Paulina Ngubeni, PHD candidate, New Generation of Academics Programme (NGAP) lecturer at the Department of Tourism Management, Faculty of Management Sciences.

Ngubeni’s research aims to develop a framework that the casino sector can utilise towards empowering women and ensuring that they actively participate in the economy within the casino sector and the host communities.

The casino sector in South Africa has key corporate social responsibility (CSR) areas that it covers, such as education, skills development and a wide range of community development projects. While it is undeniable that the casino gambling sector has improved society through its CSR spending, further research is required to determine how a focus on women through CSR might further empower women in South African

communities around casinos. There is also a lack of mention regarding how women benefit directly from casino CSR spending in the literature. “CSR campaigns should actively seek economic and social empowerment of women by promoting the creation of selfsustaining groups for women, enabling them to generate an income and secure their livelihoods,” she says.