Management College of Southern Africa

This study examined the ‘too central to fail’ concept in the South African equity sector. We employed the Granger causality framework and PageRank algorithm to generate the centrality scores of the sectors on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange under extreme market conditions. Using the realized volatilities of sectoral returns for the full sample period (3 January 2006–31 December 2021), as well as during the global financial crisis (GFC), European debt crisis (EDC), COVID-19 pandemic, and US–China trade war sub-periods, we analyzed the sectors’ interconnections and calculated each sector’s centrality score across the entire sample and under different extreme market conditions. This allowed us to rank sectors relative to their centrality scores. The results indicate that, in the full sample, the insurance sector has the highest PageRank centrality score, suggesting it is too central to fail. This implies that the insurance sector acts as a systemic receiver of risks and provides stability within the network of sectors. However, the sub-period analyses reveal that General Industrial and Automobiles emerged as the key sectors with the highest PageRank centrality scores, and shocks from other sectors can disproportionately affect these industries during crisis periods. Underperformance in these sectors could have destabilizing effects on the South African economy. The findings have significant implications for regulators and policymakers, portfolio and fund managers, local and international investors, and researchers in the field of finance.

BackgroundPregnancy-associated haemorrhage (PAH) is a leading contributor to maternal mortality in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the fourth most common cause in South Africa. Delays in treating PAH increase maternal mortality; prompt prehospital response is therefore critical to improve outcomes. The aim of this study was to analyse response times and clinical management of PAH by public sector Emergency Care Providers in KZN, looking specifically at postpartum haemorrhage (PPH).MethodsA retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 involved analysis of emergency call centre records (n = 4779) assessing response time patterns. Phase 2 analysed randomly selected PPH cases (n = 61) to assess clinical management practices. Descriptive statistics summarised demographics, response patterns, and clinical practice, Pearson correlation examined the relationships between time variables, and chi-square tests assessed associations between clinical variables (p < 0.05).ResultsMore than half (51.5 %) of PAH cases had ambulance response times >60 min. Median pre-response time was 30 min; overall response time was 63.5 min but both were positively skewed by extreme delays, with higher trimmed means(50.9 min and 85.7 min respectively). Most cases (81.6 %, n = 3899) were transported from primary healthcare facilities to hospitals, with Intermediate Life Support Providers managing 75.7 % of the cases. In the sampled PPH patients, compliance with vital signs monitoring was initially high (91.8 %) but declined in transit (42.6 %). Providers were largely non-compliant in documenting blood loss and patient history. Despite almost all patients showing clinical signs of shock 44.3 % of PPH cases received no intravenous fluids.ConclusionSignificant time delays in EMS response and inconsistencies in PAH clinical management by EMS providers were identified. Improved resource allocation, focused training and adherence to clinical and departmental guidelines are vital to strengthening maternal emergency care in KZN.

ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate how supply chain management (SCM) practices employed by Local Municipality affect service delivery efficiency and effectiveness. Objectives include identifying specific supply chain strategies, evaluating their impact on operational performance, and providing recommendations for improvement. A qualitative research design was used, involving interviews with key stakeholders like supply chain managers. Findings reveal that effective practices, such as collaborative planning and demand forecasting, significantly enhance service delivery and resource management. However, challenges such as limited technological integration and insufficient staff training impede full effectiveness. The study concludes that targeted training and modern technology adoption are essential for improving operational efficiency and community service.

The unbalanced distribution of Health Workers (HCWs) is a public health challenge. In South Africa, public sector radiography services are not meeting demand due to vacant positions, recruitment freezes, increased workloads, and low retention of radiographers, which negatively impacts quality and service delivery. This study aimed to explore radiography managers’ perceptions and views about supply and demand in relation to the radiographers working in the public healthcare sector of KwaZulu-Natal province (KZN). The exploratory qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions to acquire data. Ten radiography managers were purposefully selected from the 22 hospitals in the province of KZN. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes from the qualitative data using NVIVO Pro 12. The results showed that the decision-makers do not properly understand or value, the need for radiographers in the health environment. The lack of advocacy for and representation and engagement between the employing principals and radiographers leaves the sector understaffed and overworked. Disharmony between employers and radiographers, as well as unresponsive decisions, affect retention and recruitment. The oversupply and low uptake of qualified radiographers is due to delays in policy implementation, particularly recruitment and retention. Key gaps include professional advocacy in decision-making bodies, effective policy implementation with monitoring, improvement of the working environment, and development of radiographer career pathways.

The purpose of this article is to review the laws, frameworks, and policies at a global and national that influences and directs sustainability strategies, programmes and plans. The secondary data analysis of sustainability laws, frameworks and policies from primary studies can be used to understand current issues in new and novels ways. Search engines like Google Scholar and library databases was used to find studies whose titles or abstracts contained terms like "sustainability laws," "sustainability codes," "sustainability regulations," "sustainability legislation” and “sustainability framework”. The sample was selected based on the countries that have aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals. The data will be analysed using thematic analysis to identify themes and sub-themes. This literature review reveals the intertwined nature of global, regional, and national laws on sustainability in South Africa. Key findings highlight that global agreements, like the Paris Agreement, set important guidelines, while regional initiatives address specific local needs. At the national level, South Africa’s Constitution and environmental laws illustrate a strong commitment to sustainability, emphasizing the need for integrated and coordinated legal approaches to tackle complex sustainability challenges effectively.