Presentation and Panel Discussion

Rod Crompton and Judith Fessehaie (CCRED)
Simon Roberts (CCRED)
Neva Makgetla and Asanda Fotoyi

Discussant: Edwin Ritchkin

Background 

The presentation by Rod Crompton will discuss the impact of public procurement policy on Transnet's procurement of 1064 railway locomotives as an instrument to develop local rail rolling stock manufacturing capacity in South Africa. The research forms part of a broader research programme under the Industrial Development Research Programme (IDRP) of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Neva Makgetla and Asanda Fotoyi will present findings on the factors that tend to exclude small business from government procurement.

Presenters 

Rod Crompton: Dr Rod Crompton is an independent consultant specialising in industrial policy, energy and economic regulation and a part-time research associate at TIPS. He has a PhD in industrial policy from the University of Natal. He was previously a full-time board member of the National Energy Regulator (Nersa) for 11 years and was senior manager at the Department of Minerals and Energy responsible for energy, hydrocarbons and energy planning for nine years. He has also worked at the Department of Trade and Industry and was managing director of the Minerals and Energy Policy Centre.

Simon Roberts: Professor Simon Roberts is the Director of the Centre of Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED). He is a professor at the University of Johannesburg, in the Economics and Econometrics Department. He held the position of Chief Economist and Manager of the Policy & Research Division at the Competition Commission from November 2006 to December 2012. Prior to joining the Competition Commission he was Associate Professor of Economics at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he established and directed the Corporate Strategy and Industrial Development research programme examining firm decision-making and economic outcomes.

Neva Makgetla and Asanda Fotoyi are economists at TIPS. Makgetla has published widely on the South African economy and worked for many years in government, most recently as Deputy Director General for Policy in the Economics Development Department, as well as in COSATU. Asanda Fotoyi worked at Statistics South Africa before joining TIPS in 2016.

Baba-Tamana Gqubule: Baba has a Masters in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London and a Bachelor of Economics Honours degree from Rhodes University. She has experience as a Policy Analyst at the Economic Development Department.
 
Xhanti Payi: Xhanti has worked as an analyst at Investec Wealth & Investment, an Economist at Stanlib Asset Managers and was a Country Risk Manager at Standard Bank (CIB). Payi studied at UCT and the University of London. Currently, Payi is the MD at Nascence Advisory & Research, a strategy consulting and research outfit.

Christopher Wood: Chris is a TIPS economist focusing on trade and industry policy. He previously worked as a researcher in economic diplomacy at the South African Institute of International Affairs.
 
Kelello Mashiane: Kelello is a researcher at TIPS. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UNISA, and worked as a research assistant at the Economic Development Department, where she worked on several data collection projects and provided research support to the Chief Economist.
 
Moleboheng Ntene: Moleboheng is a Senior Economist at the South African Reserve Bank in the Economic Research and Statistics Department (Balance of Payments division). She is primarily responsible for monitoring financial account flows and conducting other research related to the balance of payments. She has a Masters Degree in Economic Development and Policy Issues from the University of Johannesburg. 

Date: Wednesday 8 February 2017      

Time: 13h30 – 16h00

Venue: TIPS Boardroom, 234 Lange St, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Pretoria

RSVP by email: Daphney@tips.org.za to confirm attendance.

Presentation and Panel Discussion:

Background

The importance of exporting to the US for any developing country cannot be downplayed. Exports to the largest economy in the world along with various support measures has been of cruciall importance to countries such as Japan and South Korea during their industrialisation, more recently for China. The Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) recognises the potential benefits of the US market and is a mechanism to encourage African economies to export into that market. While AGOA is a unilateral agreement by the US it gives benefits to the recipient countries and also is a means to encourage investment by US firms into Africa. The potential to support industrial development is therefore significant and is part of the motivation to extend AGOA by 10 years. Outside of the oil exporters, South Africa is the largest exporter through AGOA. South Africa exports value added products including automotive components and vehicles through AGOA. The recently adopted AGOA, however, specifically required a review of South Africa, mainly as a result of the requirement for poultry and pork imports from the US into the country. The poultry issue has been resolved and a number of compromises reached. The threat of the provisions of the Act that could exclude South Africa still remain. The benefits of South Africa being part of AGOA are applicable to both South Africa and the US,; it is therefore desirable on the side of both countries to find the compromises that would enable that.

　
The TIPS paper to be presented also forms part of a research project undertaken for NEDLAC.

PRESENTERS:

Faizel Ismail: Dr Faizel Ismail is an Adjunct Professor at the UCT School of Economics and a TIPS Research Associate. He has previously been an advisor to the dti on International Trade and Special Envoy on the African Growth and Opportunity Act and served as the Ambassador Permanent Representative of South Africa to the WTO (2010-2014).

Malose Letsoalo: Malose is the Director of Americas Bilateral Trade Relations in the International Trade and Economic Development Division (ITED) of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti).

Christopher Wood: Chris is a TIPS economist focusing on trade and industry policy. He previously worked as a researcher in economic diplomacy at the South African Institute of International Affairs.

Tinashe Kapuya: Tinashe is the head of international trade and investment intelligence at the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz).　

Date:    Tuesday 24 January2017
Time:    13h30 – 16h00
Venue:  TIPS Boardroom, 234 Lange St, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Pretoria 
                                                                                                                                       

RSVP by email: natasha@tips.org.za to confirm attendance.

TIPS Development Dialogue on behalf of Partnership for Action on Green Economy 

DESIGNING POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR A CLIMATE-COMPATIBLE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT TRANSITION IN SOUTH AFRICA

The South African Government is progressively introducing the policy changes aimed at supporting the transition to a sustainable development pathway. These processes aim to manage a balancing act and a highly contested and fluid operating environment. This reinforces the need for robust and evidence-based planning and policymaking. Furthermore, the multi-layered and multi-faceted nature of the policymaking exercise, fraught with unknowns, uncertainties, incomplete information and external variables calls for an incremental, iterative and flexible approach. This session presents the state of play in South Africa, introducing a policy pyramid perspective, and proposes a practical way forward to design a climate-compatible industrial development pathway in South Africa.

PRESENTER: Gaylor Montmasson-Clair, TIPS

Gaylor Montmasson-Clair is a Senior Economist at TIPS, leading the institution’s work on Sustainable Growth. He holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po) of Grenoble, France as well as a Master’s degree in Energy and Environment Economics from the Grenoble Faculty of Economics, France.

DEVELOPING GREEN TRADE AND INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA

The transition to a green economy is seen as an important tool to respond to the multiple developmental challenges in South Africa. In this context, the nexus of green industry and trade, and the identification and assessment of sectors that offer particular opportunities for green industrial development and trade, are core to this transition. This session presents preliminary findings on the identification of challenges and opportunities for advancing green industries and related trade opportunities in South Africa. The presentation will be followed by a facilitated discussion to further identify and assess economic sectors that offer particular trade opportunities (import substitution and/or export potential) from the perspective of green industrial development.

PRESENTERS: Christopher Wood and Shakespear Mudombi, TIPS

Christopher Wood is an Economist at TIPS, focusing on trade and industry policy. He holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand.  

Shakespear Mudombi is an Economist at TIPS, focusing on sustainable growth issues. He holds a PhD in Environmental Management from the University of South Africa and a Master’s degree in Agricultural & Applied Economics from the University of Zimbabwe (with electives done at University of Pretoria).