The effect of sectoral foreign direct investment on sectoral growth and sectoral employment in South Africa
- Authors: Paul, Bernice Nicole
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Investments, Foreign -- South Africa , South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1991- , South Africa -- Economic policy , Gross domestic product -- South Africa , UNCTAD-ICTSD Project on IPRs and Sustainable Development , Unemployment -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Master , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177964 , vital:42894
- Description: Over several decades past, developing countries have received increased amounts of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). This form of investment has been welcomed because of the perceived benefits attached to it. FDI is seen as an important driver of economic development for many nations. For South Africa specifically, GDP growth rates have remained less than required, unemployment rates have reached staggering levels, poverty and inequality levels are increasing and the list goes on. Considering the perceived benefits of FDI, one may argue that FDI can play a crucial role in reducing the mentioned challenges facing the nation, however, only if directed to initiatives contributing to growth and employment. The 2015 Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development includes an action menu promoting investment in sectors relating to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating the relationship between sector FDI and sector growth in addition to investigating the effect of sector FDI on sector employment over the period 2000Q1 to 2016Q4 for six of South Africa’s economic sectors. The reason for such a study is based on the premise that developing nations such as South Africa lack sound trade and industrial policies favorable to foreign investors. This then leads to the nation failing to attract higher volumes of FDI which could be used to address structural challenges facing the country. It is therefore important to identify sectors in which FDI has resulted in growth and employment so that when policies are considered, the right FDI is targeted. A comprehensive review of existing theoretical and empirical literature showed that FDI does result in economic growth for developed and developing countries, although FDI crowds out domestic investment in the short run. Literature on the effect of FDI on employment showed diverse effects. Some studies found FDI to increase employment overall, other studies found FDI to increase employment only during periods of restructuring and some studies found FDI to result in job losses. For South African sectors, the present study finds that the financial services sector receives the highest volume of South African FDI, followed by the mining and quarrying sector and the manufacturing, however, FDI in all six sectors under study is associated with increased growth and employment. This finding suggests that the financial services sector has received increased volumes of FDI as a result of financialization of the South African economy. It is this increased FDI in the financial services sector that is directed to income redistribution from the real sector to the finance sector. This study employed econometric techniques and methods of analysis to investigate the relationship between sector FDI and sector growth, and the effect of sector FDI on sector employment. Panel cointegration tests were conducted for all six sectors included in the study to establish if long run equilibrium relationships exist among integrated variables. The Johansen-Fisher panel cointegration test revealed that there is evidence of cointegration in four of the six sectors. Since cointegration was established, the study proceeded to perform the Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality analysis and estimate a Panel Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). Results from the causality analysis found a unidirectional causality relationship between FDI and GDP growth, while the panel VECM found FDI to have a significant effect on growth in all sectors. The Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) model employed to investigate the effect of FDI on employment found FDI to have an insignificant effect on employment in all sectors included, although the signs of the coefficients suggest that FDI is associated with increased employment and rising wages is associated with increased productivity growth. Since this study finds that FDI is associated with increased GDP growth in all six sectors under study, policy makers should devise strategies to attract FDI in sectors such as the transportation, storage and communication sector and the electricity, gas and water sector as FDI in these sectors are associated with increased growth however, they receive very low levels of FDI. There are a number of reasons for this, therefore, government institutions and policy makers should investigate the reasons for these low levels of FDI inflows into these sectors so that they can devise further strategies to address these reasons and perhaps attract higher levels of FDI into these sectors. Spillover benefits play a major role in host nations participating in FDI therefore, prior to entering into bilateral treaty agreements, policy makers should ensure that foreign investors are compelled to create jobs, offer training and qualifications etc. through their investments so that some of the SDGs can be achieved. Additionally, this study finds a positive, statistically insignificant relationship between FDI and employment. FDI may not have a significant relationship on employment due to jobless growth and capital-intensive growth rather than labor-intensive growth. Such a situation calls for government intervention. Skills shortage is a rising problem in South Africa; therefore, investors choose to employ advanced technologies rather than people. Under such circumstances, governments are encouraged to invest resources into skills development so that human capital are not completely replaced by technology. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economic History, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
An investigation of the internal challenges that hinder sustainability of the Furntech Nyanga incubates
- Authors: Sakuba, Siyasanga
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Business incubators -- South Africa -- Cape Town , Business incubators -- Training of -- South Africa -- Cape Town , Entrepreneurship -- South Africa – Cape Town , Unemployment -- South Africa , Rate of return -- South Africa , Economic development -- South Africa , Training needs -- South Africa -- Cape Town , Furntech (Nyanga)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142830 , vital:38121
- Description: The South African unemployment rate is currently at 27.6 per cent (Statistics South Africa, 2019). In an effort to combat unemployment, the South African government has implemented various mechanisms to provide opportunities to the people and combat unemployment. One of these mechanisms is to invest in the establishment of entrepreneurship incubators while the Furntech incubator is one of the incubators established for this purpose. It is imperative that the government spending on these mechanisms is justified by a return on investment which, in this case, should be to reduce unemployment and increase the overall entrepreneurial activity. In view of Furntech, with specific reference to the Nyanga incubation centre, there is a high failure rate with very little output of sustainable enterprises from the two-year incubation period. This study seeks to investigate the internal challenges that hinder the sustainability of these entrepreneurs to either drop out before the end of the two-year incubation period or to furnish the two years without becoming sustainable entrepreneurs. This study seeks to investigate this matter by using a semi -structured interview schedule that was geared towards investigating the research problem from the view of the incubates. The findings of the study showed that Furntech can be commended in respect of the transfer of technical skills. Furntech, however, failed to support the entrepreneurs with the other business support services that are part of their services, namely the business advisory, financial support and business skills. These findings provide a guideline of where Furntech needs to improve its service offering to gain a higher output of sustainable entrepreneurs. It is important to note that even though Furntech has representation in three provinces with two incubators in the Western Cape (Cape Town and Nyanga), however, this study was limited to the Furntech Nyanga incubates.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
An exploratory study of female labour force participation in South Africa: 1995 - 2010
- Authors: Mahali, Lesala
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Labor markets -- South Africa , Unemployment -- South Africa , Labor supply -- South Africa , Women -- Employment -- South Africa , Role conflict , Women employees -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Com
- Identifier: vital:11465 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007050 , Labor markets -- South Africa , Unemployment -- South Africa , Labor supply -- South Africa , Women -- Employment -- South Africa , Role conflict , Women employees -- South Africa
- Description: The role that women play in the economy of any society is a desirable goal for equity and efficiency considerations. Just as with the rest of the world, the South African women lagged behind their male counterparts within the economic empowerment space and in the formal labour force. However, the role of women has undergone some transformations with issues relating to employment opportunities, such that their labour force participation has risen considerably since 1994. The female labour force participation rate is still seen to be persistently lower compared to the male participation rate even in the second decade of democracy. The rate of women labour force participation is even lower than the average. On the other hand, the increases have also been coupled with the rising rate of unemployment among women. The objective of this study was to investigate the determinants of female labour force participation in the South African labour market. The study uses a regression analysis on a cross sectional panel data covering a period of 1995 to 2010. Unlike most popular beliefs, the findings of this study reveal that fertility though not statistically significant, positively influences labour force participation of women. Other variables that are statistically significant in explaining female labour force are HIV/AIDS, marital status, age, household income and education. Race was found to be insignificant in explaining female labour force participation in the South African labour force.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The impact of the exchange rate volatility on unemployment in South Africa
- Authors: Nyahokwe, Olivia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2903-1014
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Foreign exchange rates -- South Africa , Unemployment -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25580 , vital:64336
- Description: Real exchange rate volatility have important effects on production, employment and trade, so it is crucial to understand its impact on unemployment especially on a country like South Africa.This study analyses the impact of the real exchange rate volatility on unemployment and the dynamic adjustment of unemployment rate following shocks to its determinants using quarterly South African data covering the period 2000 to 2010. It begins with a review of literature on the impact of exchange rate volatility on unemployment and provides a brief updated background on the exchange rate and unemployment in South Africa. An empirical model linking the real exchange rate to unemployment is then specified. In contrast to previous analyses, this study augments the cointegration and vector autoregression (VAR) and the GARCH model including analysis with impulse response and variance decomposition analyses to provide robust long run effects and short run dynamic effects on the unemployment rate. The empirical analysis using a variety of specifications,estimation techniques, and robustness tests suggests that exchange rate volatility has a statistically and economically significant impact on employment. The variables that have been found to have a long run relationship with unemployment rate include the real exchange rate, exports ,real interest rate and the gross domestic product.The impulse response functions broadly corroborate the theoretical predictions, but only real interest rate and exports have a significant impact on unemployment in the short run. Results from the variance decompositions are largely similar to those from the impulse response analysis. The real exchange rate and exports are the only variables found to significantly explain the variation in the unemployment. The most interesting result that emerged from this analysis and is supported by previous research is that among other determinants, the real exchange rate explain the largest proportion of the variation in unemployment rate. On balance, the evidence therefore suggests that unemployment rate fluctuations are predominantly equilibrium responses to real exchange rate shocks in comparison with interest rates, economic growth and exports. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2013
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Learnership program's effectiveness at an FET college
- Authors: Lekhelebana, Letlatsa George
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Vocational education , Skilled labor -- South Africa , Unemployment -- South Africa , Economic development -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8870 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020314
- Description: High levels of unemployment and skills shortages in key parts of the South African economy are well documented. The failure of the South African economy to absorb new entrants to the job market is also well documented. The paradox of an economy that was growing for over a decade during the late nineties and early 2000s creating a lot of vacancies and yet at the same time seeing ever growing levels of unemployment numbers also makes for interesting reading. Learnership programs are intended to address this situation by reducing the problem of skills shortages and leading in the human capital development that is aligned to industry needs. Thus is the purpose of this study to determine whether the beneficiaries of the learnership programs, the graduates, find benefit from having completed these learnership programs. It is to evaluate whether they find the program to have been effective in either equipping them sufficiently to improve prospects of finding permanent employment or successfully starting their own businesses. An extensive literature study of the history of the FET and its development, the concept of learnership and legislation and statutes applicable to the sector in South Africa was undertaken so that the skills development initiatives in the country are contextualised. The empirical part of the study involved a self-constructed questionnaire designed to illicit perspectives of the FET training and learnership within the FET graduate population that have completed their studies at an FET institution within Nelson Mandela Bay. The data collected indicate that a substantial majority of the sample find The data collected indicate that a substantial majority of the sample find the training to be effective and confirm the literature findings that learnerships can improve the issue of skills shortage in industry. The study makes recommendations that encompass work-based strategies and training based strategies to further improve the program. The recommendations are targeted at the FET college, the work-place training providers and the MERSETA and are meant solely to assist the organisations in overcoming the identified challenges emanating from learnership implementation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Fiscal policy and unemployment in South Africa 1980 to 2010
- Authors: Murwirapachena, Genius
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Fiscal policy -- South Africa , Monetary policy -- South Africa , Labor economics -- South Africa , Unemployment -- South Africa , Labor policy -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Com
- Identifier: vital:11458 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/544 , Fiscal policy -- South Africa , Monetary policy -- South Africa , Labor economics -- South Africa , Unemployment -- South Africa , Labor policy -- South Africa
- Description: Unemployment is one of the greatest and most complex challenges facing South Africa. Just like most developing countries, South Africa has been using the fiscal policy framework as a tool to alleviate the high rates of unemployment. This study examined the impact of fiscal policy on unemployment in South Africa. The study used annual time series data for the period 1980 to 2010. A vector error correction model was used to determine the effects of fiscal policy aggregates on unemployment in South Africa. The fiscal policy aggregates considered in this study were government investment expenditure, government consumption expenditure and tax. Results from this study revealed that government consumption expenditure and tax have a positive impact on unemployment while government investment expenditure negatively affects unemployment in South Africa. Policy recommendations were made using these results.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Monetary policy, inflation, unemployment and the Phillips curve in South Africa
- Authors: Chicheke, Aaron
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Monetary policy , Inflation (Finance) , Economic policy -- Mathematical models , Unemployment -- South Africa , Phillips curve
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Com
- Identifier: vital:11453 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1001202 , Monetary policy , Inflation (Finance) , Economic policy -- Mathematical models , Unemployment -- South Africa , Phillips curve
- Description: Inflation and unemployment are perhaps the two most important challenges that face the South African economy of today. Firstly, the study examines the relationship between monetary policy and the two economic fundamentals (inflation and unemployment), using the VEC modeling technique. The model regresses the monetary policy variable against inflation and unemployment growth over the period 1980-2008. The results suggest that (1) there is a long run relationship between inflation and unemployment (2) monetary policy reacts more to variations in inflation compared to variations in unemployment. Secondly, the relationship between inflation and unemployment as explained by the Phillips curve is investigated. The results show that there is a positive relationship between inflation and unemployment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009