Browsing by Subject "Western Cape"

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    A critical assessment of how local municipalities implement local economic development: case studies of Bergrivier and Cape Agulhas local municipalities
    (2025) Modise, Keabetswe Charmyne; Naidoo, Vinothan
    Local Economic Development (LED) has been instrumental in the restructuring and transformation of local government in South Africa's new democratic dispensation. LED facilitates the process through which municipalities could achieve the ‘developmental' role they acquired to tackle socio-economic issues such as unemployment, inequality, and poverty. Despite its prominence in various legislative and policy frameworks, municipalities in small towns and semi-rural areas face several challenges in implementing LED initiatives. This study presents a comparative analysis of LED implementation between Bergrivier Local Municipality and Cape Agulhas Local Municipality located in the Western Cape province. The study evaluated internal and external factors influencing the design and implementation of LED strategies. The comparison focused on institutional arrangements, intergovernmental relations, access to resources, and community engagement. Additionally, the research critically assessed the institutional capacity, political commitment and stakeholder involvement which shapes the roll out of LED strategies. Although both municipalities operated in accordance with the prevailing legislative frameworks governing LED, they differed noticeably in their governance structure, collaborative governance, and stakeholder engagement. As a result, the implementation modalities for LED varied, and were shaped by municipality's socio-economic circumstances, operational structure, and resource availability. Therefore, LM 1 has an LED unit with limited capacity, and primarily focus on coordination with national and provincial frameworks. The unit face obstacles with institutional and systemic barriers, resulting in a delicate cross-governmental collaboration, and ineffective participatory approach. This is further aggravated by growing unemployment rate and limited proficiency. On the other hand, LM 2 have a more targeted approach. The municipality benefits from its integrated LED and Tourism unit and pursues local initiatives such as SMME support and mentorship. Also, the municipality showed a more collaborative approach, integrating with the district municipality. Besides, the LM2 recently restructured its governance structure and anticipates improved approaches effectively implement LED strategies and create jobs. The study findings revealed that the intuitional capacity, stakeholder engagement and distribution of resources, plays a pivotal role in shaping the effectiveness of LED. The study suggests that both municipalities should refine their LED strategies with well-defined objectives, realistic financial plans, and sustainable LED principles. Each municipality has the potential to strengthen their institutional capacity, improve stakeholder engagement, and implement strong financial and monitoring frameworks, to ensure effective LED implementation.
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    A critical exploration of the meanings and connotations of graduate attributes in a South African TVET college: a case study of a TVET college in the Western Cape
    (2025) Retief, Cornelis; Cliff, Alan
    The study aimed to critically examine the meanings and connotations of graduate Attributes within the South African TVET system, with a particular focus on a TVET College in the Western Cape. The study sought to explore the nuanced perspectives of graduate Attributes as perceived by educational institutions and graduates (NATED HR), as well as their relevance and impact within the industry. It examined how vocational education and training defined, perceived, and valued these attributes. It challenges the traditional view of industry requirements, suggesting that graduate attributes in vocational education should be context specific. The research focuses on three questions: What are the various meanings and conceptualisations of graduate Attributes within the context of the NATED HRM programme at a TVET College in the Western Cape? What are the specific graduate Attributes emphasised in the HRM programme a TVET College in the Western Cape, and how are they integrated into the curriculum? What are the perceptions of HRM graduates and teachers regarding the contextual factors affecting the understanding of graduate Attributes? A qualitative case study design was adopted, involving 21 participants (10 lecturers and 11 graduates) selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi- structures interviews until saturation was reached. The study found that key graduate attributes, such as communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability amongst others, were emphasised in the HRM program. These attributes were integrated through practical exercises, assessments, and group activities, though their implementation varied across courses. Teaching methodologies like experiential learning and collaborative activities were found to be crucial in developing these attributes. Both graduates and lecturers agreed that attributes such as job readiness and adaptability are essential for workplace success. However, challenges such as time constraints in the curriculum were noted. In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of graduate attributes in improving workforce preparedness. While the HRM programme at a TVET College in the Western Cape effectively integrates these attributes, further improvements in curriculum consistency and structured support are needed to enhance employability outcomes.
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    A situational analysis of child and adolescent mental health services and systems in the Western Cape Province of South Africa
    (BioMed Central, 2022-01-25) Mokitimi, Stella; Schneider, Marguerite; de Vries, Petrus J
    Background Even though child and adolescent mental health is a global health priority, services are very limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), and therefore need comprehensive strengthening. This requires knowledge of the hardware elements of the system (human resources, financing, medicines, technology, organisational structure, service infrastructure, and information systems). This study sought to examine these elements of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) services and systems in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Methods The World Health Organization Assessment Instrument of Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS) version 2.2 of 2005 was adapted to identify key variables of interest in CAMH. Data were collected for the calendar year 2016 and focused on the public health sector. We outlined findings based on best available data across the six domains of the WHO-AIMS. Results In domain 1, we found no provincial CAMH policy or implementation plans to support the national CAMH policy and were unable to identify a CAMH-specific budget. In domain 2, there was no dedicated provincial leadership structure for CAMH, and no dedicated or ‘child- and adolescent-friendly’ mental health services at primary or secondary care levels. At tertiary level, there were only three specialist CAMH teams. The majority of CAMH resources were based in the City of Cape Town, with limited resources in the rural districts. Essential medicines were available in all facilities, and the majority of children and adolescents had access to free services. In domain 3, data were limited about the extent of training offered to primary healthcare staff, and little or no psychosocial interventions were available in primary care. Domain 4 identified a small and variable CAMH workforce across all levels of care. In domain 5, few public health campaigns focused on CAMH, and little evidence of formal intersectoral collaboration on CAMH was identified. Domain 6 identified significant limitations in health information systems for CAMH, including lack of child- and adolescent-specific and disaggregated data to establish baselines for policy development, monitoring, evaluation and CAMH research. Conclusions This study identified significant structural weaknesses in CAMH and presents a clear call for action to strengthen services and systems in the province and in South Africa. it would be important to expand research also to include provider and user perspectives for service strengthening.
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    A study of the computations done by grade 9 learners in a Western Cape high school when simplifying algebraic expressions involving the negative symbol
    (2025) Brink, Hestia; Jaffer, Shaheeda; Davis, Zain
    The computations that learners do when simplifying algebraic expressions are multiple and diverse, with some determined by reasoning aligned with mathematics whilst others rely on idiosyncratic constructs like mnemonics or solution templates. Research in mathematics education highlights symbol sense and negative number concepts as persistent difficulties in learning algebra and categorises learners' errors, but it is wanting in explanations of learners' computations and how they might relate to the way learners think. This study identifies, describes and offers possible explanations for some of the computations that learners did when attempting to simplify algebraic expressions involving the negative symbol. Grade 9 learners from one class in a Western Cape high school were given a set of algebraic expressions to simplify after which interviews were conducted with some learners to discuss their solutions. In the computational analysis of the data, cognitive science and universal algebra were used as lenses for a deeper understanding of learners' mathematical (and non-mathematical) thinking. The data indicates learners' tendency to read algebraic expressions as strings of characters constituting different types of objects, classified in this study as operators, signs, numerals, letters, and superscripts. As suggested by the literature, the negative symbol presented learners with additional challenges, given its polysemic nature in mathematics. Many learners resorted to replacing standard mathematical operations with various operation-like manipulations taking different types of objects as arguments. Plausible reasons for learners' type-sensitivity and idiosyncratic computations offered by this study include: humans' innate capacity for recognising and categorising different objects and symbols; the biases produced from language; and the reliance on existing mental structures for the assimilation of new knowledge. In considering learners' computations at a fundamental level, this study contributes to a more complete view of what learners do computationally and, importantly, why.
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    An audit of the prevalence of abnormal fasting blood glucose levels in patients presenting for elective surgery at a selection of Western Cape government hospitals
    (2019) Biesman-Simons, Tessa; Nejthardt, Marcin; Biccard, Bruce; Roodt, Francois
    Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common condition. The high burden of undiagnosed DM and lack of large population studies make accurate prevalence estimations difficult, especially in the surgical environment. Furthermore, poorly controlled DM is associated with an increased risk of perioperative complications and mortality. Objectives. The primary objective was to establish the prevalence of DM in elective adult non-cardiac, non-obstetric surgical patients in Western Cape hospitals. The secondary objectives were to assess the glycaemic control and compliance with treatment of known diabetics. Methods. This was a five-day, multicentre, prospective observational study performed at six government-funded hospitals in the Western Cape. Screening for DM was done using fingerprick capillary blood glucose (CBG) testing. Patients found to have a CBG of ≥ 6.5 mmol/L had an HbA1c level done. DM was diagnosed based on the Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa (SEMDSA) diagnostic criteria. Patients known with DM had an HbA1c performed and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-4) questionnaires completed, to assess glycaemic control and compliance with treatment. Results. Of the 379 participants, 61 were known diabetics (16.15%; 95% CI 12.4-19.8%). After exclusion of eight patients with incomplete results, a new diagnosis of DM was made in five out of 310 patients (1.6%; 95% CI 0.2-3.0%). Overall prevalence of DM was 17.8% (66/371; 95% CI 13.9-21.7%). HbA1c results were available in 57 (93.4%) of the 61 known diabetics. Of these 27 (47.4%; 95% CI 34.4-60.3%) had an HbA1c level≥8.5% and 14 (24.6%; 95% CI 13.4 - 35.8%) had an HbA1c ≤7%. Based on positive responses to two or more questions on their MMAS-4 questionnaires, 12 out of 60 participants (20%) were deemed non-compliant. Conclusion. There is a low rate of undiagnosed DM in our elective surgical population; however there is a large proportion of poorly controlled DM. Since poorly controlled DM is known to increase postoperative complications, this likely increases the burden of perioperative care. Resources should be focused on improvement of long-term glycaemic control in patients presenting for elective surgery.
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    An exploration of risks and resources related to parental burnout among parents of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behaviours that challenge in Atlantis, Western Cape, South Africa
    (2025) Lategan, Maxeen; Kleintjes, Sharon; Coetzee, Jacobus
    Introduction: Parental burnout, an emerging phenomenon, may be experienced when there is a persistent imbalance between demands and resources in a parents' role. Parental burnout includes an overwhelming exhaustion related to parental duties, emotional distance from your child and the feeling of loss of accomplishment of your parenting role (Mikolajczak & Roskam, 2018). Against the backdrop of South Africa's history and remaining socio-economic challenges, it is likely for parents of persons with IDD and CB to develop parental burnout, considering the high parental stress that they endure. I conducted a scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute PRISMA-Scoping review guidelines to provide an overview of existing literature on risks and resources that may influence the development of parental burnout in parents of children, adolescents and adults with IDD and behaviours that challenge. The scoping review yielded five peer reviewed papers from high income countries. Papers mainly focused on (1) informal and formal support structures as protectors against parental burnout; (2) co-parenting and in addition to the balance between risks and resource elements, other elements that arose as influential on parental burnout, were (1) the characteristics of the child; (2) parental hypervigilance; (3) COVID19 stressors; and (4) religion as a coping mechanism. Overall, the findings of the scoping review suggested that parental burnout in this cohort is under researched both internationally and in South Africa, informing the purpose for my study. Study Aim: The study aimed to explore the stressors and resources among parents of adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and co-occurring behaviours that challenge in Atlantis in the Western Cape, a province of South Africa. Methods: With permission from the research site and approval from the university's human research ethics committee, applying an exploratory phenomenological approach, I conducted nine semi-structured interviews to saturation. Research participants were not all parents but confirmed primary caregivers of adults with IDD and CB. The participants, all residents from Atlantis, were homogenous in their race as they were all people of colour. They were diverse in gender as both males and females were included and ages ranged between 38 and 72. Findings: I used Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems theory' and the ‘balance between risks and resources theoretical framework' (Mikolajczak & Roskam, 2018) to analyse the gathered data, applying thematic analysis principles. On micro level, the following themes were identified: (1) coming to grips with a diagnosis; (2) managing behaviours that are challenging; (3) parental personality; (4) emotional intelligence; (5) parental self-compassion and perfectionism; (6) gender; and (7) high parental chores and duties as opposed to time for leisure were identified. These are factors mediating parental burnout on an individual level. On meso level, the following themes were identified: (1) co- parenting; (2) the impact of siblings; and (3) the relationship between day care facilities and families. The relationships between these systems and how they influence parental burnout are considered. On macro level, (1) religious views; and (2) societal inclusivity was identified contributing factors. On exo level, (1) access to social grants; (2) access to education; (3) access to health care services and (4) access to therapeutic services were identified. Lastly, the chrono level considered how changes over time may mediate or expedite the development of parental burnout. Conclusion: The scoping review and semi structured interviews had overlapping themes whilst also sharing unique experiences including: (1) the difficulty in managing wonderous behaviour in an unsafe community, which is a challenge distinctive to the setting of this study; and (2) planning for the future. Research participants in my study were highly focused on having plans in place for their relative for continuity of care when they are no longer able to care for them. Although a few participants reported experiencing some of the signs of parental burnout, the findings suggest that they rely strongly on the protective factors to preserve and act with resiliency in the face of adversity.
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    Assessing seasonal forecast use in Western Cape viticulture: a risk framework approach
    (2025) Khumalo, Fidelity Zwelihle; Crespo, Olivier; Dlamini, Luleka
    Viticulture refers to the practice of cultivating grapevines for winemaking. With a rapidly changing climate and rising global temperatures, this type of farming is under significant threat. Seasonal forecasts (SF) offer the potential to reduce farmer's vulnerability to climate risks by offering advanced climate information. This study aims to use a risk management framework to identify and compare the level of risk involved in using or not using seasonal forecasts in viticulture. The study's primary data was collected through self-administered semi-structured interviews with viticulturists, agricultural consultants. and farm managers at different wineries within the Western Cape province, South Africa (SA). Wine grape farmers were interviewed to learn about their adaptation strategies in response to climate variability and their use or no-use of SF. The interviews explored the nature and types of risks that exist when climate conditions are above and below normal conditions, with and without the use of SF. A risk management framework, designed for this study's context, was used as a reference point, giving common ground to analysing the responses thematically and produce evidence toward each study objectives. The results show that climate variability poses a significant threat to the yield and quality of wine produced and has a negative impact on the labour and finances in- volved in running a vineyard. Analysing the responses showed that forecast uncertainty is the main driver of low SF uptake thus correlating with a lack of risk precautionary decision-making measures by farmers. Making them more vulnerable to unexpected climate impacts and risks. Farmers who make use of SF are mainly commercial who work with consultants and whose main income is made from selling grapes. The evidence presented suggests that the adoption of a risk framework could potentially aid farmers in making better decisions to help them identify, mitigate and/or avoid risks using SF technology to inform risk identification for present and future climate scenarios of their vine-yards.
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    Assessing the sensitivity to climate change of the Berg River Voelvlei abstraction system, Western Cape Province, South Africa
    (2025) Rabakali, Takalani; New, Mark; Cullis, James
    There is increasing evidence that climate change (CC) will negatively impact the water sector in many regions of the world, including South Africa, by reducing the availability of water resources in both dams and rivers, changing streamflow patterns, and disrupting aquatic biodiversity. The water resources of the southwest region of the Western Cape Province are particularly sensitive to anthropogenic CC, because the entire Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS) relies on rainfall-runoff to fill the main six renowned reservoirs, especially during the winter season. During the 2015-2018 drought event that occurred in the southwestern Cape (SWC) region around Cape Town, which ultimately lasted three consecutive years, these six reservors declined due to a shortage of rainfall that was exacerbated by anthropic factors associated with the growth of the urban population, as well as largely unabated demand amongst local water users. The records showed that rainfall in 2017 was the lowest since the 1880s, and subsequent analysis showed that human influence on climate had increased the likelihood of a drought of this magnitude in the SWC by a factor of three. Several options for augmenting supply in the WCWSS have been proposed, including the Berg River Vöelvlei Abstraction System (BRVAS), which will draw water from the Berg River (BR) in winter and pump it into the Vöelvlei dam (VD). However, there has been no analysis to date of the reliability of the BRVAS scheme under river flow conditions experienced in the recent 2015-2018 drought, or under projected climate change. This study aims to assess the reliability of the BRVAS to climate change. The two research questions for this study were as follows: (1) Given that the previous BRVAS reliability calculations made use of abstraction simulations using the earlier dry period of 1968-1972, would simulations using a period that spans the more severe 2015-2018 drought have the potential to alter the calculated reliability of the scheme? (2) How will the water available for abstraction change in the future under CC scenarios, and what are the implications of these changes for the reliability of the BRVAS? An abstraction model was set up in Excel that used historical streamflow (G1H020-Daljosafat streamflow gauge) and projected river flow data as input. The observed, extending from 1965 to 2021 were retrieved from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) website. The CC model-driven runoff data came from an existing study on the future of water resources in South Africa for three different periods, the recent past (or baseline) from 1961-1990, the near future from 2015-2044, and the distant future from 2070-2099. For the observed period, analysis of the data using the G1H020 Daljosafat streamflow gauge historical data showed that the simulated abstraction amounts and estimates are reduced if one considers the recent drought of 2015-2018 that happened in the SWC region of South Africa. Similarly, for the near and far future, it was found that the water abstraction amounts available were reduced quite dramatically across a large majority of hydrological flows simulated using the six different climate change model outputs. The minimum annual abstraction amount in 2015-2018/19 was found to be 33% lower than the earlier period, while the median annual abstraction amount was 75% different. Similarly, for projections, the frequency of flows below the 25th percentile (Q1) in all models ranged from 1% to -13% in the near future of 2015-2044, and from -1% to -39% in the distant future of 2070-2099, whereas the median annual abstraction differences for the near future ranged from 0% to -6% and 0% to -29% for the far future. The abstraction of 95% of the time (FDCs) exceeded during the observational record and the range across the models in differences between the far future and the recent past was noted to be from -50% to -83 percent.
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    Avian malaria prevalence and mosquito abundance in the Western Cape, South Africa
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2013) Okanga, Sharon; Cumming, Graeme; Hockey, Phillip
    BACKGROUND:The close relationship between vector-borne diseases and their environment is well documented, especially for diseases with water-dependent vectors such as avian malaria. Mosquitoes are the primary vectors of avian malaria and also the definitive hosts in the disease life cycle. Factors pertinent to mosquito ecology are likely to be influential to observed infection patterns; such factors include rainfall, season, temperature, and water quality. METHODS: The influence of mosquito abundance and occurrence on the prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in the Ploceidae family (weavers) was examined, taking into account factors with an indirect influence upon mosquito ecology. Mosquitoes and weaver blood samples were simultaneously collected in the Western Cape, South Africa over a two-year period, and patterns of vector abundance and infection prevalence were compared. Dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and salinity measurements were taken at 20 permanent waterbodies. Rainfall during this period was also quantified using remotely sensed data from up to 6months prior to sampling months. RESULTS: Sixteen wetlands had weavers infected with avian malaria. More than half of the mosquitoes caught were trapped at one site; when this site was excluded, the number of mosquitoes trapped did not vary significantly between sites. The majority of mosquitoes collected belonged to the predominant vector species group for avian malaria (Culex culex species complex). Seasonal variation occurred in infection and mosquito prevalence, water pH and water temperature, with greater variability observed in summer than in winter. There was a significant correlation of infection prevalence with rainfall two months prior to sampling months. Mosquito prevalence patterns across the landscape also showed a close relationship to patterns of rainfall. Contrary to predictions, a pattern of asynchronous co-variation occurred between mosquito prevalence and infection prevalence. CONCLUSION: Overall, salinity, rainfall, and mosquito prevalence and season were the most influential vector-related factors on infection prevalence. After comparison with related studies, the tentative conclusion drawn was that patterns of asynchronous variation between malaria prevalence and mosquito abundance were concurrent with those reported in lag response patterns.
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    Benefits management and its value to the organisation: a case study in a private organisation
    (2025) Ngobeni, Ntombifuthi; Massyn, Mark
    This research evaluates the application of the Benefits Realisation Management (BRM) particularly in the private sector with strategy implementation projects. The key objectives of this study are: to evaluate the alignment of project benefits and the organisations strategic goals, to understand the processes followed to ensure the benefits identified are realised, and to further understand the challenges that the organisation may be facing that influence the adoption of BRM as well as gain insights on potential aiders that can help accelerate the adoption of BRM in the private sector. Ten senior and executive management team members voluntarily participated in the study, and most of the participants completed the interview sessions via face-to-face meetings in the Western Cape, City of Cape Town and others were interviewed online. The analysis of the data has revealed that, the organisation considers project success as the project that has met the triple constraints criteria, delivered on time, on budget and on the agreed scope which is considered to be the project management success as it is still based on the traditional approach to project management even though project success view has shifted overtime and according to literature, the project success is based on the Project Management success as well as the customer satisfaction and the value that the project change has brought about (project benefits). The organisation puts in effort at the pre-initiation phase of the project by identifying the benefits and ensuring it aligns to the strategic objectives of the organisation to obtain funding as this has become a requirement to justify projects and get the board's approval. Whilst this is the first step to the BRM process, the study reveals that the benefits identified at the beginning of the are not tracked or monitored throughout the project or post completion. Also, the findings reveal that the projects that do not require funding from the board do not necessarily have to align to the organisations strategic goals and some do not follow the project governance processes thus, the BRM process is not fully implemented. Another key finding is that the organisation still regards project success based on the traditional approach to project management, which is the project deliverable being met, on time and on budget, they confirm that the benefits realisation should be part of the project measure of success, and the view of project success needs to be based on the project value which includes the realisation of the benefits anticipated. The organisation still does not have a clear understanding of who the benefit accountability should lie with, the study reveals that there is a lack of accountability in the organisation as well as the unclarity of who is or should be accountable for benefit realisation. Although the senior management teams believe that the BRM process should be implemented in the organisation and applied across the divisions, there are gaps within the organisation which mainly includes, the education of the business on the BRM process itself, setting up the BRM process and standardising it across the departments, reinforcement of accountability, stakeholder involvement and gaining Top Management buy-in. The correction of these should then aid the adoption of the BRM process. The limitations of this research are the region and sector in which the study was conducted. The study was conducted in a single private organisation headquarter in the Western Cape region in South Africa. The organisations sector is the retail sector. Only certain departments that implement strategy driven projects were invited to participate to the study. The study can be expanded, and the recommendations are outlined in the report.
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    Changing the game: public education and the discourses and practices of privatisation in educational technology policy and intervention
    (2020) Staschen, Orrie; Kell, Catherine
    Privatisation in education is a contentious issue, inseparable from the shift in focus from community-based education initiatives to individualistic and economically driven ones (Ball and Youdell, 2007). This raises ethical issues with initiatives like the Western Cape Government's Game Changer initiatives, given the range of access issues that learners experience in the pervasive social inequity of South Africa. There is a lack of existing research on privatisation practices in public education in the Western Cape, specifically what linguistic strategies are utilized in the official texts promoting it. The Game Changer initiatives and their associated ‘Roadmaps' promote non-state collaboration in extra- curricular eLearning classes and broader technology rollout in under resourced public schools. Analysis of the Roadmap policy reveals discourses of fast capitalism, skills talk, datafication and digital nativism. These discourses were mirrored in the practices, text and talk generated in an after-school mathematics intervention run by an EdTech company, which I have called ZipEd, in a Cape Flats school between 2017-2018. The company prioritized their funder's mandate and to prove their software's efficacy, spun data to reflect largely positive results. In the rush to provide this data, ZipEd entered several schools without fulfilling ethical clearance requirements. Obtaining access to Game Changer pilot sites ensured ZipEd's product rollout, continued growth, and financial success, revealing the neoliberal approaches which dominate ZipEd's practices. The Game Changer policy texts and the intervention observed, treated languages as silo-ed entities, ignoring family or community approaches to literacy initiatives, curricular reform, trans-languaging strategies and inclusive language learning. While EdTech is a useful teaching tool, this promotion of “exogenous” (Ball and Youdell, 2007) privatisation in the Western Cape, blurs the lines between state and non-state involvement, ultimately resulting in the commodification of public schooling.
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    Child and adolescent mental health services in the Western Cape Province of South Africa: the perspectives of service providers
    (2022-07-14) Mokitimi, Stella; Jonas, Kim; Schneider, Marguerite; de Vries, Petrus J
    Background Current work in the field point to the need to strengthen child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) globally, and especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Policy development, planning and service provision must be relevant to the needs of stakeholders at grassroots level, and should include their perspectives. This study set out to explore the perspectives and lived experiences of service providers, including their recommendations to strengthen CAMHS in South Africa. Methods Using focus group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured individual interviews (SSIIs), qualitative data were collected from 46 purposefully selected multidisciplinary health service providers across the Western Cape, one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Audio-recorded data were entered into NVivo 11 (QSR), and thematic analysis was performed by two independent raters. Results Results highlighted a significant lack of CAMH resources, poor intersectoral collaboration, limited access to training, absence of consistency and uniformity in service delivery, weak support for staff, and high rates of negative attitudes of staff. External factors contributing to poor CAMHS identified by service providers included poor socioeconomic circumstances, high rates of HIV/AIDS, substance use and stigma. The eight recommendations to strengthen CAMHS included a need to (1) increase CAMH staffing, (2) provide dedicated CAMHS at secondary care and child-friendly infrastructure at primary care, (3) review current service focus on number of patients seen versus quality of care provided to children, (4) formalise intersectoral collaborations, (5) increase learning opportunities for trainees, (6) employ a lead professional for CAMHS in the province, (7) increase support for staff, and (8) acknowledge staff initiatives. Conclusions Findings underlined the need for quality improvement, standardisation and scale-up of mental health services for children and adolescents in South Africa. Whilst we used the Western Cape as a ‘case study’, we propose that our findings may also be relevant to other LMICs. We recommend that the perspectives of service users, including children and adolescents, be sought to inform service transformation.
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    Condom use and HIV testing behaviours of men working in the construction industry in Western Cape, South Africa
    (2025) Kweku Yakubu, Kamaluddin; Govender, Rajendran
    In 2017, UNAIDS published a report titled “Blind Spot: Reaching Out to Men and Boys”, which highlighted a global pattern where men experience worse outcomes than women in the HIV prevention and treatment cascade. This issue is particularly evident in South Africa, where men have been found to be less engaged in HIV prevention and treatment services compared to women. To address this disparity, targeted interventions are urgently needed to improve HIV- related health outcomes for men. However, many such interventions lack a clear theoretical foundation, making it difficult to replicate or assess their effectiveness. This study addresses this gap by empirically testing the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) within a purposive sample of men who are at high risk for HIV/AIDS and hard-to-reach through traditional health facility-based interventions, male construction workers. The study found that an integrated model combining HBM and TPB constructs provided a statistically significant explanation of HIV testing and condom use. Key findings include the direct influence of perceived threat of HIV/AIDS, attitudes and subjective norms on HIV testing, and the significant role of self-efficacy and attitudes towards condom use on condom use intention. In addition to socio-demographic factors such as age and education, experiential factors associated with the impact of someday antiretroviral (ARV) therapy initiation under Universal Test and Treatment (UTT), such as knowledge of where to obtain ARVs, were also found to directly influence the HBM and the TPB, underscoring the importance of the evolving social context of HIV prevention and treatment in understanding HIV-related health outcomes. Finally, the study offers a structured approach for assessing and documenting theory-based interventions, facilitating systematic investigation and replication across different settings.
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    Decolonising and Africanising the Further Education And Training (FET) history curriculum in South Africa (Grades 10-12): integration of heritage sites and institutions of memory in the Western and Eastern Cape
    (2025) Phunguza, Sibongiseni; Bam-Hutchison, June
    The politics of heritage have progressively played a critical role in South African socio-political life since 1994. As an example, heritage institutions have played a major role in re-centring histories that were pushed to the periphery within the decolonisation discourse in post-Apartheid South Africa. Heritage has therefore also been seriously considered in the decolonisation of education in South Africa, especially in teaching History as a subject. This thesis critically analyses the integration of heritage sites and institutions of memory into the FET (grades 10-12) history curriculum, and how this integrated process of knowledge production could contribute towards building an Africa-centric curriculum. It argues that by centering African heritage sites and institutions of memory in knowledge production and education, the FET history curriculum can be radically decolonised and shifted towards indigenous knowledge prioritisation. The thesis explores two aspects in this argument: (1) How could we integrate heritage sites and institutions of memory into the FET history curriculum and (2) how could we teach topics that are covered in the curriculum by using African-informed foundations of research and knowledge production. The thesis argues that these two processes are interdependent and intersectional in nature.
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    Development and validation of an inventory for Western Cape primary science teachers' conceptions of formative assessment
    (2024) Ghorpade, Aparna Sandeep; Laugksch, Rudiger
    Across many nations worldwide, formative assessment has become an increasingly important component of education policies. Adopting a formative assessment approach in education can improve learners' academic performance, ultimately leading to enhanced educational outcomes. The current South African assessment policy (DBE, 2011) emphasises using formative assessment in primary schools, highlighting its importance in the educational process. However, studies exploring South African teachers' formative assessment practices have shown the need to improve teachers' understanding and use of formative assessments in classrooms. Therefore, it is important to make South African teachers' conceptions of assessment explicit in order to determine their current understanding of formative assessment and to move them towards implementing appropriate approaches to formative assessment. In South Africa, limited research has been conducted exploring teachers' conceptions of assessment, especially in Natural Sciences and Technology at the Intermediate Phase (Grades 4-6) level. Consequently, this study has four objectives - a) to develop an instrument suitable for use with primary school science teachers in the Western Cape, b) to identify practicing primary school science teachers' conceptions of formative assessment, c) to identify the demographic factor(s) that influence the conception of formative assessment of primary school science teachers, and d) to identify the preferred formative assessment practices of such primary school science teachers. Data were collected using a quantitative research design. The survey instrument used was developed by adapting Brown's (2006) Abridged Teachers' Conceptions of Assessment (TCoA-IIIA) inventory for the Western Cape context. Relevant science education stakeholders from the Western Cape province evaluated the content validity of the TCoA-IIIA questionnaire by providing feedback on the clarity of instructions and items of the questionnaire. The modifications and adaptation of TCoA-IIIA resulted in the “Teachers' Conceptions of Assessment - Western Cape (TCoA-WC)” questionnaire. To adapt the TCoA-IIIA for use in the Western Cape, rigorous cross-cultural adaptation and back-translation methods were followed. English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa are the most commonly spoken languages in the Western Cape province. Hence, a pilot test of the TCoA-WC was conducted with a group of English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa teachers. The TCoA-WC was then administered online to teachers in 65 schools across four Metro Education districts in the Western Cape. A stratified random sampling method was used as a method of sampling. The selected districts for the study included Metro Central, Metro North, Metro East, and Metro South, which collectively 64% of the province's teacher population. The data collection stage of the present study coincided with the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a limited response of 157 primary science teachers. These 157 responses were analysed by conducting three types of statistical analyses. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) analysis of data collected using TCoA-WC revealed the same factor structure as that of the TCoA-IIIA model, confirming the presence of four main conceptions of assessment (i.e., Improvement, School Accountability, Learner Accountability, and Irrelevance) and associated 27 items in the thinking of Western Cape primary science teachers. The TCoA-WC model also exhibited well-fitted psychometric properties. The reliability analysis and CFA analysis confirmed that TCoA-WC is a valid and reliable measure of Western Cape primary science teachers' conceptions of formative assessment. Thus, this study resulted in the development of the TCoA-WC inventory, which is conceptually, linguistically, and culturally appropriate for use with the teachers in the Western Cape province. The study participants did not explicitly endorse any specific assessment concept identified by the TCoA-WC inventory. However, the CFA analysis confirmed that all four conceptions of assessment, that is, Improvement, School Accountability, Learner Accountability, and Irrelevance, are present in the thinking of Western Cape primary school science teachers. It is hoped that the skillful integration of the findings of this study into teacher professional development initiatives will result in the implementation of formative assessment practices in the Western Cape primary classroom as outlined in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (DBE, 2011), which will lead to significant improvement in the performance of learners
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    Exploring the influence of funding sources on business incubation in the Western Cape
    (2020) Milne, James; Dhlamini, Xolisa
    The topic of business incubation has been the subject of considerable academic research, and a focal point in entrepreneurship support ecosystems. Business incubators provide entrepreneurs and start-up businesses with a shared space (either physical or virtual). The incubator offers a systematic shared support structure that enhances businesses' chances of succeeding and growing into entities that eventually graduate to a location beyond the ‘safety net' of the incubator. Academic research in the field of incubation has predominantly focused on (i) understanding business incubation models that are most effective within particular operating environments; and (ii) understanding support services that are most useful to incubatees of the incubator. This research instead explores the influence that funding sources have on business incubators, with a focus on understanding how incubators in turn assist their incubatees in accessing finance. Research focusing on funder influence on incubators, and support provided to incubatees to assist with access to finance, is at a nascent stage within the South African business incubation landscape. The research was undertaken utilising a multiple case study approach, with individual business incubators constituting a case. Incubators were classified into three case typologies, depending on their predominant funding source: mixed; private; or public funded. From the population of business incubators in South Africa, a sample of 8 incubators within the Western Cape Province were selected. Semi-structured interviews with participants were undertaken over a three month period and involved undertaking interviews with 8 incubator managers, and 10 current or former incubatees. Qualitative data from participant interviews were analysed using a combination of NVivo12 and MS Excel, in order to determine responses relevant to the research question and subquestions. The information collected was categorised into themes of relevance using initial and pattern coding methodologies. The research suggests that funders influence the work of incubators through driving their own objectives, utilising the incubator as a tool. Public sector funders set objectives for incubators that were linked to achieving socioeconomic goals (poverty alleviation and economic redress). Public sector funders were found to be strongly focused on achieving their own performance indicator goals, even if these did not align to the work of the incubators. Private sector funders set objectives for incubators that were linked to achieving the goals of their organisation or fund mandate. Private sector funders were found to lack long-term commitment to funding incubators. Communication between public and private sector funders was found to be, in general, poorly co-ordinated. Lack of co-ordination between funders negatively affected the impact of incubators. The cross-case multiple case study methodology revealed that in the Western Cape, similarities exist in the channels of support provided by incubators to assist their incubatees in accessing funding, regardless of the funding structure of the business incubator. However, heterogeneous priorities exist in funding support services provided to incubatees. Bias was identified in the process of sourcing of funding for incubatees. Incubators pursued a blend of proactive and reactive approaches to accessing funding for their incubatees, depending on their relationship with funder(s). The researcher recommends a strengthening of efforts to co-ordinate objectives across the two broad spheres of incubator funding sources (public and private) in order to build effective and sustainable business incubators in South Africa. Financiers of incubators should review stakeholders and other financiers involved in the incubator to clarify policy, commitments and performance metrics. Emphasis must be placed on ensuring alignment (i) between incubator financiers; (ii) between the objectives of the financier(s) and the incubator. The current study is well suited to being expanded in future, both in terms of: (i) widening the interview participant base to include incubator financiers; (ii) a geographic expansion to focus on South Africa as a whole.
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    Gangs and youth at risk in the Western Cape a review of the literature
    (2007) Choritz, Sharon Lisa; Van Der Spuy, Eirena
    Gangs affect countries the world-over. The formation and consolidation of criminal gangs remains entwined with political, economic and social factors. In this minor dissertation criminological debates relating to the phenomenon of gangs are explored within the South African context, with a particular focus upon marginalised youth in the Western Cape. By drawing on a range of scholarly material, documentary material and legislative reports, a number of thematic issues relevant to the development and regulation (control) of gangs in South Africa are considered. South African history played a significant role in gang formation and development, especially amongst marginalised youth. In the case of South Africa, a number of political and socio economic factors provided a fertile breeding ground for the formation of gangs. The range of factors is discussed in this paper. Furthermore, legislation designed to stifle gang activity will be reviewed and intervention strategies identified and assessed. In the final instance I argue that gangsterism needs to be addressed holistically. A holistic approach will have to involve socio-economic development, community involvement and law enforcement. A truly holistic approach requires the co-ordination of the various relevant stakeholders as well as the growth of human development so as to address the psychological needs of marginalised youth, an important tool for youth identity and transformation.
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    How does the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impact the psychological well-being of a teacher of colour?
    (2025) Chunderduth, Trisha Nicolle; Hardman, Joanne; Naidoo, Leigh-Ann
    The purpose of this study is to examine how the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impacts the psychological well-being of a woman teacher of colour. This study is situated within an Interpretivist research paradigm, and focuses on an oral narrative case study design via the process of semi-structured interview questions involving one participant – a woman teacher of colour. I examine the research question through the method of Ryff's Model of Psychological well-being. Key findings show that this teacher's interpersonal relationships in the school were fractured along race lines with her principal favouring white teachers to teach subject-specific content. Moreover, personal relationships with her family-sister and husband-proved to be more positive and mitigated the negative effects of some interpersonal relationships in her work environment. In conclusion, this thesis examines how systemic racial and gender biases, coupled with autocratic leadership, adversely affected a woman teacher of colour's psychological well-being in a high school in the Western Cape. Recommendations include a holistic approach regarding policy reform, targeted interventions, and community involvement as essential to improve teacher well-being and, by extension, educational outcomes.
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    Impact of air connectivity on tourism, FDI and trade: insight from the Western Cape
    (2020) Nonyati, Sibusiso; Alhassan, Abdul Latif
    This study investigated the impact of air connectivity on macroeconomic factors, specifically tourism, FDI and trade in the Western Cape, based on quarterly data from 2010 to 2018. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds approach for cointegration was used to assess whether long-run relationships existed between air connectivity and tourism, FDI and trade. The ARDL bounds test found a cointegrated relationship between air connectivity and tourism, FDI and trade respectively. Air connectivity was found to have a positive and significant long-run relationship with tourism This also supports the literature findings that air connectivity improves countries' accessibility and increases tourist arrivals from various markets. This confirms that air connectivity leads to an increase in the number of international tourists visiting the Western Cape, which contributes significantly to the tourism industry and the Western Cape economy. In addition, air connectivity was observed to have a positive but statistically insignificant long-run relationship with FDI and trade respectively. Therefore, this study concludes that air connectivity plays a key role in the economy, specifically regarding tourism through the facilitation of more tourists into the Western Cape. Furthermore, although the study showed positive and insignificant relationships between air connectivity and FDI and trade respectively, air connectivity is related to FDI and trade and these relationships require further investigation. Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers and decisionmakers on the African continent need to have initiatives that support the improvement of air connectivity, especially given that Africa has only a 2.2% market share of global air passengers and less than 10% of the continent's population uses air transport. Other African countries and regions should use a similar approach to what the Western Cape has done to improve the air connectivity between Cape Town and the rest of the world. In addition, investment in airports and airport-related infrastructure is critical and necessary, as poor airport infrastructure has been cited to be one of the obstacles in improving air connectivity in the continent. Furthermore, the development of an air connectivity index for the continent is required. This index will have to take into account the availability of data and the African context. Where data does not exist, a robust plan for the collection of data will also have to be developed. Lastly, the regulation of the aviation market needs urgent attention, starting with an Open Skies policy. The deregulation of air access could play a significant role in improving the African Continent's air connectivity.
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    Impact of DTG Use During Pregnancy on Birth Outcomes of HIV-Infected Women in the Western Cape, South Africa
    (2025) Meyer, Jamie; Myer, London; Malaba, Thokozile
    Background: The global shift to tenofovir+lamivudine+dolutegravir (TLD) has improved viral suppression in pregnant women living with HIV (WLH) but there are limited data on the combined impact of HIV and maternal body composition on birth outcomes. Methods: We enrolled WLH on TLD and a comparison group of women not living with HIV (WNLH) seeking antenatal care at primary health facilities in Cape Town. Gestational age (GA) was determined via ultrasound by research sonographer; behavioural and demographic data were collected through questionnaires; anthropometry was through clinical examination. Birth outcome data were abstracted from medical records, including pregnancy loss (miscarriage and stillbirth), prematurity (<37weeks GA), low birthweight (LBW) (<2500g), high birthweight (>400g) and size for GA [including small-(SGA) and large-for-GA (LGA) from Intergrowth estimates. Logistic regression models assessed the association between HIV/TLD and birth outcomes adjusting for maternal age, BMI, alcohol use and education; results are reported as adjusted odds ratios (AOR). Results: We followed 1908 women (804 WLH, 1104 HIV-; mean age 28y, median GA at enrolment, 14w; median BMI at enrolment, 31kg/m2 [IQR, 25-35]. Birth outcomes were known for 1869 women (98%) including 65 miscarriages (3.4%), 35 stillbirths (1.9%) and 1769 live births (1735 singletons). Overall rates of prematurity, LBW, HBW, SGA, HBW and LGA were 9.4%, 12%, 13%, 4% and 12%, respectively, and did not differ between WLH and HIV- women. BMI did not affect the association between HIV/TLD and any birth outcome. Independent of HIV/TLD, higher BMI was associated with reductions in prematurity, LBW and SGA. Conclusion: These results suggest few meaningful differences in birth outcomes between WLH on TLD in this setting, where both HIV and obesity are prevalent. Maternal BMI appears to be a more significant driver of birth outcomes than HIV in this cohort.