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Gender and development can no longer be conceptualised outside of economics and income for livelihoods, particularly for women. As a yardstick for evaluating sustainable development in any country or setting, earnings based particularly on gender have much bearing in ascertaining progression and equality between men and women. This is because women represent and account for over 50 per cent of the world’s population, in which only about 50 per cent of women unfortunately participate in the labour force, compared to the 80 per cent of men. The study investigated gender equality in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) using a qualitative research approach in the form of a case study of an international non-governmental organisation (INGO) which is a development agent and carries or advances Agenda 2030 as part of its existence. The study used interviews and observations as data collection tools with a sample size of twenty (n=20) participants. This study is framed according to the socialist feminist theory. The study unearths that to some extent, gender does have a bearing and plays a role in earnings or remuneration in the workplace since, in some instances, it was discovered that women doing the same work and having a high level of education earned less than their male counterparts. Thus, earnings are gendered; women earn less than males and are not considered for promotions. The study recommends the policy reviews, gender mainstreaming, and embracing gender equality. The study further recommends making sure that all citizens, from ground level are re-socialised, empowered, and aware of the importance of embracing gender equality in society to overcome other disparities in education, health, finance, and technology, together with cultural and social impediments that continuously undermine women’s potential, participation, and empowerment.

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and other parts of the world, women rely on farming for the generation of their livelihood. However, their effort is limited by the dichotomy of land laws (statutory and customary land laws). The statutory land law promotes equality between men and women, giving women the right to buy, sell and inherit land. On the other hand, customary land law is grounded in patriarchal notions, where land is only allocated to a male figure as the head of the household. This law is the one that mostly supports men and rejects women. It is against this background that the present study argues that the dichotomy of land laws affects women. As a result, they experience a higher level of poverty than men. The present article used the legal pluralism theory to explain the existence of two different land laws in South Africa. Additionally, the study relied extensively on secondary sources as means of collecting relevant and required data. It employed strict textual analysis of the available literature relevant to the challenges of women in land ownership. The findings of the study show that the existence of customary law affects women who rely heavily on farming for their survival. On the basis of these, the study recommends that even though there are different land rights, the government should develop programmes that will ensure simultaneous operationalisation of these land laws. In addition, as much as there can be two laws that govern South African land, they should not contradict each other. Secondly, the land should be inheritable by both the male and female in a household.

Digitalisation is reshaping how entrepreneurship is organised, marketed and scaled, with important implications for women's economic empowerment. Yet the conditions under which digital entrepreneurship advances or limits women's economic agency remain poorly synthesised. This study therefore examines how digital entrepreneurship creates opportunities and barriers for women's economic empowerment across diverse contexts. A systematic review of peer-reviewed journal articles from Scopus database was conducted. The selected studies were thematically synthesised with attention to context, methodology and reported empowerment outcomes. The review shows that digital entrepreneurship can expand women's income opportunities, market reach, flexibility and self-efficacy, particularly when combined with supportive skills development, mentoring and digital finance. At the same time, persistent structural and socio-cultural barriers, including digital skills gaps, uneven infrastructure, discriminatory norms, financial exclusion and platform precarity, limit the depth and distribution of these benefits. The findings underline that gender neutral and technology centred policies are insufficient, and that empowerment depends on how digital tools are embedded in wider institutional and ecosystem arrangements. The study recommends investment in affordable connectivity, gender responsive digital and entrepreneurial education, and ecosystem designs that recognise care responsibilities, safety concerns and bias in finance and platforms. It concludes that digital entrepreneurship holds real promise for women's economic empowerment, but only when strategies address structural inequalities and are informed by intersectional evidence.

This paper explores how TikTok users employ the phrase Sivazidlalela (\"it's a joke\") to perpetuate gender-based bullying and digital harassment, also highlight how humour often conceals harmful behavior. Despite TikTok's community guidelines and policies aimed at protecting users particularly women from gendered abuse, the playful framing of harassment has become widespread. The paper examines gender-based bullying within TikTok's online culture, a platform that serves as both a space Jor creative expression and a site of gendered aggression. Using a desktop research approach, the paper reviews literature, reports, and digital media analyses to understand how TikTok's algorithms, user interactions, and viral trends reinforce or challenge gender stereotypes. It investigates how harassment manifests through comments, duets, challenges, and trends, particularly targeting women, and gender - nonconforming individuals. The paper show that while TikTok offers spaces for empowerment and gender expression, it simultaneously enables misogyny and toxic masculinity under the guise of humour captured in Siyazidlalela. Therefore, the paper recommends that the TikTok platform have to integrate culturally informed moderation strategies that recognise how humour such as the phrase \"Siyadlala\" can disguise harmful behaviour.

Since the end of apartheid, land redistribution in South Africa has remained one of the most contested and complex policy arenas. Efforts to redistribute land are shaped by two parallel forces: the constitutional commitment to democratic principles and human rights, and the enduring authority of traditional leadership structures. While the Constitution often critiqued as a Western model perceived to be disconnected from African realities affirms women's rights to buy, sell, inherit, and control land, customary law continues to grant primary authority over land allocation and inheritance to men, typically as heads of households. Therefore, it is for that reason the present study aims to understand how the existence of both constitutional democracy and traditional authority affect rural women in South Africa. This study adopted a qualitative research approach to explore rural women lived experiences under this dual legal system. Using purposive sampling, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically with ATLAS.ti. The findings reveal persistent tensions between constitutional democracy and customary practices. Despite some reported progress in coordination between government officials and traditional authorities, women still face significant barriers to land ownership and limited participation in decision-making processes. Structural limitations including constrained land supply, policy inefficiencies, and the historical concentration of land ownership among white South Africans continue to hamper redistribution efforts. Overall, the study highlights that while traditional authorities may perceive gradual progress, most rural women continue to experience marginalisation as cultural norms remain largely incompatible with constitutional commitments to gender equality. Strengthening coordination between government and traditional authorities is recommended to better align customary practices with constitutional gender equality mandates.

The growth of sustainable aquaculture is influenced by the interconnected environmental, social, and economic factors shaping the sector’s potential. Despite the significant growth opportunities offered by aquaculture, unsustainable practices present considerable risks, including damage to coastal ecosystems, increased pressure on wild fisheries, and the depletion of fish oil and fishmeal resources. This study aims to examine the ecological, social, and economic factors that either support or hinder sustainable aquaculture development, emphasising the need for balanced approaches that mitigate risks and promote long-term sector resilience. The ecological economics lens was adopted to examine the ocean benefits, conservation, economic opportunities, value chains, economic spin-offs; suitable species farming, and environmental protection. Using purposive sampling, ten (10) key role players in the national, provincial, and local government; aquaculture associations; academics; and farmers affected by the aquaculture development were interviewed to gather meaningful information. A simple random probability approach was used to sample 398 respondents. For data processing and analysis, the study employed Thematic and SPSS software to synthesise the key themes surrounding the economic as well as policy, and challenges affecting the development of aquaculture and thereby thematically discuss them. The findings of this study revealed that the formalisation of small-scale aquaculture farmers is vital for sector growth, providing entrepreneurial and job opportunities. The Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ), located near a deep-water port, offers significant logistical advantages to support aquaculture projects. However, the King Cetshwayo District Municipality (KCDM) faces constraints due to coastal protection measures, bureaucratic red tape, compliance challenges, and limited technical support, hindering emerging farmers despite RBIDZ incentives. Tilapia remains the dominant farmed species in KCDM. While Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are essential, they present financial and administrative burdens. Respondents highlighted the urgent need for investment in research, development, education, and training to enhance sustainability. The study recommends consolidating aquaculture support within a single department to streamline processes, including water rights, permits, EIAs, certifications, and land authorisations for improved sector stability and development.

Globally, rural women rely heavily on water resources to sustain their livelihoods. However, water scarcity presents significant socio-economic challenges, particularly in rural contexts where liveli-hoods are closely tied to natural resources. In South Africa, water scarcity disproportionately im-pacts women due to their gendered roles in water collection, household management, and subsistence farming. This paper examines the gendered dimensions of water scarcity through the theoretical lens of Feminist Political Ecology, highlighting the intersections of gender, power relations, and access to resources in rural communities. Drawing from existing literature, the study investigates how socio-cultural norms, policy frameworks, and environmental degradation collectively shape women’s ex-periences and adaptive strategies in response to water scarcity. The analysis reveals that women often face intensified labour burdens, diminished income opportunities, and increased exposure to health risks as a result of water-related challenges. Additionally, systemic inequities in water gov-ernance structures limit women's agency and participation in decision-making processes, thereby reinforcing their marginalization. In response, the paper recommends the development of gender-sensitive water infrastructure, including the establishment of localized and secure water access points to alleviate both physical and emotional burdens on women. Moreover, it advocates for institutional reforms that promote the active and meaningful inclusion of women in water governance, ensuring that their voices are central to policy and planning processes.  

The ecological scale is the size of the economy in terms of the Gross National Product (GNP), Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and carrying capacity to provide subsidised water to poor households. In ecological economics, the ecological scale refers to the size of a country’s economy and its capacity to provide additional free basic water (FBW) to indigent households. The study examined a relationship between the economic scale and the distribution of water services. Data were collected using questionnaires distributed among 274 simple random sampled respondents. The study rejected the null hypothesis and accepted the alternative hypothesis. The findings showed that the chi-square values for the variables were; the size of the economy (chi-square = 30.445a, df = 2, p-value = 0.00 and n= 274); access to pipe water within the dwelling (chi-square = 109.540a, df = 2, p-value = 0.00 and n = 274); dependence on surface water (chi-square = 212.723a, df = 1, p-value = 0.00 and n = 274), water quality (chi-square = 115.635b, df = 2, p-value = 0.00 and n = 274), decreased water supply (chi-square = 12.314a, df=2, p-value = .002 and n = 274) and commitment to eradicate backlogs (chi-square = 30.445a, df= 2, p-value = 0.00 and n = 274). It is therefore concluded that there is a statistically significant relationship between ecological scale and the distribution of water at uMlalazi Local Municipality. Therefore, it is recommended that the municipality consider increasing the allocation of free basic water to indigent households.

This paper investigates the role of using a blue flag (BF) as a marketing tool for promoting tourism within Mthunzini Beach in South Africa. Although Blue Flags are expensive and difficult to maintain, there is limited research on whether blue flags are effective in promoting coastal areas as tourism destinations. This is a study of the uMlalazi Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, home to Mthunzini Beach. Although Mthunzini Beach is environmentally sensitive, it could advance local economic growth by attracting more tourists to the region. This paper investigates the role of the Blue Flag as a marketing tool that can both protect the environment and simultaneously promote coastal tourism. Thus, this study is underpinned by the theory of ecological economics where there is a balance between being sensitive to the environment and to economic gains. Sixteen (16) semi-structured interviews were conducted with conservation managers, environmentalists, tourism officers, and the conservancy chairperson at Mthunzini Beach. Results show that the Blue Flag is recommended as an effective marketing tool that can preserve the environment and promote tourism development. However, much work needs to be done by investing in supporting infrastructure such as parking facilities, waste disposal, security, and upgrading the ablution facilities.

The agricultural projects are regarded as the key instrument in improving rural livelihood by creating employment opportunities, improving economy and food provision. This qualitative study on the sustainability of agricultural projects was conducted in Msinga Local Municipality. The data was collected through the use of five focus group discussions with agricultural cooperatives who were sampled using the purposive sampling method. The qualitative data was analyzed through the use of content analysis. The critical aspects of the findings reveal that the sustainability of agricultural projects in the Msinga area face many challenges, such as disease outbreak, and conditions of climate change and as a result they need a support from the government to improve their livelihoods. There is a need to provide lessons to the rural farmers about ways of adapting to the climate change by strictly aligning with the national climate change adaptation strategy of the Republic of South Africa. Keywords: Agricultural Projects; Rural Livelihood; Sustainability