Exploring the Perceptions of Grocery Retail Managers on Private Label Brands in South Africa

The phenomenon of private label brands has been widely studied from various contexts, with South Africa as no exception. The pervading economic climate across the globe, as a consequence of the Covid 19 pandemic, has brought the study of private label brands to the fore. Private label brands (PLBs) are considered a cheaper alternative with comparable levels of quality to manufacturer products, which creates a value proposition for consumers (Cuneo et al., 2019). Notwithstanding the plethora of research in this field, these studies are pointed towards customer perceptions and purchase behaviours for private label brand products rather than the perceptions of grocery store retailers. This paper explored the perceptions of grocery retail managers concerning private label brands (PLBs) by delving into the views of these managers concerning the reasoning behind consumer purchase behaviour when it comes to these private label products. The study's main finding was that grocery retail managers believe that customers primarily purchase private label brands due to the trust that they display towards a grocery retailer rather than the emphasis placed on the pricing or quality of these products. Moreover, the confidence exhibited by customers extends towards repeat purchases of private label brands as the products match or exceed expectations, which further encourages the faith they have in these brands. These findings indicate that grocery retailers opine that customers' view private label brands positively. We recommend that grocery retailers invest more in the awareness of private label brands (PLBs), thereby creating more knowledge of private label products. Customers are more educated in this respect and can draw better conclusions between the cost/quality dichotomy that has always plagued the adoption rate of these products within a South African and African context. © 2023 Sbonelo Gift Ndlovu and Shalen Heeralal.

The Pedagogic Domain and Epistemic Access in South African Higher Education: The Challenges for Students with Disabilities during the Covid-19 Pandemic

The unexpected emergence of COVID-19 pandemic has had adverse effects on diverse students' epistemic access in the context of South African higher education. While this has seen an increasing urge for research to understand epistemic access and success of disadvantaged students, there has not been a specific focus on the issue as it specifically relates to students with disabilities, who are unique in their own way, thereby requiring an intervention that considers their differences. Using the decolonial analytical framework, the article explored the challenges in the pedagogic domain, and their implications for the epistemic access of students with disabilities during the pandemic. Data were collected through the synthesis of international and South African literature on the issue, as it specifically relates to students with disabilities during the pandemic. The key finding was that the pandemic exacerbated the pedagogic challenges already confronted by students with disabilities, thereby gravely affecting their access to learning. The objective of the article was to present the pedagogic challenges and how they have limited students with disabilities' epistemic access, as exacerbated by the pandemic. This was so that interventions that could assist their learning in the "new normal", could be thought about, in the South African context, in Africa and globally.

COVID-19 impact on gender-based violence among women in South Africa during lockdown: a narrative review

COVID-19, first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, was declared a global pandemic by the WHO following the rapid spread of cases worldwide. The pandemic resulted in governments enforcing nationwide lockdowns, halting economic activities except for essential services. This review aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender-based violence (GBV) among women in South Africa. The literature search for this review was limited to African peer-reviewed articles and studies published in English between March 2020 and July 2021. EBSCOhost (PubMed, EBSCOhost, APA PsycArticles, APA PsychINFO, Academic Search Ultimate, Africa-Wide Information, Sociology Source Ultimate, CAB s, CINAHL with full text, and MEDLINE) electronic database platforms and the Google Scholar search engine and bibliographies of identified sources were used to identify studies that are included in the review. 82 studies were identified for this review and 18 were included in the synthesis. Multiple factors contributed to the surge in GBV cases in South Africa, including alcohol availability and consumption, job losses, financial dependence, psychological distress, and emotional imbalances. Effective intervention strategies are proposed, calling for more research to better understand women's experiences of GBV during the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2022, Women's Health and Action Research Centre. All rights reserved.

The Role of Distance Learning in South African Higher Education Institutions During COVID-19 Period: Challenges and Perspectives

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forced higher education institutions to adapt to the sudden shift to distance and digital forms of teaching and learning. Through a review of literature, this paper aims to examine the role of distance learning in South Africa's higher education institutions during the COVID-19 period, how Universities coped with the sudden change from face-to-face classes to online classes, to examine if academics were supported in this transition and what impact did this transition have on teaching and learning and students at large. Findings revealed that the lack of internet connection in many parts of South Africa, procurement and logistics issues, scarcity of state resources and lack of training for academic staff were amongst some of the challenges confronting institutions of higher learning during the era of COVID-19. The paper concluded that academics have somehow been overburdened and neglected in responses to COVID-19 by higher education institutions and government because government responses to the pandemic have largely focused on students, thus alienating. The paper, therefore, recommends rigorous training and support for academics by their institutions to ensure effective teaching and learning in the online space. © 2022. Academia (Greece). All Rights Reserved.