Department of English, Media Studies and Linguistics
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Browsing Department of English, Media Studies and Linguistics by Author "Chari, T."
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Item Embargo An investigation into the use of digital media to promote indigeneous African Languages: the case of digital terrestrial television on SABC(2025-05-16) Ramalahla, Sello Keith; Chari, T.; Chauke, F. H.Digital media play an important role in promoting marginalised languages, particularly in the broadcasting sector, where they play second fiddle to English language. The unequal status in South Africa has resulted in increased social isolation and discrimination of indigenous African languages, the erosion of heritage and local cultural identities. Speakers of indigenous African languages have limited choices on television because indigenous African languages are either non-existent or limited on television due to the prioritisation of the English language. On the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) some programs in indigenous languages are ghosted in English to accommodate others who do not understand African languages. Misrepresentation of indigenous African languages has resulted in marginalisation of indigenous languages amongst 24-hour live-broadcast news channels. Linguistic inequality on television and digital media can manifest itself in several ways, such as discrimination or promotion, and unequal access to public services. However, very few studies have focused on how digital media could be leveraged to promote indigenous African languages, particularly in post-colonial contexts such as South Africa. Underpinned by the public sphere model and Jurgen Habermas’s theory of the public sphere, this qualitative study examined the role of digital media in promoting African indigenous languages on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT). The study focused on how digital media were used to promote indigenous African languages on SABC DTT, how these digital technologies enhanced audience participation on SABC DTT, and the strengths and limitations of these digital technologies as vehicles for promoting indigenous African languages on SABC DTT. Data were collected using a semi-structured interviews with purposively selected 20 participants comprising of five (SABC) officials and 15 members of the audience, participant observation as well as document analysis. Textual data obtained through interviews were thematically coded and presented in narrative form. The study revealed, notwithstanding the limitations associated with these digital technologies, that the use of digital media on SABC DTT to promote indigenous African languages, has been transformative through laying the foundation for the preservation and revival of these languages. This study further argued the integration of digital media for the promotion and continued existence of these languages bridges the gap between the public broadcaster and citizens, thereby enhancing a sense of belonging and public citizenship.Item Embargo Digital Migration in South Africa: Experiences of Rural Selected Communities in Thulamela Municipality, Limpopo Province(2025-09-05) Ralufuluvhi, Gudani Julius; Chari, T.; Nodoba, T.The global transition from analogue to digital broadcasting has been a significant shift driven by advancements in information and communication technologies. Digital migration offers benefits such as improved picture quality, efficient spectrum usage, and accommodating multiple channels on a single frequency. However, this transition has presented challenges for various stakeholders, particularly in developing regions and rural communities. This study focuses on the experiences of rural communities in the Thulamela Municipality, located in the Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa, during the shift from analogue to digital broadcasting. The motivation for this study stems from the delayed migration to digital television in South Africa, which began in 2009 but missed International Telecommunications Union deadlines for analogue switch-off in June 2015. Rural communities, especially those similar to the Thulamela Municipality, have faced difficulties related to infrastructural deficits, economic constraints, and limited access to digital equipment such as Set-Top Boxes. The research adopted a qualitative approach, gathering experiences from 15 purposively selected community members of Thulamela Municipality through semi-structured interviews. These interviews aimed to understand the challenges faced by these communities during the digital migration, the impact of the switchover on their access to broadcasting services, and any benefits derived from the digital transition. The results revealed that while there are potential benefits associated with digital migration, most rural households remained disconnected due to inadequate infrastructure, delays in Set-Top Box distribution, and a lack of public awareness campaigns about the transition. This research is based on the theoretical underpinning of communication rights, digital rights, and universal access, emphasising equal opportunities for access to information technologies for all actors. The concept of communication rights is highly relevant as it underscores citizens' right to freely seek, receive, and impart information, compromised due to the irregular establishment of digital infrastructure in many rural communities. The survey findings suggest that the well-intentioned policies of the South African government fell short in addressing the specific needs of rural communities, leading to a digital divide. The study highlights the implications of more inclusive policies and their proper implementation to ensure that all citizens, regardless of geographical location or economic status, benefit equally from digital broadcasting. This dissertation provides insight into the socio-economic implications of digital migration in rural South Africa and emphasises the need to improve efforts toward digital inclusion to reduce the disparities between urban and rural areas. The dissertation offers practical recommendations for policymakers, broadcasters, and other stakeholders involved in the digital migration, emphasising the need for targeted interventions to achieve universal access to digital broadcasting services in underserved regions.Item Embargo Digital Migration in South Africa: Experiences of Rural Selected Communities in Thulamela Municipality, Limpopo Province(2025-09-05) Ralufuluvhi, Gudani Julius; Nodoba, T.; Chari, T.The global transition from analogue to digital broadcasting has been a significant shift driven by advancements in information and communication technologies. Digital migration offers benefits such as improved picture quality, efficient spectrum usage, and accommodating multiple channels on a single frequency. However, this transition has presented challenges for various stakeholders, particularly in developing regions and rural communities. This study focuses on the experiences of rural communities in the Thulamela Municipality, located in the Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa, during the shift from analogue to digital broadcasting. The motivation for this study stems from the delayed migration to digital television in South Africa, which began in 2009 but missed International Telecommunications Union deadlines for analogue switch-off in June 2015. Rural communities, especially those similar to the Thulamela Municipality, have faced difficulties related to infrastructural deficits, economic constraints, and limited access to digital equipment such as Set-Top Boxes. The research adopted a qualitative approach, gathering experiences from 15 purposively selected community members of Thulamela Municipality through semi-structured interviews. These interviews aimed to understand the challenges faced by these communities during the digital migration, the impact of the switchover on their access to broadcasting services, and any benefits derived from the digital transition. The results revealed that while there are potential benefits associated with digital migration, most rural households remained disconnected due to inadequate infrastructure, delays in Set-Top Box distribution, and a lack of public awareness campaigns about the transition. This research is based on the theoretical underpinning of communication rights, digital rights, and universal access, emphasising equal opportunities for access to information technologies for all actors. The concept of communication rights is highly relevant as it underscores citizens' right to freely seek, receive, and impart information, compromised due to the irregular establishment of digital infrastructure in many rural communities. The survey findings suggest that the well-intentioned policies of the South African government fell short in addressing the specific needs of rural communities, leading to a digital divide. The study highlights the implications of more inclusive policies and their proper implementation to ensure that all citizens, regardless of geographical location or economic status, benefit equally from digital broadcasting. This dissertation provides insight into the socio-economic implications of digital migration in rural South Africa and emphasises the need to improve efforts toward digital inclusion to reduce the disparities between urban and rural areas. The dissertation offers practical recommendations for policymakers, broadcasters, and other stakeholders involved in the digital migration, emphasising the need for targeted interventions to achieve universal access to digital broadcasting services in underserved regions.Item Embargo Efficacy of communication strategies employed by the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve to promote environmental awareness and sustainability(2026-05-19) Sebashe, Taetso Bridget; Chari, T.; Nodoba, T.Communication plays an important role in fostering environmental awareness and sustainable behaviour in biosphere reserves. Existing studies emphasise the importance of communication in biosphere reserves. However, these studies often lack context-specific analysis. The communication strategies employed by biospheres, including the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve (VBR), are poorly studied in South Africa, making it difficult to understand how these initiatives influence local communities' environmental awareness and behaviour. Therefore, this study evaluates the effectiveness of the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve's communication strategies in promoting environmental awareness and sustainability. The communication strategies employed by the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve to create environmental and sustainability awareness among stakeholders, the effectiveness of these strategies in creating environmental and sustainability awareness among stakeholders, and the possible ways the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve uses to enhance environmental awareness and sustainability are the core questions in this investigation. The study employed a qualitative research method involving semi-structured interviews with 3 purposively sampled participants from VBR and 14 purposively selected stakeholders. Semistructured interviews were complemented by data document analysis. The findings reveal that Vhembe Biosphere Reserve employs a multi-channel communication strategy that utilises digital, traditional, and face-to-face engagement channels. Although digital methods broaden reach and improve visibility, they are ineffective in isolation. Integrated and participative communication, especially with marginalised community members, fosters trust, inclusion, and sustained engagement. The study concludes that strengthening environmental communication within the VBR requires a shift towards more integrated, participatory, and community-centred approaches that combine digital and traditional communication channels. This study contributes context-specific insights to environmental communication scholarship and offers practical guidance for enhancing inclusive and sustainable environmental awareness initiatives in South African biosphere reserves.Item Embargo Gendered Dynamics of Online Harassment: Experiences of Facebook Users in Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province, South Africa(2026-05-19) Mbulaheni, Tshililo; Chari, T.; Mabika, M.Despite the growing concern about online harassment globally, there is a significant gap in understanding the experiences of Facebook users in the global South contexts, particularly in relation to gender. While research has shown that online harassment is a pervasive issue worldwide, there is limited research that specifically explores the gender dynamics of online harassment in the South African context. This knowledge gap is significant, as South Africa has a unique cultural and social landscape that may influence the ways in which online harassment is perpetuated and experienced. Furthermore, a lack of research on this topic in the African context means that there is limited understanding of the impact of online harassment on different genders. To address this knowledge gap this study explored the gendered dynamics of online harassment, focusing on the experiences of Facebook users in Thohoyandou Limpopo Province, South Africa. The types of harassment experienced by Facebook users, how male and female users of Facebook experienced harassment, and the possible ways of mitigating harassment on Facebook were key questions addressed in this study. Data were collected using a combination of semi-structured interviews with 10 residents of Thohoyandou who were identified through the referral sampling strategy. Data from semi-structured interviews were complemented by qualitative content analysis of Facebook posts on Facebook accounts of three purposively selected prominent public personalities, namely, Makhadzi, Queen Beyonce Makondo, Captain SABC Livhu online TV. Qualitative data from interviews and content analysis was thematically coded to extract themes relating to the gendered dynamics of harassment on Facebook. Findings reveal that online harassment is deeply gendered, with women experiencing frequent, severe, sexualised abuse targeting appearance and sexuality, while men face attacks questioning masculinity and status; prevalent forms include body shaming, cyberbullying, sexual harassment, and hate The study underscores the need for strengthened, gender‑sensitive platform moderation, accessible reporting mechanisms, community support systems, and digital‑citizenship education to mitigate harassment and promote safer, inclusive online environments in Thohoyandou. The study revealed that harassment on Facebook takes multiple forms, including body shaming, cyberbullying, racial and cultural discrimination, sexual harassment, hate speech, impersonation, stalking, boundary crossing, trolling and revenge porn. Together, these behaviours create a hostile online environment that undermines users’ emotional wellbeing, social relationships and sense of safety. The study underscores the need for strengthened, gender‑sensitive platform moderation, accessible reporting mechanisms, community support systems, and digital‑citizenship education to mitigate harassment and promote safer and inclusive digital spaces.Item Embargo Podcasts as Alternative media in South Africa: The Case of Podcast and Chill with Mac(2026-05-19) Mbedzi, Uaripfa Ndiene; Chari, T.The digital era has fostered the emergence of podcasts, and these platforms have grown in popularity as spaces that operate outside mainstream media frameworks and structures. Mainstream media has been perceived as highly institutionalised, centralised and commercialised, which limits its ability to fully play its role in society and affects the content it disseminates. The shortcomings of mainstream Media have led to the emergence of alternative media spaces, such as podcasts, that fill the gap left by mainstream media. However, there is a scarcity of scholarly work on how such alternative media, specifically podcasts, function as authentic and critical spaces that address the shortcomings of mainstream media in the global South, particularly in South Africa. Grounded in Alternative Media Theory, this study explored the potential of podcasts as alternative media within the South African media landscape, using the popular South African podcast, “Podcast and Chill with MacG”, as a case study. This study employed a qualitative method design using semi-structured interviews and netnography to gain insights into the podcast’s structure, formation, and audience's perception of it as an alternative media. To explore the podcast’s content and to gain an in-depth understanding of the potential of Podcasts and Chill with MacG as an alternative media, 6 episodes of the podcast were purposively selected. To gain an indepth understanding of audiences’ perceptions of the podcast's potential as an alternative media and their interactions with it, 10 viewers of the podcast aged 18 to 30 who regularly watch the podcast were purposively selected. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data derived from interviews, and content analysis was used to analyse data derived from netnography. The study revealed that Podcast and Chill with MacG exhibits various attributes that position it as a significant alternative media, representing marginalised groups, centred on participatory culture, perceived as an independent and counter-hegemonic space, and a platform that informs, educates, and raises awareness of social issues. The podcast thus acts as a disruptive medium that challenges mainstream media because of its asynchronous element, uncensored and unregulated content, its unique structure and format, and its effect on mainstream media viewership. Furthermore, the study reveals that funding constraints, credibility issues, and profane language limited the podcast's ability to fully play its role as an alternative medium. The study contributes to the literature on how podcasts play the role and limits of podcasts of alternative media in the global South context, particularly in Africa where some societies and some segments of society are underserved by the mainstream media.Item Embargo Representation of Afrophobia Violence on X in South Africa(2025-05-16) Sigama, Nakisani Princess; Chari, T.Afrophobia refers to prejudice, hostility, discrimination, or hatred against individuals and cultures from Africa and the African diaspora. This represents a new form of racism in South Africa. This qualitative study examined the discursive construction of Afrophobia on X (formerly Twitter) specifically focusing on how African immigrants were represented on X, through explicating discourses employed in the representation of African migrants on X, and explaining the possible implications of such social media discourses on society. The study analysed discourses on Afrophobia on X with special posts and reposts on Operation Dudula, a South African pressure group between 2021 to 2024. The study employed an exploratory case study research design which is a methodology that enables an investigation into research questions that have not previously been studied in depth. A software architecture that uses the X application programme interface (API) was used to retrieve relevant posts and reposts that focused on Afrophobia in South Africa. The posts and reposts were further selected through a purposive sampling technique, thematically coded and interpreted using the deductive or inference approach. The study revealed that there were several discourses associated with the “othering” of immigrants of African descent, where they were stereotypically associated with terms such as “illegality”, “criminality”, “invasion”, and “alien”, “dispossession”. The study argues that such discourses of “othering” demonstrate how narratives, language and discourse have practical consequences, but also undermine South Africa’s image on the continental and global stage. The study concludes that Afrophobia discourses in online communities potentially undermine South Africa’s foundational values of Ubuntu and the country’s Pan-Africanist project as well as its democratic cultural values.Item Embargo Social media deployment in climate change advocacy in South Africa: the case of Living Limpopo and Earthlife Africa organisations(2026-05-19) Theko, Mmakgotso; Chari, T.Social media has become a key tool for climate change advocacy, allowing environmental advocacy organisations to shape public attention, share information, and mobilise communities. In South Africa, where climate impacts are severe and access to information is unequal, effective communication is essential. Underpinned by the agenda-setting theory and media richness theory, this study investigates the deployment of social media in climate change advocacy in South Africa, using Living Limpopo and Earthlife Africa as case studies. How Living Limpopo and Earthlife Africa use social media for climate change advocacy, why they use social media for climate change advocacy, as well as the milestones and constraints they face in using social media for climate change advocacy, are the core questions in this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and textual/content analysis of social media platform posts. An interview guide was used to collect data from participants, while a code sheet was used to collect data from social media platforms. In this study, content analysis was employed to complement the findings obtained from interviews. The findings show that both organisations use social media to raise awareness, promote public education, and mobilise audiences around advocacy campaigns. The use of rich media formats such as images, videos, and infographics improves message clarity and audience engagement. However, limited resources, inconsistent posting, and digital inequalities affect the effectiveness of communication. The study concludes that social media is a vital agenda-setting and advocacy tool when integrated with rich media and supported by offline engagement in the South African context.Item Embargo The efficacy of digital media marketing in student recruitment in Higher Education: the case of a rural-based university(2026-05-19) Nemasetoni, Mphinyana; Chari, T.Underpinned by the Technology Acceptance Model, this study examined the effectiveness of digital media marketing in student recruitment at rural-based higher education institutions in South Africa, with specific reference to the University of Venda. While digital media marketing has become an essential tool for student recruitment globally, its effectiveness within rural-based institutional contexts remains underexplored. This study examined the efficacy of digital media marketing in student recruitment at the University of Venda, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research approach within an exploratory research design to gain an in-depth understanding of institutional practices and stakeholder perceptions. Data were collected through focus group interviews with students and alumni, as well as indepth interviews with staff members involved in marketing, communication, student recruitment and student administration. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis supported by the Atlas.ti version 8 software. The findings revealed the strengths and limitations of existing digital media marketing strategies at the University of Venda, including challenges related to institutional capacity, resource allocation, digital skills, platform selection, and audience reach within rural contexts. Furthermore, the study identified the type of institutional support, strategic alignment and digital innovation required to enhance the effectiveness of digital media marketing in student recruitment. The study also contributed to academic scholarship on digital marketing in higher education, while also providing practical recommendations to improve student recruitment strategies at rural-based universities in South Africa.