Industry Master Plans have emerged as an important industrial policy intervention and approach to strengthening and growing South African industrial capacity. The approach to and process of developing these plans has brought about a comprehensive understanding of specific industry dynamics, engagements between key stakeholders in an industry, and the actions…

The world of mobility is rapidly changing. The market for electric vehicle (EVs), in all their forms, is growing exponentially. Combined with technological disruptions in the energy space, the rise of EVs puts battery technologies at the core of sustainable development. Multiple technologies and chemistries, with their respective advantages and…

This policy brief provides a broad introduction to illicit financial flows (IFFs), some key IFF mechanisms, and how these flows serve to undermine industrial development, particularly in developing countries. IFFs are usually connected to tax havens, and serve to maximise income for a handful of people while eroding the tax…

UNU WIDER Research Brief This policy brief, Unlocking a regional plastics value chain between Mozambique and South Africa, forms part of the project: Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED) Plastics are universal and integrated into different sectors of the economy. Industrial policy requires countries to look at moving up…

The Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) data for the second quarter of 2020 was published by Statistics South Africa on 29 September. The most important findings are the relatively heavy hit that the COVID-19 pandemic inflicted on lower-level workers, especially informal workers who are typically engaged in low paying and…

The introduction of a chrome export tax, announced by Cabinet on 21 October 2020, will bring immediate benefits to the ferrochrome industry, and also presents an opportunity for South Africa to support the development of the downstream industry. In the context of a post-COVID-19 recovery plan, industrial development is a…

This policy brief aims to lay the ground for a just transition in South Africa’s metals value chain as it pertains to climate change only. It contributes to understanding: a) the nature of the impacts facing the value chain; b) the characteristics of the stakeholders at risks (namely workers, communities…

The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a body blow to the global economy, and South Africa is no exception. Recovery will not succeed, however, unless it addresses the long-standing blockages to inclusive growth. That in turn requires both immediate efforts, to minimise the economic impacts of the pandemic even while it…

As South Africa responds to COVID-19 and aims to stimulate the economy and job creation post the lockdown through an infrastructure-led package, an opportunity should not be missed to address many of the water and sanitation challenges in the country. This is much needed and would provide multiple benefits, not…

As South Africa responds to COVID-19 and aims to stimulate the economy post lockdown through an infrastructure-led package, an opportunity exists to address many of the electricity-related challenges in the country by unlocking the potential of renewable energy technologies. This policy brief looks at the benefits of including renewable energy…