Collin L. Yobe, Binganidzo Muchara

Abstract

This study examines the labour market outcomes of South African agricultural cooperative members using data from the Cooperative Data Analysis System database, focusing on their agricultural cooperatives in South Africa. A 2017 database of 3,197 cases was analysed, and 387 cooperatives with complete data were selected. Principal component analysis was conducted to comprehend the data structure related to membership dimensions. The KMO measure was 0.762, while Bartlett’s test of sphericity was statistically significant at p<0.001. Eight principal components with eigenvalues greater than one accounted for 81.90% of the data’s variation. The study reveals a significant gender disparity in management positions, with female representation significantly lower than male representation. The study also reveals a significant diversity and inclusion of members across various age and gender groups in the extracted principal components. The results also demonstrate the inclusivity of members who live with a disability. The study reveals that marginalised agricultural cooperative members play crucial roles. The investigation emphasises the significance of agricultural cooperatives in enabling the inclusion of marginalised members and their crucial roles. The study underscores the importance of capacity building in cooperatives and their members, as these institutions can effectively tackle work inequality among marginalised groups in rural areas.