Blessing Mbatha

Exploring the potential of electronic commerce tools in South African SME tourism service providers.

The World Wide Web, together with other ICT enabling technologies, offers a platform for organizations to arrange their business processes, address their marketplaces, and partner with other enterprises. This paper reports on the diffusion and adoption of electronic commerce tools by small and medium enterprise (SME) tourism service providers in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa. In order to achieve the stated aim, the following research questions were addressed: What types of e-commerce tools have been adopted in the SMEs? What were the reasons for the adoption of e-commerce? What benefits do e-commerce tools provide to SMEs? What are the barriers that SMEs face with the adoption of e-commerce? What are the e-commerce training needs of SMEs service providers? Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations framework was found to be useful as the study sought to examine the diffusion and use of modern ICTs by SME tourism service providers. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design in which a systematic sampling technique is used. The data was analysed by using descriptive statistics. The results demonstrated that a variety of e-commerce tools have been adopted in the SMEs studied. E-commerce tools are also very effective in reaching new customers, increasing sales and improving marketing. It is therefore important that SMEs have access to relevant e-commerce tools in order to enjoy and reap the benefits of ICTs. SMEs should ensure that they offer their staff adequate varieties and levels of ICT competence.

Pushing the agenda of the information society: ICT diffusion in selected multipurpose community telecentres in South Africa

This article sheds some light on the usage and types of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) accessible to community members in four selected multipurpose community centers (telecentres) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study was informed by the Diffusion of Innovations Theory. Through a survey, four telecentres were purposively selected. Questionnaires were used to collect data. The data was tabulated and presented using tables, frequencies, and percentiles. The results indicate that a variety of ICTs have been adopted in the telecentres to provide local communities with much-needed access to information and improved communication. The most popular recommendations from users included the need for sufficient and coherent government policies regulating the training of the local community to effectively use these ICTs. Government should ensure that adequate varieties and levels of ICT competence are offered to all citizens, and needs to find ways to gradually include ICT training in curricula at all levels, including primary education.

Obstacles to HIV prevention, treatment and care in selected public universities in South Africa

South Africa, like the rest of Southern Africa, is ravaged by AIDS. Higher education in South Africa has a significant role to play in the fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS. This article reports the factors contributing to the spread of HIV and AIDS in three selected public universities in South Africa. To achieve the stated aim, the study answered the following research question: What are the factors contributing to the spread of HIV and AIDS in South African public universities? The problem in this study stems from South Africas HIV and AIDS infection rate, one of the highest in the world, especially in KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative approach was adopted by conducting focus group interviews with the students. The data were analysed using axial coding and open coding, where dominant themes from the discussions were identified and discussed in detail. The findings show that barriers to HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment exist in the tertiary institutions under study. Social and economic interventions are needed to stem the spread of HIV and AIDS at tertiary institutions. A range of recommendations for halting the spread of HIV and AIDS in these institutions is provided.

DIFFUSION AND ADOPTION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN SOUTH AFRICAN TELECENTRES: SELECTED TELECENTRES IN KWAZULU-NATAL

This study investigated the usage and types of information and communications technologies (ICTs) accessible to community members in four selected Thusong Service Centres (TSCs or telecentres) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The telecentres that participated in the study were: Nhlazuka, Mbazwane, Dududu and Malangeni. The study was informed by Rogers’ (1995) Diffusion of Innovations (DoI) theory. Through a survey, four TSCs were purposively selected. A questionnaire was used to collect data from community members in the four telecentres involved. The data collected was tabulated under the various headings and presented using tables, frequencies, percentiles and generalisations with the help of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results indicated that a variety of ICT tools have been adopted in the TSCs to provide the local community with the much-needed access to information and improved communication. The government should ensure that adequate varieties and levels of ICT competence are offered to all the citizens. In conclusion, there is a need for sufficient and coherent government policies regulating the training of the local community to use these ICTs effectively.

E-learning: The Power Source of Transforming the Learning Experience in an ODL Landscape

This paper reports on e-learning as a transformational educational tool amongst Communication Science students at Unisa. The study targeted executive members of the Communication Science Association (COMSA) which consists of ten members and Unisa Radio employees which comprise 200 Communication Science students. A survey research design was used whereby questionnaires were administered to all COMSA executives and 50% of Unisa Radio student employees who were chosen using simple random sampling. Data was analysed through thematic categorisation and tabulation and the findings were presented descriptively. An examination of data indicates that students do not actively engage in e-learning. They use myUnisa for basic educational needs and not for the purpose that myUnisa was intended which is to bridge transactional distance in order to ensure increased engagement amongst all stakeholders. Unisa needs to examine its current e-learning policies against the backdrop of the society in which it operates.

Web-based technologies as a double-edged sword in improving work productivity and creativity in government departments in South Africa: The case of Zululand district municipality

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of Web-based technologies in government departments in KwaZulu Natal. It is observed that many countries have invested in ICTs as a way to pursue their organisational goals. By and large, ICTs are generally regarded as technologies that support an individuals ability to manage and communicate information electronically, and include hardware such as computers, printers, scanners, video recorders, television, radio, and digital cameras; as well as the software and systems needed for communication, such as the Internet and e-mail. Through a survey, key government departments in the province were sampled through purposive sampling technique. Questionnaires, that were largely structured, were distributed to 260 civil servants. However, only 152 responses were received, which then translates to overall response rate of (58%). The study reports on ICTs and their utilisation, impact, and the challenges faced by civil servants. The findings reveal that while various ICTs are available in most of the government departments surveyed. However, accessibility is still a problem, as numerous challenges were identified. Yet despite these drawbacks, the civil servants expressed an eagerness and willingness to enhance their ICT skills and utilise the tools for their own empowerment and also for work productivity. It is concluded that despite the constraints and challenges encountered in the application and use of ICTs in civil services, a wide range of ICTs had been adopted to facilitate the sharing and exchange of information in the sector.