Dissertations

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 106
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    A critical analysis of Namibia's nation brand
    (The IIE, 2024) Shimweefeleni, Victoria
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    A technical analysis of market efficiency of emerging economies: the case of BRICS countries
    (The IIE, 2024) Kretzschmar, Joshua Heath
    The concept, also known as the efficient market hypothesis (EMH), is a subject of debate in the field of finance. Proponents of the EMH theory claim that it offers a foundation for understanding financial markets, but opponents claim that the theory is irrational in its assumptions about the actual functioning of these markets. While the EMH may be flawed, it offers an acceptable foundation for analysing financial markets. In recent years, researchers have broadly analysed the efficiency of markets, mainly in developed and well-established financial markets. However, there has been a scarcity of studies conducted on emerging economies. Hence, this study investigates the weak-form EMH of the BRICS to determine whether the financial markets of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa may be considered weak-form efficient. This study analysed the BRICS and four benchmark economies using daily observations from 16th January 1995 to 16th June 2023, divided into six periods to identify if specific economic events impacted the market efficiency. Analysis was carried out using various statistical tests, i.e., ARMA, GARCH, Variance ratio, Runs test, Cox-Stuart test, Bartels test, Difference Sign test and Mann-Kendall test. Ultimately, the findings were that BRICS countries' markets are efficient markets and follow a weak-form efficiency, and specific patterns or trends could be identified in some cases that could be profitable for investors. This study recommends valuable insight for investors and policymakers of how they can use a hedge strategy to hold more assets in emerging economies that are weak-from EMH.
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    An examination of the factors contributing to high financial management consultancy fees: A case study of three local municipalities in South Africa
    (The IIE, 2025) Thulare, Reitumetse Caroline
    This study examines the factors of high financial management consulting fees in three local governments in South Africa: Chief Albert Luthuli in the province of Mpumalanga, Greater Letaba and Lephalale in the province of Limpopo. Local government's increasing reliance on external consultants has sparked concerns about increasing costs, a lack of skill transfer, and ongoing financial mismanagement. The study, which is informed by agency theory, participatory budgetary theory, and new public management theory, investigates how poor governance, a lack of internal resources, and faulty procurement procedures influence municipal financial sustainability and service delivery while driving consultancy expenditure. A multiple-case study design was employed in a qualitative research approach underpinned by an interpretivist philosophy. Data was collected through document analysis and semistructured interviews with municipal officials. The findings revealed that inadequate oversight procedures, political interference, inconsistent procurement procedures, and a lack of internal financial expertise are the primary contributors of excessive consulting costs. Furthermore, a lack of accountability and efficient performance monitoring increases reliance on consultants, compromising sound financial management and governance. The study concludes that although external consultants can offer specialised expertise, relying too much on them without institutional capacity building or skills transfer systems is problematic. To improve financial sustainability, it recommends implementing capacitybuilding initiatives, structured performance monitoring, and the implementation of transparent competitive procurement practices. The study contributes to a larger conversation on public financial management by offering practical strategies for enhancing internal financial governance in local government and optimising the use of consultants.
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    An exploration of co-creating South African city brands to revive the tourism industry post a global pandemic
    (2023) Sabra, Sally
    City branding is described in the literature as the practice of applying branding theory to create solid and distinct identities for cities. Although this research domain is well established and much has been said about the theoretical foundation of the practice, scholars in the field of branding widely debate the best strategic framework for crafting and implementing a city brand strategy. The variation in successful strategies worldwide suggests that the approach is very subjective to the city in question. Nonetheless, local tourism tends to benefit from this activity. Tourism is a crucial sector of the South African economy and currently (directly) employs more than 700,000 individuals. The ongoing Covid- 19 pandemic brought the tourism industry to a standstill for the greater part of 2020 and 2021. This standstill was due to strict lockdown regulations that enforced social distancing measures in hopes of flattening the infection curve and slowing down the spread of the virus. The South African Minister of Finance urged businesses in the sector to think of innovative ways to revive the industry once they can fully operate and focus on showcasing their readiness to work responsibly during recovery. In response, this study explores the potential of co-creating specific South African cities to aid the revival of the tourism industry post the recent pandemic. To engage with stakeholders and obtain rich insight into their perception of South African cities and how they could be branded to revive the tourism industry, the best-suited research design is interactive, qualitative, incorporates participative action, and is multidisciplinary. The research design entails a deductive approach to the framework and strategies being applied (the literature) while maintaining an inductive approach when using data/insights generated by the research to put forward a stakeholder (co-created) suggestion of how South African cities can be branded to revitalise the tourism in the country. Facilitated co-creation workshops are used, which include various stakeholders representing a particular South African city. The workshops aim to explore their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and ideas on how branding South African cities can revive the tourism industry. A purposive sampling technique is used to identify two groups of twelve participants, each in the respective cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town. The participants are equally divided as general citizens and representatives of local tourism business operations from that city.
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    Anti-impunity vs. Sovereignty: Why the planned African mass exodus from the ICC failed to materialise
    (The IIE, 2021) Banda, Manyika Suzanne
    The establishment of the International Criminal Court as a permanent court that can dispense justice in the interest of all peoples came after a century of devastating human loss and human terror. African States were enthusiastic about the creation of the Court and ensured that certain Human Rights provisions were included in the Court’s founding document, the Rome Statute. Behind this rosy image of all countries working towards a common goal, however, the seeds of discord between the Court and its Member States were inadvertently sown. In 2009, the International Criminal Court issued its first arrest warrant for former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. In the years that followed, resistance to the ICC grew within Africa and eventually resulted in calls for a mass withdrawal of African states from the Rome Statute. Bias and disregard for sovereign immunity of African heads of states became the tagline reasoning for why Africa should no longer be a part of the ICC. A regional alternative was sought and against this backdrop, three African States formally issued notices of withdrawal. In the end, the regional alternative was created but not ratified, and only one African country withdrew from the ICC. By the end of 2017, the momentum for a mass withdrawal had been lost and African states seemed once again willing to cooperate with the institution. This dissertation explored this unique phenomenon against the backdrop of only around 200 voluntary withdrawals from any international institutions to date. Much research exists into why states join international institutions. However, far less research is focused on why states voluntarily leave international institutions. Even less focuses on the motivations for blocs of countries to withdraw from an institution and therefore this study attempt to analyse the case study of the failed mass withdrawal of African states from the ICC after 2015. By using historical and documentary data, the identities and therefore preferences of African states were constructed, and their goals explained. Through this, the conclusion was reached that the mass withdrawal was not truly an effort to withdraw from the ICC, but rather an exercise in diplomacy that yielded cooperation and open channels between African Member States of the Rome Statute and the International Criminal Court.
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    The art of online marketing
    (2015-01) Bester, Karle Marcell
    This research project developed from the researcher’s experience and interest in the field of art, specifically online art sales to satisfy a need and investigate the ever-changing online landscape and to ascertain the dynamics of the South African online art market from a gallerist (gallery owner) perspective and thus help art dealers to build successful online art brands and businesses for the future. The secondary objectives are clearly stated from the research problem and address various dimensions such as consumer motivations, purchase processes and steps. Website dimensions that are critical to the study are evaluated in literature and research. The literature review defines commercial fine art, elaborates on dimensions used and dimensions applicable to the study. The findings reveal that the South African gallery owner is hesitant to invest in the online space of selling art online. The gallery owner still prefers personal interaction with the prospective buyer, however this is not necessarily the case for the art consumer. For the respective sites to survive in the future the websites will need some adaptions and changes made to stay up to date and be pioneers in the field. There is significant room for the use of new technological platforms that some galleries are already making use of to make the online art industry more creative and most importantly interactive on a whole different level. The physical gallery thus can become the ultimate online gallery or one stop shopping place for art purchases.
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    Assessing the impact of brand awareness on destination choice among tourists from Gauteng
    (The IIE, 2026) Seshoka, Lebogang
    This study examines the impact of brand awareness on destination choice among Gauteng-based domestic tourists in South Africa. With tourism growth concentrated in a few key regions like Cape Town and Durban, this research explores how brand awareness can influence travel decisions to lesser-known destinations. The study employed Keller’s Customer-Based Brand Equity model and other relevant frameworks to test the influence of brand recall, brand image, and perceived risk on destination selection. A survey with 271 respondents was conducted, revealing that brand awareness significantly affects destination choice, with 54% of variance in destination affordability attributed to brand-related factors. Brand image emerged as the strongest predictor (β = 0.386), followed by brand awareness (β = 0.243) and brand recall (β = 0.231) in decisions related to cost considerations. Additionally, 60% of the variance in the accessibility of destinations was explained by brand awareness dimensions. The results also indicate that perceived risk, though important, was a weaker predictor (B = -0.074) of destination choice, suggesting tourists prioritise brand recognition over safety concerns. This research provides valuable insights for tourism marketers, recommending strategies to enhance brand visibility for under-visited destinations and foster a more balanced distribution of tourism across South Africa, ultimately contributing to regional economic growth. The study recommends that tourism stakeholders strengthen destination branding through targeted marketing campaigns, improved digital presence, and strategic communication that highlights unique destination attributes. Enhancing brand visibility through social media platforms, partnerships with travel influencers, and integrated marketing strategies may increase awareness and encourage domestic tourists to explore less-promoted destinations. These findings further support Keller’s Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) model by demonstrating how brand awareness dimensions influence tourists’ destination choice behaviour. the study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on destination branding and domestic tourism. Strengthening brand equity for emerging destinations may therefore assist in redistributing tourism demand more evenly across South Africa and contribute to sustainable tourism development and regional economic growth.
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    Beyond the pitch: Antecedents to customer loyalty in South Africa's advertising industry
    (The IIE, 2025) Du Preez, Craig
    Customer loyalty in the South African advertising industry has been conceptually underdeveloped with existing frameworks either outdated or adapted from broader service and business-to-business (B2B) contexts. These frameworks fail to consider the relational and strategic requirements of client-agency relationships. Accordingly, this study sought to identify and codify the antecedents of customer loyalty within advertising agency relationships and to propose a contextually relevant conceptual framework. A deductive qualitative research design was adopted, guided by a directed qualitative content analysis approach. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from purposively sampled agency clients and advertising executives. Data were analysed using priori coding based on existing customer loyalty theory to capture the lived experiences of participants. The analysis produced a theoretically-grounded and contextually-refined conceptual framework linking service quality, relational drivers, satisfaction, perceived value and switching costs with agency-specific antecedents. The findings reveal that customer loyalty within the advertising industry is not transactional but relationally co-constructed, underpinned by trust, transparent communication and strategic alignment. Perceived value was the strongest antecedent of customer loyalty. The study concludes that sustained loyalty depends on an agency’s ability to remain relevant and supportive over time, particularly during periods of change or pressure. It was recommended that advertising agencies prioritise account management quality, emotional trust and proactive alignment with client goals to maintain relevance and longterm partnership value.