The Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) is a multi-stakeholder body established by the President of the Republic of South Africa to advise on the country’s climate change response and pathways to a low-carbon climate-resilient economy and society. 

TIPS research for the PCC included the technical report:

Technical Report No. 1: A Review of local and international policy debates (Muhammel Patel)

Five working papers that provide an evidence-based foundation for a new Framework for a Just Transition - a practical guide to ensure that South Africa’s transition to a low-emissions economy is well-managed, just, and equitable. The Framework will also build on existing just transition debates in the country, the vision set out by the National Planning Commission, and a new series of thematic and social-partner consultations that will gather a diverse range of views on what it means to achieve a just transition.

Policy primers for a South African Just Transition framework (Gaylor Montmasson-Clair)

Unemployment and sustainable livelihoods: Just Transition interventions in the face of inequality (Nokwanda Maseko)

The Just Transition in coal (Neva Makgetla)

Finance and the Just Transition (Sandy Lowitt)

Governance and the Just Transition (Neva Makgetla)

The views expressed in the papers represent those of its authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the PCC or its Commissioners. 

Funding provided by the European Climate Foundation

South Africa maintained a strong trade balance in the second quarter of 2021, with a surplus of R163 billion, a substantial increase from the roughly R30 billion reported in the second quarter of 2020. The large surplus is mainly the outcome of a surge in mineral prices for ores and platinum. Overall trade improved in the second quarter of 2021 following an 18% decline in exports and a 26% decline in imports in the second quarter of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Total imports grew by about 28% to R328 billion in the year to the second quarter of 2021, while exports grew by about 71% to R491 billion. Although still slightly lower than reported in the second quarter of 2019, imports have returned to their general trend. In contrast, exports surged to a new high, driven by high mineral prices, including a more than R30 billion increase in ore export revenue between the second quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2021. Compared against the second quarter of 2021, ore export revenue increased by about R37.7 billion. Exports will likely decline as mineral prices decline.

The European Green Deal (EGD) is a is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making Europe climate neutral by 2050. These policy initiatives aim to make all sectors of the European Union’s economy fit to contribute to the European Union reaching its climate targets by 2030 in a fair, cost-effective and competitive way. The EGD proposes several action plans and initiatives in priority areas, which include energy, land, biodiversity, clean air, sustainable foods and buildings, among others. South African exporters to the European Union will need to adapt to this change, to assure their long-term competitiveness in a changing market. This study provides an initial look at the EGD and its potential implications for South African trade with the European Union. The particular proposed headline initiative of the EGD in the form of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is unpacked more specifically in this study, while an analysis of potential opportunities to expand trade associated with “environmental goods” products are also highlighted.

Media release

The European Union’s Green Deal (EGD): A call to action for South African exporters

The FDI Tracker captured 18 projects in the first quarter of 2021. The total pledged investment value for the quarter amounted to about R64.5 billion from 16 projects. Monitoring further recorded 18 750 employment opportunities from 10 projects. This consisted of 15 366 permanent jobs and 3 384 temporary employment opportunities. Most of the employment opportunities derive from seven projects, selected as preferred bidders in the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP). Ten projects were updated in this period.

Download the FDI Tracker Q1 2021 or read online

Transforming Southern Africa: Harnessing regional value chains and industrial policy for development 

Chaper 1: Regional value chains and industrialisation: The Southern African experience by Saul Levin and Neva Makgetla

This technical report brings together a series of contributions from leading economists and experts on the challenges and the opportunities faced by Southern African economies in their attempt to strengthen trade and productive integration.

The project has been carried out by UNCTAD in the framework of its activities aimed at fostering regional integration and at sustaining the SADC industrialization strategy, among other things through the strengthening of industrial policy capacity and coordination.

• Saul Levin is the Executive Director of Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS). in April 2013 and was appointed Executive Director in December 2014. He was previously a chief director in the Economic Development Department (EDD) with oversight of the Development Finance Institutions reporting to EDD, including the Industrial Development Corporation and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency. He also worked as the chief of staff for Lindiwe Hendricks, heading her office while she was Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry and when she was Minister of Minerals and Energy. He has a Masters Degree in Industrial Sociology from the University of Witwatersrand, with his thesis on small business development.
   
• Neva Makgetla has undertaken extensive research into South African economic issues, published widely, and contributed to a number of national economic policy processes and debates from 1994. Until 2015, she was Deputy Director General for economic policy in the Economic Development Department. Before that, she was Lead Economist for the Development Planning and Implementation Division at the Development Bank of Southern Africa. She has worked at a senior level in the Presidency and other government departments, and for seven years was head of the COSATU Policy Unit. She has a PhD in economics and before 1994 worked for over 10 years as an economics lecturer.

For more information: https://unctad.org/webflyer/transforming-southern-africa-harnessing-regional-value-chains-and-industrial-policy

Or read online: https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/gdsecidc2021d1_en.pdf

CONTRIBUTO

This report highlights the myriad interventions available to township firms to develop a more equitable industrial landscape that supports firm growth and employment growth. Many of these response measures aim to address the constraints facing small businesses and industrial development in townships. Gaps however remain. Economic geography is a key component of industrial policy, and requires appropriate policies that supports development in a decentralised urban landscape in order to bring about inclusive and sustainable industrialisation. Based on the gaps identified in this research, the policy recommendations to strengthen small manufacturing businesses in townships include:

• Ensuring inter-governmental collaboration on township development programmes.
• Improving M&E and understanding of township economy needs.
• Addressing spatial planning and making land available in townships for firms to operate.

Working Paper prepared by TIPS for the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition

Engineering News - 22 October 2021 by Simone Liedtke 

Read online at Engineering News

Business Day - 18 October 2021 by Neva Makgetla (TIPS Senior Economist)

Read online at Business Day

Or read as a PDF

This paper provides a barometer of the country’s transition to sustainable development, paying special attention to water, as well as its Siamese twin "sanitation”. It has three main themes, namely: the water gap; household water and sanitation access; and governance and funding issues in the sector.

SUMMARY: As the reality of a coal transition and coal power decommissioning draw nearer, South Africa’s just transition plan is both urgent and glaringly absent. There is a pressing need to manage the impacts of the transition on workers and local economic development, particularly in coal-dependent regions and affected communities. This policy brief speaks to the current policy vacuum, proposing steps to address it. It considers the implications of the coal transition for employment in South Africa, with reference to national policy and available research. It then seeks to characterise the key issues, points of contestation, and the current just transition/employment policy vacuum.

KEY FINDING / RECOMMENDATIONS: South Africa is in critical need of a just transition plan to manage the process of the coal transition. This policy brief makes three propositions how to move forward. 1) A credible fact base must be established by facilitating collaboration between researchers from different stakeholder groups. A significant amount of work has been done on just transition jobs by the government, research organisations, labour unions, civil society organisations.All the known and unknown facts about the coal transition should be mapped and made widely accessible. 2) The political trade-offs must be clearly defined. A robust process of engagement across levels of government and across stakeholders shouldidentify these trade-offs and unpack the socio-economic costs and benefits. 3) The hard decisions must be followed up with decisive action. While the coal transition is inevitable, support for vulnerable workers and communities is not. This requires movement between stakeholders with different priorities and rationales.