The analysis of income at household level is highly important for understanding the poverty and for supporting the efforts to deal with poverty. Poverty measures can be calculated from a multitude of approaches. A common approach is to use household income and draw a minimum level of income required for a household to be considered above or below poverty. This paper looked at income at household level from a gender perspective and a marital status perspective in order to draw conclusions of the nature of household’s characteristics that are associated with higher or lower income as a proxy for poverty. Based on data collected in a low income township in South Africa, the regression analysis was applied to investigate the differences between different marital statuses and gender and how they are associated with different levels of income. The regression results reveal that female headed households have, on average, lower incomes compared to male headed households, and also, that married heads of households have higher incomes compared to the single, divorced, and widowed. The widowed had the lowest average income.

Graduate unemployment is especially problematic in a country where much emphasis is placed on furthering academic studies for economic and personal rewards. This article investigates the relationship between career choice and unemployment length among graduates from a South African university. Data were collected by means of a survey questionnaire distributed to graduates in the university’s alumni database. An analysis of variance model was estimated and various descriptive analyses and an ordinary least squares regression were employed. The study finds that the specific majors held by graduates not only influence employment status but also the time taken to find employment. Although human resources, industrial psychology, labour relations management, public administration, public management and politics remain the most popular majors, many graduates in these areas have to wait a long time before securing a job. In light of their findings, the authors recommend that university courses should be as practically oriented as possible in order to help graduates in the job market and consequently to make the transition from education to work an easier one. For their part, graduates need to ensure that they make wise and informed career choices. The government needs to put into effect direct interventions that will enhance and augment teaching and learning throughout the educational system, bearing in mind that the choice to study a certain discipline may be affected by many factors, some of which are beyond the control of the student, such as the quality of school education or socio-economic background.

This study investigates the relationship between ESG performance and economic growth in BRICS nations from 2000 to 2020, aiming to understand how ESG practices influence development trajectories. By integrating economic theories with relevant conceptual frameworks, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of ESG dynamics in emerging economies. The purpose of this study is to determine how the economic growth of the BRICS countries between 2000 and 2020 was impacted by ESG performance at the national level. This work contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a fresh macroeconomic examination of the connection between economic growth and ESG performance in the BRICS nations, a topic that is still relatively unexplored in comparison to firm-level research. A significant knowledge gap on how developing economies strike a balance between rapid economic expansion and environmental and social sustainability is filled by the research’s use of a thorough national-level ESG framework. The study employed a dynamic panel auto regressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, utilising a dynamic pooled mean group (PMG) ARDL econometric technique for both short- and long-term estimates. The findings reveal a short-term negative relationship between ESG performance and economic growth in the BRICS countries, which implies that there are high transitional effects involved in sustainable growth solutions. It also highlights the structural and developmental heterogeneity among BRICS countries. Moreover, the study highlights that carbon emissions positively influence short-term economic growth, underscoring the challenge of balancing sustainability with the continued reliance on fossil fuels in these economies. However, the long-term results show that strong ESG practices ultimately positively affect economic growth, reinforcing the importance of investing in sustainable development for achieving high-quality, long-term prosperity. This conclusion emphasises that, while short-term trade-offs may exist, robust ESG frameworks are crucial for fostering enduring economic and environmental well-being.

The high levels of unemployment in South Africa have resulted in high levels of poverty and inequality. The majority of impoverished people do not have the means to create increased meaning in their lives, leading to low levels of life satisfaction. This paper investigates the determinants of life satisfaction in a poor community. With nearly half of the South African population living in poverty, the question of which variables predict life satisfaction, with specific reference to poor communities, could be asked. The literature indicates that a number of variables can be predictors of life satisfaction in poor areas. The research methodology includes a quantitative household survey in a traditional poor township in southern Gauteng, namely Sicelo. The satisfaction with life scale (SWLS) was used to determine levels of life satisfaction, and a logistic regression analysis was utilised to determine which variables predict life satisfaction. The results of the research confirm that poor communities have relatively low levels of life satisfaction and that specific variables could predict life satisfaction. The logistic regression analysis indicated variables that predict life satisfaction including income levels, employment status, poverty status and government services amongst others. The implication of the research is that policy formulators should also look at the subjective quality of life indicators when compiling and refining policies. This research provides valuable insights into the predictors of life satisfaction of poor people in a traditional South African township. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n13p163

Determinants of Child Poverty in a South African Township: A Case of Boipatong Township