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Indigenous health care models have continued to play significant roles in the development and sustenance of livelihoods in African communities. Such models are used not only to provide affordable community health care services but also as an employment resource for traditional practitioners within African communities. Yet, for lack of documentation and lack of discussion in the management and Indigenous Knowledge System literature, the models are hardly incorporated into the official health care services of African countries. This chapter addresses this problem by documenting the benefits and merits of the entrepreneurial principles embedded in the Tsonga traditional health care practice. First, it highlights how the unique indigenous traditional model is used for administering health care in a selected Tsonga-speaking community in South Africa. Second, it analyses the entrepreneurial principles embedded in the model. Finally, it discusses how such principles have been used as tools for entrepreneurship and enhancing the economic upkeep of the traditional health care practitioners (THPs). The chapter's main argument is that even though the Tsonga traditional health care practice model is complex, mystical, and in most cases challenging to explain to a non-native, it presents a great entrepreneurial opportunity for South Africa.

Effective communication is a key factor in presenting Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) awareness and prevention campaigns, and delivering treatment programmes, particularly in South Africa where different ethnic groups and a diversity of languages and educational attainment levels are encountered. Language is an important element of such communication. The purpose of this paper is to examine the communication effectiveness of AIDS-related intervention messages.

Case-based semi-structured interviews, with 42 employees from three construction organisations, and with six telephone counsellors from a service provider, were used to explore language in the HIV/AIDS context in the construction industry in the Western Cape region.

Workers’ knowledge about HIV (a key element in prevention and willingness to engage in treatment regimes) tended to align with their level of education. African cultures may inhibit the use of plain language about AIDS. Graphic posters with text in different languages were the most preferred communication media, but need periodic refreshment to remain effective. For toolbox talks and other company presentations, a comprehensive approach to language differences is limited, and appropriate confirmatory feedback loops are not used – the message sent is not always the message received. The recruitment and training processes for service provider counsellors ensure a more comprehensive grasp of HIV knowledge and a more consistent approach to communication.

Construction organisations should be more careful in their HIV/AIDS campaigns and programmes, ensure better targeting of audiences and pay more nuanced and sensitive attention to language needs, gender differences and cultural contexts with respect to communicating with workers in ways that engage them more fully about HIV/AIDS, stigma and disclosure.

Communication effectiveness is pivotal in the provision of intervention management by construction firms. Ineffective language and communication processes directly and adversely influence HIV/AIDS intervention management success.

South Africa’s mixed, pluralistic legal order demands a nuanced approach to cultural expertise in litigation. Culture in general and cultural expertise in particular have always played an important role in all areas of law, both state and non-state, and a rich collection of jurisprudence is available to serve as illustration. Even though both the common law and the customary law are both recognized legal systems, they are treated differently by the judiciary. The general rule is that judicial notice must be taken of the common law rules and that judicial notice of customary law may only be taken “in so far as such law can be ascertained readily and with sufficient certainty.” The ascertainment of customary law provides a challenge to the judiciary because of its adaptive inherent flexibility and indeterminate nature, especially where the rules are oral or so-called “living” customary law. Cultural expertise also plays an important role in the case of non-state law. A considerable quantity of case law exists where the courts have considered expert evidence regarding the content of certain religious legal systems to provide protection to litigants claiming that they are subject to those systems. The aim of this contribution is to investigate the diverse approaches of the South African courts when it comes to the admissibility of expert evidence in cases where culture (both custom and religion in both state and non-state law) is relevant. The fact that the South African legal system has its roots firmly in Western law and has been confronted with cultural diversity for a very long time might provide some lessons to the Western world, even if those lessons are only to prevent it from making the same mistakes as the South African legal system has made or might still be doing.

A Casebook of Indigenous Business Practices in Africa is a collection of business case studies that expand understanding of how indigenous enterprises apply entrepreneurial practices embedded in culture to achieve success. Indigenous methods are part of Africa's social and economic fabric, and these cases identify concepts and models that can accelerate growth in Africa. The value of these practices across regions of Africa cannot be overemphasised despite the dominance of Western business methods, which, though beneficial, are yet to drive the continent's developmental agenda. By exploring indigenous business practices in Africa, students, educators, practitioners, entrepreneurs and government decision-makers will be introduced to unique and sustainable practices that can foster inclusive growth and social and economic empowerment when contextualised within the business landscape. Identification of relevant orientations in indigenous practices that will benefit contemporary business frameworks and actors is a significant contribution of the authors of this book. Incorporation of these indigenous methods into management teachings and business practices is essential to the continent's economic growth and socio-cultural progress.

Africa is a vast, immensely diverse continent with hundreds of local languages, traditions, values, and cultures that shape the lives of its people. The vast resources available on the continent present numerous opportunities for economic development and prosperity. The preceding chapters in this volume have explored many of these resources, highlighting the importance of indigenous knowledge in driving sustainable business structures across Africa. This chapter concludes with practical recommendations for implementing and sustaining indigenous knowledge on the continent and building a more equitable and sustainable future for Africa. We anticipate that these observations and recommendations will aid African researchers, government and non-governmental organisations, educators, business actors and leaders, legislators, and the general public in thinking globally but acting locally to advance indigenous knowledge in Africa.

Audio-visual records produced by public broadcasters play a role in preserving the history, culture and language of a country. The records are used by broadcasters to repeat and support programmes on air. The formats that carry these records such as tapes and compact discs are fragile and have a short life span. This is compounded by evolving technologies and results in obsolete playback equipment, which can result in records not being accessible. This study aims to explore the preservation and access of audio-visual records at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) radio in Limpopo regional offices.

Qualitative data were collected through interviews from purposively selected participants in three radio stations of the SABC in the Limpopo province which are Munghana Lonene FM, Phalaphala FM and Thobela FM. The interview data were augmented through participant observation.

The findings revealed that the SABC radio archive was preserving audio-visual records in obsolete formats such as long plays and cassettes, which also lacked playback equipment. These formats were not properly arranged and were kept in a storage area that was not monitored for decaying and security. It was further established that the radio stations were using IONA technology for retrieval of and access to records while the news division within the radio stations were relying on Electronic News Production System. As audio-visual materials were not catalogued, it proved difficult for users to access these records.

This study adds value to the existing theoretical and conceptual issues that form the ongoing discourse on the preservation of and access to audio-visual records which are often neglected in the developing countries. The study also laid the groundwork for further investigation of the audio-visual records at broadcasting corporations. This is prompted by the findings which established that valuable information has been lost and continues to be lost due to poor management of audio-visual records. Therefore, a further study on migration of content from analogue to digital for the purpose of continuous preservation is recommended.

The study triangulated data collection tools including interviews and participant observation. The context was on the national broadcaster and the focus was on the preservation of and access to audio-visual records for the radio.

This paper aims to explore the role of a small‐scale project around storytelling as a form of informal education in five health clinics in rural areas of the Limpopo Province in South Africa. The aim of the project is to decrease the stigma around HIV/AIDS and to start an open dialogue in local communities about the disease.

This is an exploratory study using a qualitative approach, which was carried out in 2005/2006, that focused on perceptions of participants from the audience of the project and health practitioners.

The research findings emphasize the importance of involvement of a storyteller who can play an influential role in local rural communities by breaking the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS and providing people with little or no education with simple but effective messages about the disease. Stories are embedded in local traditions and make use of metaphors, like dialogues between animals. Beside, stories are a form of “edutainment”: education enriched with entertainment.

Owing to budgetary and time constraints insight into the impact of the project on the way the members of the audience protect themselves and deal with the essential issues of sexuality and relationships in their daily life as a result of storytelling was not gained.

Owing to its personal approach a project around storytelling in rural areas in South Africa is vital, because it seems to suit the local context better than nationwide health educational programmes which are normally disseminated through mass education.

The purpose of this paper is to attempt to highlight the importance of culturally mediated instruction in library and information science (LIS) teaching and learning.

The paper uses three distinct approaches in culturally mediated instruction and learning environment, as product, process, and philosophy. The paper deals with the general concept of the cultural dimension of human development through identification of students who are culturally different from the main stream orientation, by creating culturally mediated instruction in a learning environment The paper further elaborates the role of LIS schools in this direction. It concludes by suggesting ways in which LIS education could be improved by being inclusive with the changing global society and its needs.

It is evident that culturally inclusive instruction can enhance the learning of LIS students who are responsive to the needs of their diverse communities and who are able to be change agents to their institutions and professions.

The paper presents ways by which LIS educators can create a better learning environment base inclusive of all cultures represented in the classroom. It redefines diversity of library education in a culturally mediated teaching and learning environment.

Knowledge management in South Africa is still a very new field of management and knowledge managers are experiencing difficulties with the added dimension of multiculturalism. The history of South Africa, along with its current focus on cultural equality, complicates the matter. This research seeks to look at the challenges facing knowledge managers in a multicultural South African corporate environment.

An exploratory study, using in‐depth interviewing and a focus group as information collection methods, was launched to explore South African knowledge‐management practices in a cross‐section of companies in the economy.

Results showed that companies were afraid to acknowledge cultural differences because of major cultural sensitivity and, as a result, corporate culture was seen as the great equaliser of cultural exchanges. Knowledge managers, along with top management's support, must rather create a cooperative knowledge‐sharing environment in which South Africa's diverse cultures can interact, learn from one another and innovate.

Serves as a pilot study that aims to explore new territory. From this explorative research, a new and extensive study of the contributing factors should be conducted. This study does not proclaim to be representative of all companies, as only a cross‐section of the South African corporate market was targeted for participation.

Company management and knowledge workers will see the necessity of incorporating different approaches to knowledge‐management implementation to suit individual needs.

Very little research has been done on this subject from a South African corporate‐environment perspective. These researchers hope to make knowledge workers more sensitive to the influence of multiculturalism on potential implementation of a knowledge‐management strategy.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse factors influencing black South African millennials when considering African Ankara fabric fashion. Fashion adoption, particularly consumers’ intentions to adopt new fashion is valuable to companies and marketers of the vibrant clothing product. Therefore, this study helped to create awareness to marketers on what characteristics to look for and address when dealing with millennials.

The study was informed by the interpretivist research paradigm resulting in the adoption and use of a qualitative research methodology. The exploratory research design helped the authors to collect data for this study because the objective was to address a subject where the problem was not well understood and there was little research on the subject matter. In addition, the exploratory research design helped to identify the boundaries in which the research problems and situations of interest resided, thus, the “what if” type of questions were addressed in the study.

The study established that black South African millennials were aware and conversant with African Ankara fabric fashion because it communicated African culture as well as personality. It was revealed that attitude, influence of fashion involvement, country-of-origin effect, consumer ethnocentrism and opinion leaders played significant roles in influencing millennials in fashion adoption. Particularly of importance, the study observed that celebrities influenced black South African millennials in fashion adoption and purchase intentions. Black South African millennials confirmed that their technologically savvy nature and social media usage had morphed them into depending on information communication technology.

The sample for the study was composed of individuals from the University of Cape Town which excluded potential sample participants from the rest of South Africa. The exclusion of potential sample members was attributed to the research methodology adopted and data collection techniques used. The limitations would have been mitigated if a different research methodology had been used.

The practical implications identified in this study are black South African millennials who are frugal and fluid customers, whose tastes and preferences are difficult to understand unless thorough research is done by marketers; black South African millennials are technologically savvy, therefore firms and marketers should use information communication technologies if they are to win loyalty of black South African millennials. Utilisation of traditional marketing (bricks and mortar) approaches do not work for this cohort of consumers; when designing products or services, marketers and firms should engage and involve millennials as part of the design strategy.

This study investigated influencing factors on millennials when considering African Ankara fabric fashion. Most studies focussed on Western clothing fashion, yet African fashion was symbolic and it communicated African culture. Failure to research on African Ankara fabric fashion creates a gap and dearth of literature, which is the reason why this study was undertaken. This study has implications for clothing designers and manufacturers who are excluding African Ankara fabric fashion.