Browsing by Subject "Western Cape Province"

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    Migrant remittances and socio-economic status of recipient households in the DRC: Case of Congolese migrants in the Western Cape in South Africa
    (2018) Nzonde, Patient; Soko, Mills
    More than two decades of internal fighting and political unrest have seen millions of Congolese people leave their home country in search of a better future for themselves and their families in other parts of the world. This migratory movement exposed most of them to the significance of remittances as a means to support the loved ones left behind. Remittances from abroad play a key role in enhancing the standard of living of households in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The study therefore analyzed remitting behaviours of migrants based in the Western Cape province of South Africa and the impact of their remittances on recipients’ livelihood in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This study made use of primary and secondary data collected from various sources, then applied qualitative methods for analyzing both the remittance senders’ behaviour and the impact on recipient households. After a critical analysis, the study found that remittances increase the income of recipients, help alleviate poverty, improve recipients’ ability to access basic services such as health and education, and contribute to employment creation by providing capital for microenterprises and community based projects. The study also found that migrants based in the Western Cape would rather use informal channels instead of formal channels due to high costs and compliance requirements. One contribution of this study is the finding that current policies in relation with the remittance industry in South Africa and in Congo can definitely be improved in order to increase remittances inflows both ways, and thus meaningfully impact both countries’ economies.
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    Perceptions of school climate: a comparative study of a former white and a black South African high school
    (2020) Mokhele, Reitumetse; Nilsson, Warren
    School climate is a determinant of academic performance, as supported by evidence in developed countries. However, there are limited studies from developing countries to test this hypothesis. The few studies that have attempted to explore this topic are often limited to educators. Studies in South Africa show this limitation, hence the motivation to explore school climate from the students' perspective. This study is focused on students' perception of school climate and how it impacts their academic lives. Two schools from the Western Cape Province were used as case studies. They were Pinelands and Langa High Schools, institutions that are distinct in terms of their history, location, resources, demographics and academic performance. The results of the study revealed that most students do not feel safe physically and emotionally in the school environment. In a multiracial school, the main concern is around interpersonal relationship, particularly the level of social support received from teachers; while in a black and disadvantaged school, the concerns are around institutional environment relating to the physical environment and facilities in school. Additionally, students from the privileged school had more emotional concerns, and did not believe that teachers supported them socially, while those from the disadvantaged school had physical safety concerns but believed that their teachers are supportive both academically and socially. The study concludes with a recommendation for future studies to consider more than two schools, expand the geographical scope, employ rigorous data collection, and assess multi-stakeholder perceptions of school climate and the link it has to academic performance so as to improve reliability and generalisability of the findings.