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.

This study examined the scale of informal metal recycling in the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Municipality and evaluated its socioeconomic and environmental impacts through a circular economy lens. While formal recycling programs have received research attention, informal recycling systems have been less examined despite their critical contribution. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative surveys and material measurements with qualitative field observations. Data were collected through focus groups and surveys administered to 48 active recyclers operating along the N2 and R61 highways, supported by systematic field observations and quantification of all recovered materials. The results showed that steel and aluminum were the most recovered metals at 41.7% and 20.8%. Recyclers collected an average of 15.3 kg/day (SD = 4.2) during periods of high material availability and accessibility and the materials are close to market points. The study underscores the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of informal recycling within the circular economy framework, with most participants (85.42%) indicating that recycling was a significant livelihood while 74% cited difficulty transporting bulky materials, often manually. Therefore, the study emphasizes that informal recyclers play a vital role in sustaining the local economy by offering key waste management and resource recovery services. Acknowledge of these informal systems will contribute to a more inclusive understanding of waste management in developing contexts.

Flooding remains one of the most frequent and destructive hydro-meteorological hazards in South Africa, causing substantial socio-economic losses, infrastructure damage, and threats to human life. In response to increasing flood risks associated with climate variability and extreme weather events, the South African Weather Service has increasingly adopted impact-based severe weather early warning systems designed to communicate not only meteorological hazards but also their likely consequences for communities, infrastructure, and livelihoods. This conceptual review examined the effectiveness of these systems in strengthening flood risk management in South Africa. The paper synthesised theoretical and policy perspectives on impact-based early warning systems and critically reviewed institutional, socio-economic, and communication factors that shape their effectiveness. The findings indicate that while South Africa has made significant progress in transitioning from hazard-based to impact-based warning systems, challenges related to institutional coordination, dissemination gaps, community risk perception, and socio-economic vulnerabilities continue to undermine their effectiveness. The paper further identifies emerging opportunities linked to technological innovation, participatory governance, and community resilience. The study concludes by highlighting the need for context-specific empirical research in vulnerable flood-prone communities such as Port St Johns. This study contributes to disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation scholarship by synthesising theoretical, policy, and institutional perspectives on impact-based flood early warning systems in South Africa. It identifies key institutional, socio-economic, and communication factors that affect system effectiveness, highlights research gaps, and provides a conceptual foundation for future research and evidence-based flood risk management.

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.

Waste pickers play a critical yet underrecognized role in South Africa’s waste management and circular economy by recovering recyclable materials, reducing waste sent to landfills, and supporting resource recovery. Using focus groups, document analysis and semi-structured interviews, this paper evaluates the status of waste picker integration in KSD Local Municipality against the seven-step waste picker integration guidelines developed by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries. The findings revealed that women constituted 67.5% of the surveyed waste pickers, while 60% had completed secondary education. Cooperative or waste picker group membership was reported by 55% of participants, and 52.5% had received training. Participants identified inadequate transport (92.5%), storage facilities (77.5%), collection equipment (67.5%), and protective gear (45%) as major operational challenges. Municipal engagement, cooperative development and training were evident, but participants said they were not fully integrated into formal waste management arrangements. Municipal documents analyzed showed commitments to recycling infrastructure and cooperative development but few explicit provisions for waste picker recognition, representation and participation in decision-making. The study shows how recycling initiatives do not translate into institutional inclusion of informal waste pickers. Formal recognition, participatory governance, infrastructure access, occupational protection and partnerships with recycling companies could support inclusive waste management and circular economy practices in KSDLM.

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.