Tag: inequality

Strategic business planning in South Africa needs a forward-thinking approach so when it comes to cultivating a skilled workforce, there is one action that repeatedly delivers - the inclusion of learnerships into Workplace Skills Programmes (WSP) and Annual Training Reports (ATR).

I am the Vision serves as a manifesto for Mpho Dagada’s political party, Arise South Africa. Arise South Africa strives for a South Africa where poverty, inequality, corruption and despair have been replaced by boundless opportunities, unwavering justice and a vibrant democracy powered by innovation.

South Africa has experienced severe load shedding (i.e. controlled/scheduled power cuts), almost daily, since September 2022. This recent spike and high frequency of load shedding can be largely attributed to a significant drop in Energy Availability Factor of the coal fleet that has not been optimally maintained due to several  factors.

The concept of sustainability is considered differently for developing countries versus developed countries. Developed economies tend to look at sustainability with a significant focus towards environmental impact and preservation. In contrast, developing countries consider sustainability from a socio-economic perspective, which includes infrastructure-related challenges, for example.

A recent roundtable discussion we co-hosted with Microsoft sparked a debate whether SA’s unemployment challenges are truly about job availability rather than a mismatch in skills demand and supply.

The construction sector must not be overlooked in the drive towards achieving net zero. While sectors such as industrial manufacturing, mining and fossil fuel power generation tend to grab more headlines, the construction of buildings and infrastructure accounts for approximately 7 Gt CO2e, or 20% of global carbon emissions, where 4 Gt CO2e is associated with the materials used for construction.

In the past few years, we’ve seen the increase of wind and solar power generation as a cost-effective substitute for fossil fuels. Solar power is notorious as a go-to option and the fastest-growing energy source, playing a critical role to achieving a sustainable carbon free future. However, with renewable energy not available twenty-four hours a day, the need for balanced and flexible power generation is becoming rapidly apparent.

Drawing on a selection of ethnographic studies of precarious work in Africa, this book discusses globalisation and digitalisation as drivers for structural change and examines the implications for labour.

Working with key concepts developed by Gillian Hart, this book argues for a critical ethnographic approach to advance social justice movements for a radically different world. It offers an invaluable toolkit for activists and scholars engaged in sharpening their critical concepts for social and environmental change.

A study commissioned by Inyathelo, the South African Institute for Advancement, has revealed a significant increase in philanthropic funding for South African universities. However, the research also exposes deep-seated disparities in funding distribution that continue to plague the higher education sector.