Browsing by Author "Mutero, Joel."

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A conceptual framework for success factors required for a South African SME foundry. Uhlakamqondo lwezakhizici zempumelelo ezidingekayo embonini yaseNingizimu Afrika yosayizi omncane namaphakathi.
(2021) Mutero, Joel.; Chumman, Bibi Zaheenah.
South Africa has witnessed an unprecedented decline in the number of foundries over the past four decades, with literature reflecting that there has been about 73 percent reduction in the number of foundries in South Africa in this period. The purpose of this research is to investigate the contribution of four sets of factors, which are: entrepreneur’s individual characteristics, internal non-individual factors, external-non individual factors, and operational approaches of a foundry as definitive of success. The research also sought to establish intervention measures that could be implemented to make these foundries more sustainable. Through hypothesis testing, the research also sought to establish relationships between the four sets of factors and intervention measures. The target population was 117 small and medium enterprise foundries in South Africa. Sample sizes were 303 participants for the quantitative strands and 11 participants for the qualitative strand. Judgemental purposive sampling was employed for the qualitative strand and cluster sampling for quantitative strand. Two questionnaires were the only tools used for collecting data, one personally administered for the qualitative strand, and another administered online for the quantitative strand. Convergent mixed methods approach was employed, where both qualitative and quantitative data was collected, analysed, and compared to identify where the two strands converged. The factors upon which the two data strands converged were accepted as the success factors required to effectively run an SME foundry in South Africa. Structural equation modelling and thematic analysis were used for data analysis of quantitative and qualitative strands respectively. It was verified that intervention measures had a positive relationship with the entrepreneur’s individual characteristics, external non-individual characteristics, and operations approach of SME foundries. The hypothesis of a relationship between intervention measures and internal non- individual characteristics of a foundry was not supported, hence it was rejected. Ultimately, a framework outlining the success factors and intervention measures required as well as their relationships was postulated. This research contributes to the novel knowledge on success factors required to run SME foundries through the suggested framework. In the penultimate, recommendations and suggestions for future studies are proffered. IQOQA INingizimu Afrika ibone ukwehla okungakaze kubonwe kwenani lezisekelo kule minyaka engamashumi amane edlule, kanti izincwadi zikhombisa ukuthi lehle ngamaphesenti angama-73 enanini lezikhungo ezisunguliwe eNingizimu Afrika ngalesisikhathi. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukuphenya umnikelo wamasethi amane wezinto, okuyilezi: izakhizici zomuntu ngamunye zosomabhizinisi, izakhizici zangaphakathi ezingezona ezomuntu ngamunye, izakhizici zangaphandle ezingezona zomuntu ngamunye, nezindlela zokusebenza zesikhungo njengesiqinisekiso sempumelelo. Ucwaningo luphinde lwafuna ukusungula izindlela zokungenelela ezingase zisetshenziswe ukwenza lezizikhungo zisimame. Ngokuhlolwa kombono ongakafakazelwa, ucwaningo luphinde lwafuna ukusungula ubudlelwano phakathi kwamasethi amane ezakhizici kanye nezinyathelo zokungenelela. Isibalo sabantu okuhloswe ngaso kwakuyizikhungo zamabhizinisi amancane naphakathi ayikhulu neshumi nesikhombisa (117) eNingizimu Afrika. Osayizi besampula bebengabahlanganyeli abangamamakhulu amathathu nantathu (303) bemicu yekhwantithethivu kanye nabahlanganyeli abayishumi nanye (11) bomucu wekhwalithethivu. Ukusampula okuhlosiwe kokwahlulela kwasetshenziswa ukuze kutholakale umucu wekhwalithethivu kanye nesampula leqoqo lomucu wekhwantithethivu. Uhlu lwemibuzo olubili yiwona kuphela amathuluzi asetshenziselwa ukuqoqa imininingo, eyodwa ilawulwa mathupha ngomucu wekhwalithi, kanti enye ilawulwa ku-inthanethi ngomucu wekhwantithethivu. Kusetshenziswe izindlela ezixubile, lapho kokubili imininingo yekhwalithethivu neyekhwantithethivu yaqoqwa khona, yahlaziywa, futhi yaqhathaniswa nokukhomba lapho le migqa emibili yahlangana khona. Izinto lapho imicu yemininingo amabili ahlangane khona zamukelwe njengezici zempumelelo ezidingekayo ukuze kuqhutshwe ngempumelelo umsunguli wama-SME eNingizimu Afrika. Ukumodela kwezibalo zesakhiwo nokuhlaziywa okuhambisana nezindikimba kusetshenziswe ekuhlaziyweni kwemininingo yemicu yekhwantithethivu nekhwalithethivu ngokulandelanayo. Kwaqinisekiswa ukuthi izindlela zokungenelela zinobudlelwano obuhle nezakhizici zosomabhizinisi ngamunye, izakhizici zangaphandle ezingezona ezomuntu ngamunye, kanye nendlela yokusebenza yezikhungo zama-SME. Umbono ongakafakazelwa wobudlelwane phakathi kwezinyathelo zokungenelela kanye nezakhizici zangaphakathi ezingezona ezomuntu ngamunye ze-Foundry ayizange isekelwe, ngakho-ke yenqatshwa. Ekugcineni, uhlaka oluchaza izakhizici zempumelelo kanye nezinyathelo zokungenelela ezidingekayo kanye nobudlelwano babo lwabekwa phambili. Lolu cwaningo lunomthelela olwazini olusha olumayelana nezici zempumelelo ezidingekayo ukuze kuqhutshwe izisekelo zama-SME ngohlaka oluphakanyisiwe. Kokulandela okokugcina, izincomo neziphakamiso zezifundo zesikhathi esizayo ziyanikezwa.
Operational challenges faced by smallholder farmers : a case study of eThekwini District.
(2015) Mutero, Joel.; Munapo, Elias.
The aim of the study was to establish the impact of access to capital, access to markets, access to information and access to technology on viability of smallholder farming in eThekwini metropolitan on the market. An investigation was carried out, using a questionnaire administered to 100 smallholder farmers in eThekwini metropolitan. The questionnaire, which was the primary tool used to collect data, consisted of both closed and open ended questions. The investigation sought to establish if the above mentioned four factors affected smallholder farmers in eThekwini region. A list of smallholder farmers practising agroecology in eThekwini metropolitan was used as the population for this study. Total population size was 485 and sample size was 100. The data collected was summarised and analysed using Microsoft Excel software package. The sample was composed of 21% male and 79% female smallholder farmers. All respondents were of the African race. Statistical analysis revealed that access to funding, access to markets, access to information and access to technology not only influenced viability of smallholder farmers in eThekwini metropolitan, but that the farmers were not getting enough access to all four variables. 66% of the farmers had plots less than 0.5acres under cultivation. Another finding was that the farmers had basic tools to work with and required funding to acquire irrigation, water storage facilities, transport and tractors. As far as passing information to farmers is concerned, the farmers mostly preferred extension visits. It was recommended that well equipped agricultural resource centres be established in all agricultural hubs. The second recommendation was that the government employ an asset-based community development approach when funding smallholder farmers. Another recommendation was that farmers and other stakeholders be conscientised on the concept of sustainable farming.