Background: Youths have been found to utilise and adopt information communication technology (ICT) faster than any other population cohort. This has been aided by the advent of social media, especially Facebook and Instagram as platforms of choice. Calls have been made for more research (especially in rural communities) on the usage of ICT platforms such as social media among the youth as a basis for interventions that not only allow for better communication but also for learning. Objectives: The research investigated the relationship between knowledge sharing, habit and obligation in relation to social media usage among a sample of rural South African youth. Method: This study is descriptive by design. Primary data were collected from 447 youths domiciled within a rural community in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa using a self-administered questionnaire. The respondents to the study were all social media users. A combination of descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to make meaning of the data. Results: The study found a significant positive correlation to exist in all three independent variables (knowledge sharing, habit and obligation) with the dependent variable (social media usage) concerning Facebook usage among the sample of South African rural youth. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the research, recommendations and implications with regard to theory and practice are made.

Milanzi (2012) also acknowledged the importance of SMEs and their contributions towards a nation's total exports. In that regard, Edmunds and Khoury (1986) provided evidence revealing Orientation: Globally, the majority of Small and Medium-sized entities (SMEs) are resource constrained. As a result, not all SMEs are able to fully exploit the benefits associated with international trade as they face challenges when exporting their produce.Research purpose: This article presents an investigation into the impact of access to finance on firm performance and exporting behaviour of SMEs in Harare, Zimbabwe.Motivation for the study: The article stems from the observation that although there is a growing importance and contribution of SMEs worldwide, research has shown that only a few of these SMEs are involved in international trade.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional study was employed with quantitative methods being utilised. The collected data were analysed using a structural equation modelling technique, which employed the Smart partial least squares software (version 2.0). Main findings:The key findings reveal that a significant positive relationship between access to finance and SMEs exporting behaviour does exist. Furthermore, the study's findings challenge the notion that firm performance has a significant impact on exporting behaviour and show a negative impact of access to finance on SME firm performance. Practical/managerial implications:There is a need to put systems in place in Zimbabwe that that will (1) prioritise the need to have clear routes to market and increase awareness among SME owners, and (2) help SMEs overcome high costs associated with participating in export of goods and services. Contribution/value-add:The article provides a unique empirical analysis of the relationship that exists between access to finance, firm performance and export behaviour of SME firms in Zimbabwe, and thereby makes a valid contribution to SME literature.

Background: Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are gaining popularity in South Africa; this includes the use of mobile phones and the Internet. Mobile phones also seem to be popular with the student cohort of the South African population, especially for communication purposes. Empirical evidence affirms the importance of mobile phones to this cohort, including the need to research further how these groups use and experience such devices.Objectives: This study seeks to provide an understanding of how mobile phone features, the motivation to use and time spent on a mobile phone influence behavioural intention to use mobile phones among a sample of technical and vocational educational and training (TVET) students in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.Method: A survey was carried out with 161 TVET students through a self-administered questionnaire completed by each respondent. Pre-testing and pilot testing of measures were conducted using a sample of final-year students using mobile phones who fit the same characteristics as the intended sample. To arrive at findings, data analysis was undertaken through the Chi-square test.Results: Descriptive results of the study reveal that the majority of mobile phones owned by TVET students were in the category of smartphones, bearing modern features that facilitate instant messaging, exchange of data and information as well as speedy access to information via the Internet.Conclusion: Inferential results of the study indicate that the more features a mobile phone has, the higher the desire to make use of the phone for communication purposes. Furthermore, motivation and time were found to play insignificant roles in influencing student utilisation of mobile phones for communication purposes.

Research purpose: The aim of this article was to establish whether or not performance between male-owned and female-owned small and medium-sized entities (SMEs) differs significantly and to assess the extent to which the gender gap in SME performance (if any) could be allocated to gender differences in levels of business-related experience.Motivation for the study: The influence of gender on SME performance is well documented from an international perspective. However, what lacks in extant literature is the understanding of whether the performance gap between male and female entity owners with similar business-related experience exists or not. This study investigated gender influence through data collected from both male and female entity owners.Research design, approach and method: The study was descriptive by design. Primary data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. Data analysis was undertaken through t-test and chi-square analysis.Main findings: The findings confirm that male- and female-owned SMEs perform at similar levels, given that such owners possess high business-related experience. Therefore, gender gap in firm performance does not exist among male and female entrepreneurs who fall either in low or high business-related experience categories.Contribution/value-add: The value of this research lies in the findings contrary to extant literature; that gender plays no role in the performance of SMEs. However, the level of business-related experience the owner holds, regardless of gender, influences the entity’s performance.Conclusion: Contrary to evidence provided in literature, the study concludes that focusing on the impact of gender on entrepreneurship with the aim of comparing business outcomes of male- and female-owned entities, while ignoring the role of key variables such as business-related experience, may yield misleading results.

This study was undertaken with the goal of investigating the predictive capacity of desire for independence (DI), economic motivation (EcoM) and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) regarding willingness to become an entrepreneur (WEE) for employees involved in dirty work.Setting: Although this study is grounded in well-developed theories, the study is of value given that it provides new insights with respect to the impact of EcoM, ESE and DI on WEE among employees involved in dirty work who are facing stigma.Methods: This study adopted a positivist paradigm. Data were gathered through a selfadministered questionnaire. To analyse the data, factor analysis and multiple linear regression were used.Results: This study found that in the quest to achieve a high-standing position in society by employees involved in dirty work, EcoM and ESE play more crucial roles than DI as far as WEE is concerned. Conclusion:This study concluded that in the quest to achieve a high-standing position in the society, EcoM and ESE play more crucial roles than DI on WEE for employees involved in dirty work.