Infrastructure implications of a green economy transition in the Western Cape Province of South Africa: A system dynamics modelling approach

In order to meet future goals in reducing the resulting carbon emissions from transport networks, vast investment in the development of a more energy-efficient and sustainable infrastructure is required. This study investigates the infrastructure implications of a green economy transition in the Western Cape Province of South Africa with a particular focus on the transport sector. Utilising a system dynamics modelling approach, the research effort aimed to improve understanding of how technical, economic, political, social, and environmental factors interact, particularly in the context of the uncertainties encountered during this transition. The key findings of the research indicate that investment in a better public transport system, as well as shifting the movement of freight onto the rail network, would deliver long-term positive effects, including a possible carbon emission reduction of up to 17.89%.     

东亚三国的公共养老金制度改革：名义账户制的应用前景评析

在人口老龄化形势下,东亚国家的老年人口赡养率迅速攀升。如何改革公共养老金制度,建立与人口、经济社会形势相适应的养老保障体系,是摆在这些国家面前的一个难题。本文将比较中国、韩国和新加坡的公共养老制度,探讨名义账户制（NDC）在三国的应用前景。通过分析名义账户制化解各国现实问题的潜在能力,作者认为中国适用名义账户制的可行性最强,新加坡较低,而韩国介于二者之间。     

后危机时代中日韩自由贸易区发展中的机遇与挑战

东北亚是全球超强博弈的重要场所,甚至可以作为全球政治经济发展的一个风向标,这使当地的区域合作变数更大。本文从政治经济学角度分析后金融危机时代中日韩区域合作发展的新契机和挑战,为三国经济健康发展提供建设性政策参考。     

韩国自主创新体系的构建策略研究

从上世纪60年代开始到现在,韩国经历了从人均国民生产总值不到100美元到现在1．5万美元的高速发展,其中一个重要原因就是重视科技和自主创新。韩国自主创新体系的构建经历了引进一吸收一自主创新三个阶段,每个阶段都有不同的战略和政策,这对我国现阶段构建创新型国家战略有很强的借鉴意义。在当前形势下,我国要提高国际竞争力,必须把自主创新作为发展的重点,建立有利于自主创新的制度,建立好以企业为核心,管产学研相结合的创新体系,加大科研投入,营造良好的自主创新氛围,提高国家的自主创新能力。     

中韩产业内贸易的实证分析与促进策略

文章运用Bergstrand双边产业内贸易指数和GHM分析方法,对2001年至2009年中韩双边产业内贸易指数和贸易结构情况进行计算和分析。结论认为,中韩双边初级产品以传统的产业间贸易为主,工业制品产业内贸易指数呈现波动上扬趋势;劳动密集型产品主要进行低质量的垂直型产业内贸易,资本和技术密集型产品则是低质量的水平型和垂直型产业内贸易并存,两国仍然处于低水平的贸易合作层次。为提升中韩产业内贸易水平,从企业和政府两个层面提出促进产业内贸易发展的举措。     

Wages,Productivity and Labour's Declining Income Share in Post‐Apartheid South Africa

The Marikana incident in 2012, as well as the protracted strikes by platinum miners, metal and postal workers in 2014 suggest that not all is well in the South African labour market. Even though those in employment are better off than the unemployed poor, macroeconomic data indicate that labour's share in gross value added has declined significantly during the first two decades following the first democratic election in 1994. A falling share of labour in income also means, by definition, that average labour productivity growth outstrips real wages growth. Data for South Africa suggest that productivity has indeed increased faster than wages in South Africa. This article argues that financialisation and more aggressive returns‐oriented investment strategies applied by for instance large investment institutions translated into higher required rates of return on capital, which in turn caused an increased implementation of capital‐augmenting labour‐saving technology that reduces labour's share in income.     

Is small beautiful? Understanding the contribution of small businesses in township tourism to economic development

The increased importance attached by policy-makers to the anticipated developmental effects of tourism in developing countries has been insufficiently examined by academic researchers, particularly in the context of the contribution of small firms in urban areas. This deficiency is addressed by providing a review of existing research followed by an analysis of interviews with 90 tourism business located within and outside the townships of Langa and Imizamo Yethu, Cape Town, South Africa. The findings reveal tensions between the different actors involved in township tourism. While the involvement of small, locally owned, businesses is beneficial, it is limited by conflicts of interest, lack of trust, limited social networks and little attachment to the township locality. The discussion highlights the complexity of tourism's role in economic development, which has significant implications for local policy-makers.     

Tourism and regional development: The case of South Africa's distressed areas

Uneven development is a long-established feature of South Africa's space economy. Recent policy initiatives have been launched for tourism to be a vehicle for regional development. Against the background of international debates about tourism and regional development, this article examines the tourism economy of South Africa's 23 priority development districts or distressed areas that are the current focus of national policy to redress uneven development. The nature and growth of tourism occurring in these areas is shown to be primarily domestic tourism and concentrated upon visiting friends and relatives travel. The prospects for regional development ultimately hinge upon leveraging potential assets for leisure tourism. Key challenges for incipient tourism-led regional development in South Africa are identified.     

Sampling methodology and fieldwork changes in the October Household Surveys and Labour Force Surveys

The 1999 October Household Survey was the first time that Statistics South Africa introduced a master sample of Enumeration Areas. There were several important changes in sampling and fieldworker practice that accompanied the introduction of the master sample of Enumeration Areas, which have not been systematically documented and which make comparability of the surveys undertaken by Statistics South Africa before and after this time difficult. We document these changes in this research note and provide evidence that these changes were partly responsible for the odd trends in the total number of single-person households estimated from the October Household Surveys and the Labour Force Surveys, as well as rapid increases in employment, in the late 1990s.