More research on sexual harassment & corporate bullying needed
There is a need for more research on sexual harassment in the workplace and corporate bullying as these issues are increasingly creeping into the country’s work spaces, thus requiring the development of policies to protect employees. This observation was made by Ms Portia Dlamini, who…
Mapping the National System of Innovation in Eswatini
By Tengetile G Hlophe and Thula Sizwe Dlamini This study maps the national system of innovation (NSI) in Eswatini using national research and experimental development (R&D), and innovation surveys. The study identifies the actors and activities in the NSI. It finds that investment in knowledge creation is very…
Quantifying the size and trends of the shadow economy in the Kingdom of Eswatini
By Mcebo Zikalala and Thabo Sacolo There is a growing body of literature about the drivers, size, and trends of the shadow economy. This paper quantifies the size and assesses the trends of the shadow economy in Eswatini over a period of 16 years. Using gross domestic product…
Predictors of food insecurity in Eswatini: Lessons from the 2015/16 El Niño induced drought
By Mangaliso Mohammed and Thembumenzi Dlamini The study investigates the predictors of food insecurity among households in Eswatini given the 2015/16 El Niño induced drought. To identify the geographic and socioeconomic factors that predict food insecurity during a drought in Eswatini, the study uses a logistic regression. The…
The economic costs of electrical power outages in Eswatini
By Tanele Magongo and Thabo Sacolo Eswatini has been experiencing power outages that have muted the country’s efforts to increase access to electricity. As it stands, electricity supply is unreliable which has resulted in harsh penalties and costs to the economy. Using a sample of customers from both…
Does financial development mean financial inclusion? A causal analysis for Eswatini
By Nolwazi Hlophe The purpose of this paper is to undertake a causal analysis for Eswatini, which examines whether financial development causes increased financial inclusion. Through Engle & Granger (1987) cointegration analysis, the existence of a long run relationship between the dependent variable, financial inclusion, and the independent variables:…
Determinants of foreign exchange reserves in Eswatini: An ARDL approach
By Melvin Khomo, Nomfundo Mamba, and Luleme Matsebula Using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing cointegration method, the paper models the behaviour of Eswatini’s foreign exchange reserves over the period 1990-2014. An augmented buffer stock model is applied and the results indicate that foreign exchange reserves in…
Evolution of trade in Eswatini from 1968 to 2015: A developmental perspective
By Thabo Sacolo, Mangaliso Mohammed and Thembumenzi Dlamini Using data from 1968 to 2015, this paper presents an assessment of the evolution of trade in the Kingdom of Eswatini, tracking changes in the composition of both import and export commodities. These changes are viewed in light of…
Economic benefits of TVET in the Kingdom of Eswatini: A case of the NHTC
By Gugulethu Mgabhi and Mangaliso Mohammed This study estimates the economic benefits of the Government of Eswatini and its development partners’ investment into the National Handicraft Training Centre (NHTC). Using NHTCs student database from 1995 to 2015, the study tracks graduates from the Centre to assess the demand and…
Special Economic Zones: What Should Eswatini Consider?
In public policy, it is important to remember that ‘A followed by B is not the same as B followed by A’, which means that public policies should seek to address the economic and development needs of the country for the benefit of Emaswati. In…