Funding partner: Center for the Study of Governance Innovation (GovInn)
                                                                              
The Migrafrica Project is one of the projects hosted by the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation in collaboration with FAO. The study primarily seeks to highlight issues of migration and its drivers whilst advocating for effective migration policies. Part of the project involves conducting statistical analysis data management in selected countries within sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, two main outputs are expected to be generated: an atlas and a working paper.

Research team members: Prof Mulugeta F. Dinbabo, UWC (Principal Investigator); Mr Michael Nguatem Belebema, UWC, (PhD Candidate).

Funding Partner: Pro-poor Policy Development Phase II, a partnership programme of the Presidency and the European Union.

The worldwide increase of obesity has been described as a global health epidemic that poses a considerable threat to the health and well-being of populations. Low and middle-income countries (LMIC) are not spared from the obesity pandemic and are continuing to reflect a rapid increase in body fat levels. 

Research shows that obesity is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases and substantially increases the risk of hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnoea as well as cancers of the endometrium, breast, prostate, and colon. The growing epidemic diverts scarce resources for the management of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease and impacts on the workplace as a result of increased absenteeism and decreased turnover. 

It is against this background that this research has focused on the link between food choices and Body Mass Index (BMI) in adults and children in South Africa. Both secondary data analysis and empirical fieldwork were used to gather the data required to answer the research question. Within the limited scope of this study, the research identified the kinds of food that was consumed in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain in South Africa; assessed the circumstances and factors determining food consumption; identified the relationship between food choices and self-perceived health status and actual BMI measurements. The study also clearly identified that there are a number of determinants of food choice in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. These include the households’ income and the cost of food, accessibility and availability, cultural influences, palatability/taste, familiarity (especially for vegetables), education/knowledge, social setting, time constraints, religion and food choices, distance travelled to purchase food and food choices etc. Based on these findings, recommendations were proffered.

Research team members: Prof Mulugeta F. Dinbabo, UWC (Principal Investigator); Dr. Abdulrazak Karriem (Senior Researcher); Dr. Sharon Penderis (Senior Researcher), Prof Julian May (Senior Advisor); Prof Christopher Fulcher (Senior Advisor).The project had a participatory and capacity building focus in that it involved the following postgraduate students. Mr Michael Nguatem Belebema, (PhD Candidate); Mr Tlhabanyane Mogatosi, (MA Candidate); Ms Pozisa Zinja, (MA Candidate); Ms Nishaat Ms Gangen, (MA Candidate); Ms Razaan Adams, (MA Candidate) and Ms Nangamso Ngcwayi, (MA Candidate)

Funding Partner: Department of Social Development Western Cape Government 

Like all societies, migration patterns in South Africa, particularly in the Western Cape Province continue to generate significant implications not just for population growth but also for social development, both now and in the future. As such, the need to keep track of migration patterns and issues, even more having access to accurate and credible migration data within the Western Cape Province, is non-negotiable. 

It is against this background that the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD), under the auspices of the Population Unit, engaged the services of the Institute for Social Development (ISD) at the University of the Western Cape to evaluate migration data that capture migration trends and issues in the Western Cape and based on this, develop migration models for the Western Cape Province. Per the Service Level Agreement, nine deliverables were set.

Research team members: Dr Mulugeta F. Dinbabo (Principal Investigator); Prof Dr. Abdulrazak Karriem (Senior Researcher); Dr. Sharon Penderis (Senior Researcher), Dr Susan Ziehl (Senior Researcher) and Dr Yves Semegni (Senior Researcher).The project also had involved the following postgraduate students. Mr Michael Nguatem Belebema, (PhD Candidate); Mr Clement Mensah (PhD Candidate) and Ms Shamiso Mandioma (PhD Candidate).

Funding Partner: Department of Social Development Western Cape Government 

The Western Cape Government (WCG) appointed Research ICT Africa to develop a Western Cape Network Readiness Index, along the lines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) e-Readiness Index and to conduct an impact study of broadband rollout for Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, and Saldanha Bay.

The project was divided into three phases:

1. developing methodologies and determining data availability; 
2. creating a WC Network Readiness Index (NRI) by conducting a baseline communication access and use study in the three identified areas; and 
3. conducting an impact assessment of broadband initiatives in these areas. 

The project was conducted by a consortium of tenders which included the University of the Western Cape and the University of Cape Town. The University of the Western Cape was represented by Prof Julian May, Dr Mulugeta Dinbabo and Ms Jacqueline Tamri.

This study considered the usefulness of census-taking in the light of its costs effectiveness. It aimed at gathering empirical evidence to support future plans for census-taking, as well as to contribute towards improving results dissemination and opportunities identification for maximising the usage of the count. Funded by the Statistics Service of South Africa, the project was jointly undertaken by ISD and the Department of Statistics, Northwestern University. Staff members involved were Prof. Julian May and Dr. Mulugeta Dinbabo, with Ms. Jacquiline Tamri who is a Masters Student in ISD.

This study made use of the second wave of the South African National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) to explore trends and explanations for inequalities in child mortality, progression through school and nutritional status. The project was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council of the United Kingdom. It was undertaken in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of Cape Town and the Children’s Institute. The staff members involved were Prof. Julian May and Ms Winnie Sambu.

This capacity building project sought to identify and link younger researchers in Africa with experienced researchers in both developed and developing countries. The objective was to develop social science capacity for the analysis of ICT and development. The project was conducted in collaboration with the Nanyang University of Technology (Singapore) and the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. It was funded by the IDRC. The staff members involved were Prof. Julian May, with Ms. Kathleen Diga.

Child Watch International (CWI) and the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) commissioned a research project with the objective to identify gaps on the current situation of children’s rights based research by pinpointing its strengths and weaknesses, to expand and deepen the knowledge base on the state of children’s rights and to come up with a scientifically sound rights-based global research agenda. The study was conducted by Dr. Mulugeta Dinbabo, who picked and assessed two themes that were itemised on children’s rights as an outcome of the Call for Action from the Children’s Rights at a Cross-Roads conference.

The Case of Abahlali baseMjondolo. This research project investigated mobilisations for housing by the South African Shack Dwellers Movement or Abahlali baseMjondolo in Cape Town. The study sought to highlight the complex and multifaceted ways in which social movement mobilisations for housing operates, the internal and external outcomes they produce, and their on-going struggles for democratising the city. Funded by the UWC Research fund, the study was led by Dr Abdulrazak Karriem in collaboration with ISD masters students.

This collaborative project with the School of Government involved a review of secondary data and administrative records from the two major public works programmes being undertaken in South Africa. The research investigated public finance allocations, the numbers being employed and reviewed findings from monitoring and evaluation reports. Prof. Julian May and Dr. Leon Pretorius worked on this project under the auspices of the Office of the President.

This project was funded by the IDRC by providing travel and capacity building support for 40 emerging researchers in developing countries. Prof. Julian May and Ms. Jacqui Tamri worked on this project.