Despite limited infrastructure compared to Europe and North America, South Africa has developed an extraordinary reputation for producing world-class opera singers. The interaction of robust university-level training, international competitions, and mentorship opportunities partly explains this paradox. However, no integrative review has systematically analysed how these elements converge to shape career trajectories. This review addresses this gap by critically evaluating the role of music schools, competitions, and mentorship in building pathways to international success. The review employed a systematic approach guided by the PRISMA framework. Sources from 2010 to 2025 were retrieved from academic databases, institutional reports, and reputable media outlets; The inclusion criteria required explicit references to South African vocal training, competitions, or mentorship. The credibility of the studies was evaluated, and the findings were thematically synthesised under the headings of education pathways, competitions, and mentorship. Findings demonstrate that degree-granting institutions such as Opera UCT and Tshwane University of Technology provide the technical foundation and stage exposure necessary for professionalisation. Competitions, including the UNISA Voice Competition, ATKV Muziqanto, and SAMRO Overseas Scholarships, function as accelerators, offering visibility, funding, and international mobility. Mentorship programmes in Cape Town Opera’s Judith Neilson Young Artists translate formal education into employable artistry by providing production experience and professional networks. The review concludes that South Africa’s operatic success is derived from an ecosystem in which education, competitions, and mentorship intersect. Future policy and research should focus on stabilising institutional funding, broadening access pipelines, and integrating African heritage into vocal pedagogy to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth.
Foster care remains one of the forms of alternative care for orphans and vulnerable children in several countries across the globe. Social workers play a key role in placing children in foster care and supervising them. Some foster children exhibit behavioral problems for various reasons. Therefore, this study sought to explore and describe the perspectives of social workers on factors influencing behavioral problems among foster children. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, with two research designs: exploratory and descriptive. Data were collected from 16 social workers of the Department of Social Development, Mahikeng Service Point, North West Province, South Africa, using semi-structured, in-person interviews, guided by a developed interview guide. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. The findings of this study showed that participants had different perspectives on factors that contribute to problematic behaviour displayed by foster children. These factors included poor parenting, family dynamics, environmental factors and peer pressure. The study recommends that further research be undertaken on the experiences and perspectives of foster parents who live with foster children with problematic behaviours and how social workers may need to adjust their intervention measures to address the identified behavioural problems. This study contributed valuable information from the social workers’ perspectives regarding the factors that play a role in behavioural problems among foster children in South Africa. Additionally, the study included challenges encountered by social workers when working with foster children who display problematic behaviour.
In several African states, constitutional amendments have been used to erode presidential term limits, facilitating democratic backsliding under the guise of legality. Although these amendments may conform to formal constitutional procedures, they often undermine foundational democratic principles and the spirit of constitutionalism. This article examined how incumbents strategically manipulate constitutional amendment processes to abolish or extend term limits, thereby consolidating personal rule. It assessed the utility of the doctrine of unconstitutional constitutional amendments, particularly the Basic Structure Doctrine, as a judicial mechanism to resist such anti-democratic manoeuvres. Drawing on a comparative analysis of selected African jurisdictions, including Uganda, Rwanda, Benin, Kenya, and the Central African Republic, the study evaluated the varying judicial responses to term limit circumvention. The findings reveal contrasting judicial approaches. While courts in Benin and the Central African Republic have invoked foundational constitutional values to invalidate such amendments, others have exercised restraint or deferred to executive authority. The article advocates for the formal recognition of the Basic Structure Doctrine within African constitutional frameworks, the entrenchment of presidential term limits, and the enhancement of judicial independence. It further calls for civic education and the cultivation of political norms that support leadership alternation. By offering doctrinal and policy-based insights, the article contributes to the discourse on constitutional resilience and judicial protection of democracy in Africa.
This study investigates parody and playfulness in Tshivenḓa proverbs, focusing on how speakers creatively manipulate traditional proverbial expressions to generate humour, irony, and social commentary. Although previous studies have emphasized the moral and instructional functions of proverbs, this research explores their dynamic and transformative use in contemporary communication. The study used a qualitative linguistic ethnographic approach. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, and observations of naturally occurring speech in rural and urban Tshivenḓa communities, including social gatherings, storytelling sessions, and digital communication platforms. The findings reveal that parodic proverbs perform multiple social and communicative functions. They create humour, strengthen social cohesion, facilitate indirect criticism, and allow younger generations to engage with cultural heritage in innovative ways. The analysis further shows that parody can challenge traditional hierarchical and gendered assumptions embedded in conventional proverbs, thereby encouraging alternative interpretations. The discussion highlights the adaptability of Tshivenḓa oral traditions and their continued relevance in changing social contexts. The study recommends documenting and including parodic proverb forms in cultural and educational initiatives to preserve evolving indigenous knowledge systems. It concludes that parody serves as a valuable mechanism for cultural continuity, creativity, and social reflection. The study contributes to scholarship on African oral literature, sociolinguistics, and cultural studies by demonstrating how parody functions as both a linguistic strategy and a means of negotiating cultural identity in contemporary Tshivenḓa-speaking communities.
Economic development is a major issue in South Africa, with the country experiencing high levels of poverty, which are connected to the enforcement of socio-economic rights. There have always been calls for Africa to unite for it to prosper. Intra-African trade is a call for Africa to trade more with itself towards its prosperity. It is further said that intra-African trade will enhance sustainable development and economic growth, and it is important. The purpose of the paper is to establish that there is a link between economic development and the enforcement of socio-economic rights. Further, this article argues that there is an urgent need for economic development in South Africa to improve the enforcement of socio-economic rights. Through a qualitative desktop-based methodology, this paper argues that trade is the main factor of economic development. Further, South Africa must focus on intra-African trade. By dealing with this economic gap, South Africa will accelerate sustainable economic development and consequently the enforcement of socio-economic rights, which will in turn reduce poverty and better the lives of millions of South Africans who are in dire need of socio-economic rights to be enforced due to the living conditions they are in. The South African Constitution is examined, and it is noted that it fully protects socio-economic rights as it has socio-economic rights in its Bill of Rights. However, it is acknowledged that there are other factors that affect the enforcement of socio-economic rights, such as corruption and the separation of powers, which are identified.
This study reflects on teachers’ perceptions of the factors that contribute to the persistent decline in learner enrolment in Economics within Koloti Circuit, Limpopo Province. Grounded in Critical Theory, the study interrogates the structural, pedagogical, and socio-cultural conditions shaping subject choice in under-resourced schools. A qualitative approach, employing semi-structured interviews with twelve purposively selected Economics teachers from six secondary schools, allowed the researchers to access participants’ lived experiences and professional insights. Data were thematically analysed to uncover recurring patterns and meanings. The findings reveal that external influences from parents, peers, and teachers, coupled with inadequate academic performance and limited awareness of career pathways in Economics, discourage learners from enrolling in the subject. Each factor reflects the connection of structural inequalities, teacher agency, and learner subjectivity, revealing Economics as both an intellectual pursuit and a contested space within schooling. The study concludes that without deliberate interventions—such as strengthened career guidance, reformed curriculum design, and equitable school practices—Economics risks further marginalisation in the secondary school curriculum. Recommendations are advanced for policymakers, school managers, and teachers to reimagine Economics education as relevant, empowering, and socially just. This study contributes to scholarship by providing context-specific insights to improve curriculum design and strengthen career guidance in Economics within the Koloti Circuit. It further informs educational stakeholders on strategies to address structural and socio-cultural barriers to learner enrolment, and lays a foundation for broader research on Economics enrolment trends in South Africa.
This study investigates the influence of Teacher Professional Development (TPD) on reading outcomes in inclusive primary schools within the Dimamo Circuit, Capricorn District, Limpopo Province. Despite national initiatives to strengthen inclusive education and literacy, many learners in rural South African contexts continue to face persistent reading difficulties. Grounded in Shulman’s (1986) Theory of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), the study emphasizes the integration of subject knowledge and pedagogical skills as essential for effective reading instruction. A qualitative case study design was employed, using semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis with Foundation Phase teachers. Thematic analysis revealed that sustainable and contextually relevant TPD improves teachers’ confidence and competence in supporting diverse learners. However, inconsistencies in programme delivery, limited follow-up support, and inadequate adaptation to inclusive contexts hinder long-term impact. The discussion highlights the need for continuous, collaborative, and practice-oriented professional development aligned with inclusive education principles. Recommendations include strengthening programme relevance, embedding mentoring and monitoring structures, and ensuring resource provision to sustain inclusive reading practices. The study contributes to scholarship by demonstrating the critical link between teacher professional growth and learner reading achievement, offering evidence-based insights for policymakers, teacher training institutions, and education stakeholders. By situating TPD within the broader discourse on literacy and equity, the research underscores professional development as a key pathway toward improving reading outcomes and advancing inclusive education in rural South African schools.
In language classes, words that hurt other people’s feelings, words that make other students feel uneasy or feel discriminated against, are used. It cannot be denied that learners adopt language informally from their communities, and the language use is solely from the communities. South African research indicates that most women are victims of abuse. Abuse does not promote Ubuntu. This abuse starts from the language, which is known as verbal abuse, and then it grows in stages. Hence, this research seeks to investigate how teachers teach learners about humanity and respecting the rights of women in IsiZulu HL and the content embedded in it, investigating how nouns are taught, used and applied to girl learners both in class and in the community. This study used a qualitative case study design within an interpretive paradigm. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with four isiZulu HL teachers. Data analysis was carried out using the thematic analysis approach, and the study was guided by Afrocentric theory. The findings reveal that teachers employ an Afrocentric approach, yet classroom discussions frequently surface deeply discriminatory nouns. This study also underscores the need for collaboration. The participants quoted discriminatory nouns from the learners. This study recommends greater collaboration between the school and the community, positing that fostering respect and Ubuntu cannot be the responsibility of teachers alone.
This study examined the conceptual metaphors used by Auntie Naa (a Ghanaian radio presenter) to introduce her programme and engage her audience. Specifically, the study explored the types of metaphors she employs, their cultural grounding, the communicative purposes they serve, and the ideologies they construct. Guided primarily by Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), and complemented by insights from Critical Discourse Analysis, the study analysed fifteen transcriptions of Auntie Naa’s introductory remarks drawn from programmes broadcast in January and February 2024. The analysis identified four primary metaphors – Life Is A Journey, Authority Is Up, High Status Is Up/Low Status Is Down, and Ideas Are Food—which motivated several complex conceptual and image metaphors, including Auntie Naa Is A Container of Knowledge, Auntie Naa Is A Judge, Oyerepa Afutuo Is A Flight, Auntie Naa Is A Pilot, Problem-Solving Is A Journey, Ideas Are Objects, and Joining The Programme Is Staying With Her. These metaphors were found to be deeply embedded in Akan cultural knowledge, communal values, and embodied experiences. Beyond their cognitive functions, the metaphors were also shown to reproduce five dominant ideological constructions. The findings demonstrate that metaphors function equally as ideological resources through which social beliefs, identities, and power relations are reproduced. The study advances research in African media discourse, cognitive linguistics, and cultural linguistics by examining the interplay of language, cognition, and culture in the construction of ideologies in Ghanaian radio discourse.
This study explored how equine-based therapy was implemented and facilitated within therapeutic contexts across South Africa. Drawing on qualitative data from fifteen mental health practitioners across South Africa, the study highlighted the collaborative roles of mental health professionals, equine specialists, and horses in facilitating healing amongst those presenting with mental health distress. Thematic analysis revealed five core themes: therapeutic process, setting, practitioner-client-horse engagement, pre-session check-ins, client orientation, and session facilitation. Practitioners emphasized the importance of using nature-based settings, experiential learning, and metaphorical reflection to foster emotional regulation, self-awareness, and relational insight for their clients. The study underscored the horse’s intuitive responsiveness to human emotion, offering clients immediate, embodied feedback that enhanced therapeutic outcomes. Despite the growing recognition of the efficacy of equine-based therapy in treating trauma and mental health distress, its integration has remained fragmented due to a lack of understanding of its processes and varying terminology and gaps in training. This study positions equine-based therapy as a complementary intervention that can support mental health and well-being. Grounded in collaborative, strengths-based, and client-centred approaches, equine-based therapy offers transformative potential for vulnerable populations and mental health practitioners alike.
This study used an exploratory qualitative design to examine the rationale behind the establishment of tertiary institutions by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) and its contributions to higher education in Ghana. Using purposive sampling, data were gathered from 20 participants, including church leaders, education administrators, and policymakers. The findings revealed that while the PCG was not the first to introduce tertiary education in Ghana, it was among the earliest faith-based organisations to establish such institutions. The Church significantly expanded access through the creation of five Colleges of Education, the Akrofi-Christaller University College of Theology, Mission and Culture at Akropong-Akwapim, and the Presbyterian University, inaugurated in 2004. The study highlights the PCG’s transformative role in promoting equitable access, moral development, and intellectual growth. Its implications extend locally and internationally, offering valuable insights into how faith-based institutions can complement state efforts to advance inclusive tertiary education in sub-Saharan Africa.
It is evident that African marriage has been under severe stress and decline for different reasons within the democratic dispensation. Factors like migrant workers, cultural change and other civil developments have not been innocent in this challenge. The authors of this article selected the Ben 10 practices for a study towards seeking ways to retain the dignity and respect which the African marriage once had before. The practical and traditional challenges that are observed when young boys get involved in relationships with older mothers who may even be the same age as their mothers are studied, unveiled and evaluated in the light of both cultural evolution and the developmental changes like human rights and so forth. This will not ignore the African values which helped sustain marriage even before colonial changes came. This is a conceptualised desktop study that will check if the current practices are not undermining African marriage. The study is an awareness that new practices that come during cultural change do not merely change the identity and the dignity that the African marriage ought to have. Decolonizing also implies that Africans must understand their roots in terms of the value within marriage practices.
This study examined the importance of research and strategic intelligence in the missionary work of the Ghana Evangelism Committee (GEC). It contended that one of the most distinctive and least studied contributions the institution has made to Ghanaian Christianity is its ability not only to mobilise churches but also to deepen their understanding of the missionary field. The study relied on a qualitative institutional case-study approach and on milestone records, anniversary publications, strategic plans, annual reports, survey documents, and interview testimony. The findings were analysed using thematic analysis and data triangulation. The study clarified that GEC research was not an academic misstep in evangelism but rather a strategic response to missionary concern. As time passed, the Committee formed an institutional mission intelligence practice focused on church growth, church distribution, saturation church planting, unreached people groups, urban migration, communities without churches, and the evolving demographic reality of the church in Ghana. The study demonstrated that GEC research has fulfilled at least six key roles: diagnosing the church’s real situation; making visible the unfinished task; informing church-planting and denominational strategy; facilitating ecumenical consultation; maintaining a national missionary imagination; and serving as one of the Committee’s most significant catalytic tools. The study has a role to play in the literature on African Christian agency, parachurch mission, mission research, strategic planning, and the relationship between knowledge and the fulfilment of the Great Commission.
Globally, femicide is becoming an increasingly alarming and distressing issue, with women subjected to severe and often fatal violence. Femicide, the wilful homicide by men against their female counterparts, is a global and cumulative quagmire worldwide, with South Africa experiencing particularly high rates of magnitude. This review explored the psychosocial and cultural factors that contribute to femicide in South Africa. The review used a psychosocial-cultural perspective to examine key drivers, including patriarchy, gender norms, psychological influences, and cultural beliefs and practices. It also investigated the intersections of gender, violence, and cultural aspects, while analysing the wide-ranging impacts of female homicide on victims, immediate families, friends, communities, and society as a whole. The current research article points out gaps and concerns in the existing body of knowledge, underscoring a need for continual research and the constitution of new policies that advocate against femicide. It calls for the creation and implementation of systematic interventions, plans, and ways to curb and alleviate female homicide in South Africa. Additionally, this review provides a foundational blueprint for ongoing dialogue and evidence-based efforts to combat femicide.
Traditional leadership positions in African nations continue to have very few women despite constitutional advancements and worldwide support for gender equality. The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize the various obstacles that prevent women from participating in traditional leadership positions in Africa. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework guided the qualitative synthesis approach to select relevant papers for this review. The review search focused on studies published between 2014 and 2025 in Scopus, JSTOR, SAGE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. The total number of papers assessed for this study reached 20 after applying the inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis of included studies in this systematic review revealed four main themes: patriarchal cultural norms and beliefs, societal perceptions and resistance, institutional resistance within traditional structures, and legal and policy inconsistencies. The research demonstrates how legal systems interact with deeply rooted cultural beliefs to keep women in marginalized positions. Governments must align customary laws with constitutional gender equality provisions to prevent cultural or traditional practices from discriminating against women. Traditional leadership acts need revision to establish mandatory gender inclusion and succession provisions that confirm women’s eligibility for traditional positions.
The current research explores the issue of the elderly in the rural Tshani community of the Eastern Cape area, South Africa, about accessing tertiary healthcare services. It was done to understand the impact of barriers at the socioeconomic, geographical, and systems level on the capacity of the aged population to receive specialised medical care and suggest measures to improve access. The qualitative descriptive research design, which used semi-structured face-to-face interviews of 20 purposely selected respondents aged 60 years and above was adopted. The thematic data analysis was conducted based on the framework provided by Braun and Clarke (2022) to detect common patterns and trends. The results showed five key themes, namely geographical and transportation barriers, health system inefficiencies, lack of social and family support, lack of information on available services, and felt gaps in the government intervention. The participants explained the long waits to hospitals, expensive transport, ineffective referral mechanisms, and low availability of specialists. Isolation and neglect were widespread, accompanied by poor communication from the healthcare providers. The research suggests transportation subsidies, enhanced referral systems, augmented government expenditure in rural health facilities, and the formation of community-based support systems among the aged people. The research reveals the lived lives of the rural aged population to the sociological and public health literature on healthcare disparities, as well as provides evidence-based information on policy interventions that can help address the inequity in accessing tertiary healthcare in South Africa.
There are several studies that have been conducted on the subject of wisdom as found in James 3:13-18, but these studies have not given adequate attention to the function of the fruits of wisdom from above. The purpose of the research in this article is to offer a new perspective on the function of the fruits of wisdom as an antidote and a way of life that produces peace. To achieve this purpose, this article used a qualitative analysis of the text of James 3:13-18. The analysis showed that James demonstrates the function of the fruits of wisdom from above, not only as an antidote, but also as a way of life in the daily practices of the Christians to whom the author addressed this letter. This article concludes with a summary of the dangers of worldly wisdom explored by James and the distinction between divine and worldly wisdom. James proves that the fruits of wisdom from above or from God can be an effective antidote and at the same time a way of life for Indonesian churches in facing various problems both in the Indonesian churches.
One of the most powerful drivers of economic mobility and improved earnings is education. However, the returns to education vary across age, gender, and race. This paper examined the economic returns to schooling in South Africa using data from the General Household Survey (GHS) 2022 with a total sample of 10883. The findings of the study revealed a positive relationship between education and income, suggesting that individuals with a higher education earn more than those with lower or no education. Surprisingly, the findings also showed that individuals with a master’s degree earn more than those with a PhD degree. This may indicate differences in earnings by sector, as most PhD holders are in academia, which does not pay as much as other sectors. The study also confirms the persistent disparities between the previously disadvantaged racial groups and women, who earn less than their male counterparts, even with the same level of education. Furthermore, age and experience positively correlate with earnings. The findings of the study highlight the urgent need for policymakers to address systematic labour market inequality and promote equitable access to quality education for all in South Africa.
Idioms are a branch of Folklore. They are a figurative language found across all cultures, serving to educate and guide successive generations about the complexities of life. Idioms can be used to express different life complexities. In Zulu, they are often categorized according to their respective themes. This study presents a comparative analysis of the role that idioms play in instilling moral values and promoting humility within Zulu and Xhosa-speaking communities. As a rich component of figurative expression, idioms are deeply embedded in the cultural and communicative practices of the Zulu and Xhosa people, as well as many other African societies. They function as powerful tools for conveying meaning and reinforcing ethical principles. By exploring how idioms are used to nurture moral values from an early age, this research highlights their importance in the socialization process and their capacity to foster moral values. This study adopts Afrocentric theory as a grounding theoretical framework. The study reveals that idioms serve as essential pedagogical instruments through which African communities cultivate discipline and moral integrity in children. This study will contribute to the scholarship by illustrating how idioms foster moral behaviour in communities from one generation to the next.
This study provides a report on how professional development influences educator scepticism toward Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) use in special schools within the Sekhukhune District of South Africa. Despite the demonstrated benefits of AAC for learners with complex communication needs, resistance and scepticism among educators continue to hinder effective implementation in inclusive and special education settings. Grounded in theories of professional learning and inclusive pedagogy, this qualitative study explored educators’ perceptions before and after engagement in structured professional development programmes designed to build AAC knowledge, skills, and confidence. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective journals from purposively selected teachers across five special schools. Thematic analysis revealed that targeted professional development significantly reduced uncertainty and negative attitudes toward AAC by increasing educators’ understanding of communication diversity, practical AAC strategies, and integration into teaching routines. Participants reported enhanced self-efficacy, greater willingness to apply AAC tools, and improved collaboration with therapists and caregivers. The study also highlights ongoing challenges, including limited institutional support, resource constraints, and the need for sustained in-school coaching. Findings underscore the critical role of contextually relevant professional learning in transforming educator mindsets and fostering more inclusive communication practices. The research contributes to the body of knowledge on AAC adoption in under-resourced settings and offers actionable recommendations for policymakers, school leaders, and teacher development facilitators aiming to strengthen AAC integration in special and inclusive education.
