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With the growing amount of data available in the digital age, it has become increasingly important to use automated methods to extract useful information from data. One such application is the extraction of events from news sources for the purpose of a quantitative analysis that does not rely on someone needing to read through thousands of news articles. Overseas, projects such as the Integrated Crisis Early Warning System (ICEWS) monitor news stories and extract events using automated coding. However, not all violent events are reported in the news, and while monitoring only news agencies is sufficient for projects such as ICEWS which have a global focus, more news sources are required when assessing a local situation. We used WhatsApp as a news source to identify the occurrence of violent incidents in South Africa. Using machine learning, we have shown how violent incidents can be coded and recorded, allowing for a local level recording of these events over time. Our experimental results show good performance on both training and testing data sets using a logistic regression classifier with unigrams and Word2vec feature models. Future work will evaluate the inclusion of pre-trained word embedding for both Afrikaans and English words to improve the performance of the machine learning classifier.

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The theory of complex systems has gained significant ground in recent years, and with it, complex network theory has become an essential approach to complex systems. This study follows international trends in examining the interlocking South African bank director network using social network analysis (SNA), which is shown to be a highly connected social network that has ties to many South African industries, including healthcare, mining, and education. The most highly connected directors and companies are identified, along with those that are most central to the network, and those that serve important bridging functions in facilitating network coherence. As this study is exploratory, numerous suggestions are also made for further research.

Although the film industry – like the literary system – can be described as a cultural system or field, systems theory remains largely unexplored in South African film studies, as does the more recent network theory. Systems theory and network theory both emphasise the relationships of an entity within a larger context, arguing that an entity should be studied within the relationships in which it functions. Recently, researchers have suggested that network theory can be integrated with polysystem theory to study the interactions between entities in the literary system. This article illustrates the potential of using social network analysis (SNA) as an investigative tool to identify and describe the role of an entity within the context of the film industry by focusing on one of the seminal Afrikaans film makers: Pierre de Wet. Pierre de Wet has been intricately involved with the beginnings of the Afrikaans film industry, collaborating with, amongst others, some of the most prolific film editors, producers,cinematographers and music composers. His major collaborators are highlighted as well as his central position in the Afrikaans film industry, taking into account the entire Afrikaans film industry from its origin to the contemporary period. The article also makes suggestions for further research.

Background: Company director networks have been studied for many countries, including South Africa, from the perspective of network theory. However, most studies of company director networks focus on the overall structure of the network, that is, by conducting a macrolevel analysis.Aim: In this study, we conducted a node-level analysis to investigate whether the four major South African banks, namely, Barclays Africa Group Ltd (now ABSA Group Limited), Nedbank Group Ltd, Standard Bank Group Ltd and FirstRand Ltd, occupy central roles in the company director network on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).Setting: Social networks provide a vital source of information and are therefore an important field of study in business. Methods:We use degree-, betweenness-and closeness centrality, as well as strength, and a force-directed layout to investigate whether these four banks occupy key positions in the company director network on the JSE. Results:We show that these four banks occupy central roles on the JSE. The direct connections of these companies are also identified, and findings are compared to some overseas studies. Conclusion:This study concludes that the said four major banks occupy key positions on the JSE.

Universiteit van die Vrystaat en is tans 'n navorsingsgenoot by die Eenheid vir Taalfasilitering en Bemagtiging. Ná hy sy PhD aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat in 2013 verwerf, ondersoek hy inligtingstegnologie, grootdata en die netwerkwetenskap met spesifieke toepassings binne die Afrikaner se leefwêreld, veral met 'n klem op die Afrikaanse literatuurstudie. As NNSgegradeerde navorser het hy reeds meer as 60 artikels en drie boeke gepubliseer. Burgert Senekal joined the University of the Free State in 2008 and is currently a research associate in the Unit for the Facilitation and Empowerment of Languages ("Eenheid vir Taalfasilitering en Bemagtiging"). After obtaining a PhD from the University of the Free State in 2013, he focused, in his research, on information technology, big data and the network community, with particular reference to applicability within the Afrikaner way of life, as this concerns especially the study of Afrikaans literature. In his capacity as a NRF-rated researcher, he has already published more than 60 articles, as well as three books.