This study analyses survey data gathered from small and large-scale poultry producers in the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal, and highlights factors constraining the impact of commercial poultry production on the local economy. It was found that small-scale poultry production has the ability to...

The new Cooperatives Act 14 of 2005 was promulgated in August 2005 to promote the development of sustainable cooperatives in South Africa and their use as a vehicle to develop small enterprises. This paper uses the new institutional economics (NIE) to highlight problems created by the Act. Case...

The Heckman two-stage procedure is used to identify and rank the determinants of internal and external credit rationing in rural households using data sourced from two districts in the former KwaZulu homeland. The results confirm international findings that high transaction costs faced by rural...

This paper has two objectives: first, to identify the main contaminants responsible for high treatment costs in the Umgeni catchment area, and second, to predict treatment costs from observed levels of contaminants. A partial adjustment model of treatment costs is estimated for the DV Harris...

Agricultural cooperatives are often viewed as appropriate vehicles to facilitate vertical coordination with, or horizontal integration between, small farmers who would otherwise be excluded from value-adding opportunities and discerning markets. In South Africa, renewed interest in...

This study identifies different dimensions of poverty affecting the current and future well-being of households within a community of land reform beneficiaries in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal. A census survey of the beneficiary households was conducted in May 2002 to gather data on poverty...

This study tests the hypothesis that an efficient rental market for cropland is a significant determinant of agricultural investment in the communal areas of KwaZulu-Natal. An efficient rental market creates an opportunity cost for under-utilisation, which tends to transfer resources to more...

This study investigates possible causes of poverty afflicting a community of land reform beneficiaries in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal. The 38 beneficiary households had previously been clustered into four groups displaying different symptoms of poverty. Linear Discriminant Analysis was used...

This study aims to develop a robust methodology for measuring financial performance of equity-share schemes. Several studies have investigated various aspects of performance of these schemes but no single study has yet measured their performance using an objective set of criteria. Four...