Covid-19 has altered the way countries operate in unprecedented ways. In Africa, South Africa is leading in terms of the number of infected cases. The lockdown that was introduced in March 2020 meant that all sectors except the essential services grounded to a halt as a containment measure. The education sector at both the basic and tertiary levels was also affected. Even though higher education in South Africa continues to be among the best in Africa and beyond, students enrolled in higher education come from diverse backgrounds. Students represent different classes, cultural diversity, and varying levels of computer literacy. The call to exclusively migrate learning to digital platforms remains a practical solution to salvage a difficult situation in many ways. However, not all students have the capacity to actively participate in digital learning for varying reasons. This paper focuses on rural-based UKZN first-year students. It draws from data collected through telephonic interviews. The contribution of the paper is twofold. Firstly, it addresses the rural-based students’ experiences with the exclusivity of electronic-based platforms adopted for teaching and learning at UKZN. Secondly, it contends that the acclaimed ‘one size fits all’ remote teaching and learning appears to be ‘phony’ and ‘counterproductive’ because it failed to address the pertinent needs of rural-based UKZN first-year students. The major question raised thus is whether online teaching is meant to reinforce the already existing geo-spatial inequalities in the education system of South Africa or is genuinely meant to salvage an already dire situation.

The Coronavirus (Covid-19) disease resulted in an epic shift from offline liturgical practice to online platforms where South African Pentecostal churches are worshiping, using online tools such as Zoom. This article explores how offline liturgical practices, traditional power dynamics, and the performative and communication characteristics of Pentecostalism are decoded into the digital space, and the impact it has on congregants and church leadership. The self-image of South African Pentecostalism is unpacked in the context of Covid-19. Grounded in the interpretivist research paradigm, the article draws on telephonic interviews conducted with 20 purposively selected Pentecostal lay leaders and pastors in the eThekwini district, KwaZulu-Natal. The article uses the Giddens theory of structuration to understand the social structural challenges emanating from an online liturgical practice. The prohibition of gatherings to promote social distancing culminated in the use of online platforms as an alternative to physical gatherings. Key findings suggest that this historic shift created a plethora of challenges for Pentecostal churches in Durban, resulting in some being unable to reopen. Moving to online platforms meant that South African Pentecostal churches in Durban had to adapt to new modalities of practice in transmitting sacred information. By depriving Pentecostal churches the opportunity to perform rituals of solidarity and other offline liturgical practices, Covid-19 disrupted important social systems and its performative and communication traits. Despite the challenges and changes caused by this novel pandemic, this study also found that Covid-19 provided an opportunity to assess the doctrines of Pentecostal leaders. In other words, online worship is coupled with benefits that must not be overlooked.

Background: This study investigated the impact of socio-economic variables influencing the provision of basic skills for navigating the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Objectives: The study aims to describe the variables underpinning this study, using statistical analysis and quantitative measurement as displayed in Table 1. It also investigates the role of socio-economic variables, using a Chi-Square test and Multinomial Logistic Regression techniques, in the provision of basic skills for handling direct and indirect challenges of the 4IR. Further, it attempts to provide recommendations, based on research findings, on strategies for ensuring that long-distance truck drivers are well-equipped with the necessary skills for meeting the demands of the 4IR. Method: The study utilised a quantitative research method. A multinomial regression model was used to describe long-distance truck driver data collected in South Africa. A total of 314 participants completed the questionnaire. Results: Results revealed that variables such as driver’s education level, frequency of route usage, company type, and driver’s work location are significant predictors in predicting whether a given truck driver possesses basic skills for handling the challenges of the 4IR. This finding holds significant practical implications, as it allows for targeted interventions and tailored strategies aimed at effectively addressing the identified predictors to encourage the desired response of having long-distance truck drivers equipped with essential 4IR skills. Conclusion: This study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding factors affecting long-distance truck drivers in getting basic 4IR skills essential for them to properly implement new technologies arising in the haulage trucking industry. Contribution: It documents the experiences of long-distance truck drivers in the face of newly emerging technologies in the transport industry.

This study employs a child-centred approach to examine marginalised migrant children’s South African schooling experiences. Identified as lived schooling experiences are made even more difficult with the co-existence of their foreign status. A reflection on the extent to which inflexible and binary migrant definitions constrain children’s assimilation underscores exclusion. Educational experiences are measured against race, class, gender, culture, language, and socio-economic contexts, unearthing xenophobic violence, hostility, and limited academic support challenges. Adversarial experiences and exclusion are rooted in an unequal society. The case advanced in integrating migrant children into South African schools builds inclusion, well-being, and long-term success. A clinical and applied sociological approach facilitates a restoration of child migrant’s education underscored by a migrant-centred approach in practice and policy. The clinical model seeks to minimise strains, intersecting psychosocial necessities augmenting children’s assimilation, acculturation, adaptation, and care experiences.