Business Day - 1 February 2022 by Denene Erasmus 

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Fin24 - 1 February 2022 by Lameez Omarjee

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The Import Localisation and Supply Chain Disruption study is a quarterly report that seeks to identify goods from the list of imports identified in the Import Tracker report that South Africa could possibly viably manufacture. Each quarter focuses on five manufactured items from the list of imports in the corresponding quarter's Import Tracker report. The five products in this report are: 

Product 1: Processing units for automatic data-processing machines, whether or not containing in the same housing one or two of the following types of unit: storage units, input units, output units (excluding those of heading 8471.41 or 8471.49 and excluding peripheral units)
Product 2: Semi-finished products of stainless steel, of rectangular "other than square" cross-section
Product 3: Copper, refined, in the form of cathodes and sections of cathodes
Product 4: Beer made from malt: Other
Product 5: Mixtures of odoriferous substances and mixtures, including alcoholic solutions: Other

See: Import Tracker - Second Quarter 2021

South Africa’s merchandise exports reached a new high in the second quarter of 2021 amounting to R520 billion, an 80.2% increase from the same period last year and a 26.3% increase from the previous quarter (Q1 2021). Although the large year-on-year increase in export values is partially reflective of a low base in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is also a reflection of a large increase in prices rather than volumes. The second quarter of 2021 saw imports increase by 36.6%, amounting to R347 billion in constant rand terms, compared to Q2 2020, while they increased by 9.5% compared to the previous quarter.

South Africa experienced a record high trade surplus of R173 billion (US$11.6 billion) as the value of merchandise exports increased more than that of imports. In US$ dollar terms, merchandise exports were up by 128% from Q2 2020 (the pandemic quarter), amounting to US$34.8 billion, representing a 28.8% increase from the previous quarter. Imports increased by 71.4% to US$23.3 billion, an 11.2% increase from Q1 2021.

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Business Day - 31 January 2022 by Neva Makgetla (TIPS Senior Economist)

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Engineering News - 31 January 2021 by Marleny Arnoldi

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Overview

This webinar, organised in partnership with Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), will provide participants with a first look at findings from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) report South Africa's Energy Fiscal Policies: An inventory of subsidies, taxes and policies impacting the energy transition, presenting key takeaways and recommendations.
 
The report explores the extent to which South Africa's current energy fiscal policies are aligned with its goal to develop a robust domestic energy system that can provide low-carbon energy at a fair cost to all. It provides clear recommendations for the government to align its fiscal energy policies with its climate and energy objectives.
 
Through a panel discussion and a Q&A session, participants will be encouraged to engage in a debate on carbon tax, bailouts, and what international moves to phase out fossil fuel financing and oil and gas exploration mean for South Africa.
 
Key questions

• Exemptions to the carbon tax need to be removed - carbon tax needs to internalise the social and environmental cost of the energy system, but with practical considerations on the social impacts and the impact on Eskom's finances.
• Bailouts - although we cannot allow the energy system to fail, how do we make the sector sustainable and ensure that bailout funds are enabling a transition rather than inhibiting it?
• What do international moves around phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and oil and gas exploration mean for SA's energy sector?
• Is the tax system doing enough to take account of external costs in energy pricing?

AGENDA 

Registration

Register online: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5yhGna3LQYicnioMFvzAHg

This paper seeks to add to the discourse on climate change mitigation in the petrochemical industry in South Africa, through a broad evaluation of the mitigation interventions available. For the purposes of the analysis, the scope is confined to the base and performance chemicals that are produced from the petrochemicals complex and does not include liquid fuels. It presents an overview of the petrochemical value chain in South Africa and the climate challenges within the value chain. It then considers the current available mitigation measures in terms of their technological development, barriers and rollout in South Africa. The interventions include energy efficiency measures, which cover combined heat and power, carbon capture, and nitrogen oxide mitigation technologies. Feedstock substitution options are also considered, which relate to increasing the use of natural gas, biomaterials and green hydrogen. Circular economy interventions which relate to the recycling of plastic and rubber are also discussed. The benefits, risks and implementation requirements for various stakeholders are then explored.

This research is part of the Making Sense of Employment in South Africa's Just Energy Transition project. TIPS and the WWF South Africa, with the support of GIZ, are implementing an initiative to support policymaking for South Africa's just transition. This focuses on employment and the relevant challenges and opportunities in the country's just energy transition.

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Policy Brief: Employment metrics in South Africa’s electricity value chains

Business Day - 18 January 2022 by Neva Makgetla (TIPS Senior Economist)

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