This policy brief attempts to identify potential risks for South Africa as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. To that end, it first provides a brief overview of the developments since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in China. It then focuses on trade, identifying South Africa’s top exports…

This policy brief starts with an overview of the economic position of the national state-owned companies, in terms of their main socio-economic functions and size as well as their financial position and support from the state. A second section reviews their broader developmental outcomes against their mandates. The final section…

In August 2019, the National Treasury released a discussion paper on economic policy for comment, titled Economic transformation, inclusive growth, and competitiveness: Towards an Economic Strategy for South Africa. The paper lists a compendium of proposals loosely arranged around six “fundamental building blocks” for sustainable growth plus a host of…

The relaunch of industrial policy from early 2019 included proposals for Master Plans for priority industries. The Master Plan approach sets a framework for constructive engagement and implementation that can respond to changing circumstances and evidence. This policy brief draws on experience with the development of Master Plans for various…

This policy brief attempts to draw some initial conclusions on the state of the testing infrastructure for South African National Standards (SANS). The analysis draws on a new database developed by TIPS, which individually codes some 550 SANAS testing laboratory accreditation reports. It identifies four important trends in the South…

A significant proportion of people still require proper sanitation services in South Africa, on the continent, and globally. Given the inadequacies in the current sanitation system, there is a huge potential market for new generation sanitation (NGS) technologies. The size of the market could be much bigger if we consider…

Economic, social and environmental consequences of the global crisis of sustainability are hindering growth and development, particularly in developing countries. In response to the awareness of a changing climate, and ratified commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve sustainability, South Africa has embraced decarbonising the transport sector, the…

This policy brief first assesses the GDP trends and why the latest quarter appears out of step; then reviews the factors that might lead to an overstatement of the slowdown; and finally outlines the longer-term slowdown.

There is a need to assess the status of plantation forestry and what can be improved to facilitate the sustainable use of land and water resources in South Africa, and spread the benefit of efficiency gains in the value chain. There is also a need to assess the barriers that…

Even though data revisions are a normal feature of any statistical compilation process, such revisions are seldom taken into account or understood by users of statistics. This results in an over reliance on initially published preliminary estimates that are subject to change. Gross domestic product (GDP) estimates, for instance, are…