The role of women's agricultural cooperatives in meeting United Nations sustainable development goals
- Authors: Boni, Ntomboxolo
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Millennium Development Goals , Agriculture, Cooperative -- South Africa , Cooperative societies -- South Africa , Women in agriculture -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21768 , vital:29775
- Description: The majority of the people in South Africa were poor prior 1994, especially those in the rural areas. Poverty in the rural areas affected mostly the women. The government of South Africa designed support programmes to mainstream women into the economy, although it had its own challenges, such as the non-participation of women in their own development and the top-down approach that at times was used by the government in the implementation of the programmes. Owing to the nature of the rural areas, agriculture was identified as a sector that had a potential to improve the economy in order to address the challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality. Since 2005 the concept of cooperative development has been a vehicle that has the potential to address the aforementioned challenges. In order for the cooperative development to run efficiently and effectively and in line with the cooperative principles and values, the government should keep the independence of this sector in mind by engaging the cooperatives in all the activities that were affecting the cooperative sector through their cooperative movement.The findings of the study showed that the agricultural cooperatives have not yet addressed poverty fully. All their members were employed and at times employment opportunities were extended to their community members, but the income earned was not satisfying its members. The women felt that they were not in control of their development as they lacked the capacity to lead and they were still led by the men in their cooperatives.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Development of a co-operative stakeholder framework for employment growth in the South African automotive sector
- Authors: Smith, Owen Christo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Cooperative societies -- South Africa , Job creation -- South Africa , Automobile industry and trade -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8884 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020799
- Description: Manufacturing has been identified by the Department of Trade and Industry as an important sector to drive economic growth in South Africa. The automotive manufacturing sector in particular has seen significant support from the DTI in the form of incentives to produce motor vehicles and components. South Africa is faced with a high unemployment rate and one of the strategies of the Government is to drive economic growth by supporting the automotive manufacturing sector. One of the spill-over targets is to increase employment creation in the industry. The automotive manufacturing sector consists of a diverse list of stakeholders representing motor vehicle manufacturers, component manufacturers, labour unions, government departments and industry associations. The Motor Industry Development Programme delivered significant progress in the number of vehicles produced in South Africa and the biggest growth was in the export of vehicles. Employment creation on the other hand did not see the same levels of growth as motor vehicle and component production. The purpose of this study was to identify and clarify what the variables are that influence employment creation and to develop a co-operation framework that would guide the automotive cluster stakeholders to work on employment creation initiatives as a collective. The survey questionnaire results representing the perception of managers showed that: - DTI Incentives schemes linked to employment creation; - Productivity, Technology and employment; - The role of competitiveness in the auto cluster; - Labour Union Collective bargaining; - Investment climate and infrastructure; - Education and skills development; does have an influence on employment creation in the automotive cluster.
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- Date Issued: 2013
Investigating the prevailing knowledge about co-operatives in South Africa and the determinants of their success
- Authors: Frans, Nonyameko
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Cooperative societies -- South Africa , Cooperative societies -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8862 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020206
- Description: The development of co-operatives has been increasingly seen, both globally and in developing countries, as a key strategy for a high economic growth rate, job creation and poverty alleviation. In trying to address these challenges, the South African government has been promoting co-operatives as an instrument for economic growth and socio-economic integration. Despite the realisation of the important role that cooperatives could play, not enough research has been done on the successes and failures of these organisations in achieving economic growth and socio-economic development in countries. The present study is an attempt to address this research gap. The primary objective of this study was to increase the success of co-operatives in South Africa by investigating the prevailing nature of operations of co-operatives and the determinants of the success of these organisations. More specifically, the study gathered qualitative information about co-operatives, identified which factors influence co-operatives in general and investigated which of these factors are the most important determinants of the success of these organisations in South Africa. A census was conducted of the 110 co-operatives registered in the database of the Leadership Academy (LA) of the NMMU Business School. Only 50 executive members of 26 co-operatives participated in the study (response rate of 23.6 percent). The empirical results revealed that the two most critical success factors for co-op success were the handling of finances and leadership; that language groups viewed coop success differently; and that females provide stronger leadership than males in cooperatives. The results also showed that skills development is an important factor in achieving these critical success factors. These results presented important managerial implications for the success of co-operatives.
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- Date Issued: 2013
Investigating informal savings as income generating and proverty alleviating tool in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Authors: Netnou, Ntombomhlaba Salome
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Banks and banking, Cooperative -- Developing countries , Rotating credit associations -- South Africa , Cooperative societies -- South Africa , Women -- Finance, Personal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9047 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1616 , Banks and banking, Cooperative -- Developing countries , Rotating credit associations -- South Africa , Cooperative societies -- South Africa , Women -- Finance, Personal
- Description: The study investigated the informal savings approach as an income-generating and poverty alleviation tool for women. The focus of the study is specifically in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The purpose of the study was to explore the reasons behind the involvement of women, in particular, to the use of informal savings as a tool for income generation and poverty alleviation. South Africa is characterised by inequitable growth and development, a high degree of poverty, increasing demands and limited resources. It is because of this backdrop that many women in poor communities, both rural and urban, devised brilliant plans to overcome this setback. Women, particularly African women, have for a long time been side-lined in economic decision making activities, both in their homes and elsewhere. For the purposes of this study, a mixed method research approach was employed, meaning that the study will follow both the qualitative and quantitative approaches. The respondents are a mixture of both literate and illiterate persons, and because of that, the researcher had to use both English and the home language of the respondents to explain the contents of the questionnaires and obtain the relevant information. The study identified the reasons that stokvels, which were believed to be popular in the past, and still are, because Black people in South Africa did not have access to formal financial institutions, remain popular long after the demise of apartheid. It is in the interest of the citizens of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to archive the financial activities of its inhabitants as this valuable information will be needed by future generations. This can be done by creating a website or adding a link to the existing ones where the information is readily available for the users. For future research purposes, stokvels in various parts of the Municipality and South Africa as a whole need to be studied in order to identify and compare to the available literature the general success factors.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Toward a co-operative way
- Authors: Roberts, R , Swart, Jane
- Date: 1988
- Subjects: Cooperative societies -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/75674 , vital:30447
- Description: This publication is not intended to be a scientific study and in fact does not pretend to be as such. It merely poses various perspectives and issues that reflect on the development and growth of the co-operative movement. A great deal of information grows out of personal and other experiences that have been shared at various levels, both individual, group, workshop/conferences and visits of actual co-operatives at work. The main people who have shared these experiences have helped, in one way or another to shape this publication. To them, and they know who they are, a very warm and special word of thanks. A particular note of appreciation for Sonja Sleigh and the members of the Peace Centre, who spent many hours in the typesetting and actual compilation of the publication. It is hoped that at the end of the day, that the questions and issues posed in this publication will serve towards enriching the growth process; the growth toward a richer and more human society.
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- Date Issued: 1988
Producer co-operatives in South Africa: their economic and political limits and potential
- Authors: Philip, T Kate
- Date: [1987?]
- Subjects: Cooperative societies -- South Africa , Producer cooperatives -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/75250 , vital:30391
- Description: The social and political effects of mass unemployment in South Africa mean there is an urgent need for strategies of job- creation. In this context, the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu), the South African Youth Congress (SAYCO), and the National Unemployed Workers' Co-ordinating Committee (NUWCC) have all expressed support for producer co-operatives, which are not only seen to have the potential to create jobs, but at the same time, are seen as providing a democratic alternative to capitalist enterprises. Thus firstly, this dissertation is exploring the potential for producer co-ops to fulfil these roles. However, for co-ops to make any contribution at all, they have to be economically viable. Thus this dissertation also attempts to analyse the terms on which this may be possible. In Chapter One, I analyse the roots of mass unemployment in South Africa, locate the problem and its effects within the framework of the current economic and political crisis, and analyse state strategies for overcoming this problem. I then turn to analysing the social and psychological effects of unemployment, and the implications of this for the growth of democratic organisation in the factories and township communities. I look at the strategies emerging for organising the unemployed, and conclude that the potential to organise the unemployed hinges largely around the extent to which unemployed workers' organisation manages to create jobs. In this regard, co-ops are a strategy of job creation that allows the unemployed to take the initiative in creating their own jobs, and on terms that build different forms of work organisation. On the basis of the priorities defined by the NUWCC, I then turn to analysing the limits and possibilities of co-op production. In Chapter Two, I address the theoretical issues that have emerged in relation to co-ops in capitalist society internationally, and attempt to analyse the reasons for their widespread economic failure, and for their tendency to degenerate into capitalist enterprises. From this, I draw out the potential terms on which collapse and/or degeneration can be countered, and refer to Mondragon in Spain and Lega in Italy as case studies. I then look at the potential political role co-ops can play, and conclude this chapter by focussing the issues discussed onto South African questions. In Chapter Three, I attempt a typology of co-op development in South Africa today, highlighting the extent to which a broad range of social forces see co-ops serving their own interests. Then, on the basis of a list of production co-ops in Addendum A, I analyse some of the overall features of the democratic co-ops that do exist at present, and point to the existence of degenerative tendencies in the South African context, with specific reference to Thusanang. I then focus on three case studies - the Pfananani co-ops, a carpentry co-op, and Nonthutuzelo. Each of these co-ops has arisen under different conditions, and they illustrate different aspects of the issues co-ops in SA will have to address if they are to survive. Chapter Four focusses on the production co-ops of the Sarmcol Workers Co-op (SAWCO), particularly the t-shirt co-op. The analysis of SAWCO constitutes the main case study of this dissertation. I have prioritised SAWCO because at the time I began the research, it was the only co-op with structural links to a Cosatu union; it is a co-op that arose out of the context of a workers' struggle, and contains important lessons for the establishment of co-ops with a clear relationship to democratic organisation. Furthermore, it relies on the 'solidarity' market to sell its products, and highlights certain important features and contradictions within this market. Finally, it highlights key issues in relation to the structures of ownership and control in democratic co-ops. In my conclusion, I attempt to draw together the material in the dissertation as a whole. I apply the theoretical discussion to the South African context, assess the implications of the nature of SA's economy for the development of co-ops, and attempt to provide some pointers to the terms on which democratic co-ops can be economically viable, thus creating jobs, at the same time as making a broader contribution to the extension of democracy in South Africa. , Labour studies research report (University of the Witwatersrand); v 4
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- Date Issued: [1987?]
What is a co-operative?
- Authors: Crankshaw, Paul
- Date: [Date of publication not identified]
- Subjects: Cooperative societies -- South Africa , Producer cooperatives -- South Africa , Consumer cooperatives -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/75688 , vital:30448
- Description: The word ‘co-operative’ means to work together for a common goal. A co-operative is a group of people who together own and control an organisation or a business for the benefit of its members. A co-operative is democratic, and so the members of the co-operative are responsible to each other. They work for themselves; and together they decide how to run the co-operative and how to share the profits. , This booklet was put together by members of Cope, with the help of Paul Crankshaw (editing and layout), Leslie Lawson (photographs and interviews) and Sue Beattie (drawings)
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- Date Issued: [Date of publication not identified]