Mashford Zenda

This study examines the factors influencing the development of cooperatives in Ekurhuleni Municipality, South Africa, emphasising the importance of cooperatives in local economic development and community empowerment. The study highlights the critical role of social capital (networks, trust, and cooperation among members) and human capital (skills, knowledge, and leadership capacity) in enhancing the sustainability of cooperative projects. A sample of 65 individuals from agricultural cooperatives across four regions of Ekurhuleni (Thokoza, Vosloorus, Tembisa, and Katlehong) was randomly selected for data collection. The findings highlight several challenges hindering the sustainability of agricultural cooperatives, including inadequate agricultural knowledge, limited market access, insufficient equipment, poor cooperation, and a lack of managerial skills. To address these issues, the study proposes recommendations to foster an environment conducive to cooperative growth. It suggests a comprehensive needs assessment involving local communities, stakeholders, and cooperative members to tailor solutions to the specific challenges and opportunities in the local context, thereby ensuring the sustainable development of agricultural cooperatives in Ekurhuleni Municipality.

In South Africa, climate change is increasingly threatening food security through droughts, irregular rainfall, high temperatures, floods, water shortage and reduced agricultural productivity. This study conducted a systematic review of South African studies on the integration of climate change, food security and sustainable finance. The review was implemented using Climate-Resilient Food Systems Framework and PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The review process involved identifying 173 documents from Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct and Google Scholar, among which 37 articles were selected for the final synthesis. Results indicate that the available data comprehensively report climate change effects on agriculture, livelihoods and household food security with a focus on smallholder farmers. Nevertheless, the integration of sustainable finance into the food security and adaptation research is still very limited. Public investment, agricultural credit, green finance, climate finance, extension-linked support, and digital finance were identified as key yet disconnected mechanisms for enhancing resilience. The main obstacles are financial exclusion, poor institutional capacity, lack of coordination, insufficient climate information, poor infrastructure, and socio-economic vulnerability. This systematic review contributes to the literature by developing an integrated evidence-based conceptual framework for climate change, sustainable finance, adaptation, and food security. The study recommends that policymakers, financial institutions, and development practitioners adopt the proposed integrated conceptual framework to guide the design of climate-resilient food-system policies, sustainable finance strategies, and adaptation interventions.

Purpose: This study systematically synthesises recent evidence on the implementation of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in South Africa and its relationship with food security and climate response. It examines how CSA practices relate to the four dimensions of food security: availability, access, utilisation and stability, while assessing their documented contributions to climate adaptation, mitigation co-benefits and the factors constraining adoption. Design/methodology/approach: The review followed the PRISMA 2020 (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect and institutional repositories were searched using database-specific combinations of terms relating to CSA, food security, climate change and South Africa. Eligible studies were published in English between 2018 and 2025 and examined CSA practices in South Africa in relation to food security and/or climate outcomes. Thirty studies were identified. Primary empirical studies constituted the main units of analysis, while review studies were used for contextual comparison. Data on CSA practices, research methods, geographical coverage and reported outcomes were analysed through thematic synthesis and descriptive mapping. Findings: CSA implementation in South Africa is diverse, context-specific and uneven across provinces and farming systems. Common practices include crop diversification, conservation agriculture, organic soil management, water-saving interventions, agroforestry and integrated crop–livestock systems. These practices were associated with more stable yields, improved soil conditions, higher farm incomes, greater dietary diversity and stronger resilience to climate shocks. Adaptation evidence was more consistent than mitigation evidence, which was largely inferred from reduced synthetic inputs, improved soil carbon, nutrient recycling and ecosystem restoration. Adoption remained constrained by weak extension services, insecure land tenure, limited finance, labour and knowledge gaps, gender inequalities and youth disengagement. Research limitations/implications: The evidence base is methodologically uneven, geographically concentrated and dominated by cross-sectional studies. Future research should employ longitudinal and robust impact-evaluation designs, standardise food-security and climate indicators, directly quantify mitigation outcomes and expand coverage in underrepresented provinces. Practical implications: Scaling CSA requires decentralised extension services, context-specific training, improved access to finance and climate information, targeted support for women and young farmers, and stronger coordination across agricultural, land, food-security and climate-policy domains. Originality/value: This study provides a South Africa-focused synthesis integrating CSA practice typologies, the four dimensions of food security, adaptation and mitigation evidence, and institutional barriers within a single analytical framework. It distinguishes well-supported benefits from more tentative claims and identifies the conditions necessary for equitable and sustainable CSA implementation.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of climate change and extreme weather events on the livelihoods of small-scale farmers, as well as to determine the adaptation strategies employed by households affected by climate change in the Lepelle Nkumpi region of Limpopo. A comprehensive survey was conducted using a stratified sampling method, with individual questionnaires administered to a total of 40 participants. Additionally, two focus group discussions were explicitly held with farmers. Findings reveal that farmers perceive climate change as a real phenomenon, citing rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and an increase in more frequent droughts and floods. These changes have led to reduced agricultural production and financial losses. In response to the challenges posed by climate change, small-scale farmers are implementing various adaptive strategies, including crop diversification, adjusting planting schedules, utilising irrigation, and applying fertilisers. However, their adaptation efforts are hindered by limited financial resources, restricted access to finance, lack of skills, and inadequate access to agricultural inputs and technologies. The study emphasises the importance of providing enhanced support to small-scale farmers, including agricultural extension services, local early warning systems, diversified livelihoods, climate-sensitive farming techniques, and increased awareness of climate change.

Livestock production in South Africa faces numerous challenges due to climate change, resource limitations, and economic constraints. Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies are essential to ensure sustainability. This systematic literature review explores the adaptation and mitigation strategies employed in livestock production systems in South Africa. The literature review used a systematic approach to identify relevant studies using Google scholar, Scopus and Web of science. To ensure the relevance and quality of the selected studies, specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Studies were included if they addressed adaptation and or mitigation strategies in livestock production, were specific to the South African context, and were published between 2000 and 2023. Conversely, studies were excluded if they focused on regions outside South Africa, did not specifically examine livestock adaptation or mitigation, or lacked methodological rigor. This approach allowed the author to identify and synthesise a wide range of literature on the topic. Based on the inclusion criteria for the literature review, an initial screening of 330 articles was conducted, resulting in 55 articles meeting the criteria and included in the systematic review. This rigorous process helped to identify the high-quality and relevant studies on the topic. The data extracted from the 55 articles were then analysed and synthesised to identify adaptation and mitigation strategies of livestock production systems in South Africa. This helped to identify similarities and differences within the literature and supported drawing conclusions about adaptation and mitigation strategies in South African livestock production systems. Key practices include destocking during dry months, selective breeding, water resource management, construction of shade to reduce heat, financial planning, feed supplementation, and innovative approaches like wildlife ranching. These strategies, when adopted at farm level enhance resilience, productivity, and environmental conservation. Demographic, environmental, socioeconomic, and knowledge-related factors influence strategy adoption. Research progress shows increasing interest and diverse methodological approaches, indicating a growing awareness of livestock production resilience. Collaborative efforts are crucial for advancing sustainable practices and maintaining the sector’s long-term sustainability.

Discussions on multi-stakeholder participation in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has often framed sustainability knowledge exchanges in the corporate world. As SDG number 17 outlines the role of partnerships/stakeholders, both developed and developing countries have embraced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a stakeholder’s tool for achieving SDGs. However, many studies have shunned examination on how CSR has been harnessed by large enterprises in developing countries such as Zimbabwe towards implementing SDGs. To address this knowledge gap, we examine the engagement dynamics through a case study analysis of three enterprises in Zimbabwe (Tongaat Hulett, Econet Wireless and Delta Corporation) working on development projects with communities to attaining SDGs. A qualitative research approach was adopted, involving in-depth interviews with three representatives (one from each enterprise) and analysis of secondary data from corporate annual reports. Results from the study indicates progress has been made by these enterprises in achieving the SDGs coupled with consistence on sustainability reporting. It emerged that these enterprises CSR are not at the advanced phase of SDG implementation. While they are conscious and responsive to several SDGs that respond to the socio-economic and environmental demands of the communities they operate in, their CSR strategy is partly focused to the SDGs. Policy environment and lack of clear CSR benchmarks in the country hinder the smooth operation of CSR which in turn, draws back the attainment of SDGs targets set by enterprises. Therefore, the study recommends that CSR efforts on SDGs should be anchored on inter-enterprises partnerships and continuous sustainability reporting and monitoring. The SDGs model offers an opportunity for the corporate world to contribute to sustainable development in Zimbabwe.

This study evaluated food security strategies implemented by the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Agriculture for smallholder farmers in Mthonjaneni Local Municipality. A total of 49 respondents were interviewed using structured questionnaires. Livestock farmers faced constraints, including stock theft (53%), parasites/diseases (39%), and inadequate labour (4.8%). Crop production was affected by lack of implements (24%), temperature (29%), rainfall (23%), soil fertility (16%), and pests/diseases (8%). Households employed various coping strategies for food shortages, such as limiting meal portions (42%), skipping meals or days without eating (42%), borrowing food (39%), and reducing adult consumption to prioritise children (42%). Viable food security strategies identified included agricultural inputs from the Department of Agriculture (61%), poultry projects (20%), household and community gardens (18%), and drought-resistant seeds (10%). Alarmingly, 98% of respondents experienced food insecurity severe enough to go to bed hungry. The study highlights the critical need for extension practitioners to revise food security strategies to enhance support for smallholder farmers. This includes strengthening agricultural input supply, improving market access, supporting land tenure rights, and promoting diversified farming systems. Extension services must prioritise tailored interventions that address systemic barriers while building resilience to climatic and socio-economic challenges in rural communities.

This paper demonstrates the contribution of an agroecological model to food and nutrition security and livelihood strategies in the Phumulani Agri-village (PAV), located in Belfast, Mpumalanga, South Africa. PAV is a post-mining agri-village comprised of 32 households and approximately 200 individuals. The objectives of the project were to create jobs, generate income, establish a sustainable rural livelihood model that can be replicated, and implement environmentally friendly practices focusing on soil fertility, nutrition, green energy, and water security. A mixed research methodology was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data through structured questionnaires and focus group discussion. The Sustainable Livelihood Assets framework and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were used to evaluate the project’s contributions. Ninety four percent of the thirty-two village household representatives and nine of the ten project beneficiaries completed questionnaires which were administered by the project manager. Findings after 24 months are based on our Sustainable Livelihood Assets framework and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), show that the project has contributed to Economic Capital and SDGs 1 and 8, specifically addressing poverty, promoting decent work and economic growth by creating decent jobs and reliable income streams. The project also contributed to Human Capital and SDGs 2 and 3 through improved household food security and access to food. In addition, the intervention supported SDG Goal 4, Quality Education, through an integrated and accredited training and skills development programme. The initiative promoted Physical Capital and SDGs 6 and 7 by incorporating green infrastructure such as biogas digesters, a commercial wormery and boreholes with solar pumps. The findings confirm the effectiveness of agroecology in community and social development, demonstrating its positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes. The model can be replicated by government and corporate entities, potentially influencing policies and support programs that support agroecology in South Africa.

This paper supports the idea of agroecology playing an integral role in development ‘smart cities’ and its application in different settlement contexts in South Africa. As alluded to in the People-Centered Smart Cities framework, the application of the smart cities approach can be extended to various settlement contexts. This paper promotes ‘the smart city’ concept in different contexts, including rural and small settlement environments, incorporating agroecology, a paradigm which guides us towards building sustainable and equitable urban environments. This approach can significantly contribute to the improved and more resilient design and development of human settlements. The Preferred Reporting Items for Reviews and Meta-analysis were employed to analyze primary and secondary data sources, thereby formulating descriptive and analytical themes around agroecology and smart cities. This paper utilized 54 articles, offering a robust foundation for the paper’s analysis and discussions. Additionally, the paper underscores the adherence to policy and legislative spaces for smart city strategy-led budgeting. It advocates for robust financial policies and long-term development financial strategies aligned with several the Sustainable Development Goals, but especially SGD 11, which is to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and habitats. The construction of smart campuses, smart rural settlements, and smart school programs is demonstrated by the Centre for Ecological Intelligence at the University of Johannesburg’s food systems hub, the Phumulani rural agrivillage, and the Eastern Cape and Tshwane food security school programs. These showcase projects act as compelling models illustrating how the principles of smart cities can be applied to diverse settlement contexts.