encourage transition into secondary schools.
Open Access
Investigating the causes of delays at border posts: A focus on institutional and infrastructural factors at Beitbridge Border Post
(2015) Maredi, Lydia; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
Beitbridge is regarded as the busiest and the most inefficient border post in Sub-Saharan Africa due to its poor state of systems and infrastructure. It takes travellers more than two hours to cross the border on a normal day, and a minimum of two days during holidays. Trucks spend up to five days trying to get cleared and cars queue for kilometres from the immigration buildings. These cause problems of delays, corruption and revenue leakages at the border. This research investigated how institutional and infrastructural factors contribute to delays at the Beitbridge Border Post and identified possible solutions to these delays. Using the "border theory" as a theoretical framework, the research documented and focused on major issues around delays and problems at the Beitbridge Border Post, and possible solutions. Being an exploratory study, the research used an inductive qualitative approach to using primary and secondary data sources to understand issues that contribute to delays at the border post and to come up with a possible policy recommendation. The findings revealed that most institutional problems causing delays at the border are duplication of tasks between different agencies operating at the border post and resistance to procedures due to failure of following instructions by users. Infrastructural problems causing delays at the border include, amongst others, the usage of a single bridge that causes congestion and convergence of traffic at the gate; and the reason that there is no enough parking on both sides of the border. These findings support the border theory in terms of how borders impact people's daily lives.
Open Access
Investigating the impact of foreign direct investment on NTEs and imports in Zambia
(2017) Kapota, Derby Bwalya; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
The need for foreign direct investment in Zambia emanated from the country's search for finance to support the diversification agenda backed by the private sector. Sectors that will see a diversified export earning capacity were identified as target areas for foreign direct investment. The expectation from such investments was that the country will see improved production capacities leading to the increase of NTEs and production of products that could only be accessed through the foreign markets. This research therefore aimed at investigating the impact of FDIs on NTEs and imports by category. This is on the theoretical backdrop of both the modernisation and dependency theories which highlights that the effects of FDI on the host country could either be negative or positive. The research looked at time series data for NTEs and imports by category for the period 1994 to 2014. A simple Ordinary least squares regression was used. Besides FDIs, two other variables namely trade openness and real effective exchange rate index were included in the study. The results indicate that FDI have a positive effect on both NTEs and all the four categories of imports. The magnitude of the impact on NTEs was as high as that of imports in all the four categories. The implication is that much as FDI can be said to contribute to the increased NTEs, its impact on imports are equally the same and therefore has not necessarily improved the countries overall trade performance during the periods under consideration.
Open Access
A quantitative analysis of factors influencing housing demand in SA
(2017) Chipswa, Isaac; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
After the 2008 financial crisis, which was heavily influenced by the housing market bubble, studying the housing market has become a subject of major interest to many scholars and investors globally. Literature identifies several key factors that influence housing demand including, employment, income levels, gross domestic product, monetary policy and demographics among others. This thesis investigates the factors that influence housing demand in South Africa and incorporates quantitative analysis on the relationship between interest rates, exchange rates, inflation and housing demand. Most studies on this subject have been conducted in the developed market context, as such, this research study aims to fill the gap and influence future thinking in the emerging market context. There is currently limited research on the relationship between interest rates, exchange rates, inflation in relation to housing demand in the developing world including South Africa. In the analysis, housing demand is measured by mortgage loans disbursed monthly by the top four commercial banks in South Africa. In addition to desktop research, the research also incorporates perspectives and thinking from some of the renowned professionals and academics in the housing market. Monthly time series data (from 1995 up to 2015) on interest rates, exchange rates, inflation (CPI) and mortgage loans disbursed was obtained from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) website. Based on multiple regression analysis, the output results are in line with views held by most academics in the literature review. It was observed from the results that the housing demand (as measured by the mortgage loans disbursed to individuals) is negatively correlated to prime overdraft/ inflation rate and positively correlated to foreign exchange rate. As such, an increase in interest and inflation rates, result in a decrease in housing demand. An increase in exchange rate results in decreased housing demand.
Open Access
The Role of Development Finance Institutions and Aid Agencies in Zimbabwe’s achievement of Sustainable Development Goals
(2018) Murambadoro, Betty; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
This research looked at external funding and its role in determining the success rate of the developmental agenda at country specific level. To undertake this investigation, the role of external funding was assessed alongside other factors largely viewed to be also relevant in discussing the success of the development agenda. The research relied on primary data collected from various participants deemed to be relevant stakeholders in development studies and its success drivers. The sample comprised bilaterals, multilaterals, aid agencies, private commercial sector, policy makers, regulators and the UN agencies. Extensive research was conducted using semi-structured questionnaires and also supported by interviews to probe further on the key sub-topics. The other factors explored alongside external funding in terms of their significance in influencing outcome of the development agenda are strong financial institutions, strong legal institutions, economic reform, competent human capital and international trade. While the factors linked to governance were ranked highly in terms of significance in driving Zimbabwe’ s achievement of sustainable development goals, the numeric difference on points scored were not materially significant. The research outcome highlighted the interconnectedness of the factors assessed in augmenting the impact of capital inflows in meeting the development agenda. In addition, it exposed the significance of broader stakeholder consultation and commitment at a national level.
Open Access
Towards innovative approaches for affordable housing in the gap market : a case study of Khayelitsha Township in Cape Town, South Africa
(2015) Muhoro, Gloria Nyawira; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
Post-apartheid South Africa has been criticized for failing to satisfactorily achieve its election promise of redistribution and poverty alleviation. While success has been noted in the provision of affordable housing and subsequently home ownership for lower income households, housing demand continue to far outstrip delivery capacity. Those excluded from homeownership include key public sector workers and laborers who face common, but divergent constraints. They are either too rich to qualify for housing subsidy, or too poor to afford homes in the prime market. They constitute the 'gap market'. Utilizing qualitative data from in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with banks, property developers, government and residents in Khayelitsha (a state-subsidized housing settlement in the city of Cape Town), this thesis sought to understand the current challenges faced by the housing market in addressing the needs of the gap market in Cape Town, South Africa. The research identifies the major impediments to meeting the current housing demand in urban South Africa and points to new policy directions that could address the housing gap. Key findings indicate that the major obstacles to home ownership in the gap market include affordability constraints, over-indebtedness, poor credit ratings, and inadequate supply for this income bracket. While these obstacles show little indication of abating, this research's findings and recommendations suggest new pathways for formulating new housing policies that address the housing backlog in the gap market. This also suggests that government policies are critical in developing a healthy and inclusive housing market.
Open Access
Understanding the role played by Pension Fund Trustees and Investment Consultants in Responsible Investment Strategies in South Africa
(2018) Beja, Bongiwe Andisiwe; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
Responsible investing (RI) often used as a synonym for Sustainable Investing, is a global phenomenon which simply refers to the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and factors when making investment decisions albeit losing conventional financial criteria in making such decisions. This study was undertaken to interrogate and understand the status quo in terms of the ability of two of the key players in the RI market in South Africa, to fulfil their responsibilities in the implementation of responsible investments principles in practice. The participants in focus of the study are firstly, the asset owners being the pension fund trustees in South Africa where the aim is to discover whether trustees in the pension fund industry are well equipped to play their role in implementing responsible investment principles and strategies when performing their fiduciary duties which encompass decisions made around capital allocation, asset manager selection and selection of service providers. Secondly, the service providers being the appointed investment consultants on pension funds in the country where the aim is to discover and articulate the extent of influence and role played by the service providers to the pension fund trustees in the decision-making value chain of the way in which the retirement funds assets are ultimately managed and invested on behalf of the retirement fund. To achieve the above-mentioned aims, online surveys were conducted for both the South African pension fund trustees as well as South African investment consultants. The questions in the survey comprised a combination of open ended and closed ended questions with Likert scales being used. The data was predominantly qualitative in nature and therefore thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data from both sets of surveys conducted. Key findings of this study show that whilst South African pension fund trustees understand and recognise RI implementation as forming part of their fiduciary duty, there is a heavy reliance on appointed services providers particularly investment consultants in terms of their fund’s RI policy and the RI strategies they employ. In order to keep abreast of industry developments in RI and to ensure their funds stay in line with emerging good and best practice, the trustees receive assistance and guidance from their appointed investment consultants. Investment consultants play a significant role on RI matters in that they provide training on ESG and RI implementation to trustees and proactively table RI matters when meeting with the trustees. Many of the consultants however are of the view that training and education of the trustees is pertinent in the uptake of RI in the industry and that this drive must be asset owner led. Based on the results of the study it is recommended that the education of trustees on RI related matters be further investigated. In particular, additional research on the education, the frequency thereof as well as the provider of education is required. The study also highlights the need for further research on the implementation on specifically impact investing as an RI strategy in South Africa. It can also be concluded from this research that global industry bodies such as United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment, CFA Society and local bodies such as Association of Savings and Investments in South Africa, Institute of Retirement Funds Africa, Batseta Council of Retirement Funds in South Africa and the Financial Sector Charter Council could be contributors to a practical policy around asset consultant reliance and trustee education in the implementation of Responsible Investment strategies for all pension funds and their beneficiaries in South Africa.
Open Access
Water Infrastructure finance in Nambia: Analysing the participation of State and non-State actors
(2017) Nghipangwa, Simon Tangi; Rogers, Steven Nabieu
The adverse effects of climate change have had significant impacts on water resources, mostly in dry and semi-arid countries. Therefore, there is a need to provide more water infrastructure. Lack of adequate water infrastructures, most prevalent in the developing countries, negatively affects sufficient supply of clean drinking water and provision of basic sanitation. Infrastructure forms the basic medium for water generation, processing, transportation, and storage. Efforts to improve this in many developing countries have predominantly been the responsibility of the State. However, in recent years, Non-State Actors (NSA) have been increasingly involved in governance and financing of infrastructure projects in developing countries. To explore this further, the research investigated the roles and relationships between State and NSAs in the governance and financing of water infrastructure projects in Namibia. A mixed explorative qualitative and quantitative approach was adopted. It relied on a survey and a case study of State actors and NSAs involved in water infrastructure in Namibia. Data from both the structured infrastructure questionnaires and secondary data from document review (i.e. water-capital project reports) were extracted, classified, and evaluated using statistical analysis tools. Data pertinent to the research were extrapolated to support the analysis of water infrastructure funding and financing structures. This research examined the State of water-infrastructure development finance in Namibia, by analysing the participation of State and non-State actors in water infrastructure development and finance. There is a well-acclaimed global trend towards diminution of State control and management of public infrastructures. Non-State actors now play a more significant role. Importantly, by contrast, this study found a continued dominance of State in water infrastructure development in Namibia; the presence of NSAs in the water infrastructure space is very limited. A Public Private Partnerships Act would allow non-State actors to participate freely in public infrastructure development. The lack of such enabling legislation in Namibia has prevented financial and technical partnerships between the State and NSAs. This absence has kept potential NSAs almost out of the water-infrastructure development business to complement the State. This phenomenon further exacerbates the continued burden on State finance resources to cater for infrastructure development.

Browsing by Author "Rogers, Steven Nabieu"

Results Per Page

Sort Options