As we finalise the 2025 edition of Acta Commercii, it is reassuring to note that the range of topics covered in this edition is in line with what Acta Commercii strives for, namely to be a platform for the dissemination of high-quality research that covers a broad and diverse range of issues within the ambit of the management sciences. These diverse topics, including human resource management (Mabaso 2025; Hoosen & Dhanpat 2025; Rusydi 2025; Magagula & Kanyangale 2025; Mitonga-Monga & Mageza-Mokhethi 2025; Makumbe, Kamupini & Jackson 2025; Mabasa & Eresia-eke 2025), machine learning (Wesson, Mienie & Myatt 2025; Munjeyi & Schutte 2025), the effects of small medium and micro enterprises (SMME) growth (Moagi, Thomas & Mara 2025; Jacobs & Kabaso 2025; Mofokeng 2025), and gender identity (Wait 2025; Ezeuduji, Deen & Nzama 2025), are sure to spark the curiosity of our readers.
Yet, this edition still reflects the prevalent zeitgeist, and issues that are topical to society in general are also reflected in articles published in this 25th edition of Acta Commercii. As organisations must function in times of increased uncertainty and volatility, the acronym ‘VUCA’ (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) becomes more pertinent than ever. Whenever I hear this acronym, I am reminded of the isiZulu word ‘vuka’, which means ‘wake up’. And this is where I make the link: if you want to survive in the VUCA world, you need to vuka! Wake up and realise the impact this volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment has or potentially can have on your business and the management thereof.
Most of the articles in this edition speak to elements of this VUCA environment, and within this ambit, there are a number of articles dealing with human capital issues (see Ntshangase & Ezeuduji 2025). This is evidence of a shift in thinking, as securing human well-being is an important theme as we move closer to what some scholars are terming the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR). Furthermore, there is also a definite trend among the articles published to make sense of the so-called 4IR, as is evident with articles dealing with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
Although the world has emerged into a so-called ‘post-COVID-19 era’, it still seems as though we have not fully come to terms with how this pandemic has impacted humanity, as submissions still persist dealing with COVID-19 and the aftermath thereof. In this edition, this trend can be seen with two articles appearing that deal with management issues in a post-COVID-19 environment (see Maingehama 2025; Huyser & Van der Merwe 2025).
Entrepreneurship and small business management remain a popular area of scholarship, due, in part, to South Africa’s political-economic agenda as a developing economy. Marketing, supply chain management (see De Wet, Niemann & Schutte 2025), strategy (see Rahman, Iqbal & Carolina 2025), sustainability business rescue and risk management (see Jombe & Pretorius 2025; Mtotywa & Mohapeloa 2025) remain popular avenues of publication.
I am also pleased to announce that Acta Commercii is on the trajectory of breaking free from the label of a ‘local’ journal. International submissions are on the rise, and published manuscripts include authors from Indonesia and Zimbabwe. Furthermore, published manuscripts also address contexts further afield than South Africa, and manuscripts in this edition also address issues in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Indonesia.
Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the authors of our published articles for standing by Acta Commercii and submitting interesting, attention-grabbing and relevant work to our journal. Also, I wish to express my gratitude to our dedicated team of reviewers. You do this not for any compensation, but for your trust in the integrity of Acta Commercii and out of your own goodwill. A special word of thanks must be extended to the team at AOSIS in Durbanville, Western Cape province. Your professionalism, dedication and hard work make my task as Editor-in-Chief a pleasurable one.
References
De Wet, M., Niemann, W. & Schutte, C., 2025, ‘Information sharing and information quality in Southern African humanitarian supply chains during disaster response’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1323. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1323
Ezeuduji, I.O., Deen, A. & Nzama, N., 2025, ‘Does gender identity play a role in the development of tourism entrepreneurial capabilities?’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1321. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1321
Hoosen, H. & Dhanpat, N., 2025, ‘Exploring the need for formal coaching programmes: Experiences of engineering graduates in a South African mining company’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1405. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1405
Huyser, M.M. & Van der Merwe, P., 2025, ‘Evaluating COVID-19 health and safety measures for tourist satisfaction at Kruger National Park’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1288. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1288
Jacobs, D.M. & Kabaso, B., 2025, ‘Introducing the composite business success index: Enhancing small and medium enterprise competitiveness in South Africa’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1328. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1328
Jombe, M.K. & Pretorius, M., 2025, ‘Exploring the critical incident technique to inform distress causality and sensemaking’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1312. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1312
Mabasa, T.R. & Eresia-eke, C.E., 2025, ‘Span-of-control’s role at the intersection of transactional leadership and employee commitment’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1325. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1325
Mabaso, C., 2025, ‘Reward preferences to attract and retain Generation Z’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1345. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1345
Magagula, M.P. & Kanyangale, M., 2025, ‘Competencies of strategic leadership in an academic library during a digital era’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1403. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1403
Maingehama, F.N., 2025, ‘Growth effects of human capital, innovation, and entrepreneurial orientation in South African SMEs post-COVID-19’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1357. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1357
Makumbe, W., Kamupini, A. & Jackson, L., 2025, ‘The mediating role of organisational commitment on the relationship between succession planning practices and business performance’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1334. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1334
Mitonga-Monga, J. & Mageza-Mokhethi, M.E., 2025, ‘Organisational support as a moderator between emotional exhaustion and turnover intentions’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1344. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1344
Moagi, T.J., Thomas, P. & Mara, C.C., 2025, ‘Assessing marketplaces’ role in economic sustainability of South African SMMEs’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1243. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1243
Mofokeng, T.M., 2025, ‘Supplier involvement as the link between information sharing, e-procurement and small and medium enterprises performance in South Africa’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1423. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1423
Mtotywa, M.M. & Mohapeloa, M., 2025, ‘Integrated Index for assessing operational uncertainty in manufacturing for decision-making’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1426. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1426
Munjeyi, E. & Schutte, D., 2025, ‘Development of an artificial intelligence framework to combat tax noncompliance in Botswana’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1379. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1379
Ntshangase, S.D. & Ezeuduji, I.O., 2025, ‘Internal environmental factors: An ordered logit analysis of tourism business success’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1299. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1299
Rahman, A.F., Iqbal, S. & Carolina, J., 2025, ‘Fraud diamond insights: Predictors of financial statement fraud in the financial services sector’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1367. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1367
Rusydi, M., 2025, ‘Empowering leadership and employee voice in Makassar’s state-owned enterprises’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1415. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1415
Wait, M., 2025, ‘Exploring LGBTQ+ marketing authenticity: A qualitative entity-referent correspondence study’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1440. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1440
Wesson, N., Mienie, D. & Myatt, A., 2025, ‘Machine learning and company failure prediction: Evidence from South Africa’, Acta Commercii 25(1), a1365. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v25i1.1365
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