This study employed a qualitative research approach to explore the perceptions and adaptation strategies of small-scale farmers in Mangolong Village, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions and analysed using thematic analysis to identify key patterns and insights. The results revealed that social, economic and cultural factors influence adaptation to climate variability. Women emerged as key contributors in agricultural production, but they continue to face challenges such as limited access to land and lack of financial resources emphasizing the need for gender-sensitive adaptation strategies. The dominance of older farmers in agricultural practices highlighted a stronger reliance on traditional agricultural practices which are grounded in valuable indigenous knowledge. However, this may hinder the uptake of modern climate-resilient techniques. Education can also be very crucial along with indigenous knowledge exchange and social networks. The size of households also determined the adaptive capacity, especially in relation to available labour, and the economic constraints limited investing in new technologies. The farmers showed a strong attachment to their land and cultural earnings that influenced their perceptions about and reactions to the problem of climate change. The most cited adaptation interventions were cropping diversification, intercropping and adjustments to seasonal calendars. These results showed that adaptation lies in the context of complicated socio-cultural, economic, and environmental conditions. In this regard, successful adaptation should be a holistic process where integration of both indigenous knowledge systems with scientific innovation is a must. Women and other vulnerable groups need to be supported with capital so that they can acquire farming inputs and also give them the mandatory knowledge that integrates modern farming and traditional farming system.

Climate change is placing increasing strain on smallholder agricultural systems, as described in recent literature, particularly in semi-arid areas with land degradation, soil decline, and climate variability. In these settings, land serves as a critical juncture linking environmental processes, agricultural production, and human decision-making. Although scientific land-use and soil-management approaches rely on measurable, scalable solutions, they often lack consideration of local variations and socio-economic factors. Whereas indigenous knowledge based on land knowledge offers contextual and experiential perspectives yet is rarely incorporated into formal adaptation models. This research uses a conceptual integrative approach by integrating and meshing indigenous knowledge with science for soil and land management for climate adaptation. By studying knowledge systems across various agroecological systems, the study explores areas of overlap and difference between these approaches. These findings highlight the complementary importance of indigenous and scientific perspectives in explaining soil processes. Indicators discovered within indigenous practices, including soil color, plant composition, and biotic activity, map onto scientific indicators such as soil organic carbon, nutrient status, and physical properties. However, the convergence of these knowledge systems is hampered by bureaucratic, policy, and implementation barriers. To overcome such barriers, this study presents the co-created land-based adaptation framework under three domains: indicator integration, practice integration, and scale integration. This framework provides an interpretable, realistic process for integrating traditional and modern indigenous forms of knowledge to improve land and soil management practices in times of climate change. The framework's focus on linking local relevance with scientific rigor aims to develop climate-resilient, context-sensitive, and inclusive agricultural systems.

Mountain regions in Sub-Saharan Africa are ecologically important yet socio-economically vulnerable, with livelihoods increasingly threatened by climate change, land degradation, and limited development investment. Despite their significance, research on sustainable livelihoods in these mountain systems remains fragmented and geographically uneven. This study examines trends, geographic patterns, and thematic priorities in livelihoods research in Sub-Saharan African mountain regions from 2002 to 2024 using Scientometric and Bibliometric analysis. An initial Scopus search identified 61 relevant publications; after excluding two non-English records, 59 documents were retained for final analysis. Using VOSviewer (version 1.6.20), the study assessed publication growth, leading authors and institutions, country contributions, disciplinary coverage, and keyword co-occurrence networks. Results show a gradual increase in research output, with strong concentration in East Africa particularly Ethiopia and Kenya and limited representation from Southern and West African mountain regions. Environmental Sciences and Social Sciences dominate the literature, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of livelihood research. Major themes include agriculture, climate change, food security, land management, smallholder farming, and household income, reflecting the centrality of climate-sensitive and agro-based livelihoods. However, significant gaps persist, including regional imbalances, limited integration of indigenous knowledge systems, and insufficient comparative and policy-relevant studies. The study concludes that while scholarly interest in mountain livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa is growing, the evidence base remains modest relative to the scale of socio-ecological challenges. Strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration, expanding research in underrepresented mountain systems, and aligning future work with the Sustainable Development Goals could enhance policy relevance and support more resilient livelihood strategies.

This study examines the spatial and temporal patterns of metal theft in Mthatha, South Africa, through an analysis of police-reported incidents, using a quantitative research design. Official police records from Mthatha Central Police Station covering a one-year period were analyzed to identify the patterns, frequency, and spatial distribution of metal theft incidents. The dataset included variables such as type of metal stolen, location, and time of occurrence. Data were cleaned, standardized, and categorized before analysis to ensure reliability and comparability. Descriptive statistics, comparative analysis, and geospatial mapping using GIS including Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), Local Moran’s I, and Getis-Ord Gi* hotspot analysis, were applied to examine temporal and spatial trends. The findings indicate that copper pipes (39.4%) and electrical cables (32.7%) were the most frequently stolen materials. Temporal analysis indicated that 56.3% of incidents with valid time-of-day information occurred at night. Spatial analysis revealed an uneven geographical distribution, with concentrations of reported incidents within and around Mthatha’s urban center. The study concludes that metal theft exhibits distinct spatial, temporal, and target-specific patterns that can inform place-based crime prevention strategies. Strengthening infrastructure protection, targeted policing, inter-agency coordination, and scrap metal transaction traceability may contribute to reducing infrastructure-related theft and enhancing sustainable urban governance and resilience.

Climate change poses major challenges for agriculture worldwide. Climate change threatens smallholder farmers, and little is known about how their perceptions align with climate records in O.R. Tambo. This study investigates how smallholder farmers in O.R. Tambo District perceive climate change and its impact on maize production. A mixed-methods research approach was used, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative insights. In the quantitative phase, 200 randomly selected farmers received closed-ended questionnaires focusing on demographic data and perceptions. To assess their perceptions of climate change, responses were compared to trends in historical temperature and precipitation data from 1990 to 2025. Descriptive statistics were used to gain insights into respondents’ perceptions. 86% of farmers acknowledged that flooding had occurred in the past 5 years, while 62.5% indicated a rise in average temperature. The meteorological data on average annual rainfall exhibited a small positive trend (τ = 0.2857) over the 36-year period, while average annual maximum temperature showed a slight declining trend (τ = −0.1619). Farmers with 18 years or more of residence in the region and significant farming experience were significantly more likely to correctly perceive climate fluctuations. This study concludes that while many farmers correctly perceive aspects of climate change, gaps and misinterpretations can negatively impact the adaptation strategies and resilience of smallholder farmers. Policy focus should be on climate education efforts that translate weather data into easily understandable information for farmers, enabling them to make production decisions.