The causal relationship between savings and economic growth in the Southern African development community
- Authors: Nsenga, Dieu Donne Katamba
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Saving and investment -- Developing countries
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17409 , vital:28337
- Description: Promoting high domestic savings rates in order to boost economic growth is one of the SADC macroeconomic targets. Based on both the Solow’s (1956) and the endogenous “AK” growth models that predict a positive relationship between savings and economic growth in a closed economy, and on the Aghion-Comin-Howitt’s (2006) hypothesis that assumes a positive relationship between savings and economic growth in an open economy, two separate empirical models were constructed to test the long-run relationship and the causality between savings and economic growth in the SADC region. To this end, annual time series data for ten SADC member states obtained from the World Bank Indicators over the period 1985-2015 were pooled. The Panel ARDL/Pooled Mean Group estimator developed by Pesaran, Shin and Smith (1997) was performed to analyse the data. The main findings are that domestic savings is positively related to GDP in an open economy, whereas in a closed economy, it is insignificant. In addition, the speed of adjustment revealed a bi-directional causality between savings and economic growth. However, the speed of adjustment is much slower when the model is estimated with savings as the dependent variable but faster when GDP is regressed as the dependent variable. Thus, SADC member states are encouraged to implement policies that promote domestic savings as well as attract foreign direct investments, in order to boost economic growth. GDP growth will, in turn, increase the level of domestic savings.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Nsenga, Dieu Donne Katamba
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Saving and investment -- Developing countries
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17409 , vital:28337
- Description: Promoting high domestic savings rates in order to boost economic growth is one of the SADC macroeconomic targets. Based on both the Solow’s (1956) and the endogenous “AK” growth models that predict a positive relationship between savings and economic growth in a closed economy, and on the Aghion-Comin-Howitt’s (2006) hypothesis that assumes a positive relationship between savings and economic growth in an open economy, two separate empirical models were constructed to test the long-run relationship and the causality between savings and economic growth in the SADC region. To this end, annual time series data for ten SADC member states obtained from the World Bank Indicators over the period 1985-2015 were pooled. The Panel ARDL/Pooled Mean Group estimator developed by Pesaran, Shin and Smith (1997) was performed to analyse the data. The main findings are that domestic savings is positively related to GDP in an open economy, whereas in a closed economy, it is insignificant. In addition, the speed of adjustment revealed a bi-directional causality between savings and economic growth. However, the speed of adjustment is much slower when the model is estimated with savings as the dependent variable but faster when GDP is regressed as the dependent variable. Thus, SADC member states are encouraged to implement policies that promote domestic savings as well as attract foreign direct investments, in order to boost economic growth. GDP growth will, in turn, increase the level of domestic savings.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Recapitalisation and development programme for cattle producing farmers in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Sontundu, Qaqamba
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land reform -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/12790 , vital:27121
- Description: This thesis examines the impact of the recapitalisation and development programme on cattle producing farmers in Joe Gqabi and Chris Hani Districts. This research is based on the insight that most of the Eastern Cape cattle producing farmers are facing financial problems and their farms are dilapidated even though there are interventions from the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform and Rural Development and Land Reform through programmes such as CASP and RADP for rescuing the cattle producing farmers. The major challenges faced by the cattle producing farmers into getting the funding will be established in this study. The main focus is on the farms that have already got the funding and also on the ones that are still in the pipeline for being funded by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. To a lesser extent, the thesis draws on findings from careful considerations of case studies comprising ten farms, thus five farms from Joe Gqabi and five from Chris Hani Districts. The research methods under this research design yielded data that was descriptive and exploratory based on human experiences and are associated with discovering changes in situations. The research findings show that delays in releasing recapitalisation and development funds for land reform beneficiaries have been recognised as one of the main reasons for the collapse of land reform projects. In most cases the funds are arriving long after they were needed for important faming activities. The delays are also leading to permanent closure of the farms. Therefore, it is essential for the success of land reform programmes to ensure that the production model is designed so as to generate benefits for land reform beneficiaries. This thesis is concluded by making recommendations to the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in order to address the identified Recapitalisation and Development Funding challenges as well as to identify what can be considered as effective financial support to the land reform projects.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Sontundu, Qaqamba
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land reform -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/12790 , vital:27121
- Description: This thesis examines the impact of the recapitalisation and development programme on cattle producing farmers in Joe Gqabi and Chris Hani Districts. This research is based on the insight that most of the Eastern Cape cattle producing farmers are facing financial problems and their farms are dilapidated even though there are interventions from the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform and Rural Development and Land Reform through programmes such as CASP and RADP for rescuing the cattle producing farmers. The major challenges faced by the cattle producing farmers into getting the funding will be established in this study. The main focus is on the farms that have already got the funding and also on the ones that are still in the pipeline for being funded by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. To a lesser extent, the thesis draws on findings from careful considerations of case studies comprising ten farms, thus five farms from Joe Gqabi and five from Chris Hani Districts. The research methods under this research design yielded data that was descriptive and exploratory based on human experiences and are associated with discovering changes in situations. The research findings show that delays in releasing recapitalisation and development funds for land reform beneficiaries have been recognised as one of the main reasons for the collapse of land reform projects. In most cases the funds are arriving long after they were needed for important faming activities. The delays are also leading to permanent closure of the farms. Therefore, it is essential for the success of land reform programmes to ensure that the production model is designed so as to generate benefits for land reform beneficiaries. This thesis is concluded by making recommendations to the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in order to address the identified Recapitalisation and Development Funding challenges as well as to identify what can be considered as effective financial support to the land reform projects.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
An investigation into the antibacterial activities of medicinial plants traditionally used in the Eastern Cape to treat secondary skin infections associated with burn wounds
- Authors: Weideman, Liezel
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Materia medica, Vegetable -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Burns and scalds -- Alternative treatment , Skin -- Infections
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10116 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/172 , Materia medica, Vegetable -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Burns and scalds -- Alternative treatment , Skin -- Infections
- Description: Traditional medicine has a long history of being used for treating various ailments ranging in severity. Although traditional medicine has typically been the health care for the poorest levels of society, there is a worldwide growth in popularity. The growing popularity of traditional medicine, termed the green boom, may be ascribed to people taking a more holistic approach to maintain their health. Traditional medicine is widely used on a regular basis by 70% of South Africans. Various indigenous medicinal plants are used for the preparation of traditional herbal medicine. These plants are mostly indigenous to the regions were it is used. In this study four medicinal plants (Bulbine frutescens, Leonotis leounurus, Melianthus major & Zantedecshia aethiopica) that are traditionally used in the Eastern Cape region for treating burn wound infections, were collected for investigation. The in vitro antibacterial activity of these plants was tested against different bacterial strains of eight different bacteria. The bacteria used in this investigation included bacterial strains of four Gram-positive bacteria, S. aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), E. feacalis, S. pyogenes and four Gramnegative bacteria, P. aeruginosa, A. baumanii, K. pneumoniae and P. mirabilis. Traditional preparations as well as three different extracts (methanol, aqueous & acetone) of the plants were used for in vitro antibacterial activity testing. The microtitre plate assay and agar dilution assay were used for determining the antibacterial activity of the traditional preparations and plant extracts against the different bacterial strains. In the microtitre plate assay the antibacterial activity was tested using the bacterial growth indicator, INT and a microtitre plate spectrophotometer to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations of the plant extracts and traditional preparations. The microtitre plate assay was used for testing the antibacterial activity of the plants against the bacterial strains of five bacteria, S. aureus, MRSA, P. aeruginosa, A. baumanii and K. pneumoniae. The bacterial strains of the three bacteria, S. pyogenes, E. feacalis and P. mirabilis were not compatible with the microtitre plate assay using INT and spectrophotometric readings to determine bacterial inhibition. Therefore the agar dilution assay were used as an alternative method for determining the MIC’s of the plant extracts against the bacterial strains of these bacteria. The initial plant extract concentration in the microtitre plate assay differed with the different plant extracts in the microtitre plate assay. Acetone followed by methanol extracted the highest plant extract concentrations with the different medicinal plants. M. major followed by L. leonurus produced the highest plant extract concentrations following extraction with the different extraction solvents. Consequently the acetone extract of M. major had the highest plant extract concentration before serial dilution in the microtitre plate assay. Uniform plant extract concentrations were tested in the agar dilution assay. The methanol extract followed by the acetone extract of the plants gave the highest antibacterial activity against the different bacterial strains. The extracts of M. major followed by L. leonurus inhibited the highest number of bacterial strains in the microtitre plate assay and the extracts of B. frutescens inhibited the lowest number of bacterial strains. The acetone and methanol extracts of M. major were the only extracts that displayed antibacterial activity in the agar dilution assay. The bacterial strains of P. mirabilis were the only bacteria that were inhibited using this method. The bacterial strains of S. pyogenes and E. feacalis were not inhibited at any of the plant extract concentrations in the agar dilution assay.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Weideman, Liezel
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Materia medica, Vegetable -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Burns and scalds -- Alternative treatment , Skin -- Infections
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10116 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/172 , Materia medica, Vegetable -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Burns and scalds -- Alternative treatment , Skin -- Infections
- Description: Traditional medicine has a long history of being used for treating various ailments ranging in severity. Although traditional medicine has typically been the health care for the poorest levels of society, there is a worldwide growth in popularity. The growing popularity of traditional medicine, termed the green boom, may be ascribed to people taking a more holistic approach to maintain their health. Traditional medicine is widely used on a regular basis by 70% of South Africans. Various indigenous medicinal plants are used for the preparation of traditional herbal medicine. These plants are mostly indigenous to the regions were it is used. In this study four medicinal plants (Bulbine frutescens, Leonotis leounurus, Melianthus major & Zantedecshia aethiopica) that are traditionally used in the Eastern Cape region for treating burn wound infections, were collected for investigation. The in vitro antibacterial activity of these plants was tested against different bacterial strains of eight different bacteria. The bacteria used in this investigation included bacterial strains of four Gram-positive bacteria, S. aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), E. feacalis, S. pyogenes and four Gramnegative bacteria, P. aeruginosa, A. baumanii, K. pneumoniae and P. mirabilis. Traditional preparations as well as three different extracts (methanol, aqueous & acetone) of the plants were used for in vitro antibacterial activity testing. The microtitre plate assay and agar dilution assay were used for determining the antibacterial activity of the traditional preparations and plant extracts against the different bacterial strains. In the microtitre plate assay the antibacterial activity was tested using the bacterial growth indicator, INT and a microtitre plate spectrophotometer to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations of the plant extracts and traditional preparations. The microtitre plate assay was used for testing the antibacterial activity of the plants against the bacterial strains of five bacteria, S. aureus, MRSA, P. aeruginosa, A. baumanii and K. pneumoniae. The bacterial strains of the three bacteria, S. pyogenes, E. feacalis and P. mirabilis were not compatible with the microtitre plate assay using INT and spectrophotometric readings to determine bacterial inhibition. Therefore the agar dilution assay were used as an alternative method for determining the MIC’s of the plant extracts against the bacterial strains of these bacteria. The initial plant extract concentration in the microtitre plate assay differed with the different plant extracts in the microtitre plate assay. Acetone followed by methanol extracted the highest plant extract concentrations with the different medicinal plants. M. major followed by L. leonurus produced the highest plant extract concentrations following extraction with the different extraction solvents. Consequently the acetone extract of M. major had the highest plant extract concentration before serial dilution in the microtitre plate assay. Uniform plant extract concentrations were tested in the agar dilution assay. The methanol extract followed by the acetone extract of the plants gave the highest antibacterial activity against the different bacterial strains. The extracts of M. major followed by L. leonurus inhibited the highest number of bacterial strains in the microtitre plate assay and the extracts of B. frutescens inhibited the lowest number of bacterial strains. The acetone and methanol extracts of M. major were the only extracts that displayed antibacterial activity in the agar dilution assay. The bacterial strains of P. mirabilis were the only bacteria that were inhibited using this method. The bacterial strains of S. pyogenes and E. feacalis were not inhibited at any of the plant extract concentrations in the agar dilution assay.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »