Goat farming plays an important economic role in numerous developing countries, with Africa being a home to a considerable portion of the global goat population. This study examined the socioeconomic determinants affecting goat herd size among smallholder farmers in Lephalale Local Municipality of the Limpopo Province in South Africa. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 61 participants. The socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder goat farmers in Lephalale Local Municipality were identified and described using descriptive statistics on one hand. On the other hand, a Multiple linear regression model was employed to analyse the socioeconomic determinants affecting smallholder goat farmers’ herd sizes. Findings from the Multiple linear regression model highlighted several key determinants, including the age of the farmer, gender of the farmer, education level, and marital status of farmers, along with determinants like distance to the markets, provision of feed supplements, and access to veterinary services. Understanding these determinants is crucial for policymakers and practitioners to develop targeted strategies aimed at promoting sustainable goat farming practices and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the region.
The policy to accelerate the design of the Detailed Spatial Plan regulation document (RDTR) is a strategic step to enhance ease of doing business and promote sustainable development in Indonesia. Targeting 2036 RDTR sites nationwide, the initiative relies on various policy interventions and technical approaches. However, as of 8 January 2024, only 399 RDTRs (19.59%) were enacted after four years of implementation. This underperformance suggests the need to examine factors influencing the process, including issues at each stage of the RDTR design business process. While often overlooked due to its perceived irrelevance to the core substance of planning, analyzing the process is crucial to addressing operational and procedural challenges. This research identifies critical issues arising from the preparation to the enactment stage of RDTR regulations and proposes necessary policy changes. Using an explanatory approach, the study employs methods such as Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), post-review analysis, stakeholder analysis, business process evaluation, and scenario planning. Results show several impediments, including challenges related to commitment, technical and substantive issues, managerial coordination, policy frameworks, ICT support, and data availability. These findings serve as inputs for the development of business process improvement scenarios and reengineering schemes based on Business Process Management principles.
The success of a city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) depends on a combination of interconnected factors that foster innovation, collaboration and growth. Urban planning, infrastructure management and an entrepreneurial culture are essential factors for the success of cities’ Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EEs). Land use and infrastructure management create opportunities for growth and industry expansion. EEs are local, social, business, institutional and cultural stakeholders that encourage and enhance the formation and growth of new businesses, which are supported by enabling infrastructure. The objective of this study was to investigate how urban planning affects EEs in the metropolitan region, Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB), South Africa. NMB is known for poor land use management, which hinders the management of diverse spatial needs, as well as bureaucratic processes for land rezoning for commercial activity. In order to better understand the fundamental issues, a qualitative case study was conducted. The data were collected from fifteen economic development role players from NMB using semi-structured interviews combined with secondary data from the NMB Integrated Development Plan (IDP). The data analysis included thematic analysis using Atlas.ti and Claude 2.0. In order to validate the findings, qualitative data were cross-referenced with secondary sources from the NMB IDP. The key themes that emerged effect the NMB metropole’s management of infrastructure to support the EE. These include, Land use issues, Poor oversight by metropolitan leadership, Lack of infrastructure maintenance and pushing out potential investment and economic growth. The results highlight that the NMB metropole fails to prioritise land use and infrastructure challenges, impacting the NMB metropolitan area’s economic development and worsening inequality among different groups. The findings from this study add to the current research on cities’ EEs and The Right to the City Theory, which supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals 8, 9 and 11.
5G technology is transforming healthcare by enhancing precision, efficiency, and connectivity in diagnostics, treatments, and remote monitoring. Its integration with AI and IoT is set to revolutionize healthcare standards. This study aims to establish the state of the art in research on 5G technology and its impact on healthcare innovation. A systematic review of 79 papers from digital libraries such as IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Springer, ScienceDirect, and ResearchGate was conducted, covering publications from 2018 to 2024. Among the reviewed papers, China and India emerge as leaders in 5G health-related publications. Scopus, Springer Link, and IEEE Xplore house the majority of first-quartile (Q1) papers, whereas Science Direct and other sources show a higher proportion in the second quartile (Q2) and lower rankings. The predominance of Q1 papers in Scopus, Springer Link, and IEEE Xplore underscores these platforms’ influence and recognition, reflecting significant advancements in both practice and theory, and highlighting the expanding application of 5G technology in healthcare.
Entrepreneurial intentions, considered to be the best predictor of entrepreneurial behaviour, have attracted extensive attention among academics, practitioners, and policymakers. This study examines the mediating role of the theory of planned behaviour between university students’ proactive personality, entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial opportunities, and entrepreneurial intentions. The results of this study showed that both attitudes toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioural control mediated these relationships, except that perceived behavioural control did not mediate the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions, and subject norm did not mediate any relationship. Lastly, this study guides universities, policymakers and practitioners to fully focus on developing attitude entrepreneurship and perceived behaviour control through education and training among graduates and employees. Suppose there is a presence of good entrepreneurial opportunities. In that case, they will form stronger intentions to start new businesses and expand their businesses to drive socio-economic growth, innovation and job creation among graduates.
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