In March 2008, members of the TIPS team, Myriam Velia and Ximena Gonzalez-Nu�Ã�ƒ�Â�±ez, provided a series of training sessions in Antananarivo, Madagascar to participants from a wide range of backgrounds - government and customs officials, industry representatives and statistical employees. The course, which largely followed the programme and objectives of TIPS' advanced trade data analysis course, was oriented towards a presentation of the Southern African Trade Database (http://www.sadctrade.info/tradedata) an online database developed by TIPS, consisting of the import and export data of 11 Southern African states. The database has been compiled from data provided by member states.

The course was well attended and TIPS is particularly grateful for the support received from our hosts, the International Finance Corporation (IFC of the World Bank Group) bureau in Antananarivo, who provided outstanding assistance in terms of IT, organisation, etc. We also wish to thank the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Le Minist�Ã�ƒ�Â�¨re de l'Economie, du Commerce et de l'Industrie - MECI) and in particular, Mr. Freddie Mahazoasy, the Director General involved with trade at the MEC, who honoured us by officially opening the course. The presenters also benefited from input by Mr. Gerard Ravelomanantsoa, Director of International Relations and of Economic Integration of the MECI (Directeur des Relations Internationales et de l'Integration Economique in the Minist�Ã�ƒ�Â�¨re de l'Economie, du Commerce et de l'Industrie - MECI). �Â� 

The course organisers have also benefited from excellent preparation by APB Consulting in Madagascar.

TIPS is grateful for the support of Alain Pierre Bernard (APB Consulting), Anouchka Dina Razakandisa (IFC) and Fanja Ravoavy (IFC) whilst in Madagascar.

AusAID support made the visit possible.

A Review of South Africa's Industrial Policy

Co-ordinator:

Stephen Hanival is the Director of TIPS. He holds an MSc Degree in Economics from the University of London and an undergraduate degree from the University of Cape Town. He was previously the Chief Director: Services Sectors and the Director of Policy Analysis and Strategy at the South Africa Department of Trade & Industry and also served as a part-time member of the Board on Tariffs and Trade. His areas of research include industrial policy and small business development.

FDI, Firms and Domestic Linkages: Reflecting on SADC through Case Studies

Co-ordinator:

Glen Robbins is a part-time Researcher at the School of Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal and freelance consultant specialising in regional and local economic development, with a focus on regional and city economic development strategies, infrastructure planning and financing and trade and industrial policy. Previously he headed up the Economic Development and City Enterprises functions in the eThekwini Municipality (Durban). Since 2003 he has been involved in teaching and research at the School of Development Studies and has contributed journal articles and book chapters on subjects ranging from municipal infrastructure investment to industrial policy and local economic development. He has authored and co-authored reports for the Cities Alliance, UNCTAD, ILO and other multi-lateral bodies. During 2005 and 2006 he worked with the core writing team appointed by the South African Cities Network to contribute to the 2006 State of the South African Cities Report.

The New EPAs - Comparative Analysis of Contents & Challenges of 2008

Co-ordinator:

Mareike Meyn (ODI, UK): Mareike is a research officer at the International Economic Development Group of ODI. She has recently worked on South,South trade in Special Products and on assessments of the loss by Botswana and Namibia of preferential market access to the EU. Mareike works with Chris Stevens and Jane Kennan, both at ODI. Previously, Mareike worked at the Institute for World Economics and International Management (IWIM) at the University of Bremen, Germany. She obtained her PhD in Development Economics at the University of Bremen in 2006.

Mareike specialises in the evaluation of bilateral, regional and international trade agreements between European and Southern African countries. Her work includes assessing the socio-economic impact of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) in Southern Africa. She has written extensively on the trade-related aspects of regional economic integration in Southern and Eastern Africa and the role of the private sector in supporting the formalisation of such arrangements. Mareike has also undertaken a series of sector-level studies and associated value-chain analyses in selected Southern African countries. She has lectured on development policy and co-operation and trade reform and liberalisation. She is currently working on an assessment of the compatibility of SADC members' national trade policies.

Multiple Crops and Local Distribution Models for Poverty Alleviation: Feasibility and Recommendations

Co-ordinator:

Tracy van der Heidjen (independent consultant: ComMark): Tracy holds an Honours degree in Economics and Law from Wits. She has 7 years economic research experience in banking (at the Treasury) and stock broking, and 5 years in financial services. Tracy was the MD of an asset management company and the MD of an asset management administration company.

Since 2003, Tracy has been working as an independent consultant. Her work includes public sector reform in Malawi, the implementation of various parts of the new National Credit Act for the NCR and economic analysis work for City of Johannesburg. She has also undertaken various studies for the HSRC, largely around job creation.

The Southern African Development Research Network (SADRN) is a new regional initiative funded by Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and managed by Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS). SADRN's objective is the co-ordination and delivery of policy-relevant research in the southern and eastern African region, as well the provision of related technical support to policy-makers. Its launch workshop in October 2007 was attended by more than a dozen regional economic and research institutions.

SADRN will capitalise on existing networks in the region and operate through annual rounds of stakeholder consultation, as well as workshops and seminars. Research efforts are focussed within three broad thematic areas identified as key at the Launch Workshop:

• Industrial policy and sector development at the regional level;
• Service sector development and the impact on poverty; and
• Trade policy and its linkages to pro-poor growth.

Implementation of these research themes will provide an opportunity to bring the regional and relevant global research communities together to engage in an ongoing policy debate and development process. This process will also involve institutional capacity-building and institutional strengthening in the region. In addition, the Network aims to provide an effective channel for training and dissemination of research and policy activities. The envisaged outputs of the Network in the medium term are as follows:

• Increase the supply of policy-relevant research in the SADC region;
• Improve the policy relevance of research through strengthening the capacity of policy-makers to be discerning research '˜users';
• Develop an appreciation for evidence-based policy-making by engaging policy-makers in the design, specification, implementation and review of research projects; and
• Build institutional capacity in key policy research institutes in SADC via the creation of Working Groups in focused thematic areas of research.

SADRN is therefore inviting interested regional institutions to submit Expressions of Interest to host one of the themes described above for a minimum of two years. The scope of activities in the specified thematic area shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Conduct policy-relevant research in the selected thematic area;
• Identify existing research and knowledge gaps;
• Conduct training courses, seminars and workshops;
• Maintain consistent communication and network with regional policy-makers on the subject;
• Create, maintain and update a database of existing information on institutions, available research and expertise in the region;
• Disseminate the outputs and outcomes of all activities; and
• Involve and develop younger researchers and provide mentoring support of a technical nature.

We invite interested institutions from Southern Africa, including research organisations and relevant university departments, to submit brief technical and financial proposals by Friday 29 February 2008. Further information may be obtained from Mmatlou Kalaba - e-mail: mmatlou@tips.org.za, tel: 012 431 7900 or fax: 012 431 7910.

The interface between trade and environmental impacts has long been a topic of heated debates. �Â� As sustainable development concerns grow worldwide, how is Southern Africa shaping up to meet the challenge? We consider this question through two sample studies. First, trade agreements and associated trade flows have implications for economic growth and therefore environmental impacts. �Â� We will look at the extent to which regional trading arrangements, both concluded and prospective; take account of sustainable development concerns. �Â� Second, sustainable development is not conceivable without economic growth. Investment is a key economic growth driver, but requires conducive regulatory regimes. In this light we consider how the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) is consolidating its regional agenda in the field of investment policies, and whether there is scope for developing a common platform for negotiating investment regimes with partners external to the region. Note: Funding is available to support non-South African participants. �Â� Should you wish to apply - by Friday 25th January - please email Peter Draper:

Programme:

Note: This programme is subject to change without prior notice
�Â� 

• 10h00 �Â� "Regional Trading Arrangements and Sustainable Development" Wolfe Braude (Emet Consulting) and Khutsafalo Sekolokwane (BIDPA)
• 10h40 �Â� Discussions
• 11h20 "SACU Investment Regimes: Towards Harmonization" Sheila Kiratu (SAIIA)
• 12h00 �Â� Discussions
• 12h45 �Â� Closure and lunch�Â� �Â� �Â� �Â� �Â� 

The Community Work Programme (CWP) is a South African government programme that provides an employment safety net. It supplements livelihood strategies by providing a basic level of income security through work. The programme was started to address high unemployment and contributes to strategic goals of government in addressing poverty and unemployment. It is based on the recognition that policies to address unemployment and create decent work will take time to reach people living in marginalised areas with few opportunities. The CWP does not replace government’s social grants programme but supplements it.

The programme is targeted at unemployed and underemployed women and men of working age. It aims to give those willing and able to work the opportunity to do so, and afford them the dignity and social inclusion that comes from this. What makes the CWP different is that it is also a community programme. Work must be ‘useful work’. It must improve the area and the quality of life for the people living there. This includes fixing community assets like schools, road and parks, and setting up food gardens. People in the area help to decide on the kind of work needed, and what is most urgent. This could be looking after orphans and vulnerable children, helping sick people, assisting teachers at schools, looking after children while their parents are at work, and working with the local police to improve safety and reduce crime.

The CWP was started as a pilot project in late 2007, initiated by the Second Economy Strategy Project, an initiative of the Presidency based in TIPS. The programme was then implemented under the auspices of a partnership between The Presidency and the Department of Social Development, which constituted a National Steering Committee to provide strategic oversight to the programme. The National Steering Committee was expanded in 2009 to include representation from the Departments of Public Works, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Treasury. The roll-out of the programme was project managed by TIPS in partnership with two Implementing Agents, Seriti Institute and Teba Development.

In the year to March 2010 TIPS continued to work with the Presidency and Department of Social Development in the initial roll-out of the CWP. During this time it was decided that the CWP should become a fully-fledged government programme and it has been based in the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG) since April 2010. TIPS provided technical support to DCoG until September 2011.

Dr Kate Philip, the inequality and economic inclusion programme manager remaines contracted through TIPS as an adviser to the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency, on short term strategies for job creation, with a focus on public employment.

TIPS was also involved in research and impact assessment around the CWP. The Employment Promotion Programme (EPP) approved funding for six projects around innovation and the impact of the programme. Work on these was conducted in 2012-2013.

See all research

A new programme, the 2nd Economy Strategy Project has been added to the website. The purpose of this project is to contribute to reducing poverty and inequality in South Africa by supporting the government to develop a Strategy for the Second Economy, as part of its Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (Asgi-SA), located in the Presidency. Asgi-SA'™s target is to halve poverty and unemployment in SA by 2014. Find out more here.

The 2007 Annual Report of the Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (AsgiSA) identified a need to focus on what was then called ‘the second economy’, and on mechanisms to ensure shared growth reaches the margins of the economy. It was in this context that the Second Economy Strategy Project was initiated. It reported to the AsgiSA High Level Task Team in the Presidency, but was located outside government, in TIPS

Phase One was to review the performance of existing government programmes targeting the second economy. This was completed in easry 2008.

The project commissioned research and engaged with practitioners and policymakers inside and outside government. The outcomes were presented to a Work in Progress workshop in May 2008 and to a conference, Second Economy Strategy: Addressing Inequality and Economic Marginalisation, from 29 September – 1 October 2008. A strategic framework and headline strategies arising from this process were approved by Cabinet in January 2009, and form part of the AsgiSA Annual Report tabled on 16 April 2009.

In South Africa, people with access to wealth experience the country as a developed modern economy, while the poorest still struggle to access even the most basic services. In this context of high inequality, the idea that South Africa has two economies can seem intuitively correct. The research and analysis conducted as part of the Second Economy Strategy Project highlighted instead the extent to which this high inequality is an outcome of common processes, with wealth and poverty connected and interdependent in a range of complex ways. Therefore, instead of using the analytical prism of two economies, the strategy process placed the emphasis on the role of strucutral inequality in the South African economy, focused on three crucial legacies of history: the structure of the economy, spatial inequality and inequality and development of human capital.

TIPS's work around inequality and economic marginalisation is built on the outcomes of this strategy process. The research undertaken continues to be relevant as government explores policy options to reduce inequality and bring people out of the margins of the economy. It falls into six broad categories: inequality and economic marginalisation, economic development strategies, labour markets, small enterprise development and the informal sector, rural sector and urban development.

See all research