Department of Economics
http://hdl.handle.net/11394/50
2024-03-29T04:43:14ZAssessing the financial inclusion of micro-, small, and medium enterprises(MSMEs) in South Africa: 2010 and 2020 FinScope MSME data
http://hdl.handle.net/11394/10622
Assessing the financial inclusion of micro-, small, and medium enterprises(MSMEs) in South Africa: 2010 and 2020 FinScope MSME data
Anthony, Calynn Kristen
The financial inclusion of micro-, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as major stakeholders in the economy remains meagre. MSMEs are the strongest economic activity drivers worldwide, yet many researchers have studied the effect of financial inclusion on MSMEs as it has become a global priority. International and local studies have agreed that removing certain financial system constraints can improve the financial inclusion status of MSMEs. Yet, local studies focused on this concept for South African MSMEs are scarce. The objective of this study is to assess the financial inclusion of micro-, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in South Africa. This study offers the first of its kind to use FinScope MSME 2010 and 2020 surveys to assess the financial inclusion of MSMEs in South Africa and uses the Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) to derive a financial inclusion index to assess the financial inclusion status of MSMEs. This study aims to fill the gap in the literature by using recent data and a different methodology to measure the financial inclusion of MSMEs in South Africa. The relationship between the computed MSME financial inclusion index and various explanatory variables is tested using the Ordinary Least Squares regression model. Thereafter, the likelihood of being financially excluded is measured by running probit regressions.
Magister Commercii - MCom
2024-01-01T00:00:00ZDeterminants of export diversification in Rwanda
http://hdl.handle.net/11394/10614
Determinants of export diversification in Rwanda
Umuhoza, Pelagie
Since Rwanda gained independence in 1962, the country’s export diversification has become a crucial tool for enhancing economic development, economic growth, and Balance of payment. This is why Rwanda expanded the list of not only export products but also the economic integration blocks. However, the country’s export still needs to be of a better standard. The export diversification factors still need to be investigated for more efficient export policies. The purpose of this research is to determine the factors that contributed to Rwanda’s export diversification using time series data from 1980 to 2014. In this study, the ADF and PP tests were utilized to assess the stationarity properties of the unit root test, the ARDL model was conducted to test the co-integrating amongst the variables, while the estimated short-run ECM was also derived. The empirical results demonstrated that trade openness, terms of trade, and GDP per capita, have insignificant negative impacts on export diversification both in the short and long term, while infrastructure has a significant positive impact on export diversification. However, FDI had an insignificant positive influence on the country’s export diversification.
Magister Economicae - MEcon
2023-01-01T00:00:00ZExamining the South African labour market outcomes during the coronavirus pandemic of 2019
http://hdl.handle.net/11394/10596
Examining the South African labour market outcomes during the coronavirus pandemic of 2019
Botha, Jade Joy
The South African labour market is distinguished by dismally significant levels of unemployment and even higher levels of youth unemployment. The COVID-19 pandemic imposes the risk of adding further pressure on South Africa’s already exasperated labour market and thus contributing to greater unemployment levels amongst South Africans. To combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African government imposed lockdown levels to reduce socio-economic activities and thereby minimise the health effects and spread of the virus. The continuous lockdowns unfortunately placed constraints on business activities and led to increased levels of unemployment. The outcomes reveal that the burden of this unemployment resultant of the COVID-19 pandemic falls to minority groups, such as the youth, African women and lowly educated. This study analysed the 2020-2022 Quarterly Labour Force Survey data as well as the first five waves (also taking place in 2020-2021) of the National Income Dynamics Study – Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) panel data to investigate who were the hardest hit in the labour market by the COVID-19-driven economic lockdown. The specific focus was on the profile of people (e.g., gender, race, age cohort, province, area type, educational attainment, work characteristics) suffering the greatest increase of unemployment during the abovementioned period, with the aid of various statistical and econometric analyses. The QLFS data showed that low-educated Africans aged 25-44 years and those involved in low skilled occupation categories were most susceptible to job loss. In addition, the NIDS-CRAM data showed that for those who were still employed in February 2020, just over 50% worked in all five waves, 14% worked in four waves and 9% in three waves. Only 0.5% and 1.8% turned out to be unemployed and inactive in all five waves, respectively. Finally, for the February 2020 employed who lost their jobs and became unemployed in April 2020 (wave 1), 60% of them worked again but 22% remained unemployed in March 2021 (wave 5).
Magister Commercii - MCom
2023-01-01T00:00:00ZInvestigating the discouraged workseekers in the South African labour market
http://hdl.handle.net/11394/10595
Investigating the discouraged workseekers in the South African labour market
Sauls, Jay-Dee
South Africa is notorious for its socio-economic problems, namely extreme poverty, inequality, and unemployment. These problems have been persistent during the apartheid era and even since the advent of democracy. High unemployment remains a pivotal factor facing South Africa. Despite the South African government’s attempt to reduce poverty through implementing and introducing new policies and legislation unemployment remains high. There have been a vast number of studies examining the characteristics of the employed and unemployed, but very few studies examined the characteristics of discouraged workseekers in great detail. There is lack of empirical literature that explicitly focused on the discouraged workseekers, yet it is important to know who they are and whether there is something that can be done to assist them to actively seek work. The study therefore will aim to conduct a comprehensive investigation on the discouraged workseekers for the period 1995 to 2019 within South Africa. Using the Statistics South Africa’s numerous labour market surveys in 1995-2019, as well as the first five available waves of the National Income Dynamics Study data conducted in 2008- 2016, the empirical findings showed that discouraged workseekers are most likely to be of the African race, females, between the ages of 25 and 34 years old, with incomplete secondary education, residing within rural areas and primarily in KwaZulu-Natal. The study concluded by suggesting various policy recommendations to provide further support to the discouraged workseekers, such as the promotion of volunteer work, promotion of quality and quantity of education, promote transport subsidies for job seeking and lastly to review the National Minimum Wage.
Magister Commercii - MCom
2023-01-01T00:00:00Z