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Access status: Open Access ,
Enhancing productivity and sustainability in small-scale cattle ranching: a case study of Selous Ranch
(BUSE, 2025-11-30) Chiwade, Farai
This study sets out to build a practical framework for improving both the productivity and the long-term survival of small-scale cattle ranching at Selous Ranch in Zimbabwe. The study was motivated by the sector's continued poor performance. Even though cattle are very important for the rural community and for the country's economy, the sector is caught in a bad cycle. This cycle is one of low productivity and poor sustainability, and it is caused by many problems that are connected to each other. To get a deep understanding of these issues from the people who live with them, the study adopted a qualitative case study approach. Ten respondents were selected for their specific knowledge; these were farmers, veterinary officers, and agribusiness experts. Thus, data were collected through in-depth interviews and observations, and then I analyzed this data by looking for common themes. The researcher found out that there is a structural problem which we can call a "Productivity Paradox." This is a situation where a bad cycle of having low capital leads to farmers being unable to buy good inputs like proper feed, good genetics, and healthcare for the animals, which results in low outputs, such as low calving rates, slow growth of the animals, and the high mortality. The sustainability of the operations is being threatened by what we can call "Multidimensional Vulnerability," which is a situation where different problems like climatic shocks, common diseases, economic volatility, and weak connections to the market all come together and make each other worse. Furthermore, we can see that there is a big "Value Addition Chasm," meaning that the potential for making more money through processing the products is not being realized because of very big barriers in the areas of finance, infrastructure, and technical skills. The study concludes that just fixing one technical problem at a time is not enough. Therefore, it is proposing an "Integrated Resilience and Value Capture Model" to be used as a practical framework for intervention. This model calls for coordinated actions that involve many different stakeholders, and these actions should be across four main pillars: number one is enhancing the input systems and the resource base; number two is improving the on-farm and also the community management practices; number three is developing integrated value chain and market linkages; and number four is fostering a supportive enabling environment. The research is contributing a holistic, systems-based approach for reviving small-scale cattle ranching, and it is offering recommendations that can be acted upon for farmers, for policymakers, and for development partners so that they can break the cycle of poverty, they can build resilience in the system, and they can enable the capture of value locally for sustainable development.
Access status: Open Access ,
A working model towards promoting digital banking hub solutions for rural communities in Zimbabwe: a case of Guruve Centre
(BUSE, 2025-11-30) Mpinyuri, Pavlov T
This project focuses on Guruve Centre to establish a digital banking platform for rural Zimbabwe's financial inclusion. The study explores traditional banking infrastructure, inadequate financial knowledge, and economic marginalisation, which hinder financial inclusion in rural Zimbabwe. Mobile banking and mobile money services can overcome these constraints and provide inclusive financial services to rural underserved communities, according to the research. Financial inclusion in rural Zimbabwe is assessed by studying banking institutions, government policies, and digital financial services usage. It examines how mobile banking solutions can provide savings, loans, insurance, and payments to rural Guruve Centre residents. The study examines rural families' and small businesses' digital banking accessibility, usability, and impact using surveys, interviews with residents, and financial report analysis. The research finds that infrastructure (internet access, mobile network coverage), socio-cultural hurdles (confidence in technology, financial literacy), and regulatory challenges affect digital banking adoption. It also examines how financial institutions and mobile service providers promote digital banking and overcome these constraints. The study also examines the social and economic benefits of financial inclusion, including better credit availability, lower transaction costs, and more financial security for Guruve Centre residents and companies. The study uses Guruve Centre to provide a model for expanding digital banking solutions in rural Zimbabwe, considering local socio-economic realities, technology capabilities, and regulatory frameworks. The suggested strategy stresses financial and mobile service provider cooperation to develop a digital financial services ecosystem. The study concludes that digital banking systems can empower rural Zimbabweans, boost economic growth, and reduce poverty. For rural financial systems to be sustainable, digital infrastructure, financial literacy, and stakeholder participation must be improved.
Access status: Open Access ,
A framework towards enhancing productive units ensuring sustainability in line with Education 5.0: a case study of urban secondary schools in Bindura
(BUSE, 2026-03-31) Kamphinda, Fortunate C
The study sought to develop a sustainable framework for enhancing productive units in urban secondary schools in Bindura District in line with Zimbabwe's Education 5.0 philosophy. Productive units such as poultry projects, gardens, workshops, and other school-based enterprises are expected to promote experiential learning, entrepreneurship, innovation, and income generation. However, many productive units fail to achieve long-term sustainability due to financial constraints, inadequate infrastructure, weak governance systems, limited stakeholder participation, and poor resource management. The study was guided by Education with Production Theory, Constructivist Learning Theory, and the School-as-an-Enterprise Theory. A pragmatic research paradigm employing a convergent mixed-methods design was adopted. Data were collected from school heads, teachers, School Development Committee members, and learners drawn from selected urban secondary schools in Bindura District. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and observation schedules were used to gather data. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. Findings from both strands were integrated to provide a comprehensive understanding of factors influencing the sustainability of productive units. The findings revealed that although productive units contribute significantly to practical skills development, entrepreneurship education, and income generation, their sustainability is undermined by inadequate financial resources, procurement bottlenecks, weak governance structures, insufficient reinvestment mechanisms, inadequate infrastructure, and curriculum-related constraints. The study further identified the existence of a "Death Valley" phase in which many productive units fail during the early stages of implementation due to poor planning and limited institutional support. Strong positive relationships were observed between resource availability, effective governance, stakeholder participation, and the sustainability of productive units. The study developed a sustainable framework centred on financial sustainability, governance and accountability, stakeholder partnerships, entrepreneurship integration, monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilisation, and innovation-driven management practices. The framework is expected to strengthen the continuity and effectiveness of productive units while enhancing the implementation of Education 5.0 in secondary schools. The study recommends the establishment of ring-fenced financial systems, decentralised procurement procedures, and strengthened stakeholder partnerships, continuous professional development for teachers, and robust monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure the long-term sustainability of productive units.
Access status: Open Access ,
A working model for sustainable e-waste recycling in small-scale retail and manufacturing: a case study of Magaba, Mbare
(BUSE, 2025-11-30) Mafa, Jacqueline
Global increase in the adoption of technology has become a critical area of concern for developing countries that do not have adequate systems for creating electronic waste management and the right infrastructure for recycling this growing electronic waste, which leaves much of the recycling to the informal sector. Small-Scale retailers at Magaba have not yet created collection points for e-waste, which makes it very difficult for e-waste to be efficiently collected. Three research objectives set were to assess the current state of e-waste management at Magaba's small-scale retailers, to examine barriers to effective e-waste recycling in Magaba, and to design a sustainable e-waste management model tailored to the needs of the small-scale retail sector at Magaba. The research adopted three theories whereby the theoretical framework integrated concepts from Sustainability Theory by Elkington (1994), Stakeholder Theory by Freeman (1984), and Entrepreneurial Business Model Innovation by Christensen (1997) in guiding the development of the sustainable business model for e-waste management. The conceptual framework was adapted focused on creating circularity in electronic waste management at Magaba, with the idea of enforcing recycling and reusing, with stakeholders getting incentives to participate in the model. An interpretivist paradigm was used, and a qualitative research approach was used, which enabled the researcher to explore the actual living experiences of small-scale retailers. The case study research design was chosen. Purposive sampling was used to select 30 participants, and data collection was carried out using in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and observation. The findings indicated that the current system of e-waste management in Magaba is primarily informal, unsystematic, and lacks environmental safeguards. Electronic waste, mainly old cellphones, radios, computers, and TVs, is dismantled and sold by informal recyclers using crude methods. Small-scale retailers contribute to both e-waste generation and informal reuse, but there are no structured take-back systems or regulated recycling facilities. The research identified key barriers including lack of policy enforcement, low public awareness, absence of incentives, unsafe handling methods, and exclusion of informal actors from formal systems. These challenges reinforce the stagnation of e-waste management in Magaba. The developed model has inputs including discarded electronics, actors (small-scale retailers, consumers, informal recyclers), and incentives. The outputs include recycled raw materials, refurbished devices. The researcher recommended that the government and Harare City Council should set up localized e-waste drop-off centers in Magaba, supported by both government and private stakeholders. The researcher recommends further research to explore effective strategies for integrating informal recyclers into formal waste systems without disrupting their livelihoods.
Access status: Open Access ,
A legal compliance framework for workforce restructuring in human rights NGOs: a case study of Amnesty International South Africa
(BUSE, 2026-06-30) Jairosi, James
Workforce restructuring in human rights NGOs has always been problematic for the human rights industry because there’s no clear legal framework for it. This research tackles that problem and focuses on Amnesty International South Africa. It explores the law, how governance and HR work, what fairness looks like in that case, and the risks involved. Using a descriptive phenomenological and qualitative approach, the team conducted 12 semi-structured interviews and 3 more interviews with key experts and applied purposive sampling. I used NVivo to analyze everything and use thematic analysis. There were five main themes: legal compliance, governance and HR procedures, procedural fairness, restructuring risks, and what a good framework should cover. It turns out that although Amnesty International South Africa has legal and governance structures in place, implementing them is patchy. People do not always get to participate, transparency isn’t great, and employees’ experiences are quite different. When the restructuring is done in a consistent way and then not done in a holistic way, NGOs find themselves in trouble with legal issues, problems of their own internal systems, and unhappy staff. So, the study went ahead and developed a new legal compliance framework, one that is integrated with the law, governance, and fairness. The bottom line: If human rights NGOs want to restructure their workforce in a manner that is truly lawful, credible, and genuine—they need to do more than tick boxes. They need strong, coordinated frameworks and better governance to make sure that everything is transparent, fair, and accountable.