tipslogo2c

  • You are here:  
  • Home
  • Policy Briefs
Subscribe to this RSS feed

Policy Briefs

Thursday, 25 April 2024

Understanding the United Kingdom’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (UK CBAM): Is it the European Union CBAM?

  • Year 2024
  • Author(s) Seutame Maimele (TIPS)
This policy brief’s main intention is to create awareness for the affected stakeholders of the UK CBAM. The brief also touches on the issues faced by firms under the EU CBAM, and shows the similarities of the two mechanisms. After initial consultation in March 2023, the United Kingdom in December 2023 announced that…
Download:
Thursday, 18 April 2024

Growing the start-up economy in South Africa: Accelerating local and foreign investment

  • Year 2024
  • Author(s) David Kaplan
The South African start-up sector has experienced significant growth over the past decade. However, the growth of start-ups in South Africa is still far from its potential. Growth elsewhere in Africa has, in recent years, been far more rapid. Once the leading country in Africa for investment in start-ups, South Africa has…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 19 October 2023

A review of vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) market demand and costs

  • Year 2023
  • Author(s) Lesego Moshikaro (TIPS)
Renewable energy sources combined with energy storage play a vital role in South Africa's pursuit of energy security and achieving its net-zero objective by 2050. As South Africa grapples with a deepening energy crisis, energy storage technologies are gaining prominence, with batteries taking precedence in the short to medium term. Given the…
Download:
Topic:
Saturday, 22 July 2023

Uncertain responses: Contrasting industrial policy during the COVID-19 pandemic and loadshedding

  • Year 2023
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla (TIPS)
South Africa’s official responses to two far-reaching crises – the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 and escalating loadshedding in 2022 – underscored a profound, albeit unacknowledged, ambivalence about industrial policy. That reality emerged even though the democratic state has consistently called for economic reconstruction. This policy brief summarises the divergent strategies, and…
Download:
Thursday, 20 April 2023

Hillside Aluminium: Low-carbon energy options and the implications

  • Year 2022
  • Author(s) Lerato Monaisa
South Africa’s aluminium value chain begins with primary aluminium production, at the South32 (previously BHP Billiton) Hillside Aluminium smelter. Hillside is the only primary aluminium producer in South Africa and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.This Policy Brief draws on a study on the climate compatibility of the South African aluminium value chain in South…
Download:
Friday, 17 February 2023

The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and implications for South African exports

  • Year 2023
  • Author(s) Lerato Monaisa and Seutame Maimele (TIPS)
In 2019, the European Union (EU) introduced the Fit for 55 policy package. The policy package aims to reduce the EU’s net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It includes the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a carbon border…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 26 January 2023

Strengthening access to inclusive finance for local green entrepreneurs in South Africa

  • Year 2022
  • Author(s) Elize Hattingh and Ebenaezer Appies (TIPS)
Local Green Entrepreneurs (LGEs) are increasingly responding to climate change and conscious consumer demands for green products, technologies and services across all economic sectors. Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa are actively contributing to lowering carbon emissions by reducing their water usage, becoming more energy efficient, adopting…
Download:
Friday, 13 January 2023

The rail rolling stock manufacturing sector in South Africa

  • Year 2022
  • Author(s) Max Smeiman, Nokwanda Maseko, Garth Strachan
This brief is based on the findings of a Transnet Rail Rolling Stock Localisation Study that had the following goals: To undertake an applied, independent, quantitative and qualitative research exercise to describe the prevailing economic and rail sector context; to map and analyse the existing domestic rail supply chain; to…
Download:
Sunday, 09 October 2022

Waste pickers and the proposed scrap-metal regulations

Concerns have arisen around the impact on waste pickers of recently gazetted draft regulations to limit the theft of metal from infrastructure by improving oversight over scrap dealers. An initial phase would ban exports of scrap for six months, followed by the implementation of new regulations imposing stricter rules on…
Download:
Monday, 12 September 2022

Petrol stations, workers and the just transition

  • Year 2022
  • Author(s) Nokwanda Maseko (TIPS)
Petrol stations are an important part of South Africa’s fossil fuel-powered economy, providing liquid fuels for more than 12 million cars, delivering fuels to power heavy machinery for industrial and agricultural use, and employing more than 140 000 people across the country. This policy brief aims to understand petrol stations…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 13 June 2022

How the Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning model could redress the challenge of unqualified “plumbers”

  • Year 2022
  • Author(s) Lesego Moshikaro (TIPS)
The number of unqualified “plumbers” working in South Africa’s plumbing industry has increased substantially. About 86.8% or 97 000 self-identified plumbers in the industry are unqualified, which has had significant implications for business sustainability, the perceived level of skill in the industry, and the effective delivery of water and sanitation systems. The personal-professional development of…
Download:
Friday, 22 April 2022

Adoption of frontier technologies in six manufacturing subsectors

  • Year 2022
  • Author(s) Itumeleng Mokoena (TIPS)
This policy brief highlights the level of adoption of frontier technologies in six manufacturing subsectors: metal and engineering; retail motor and aftercare; plastics; manufacturing; automotive components; automotive manufacturing; and new tyre manufacturing. This is important because, while there is a solid understanding of the importance of frontier technologies especially for…
Download:
Friday, 22 April 2022

Employment metrics in South Africa’s electricity value chains

  • Year 2022
  • Author(s) Lauren Hermanus (Adapt)
This policy brief aims to clarify the currently used metrics, what value they have, what they miss, and their policy implications. It begins by unpacking the technical definitions of various metrics used in the South African context, considering the implications associated with each metric. Additional concerns regarding methodologies and assumptions,…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 10 March 2022

Towards an inclusive rollout of electric vehicles in South Africa

  • Year 2022
  • Author(s) Gaylor Montmasson- Clair (TIPS)
Electric vehicles (EVs) increasingly feature on the roads of the world. Pushed by environmental regulations, support programmes and improving economics, they are set to become dominant in the coming decades. Yet, the rollout of EVs risks leaving many behind. This policy brief considers the rollout of EVs in South Africa, focusing on…
Download:
Monday, 07 March 2022

Toward a Just Transition Finance Roadmap for South Africa: Action Agenda 2022-2025

  • Year 2022
  • Author(s) Sandy Lowitt (TIPS Research Fellow)
Research undertaken in 2021 generated an evidence base of just transition project characteristics and financing needs in South Africa. The Mpumalanga sample of 26  projects covered a range of economic diversification interventions. Projects with novel technology opportunities related to land, water rehabilitation and agricultural dominated the sample.  All the projects were…
Download:
Monday, 21 February 2022

The role of Rules of Origin in promoting industrialisation

  • Year 2022
  • Author(s) Liako Mofo (TIPS), Faizel Ismail (TIPS Research Fellow)
This policy brief investigates the issues of rules of origin (RoO), their implications in a free trade area, and their role in promoting industrialisation and forging regional value chains (RVCs) under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, with the main focus on the cotton and textile and clothing…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 18 January 2022

European Green Deal: The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and implications for South African and European Union trade

  • Year 2021
  • Author(s) Lerato Monaisa
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a headline policy initiative of the European Green Deal. One of the drivers of the CBAM is that carbon emissions should have a price, and the CBAM is intended to “align the carbon price on imports with that applicable within the EU”. This…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 12 January 2022

Sustainable complexity: Managing export regulations in the European Green Deal

  • Year 2021
  • Author(s) Christopher Woood
This policy brief is an initial assessment of the European Green Deal, examining what is currently known about the risks it creates for South African exporters. It provides a summary of what regulatory changes are expected in the EGD, what risks these changes pose for South African firms, and what…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 23 August 2021

A just energy transition to facilitate household energy access and alleviate energy poverty

  • Year 2021
  • Author(s) Nthabiseng Mohlakoana (Centre for Sustainability Transitions), Peta Wolpe (Urban Energy and Climate Change Practitioner)
Many in the Global South and some in the Global North cannot afford clean and sustainable energy, and many live in a state of energy poverty. A just energy transition is a chance for economies to start again with a clean slate and do things differently. In the Global South, where…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 24 June 2021

Just transition in South Africa: the case for a gender just approach

  • Year 2021
  • Author(s) Nokwanda Maseko (TIPS)
This policy brief makes the case for a gender just transition in South Africa. It does so by: a) explaining why a gender just transition is vital by discussing the gendered impact of climate change; b) locating South African women within the broader society and within the economy; and c)…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 11 May 2021

Making sense of jobs in South Africa’s just energy transition: Managing the impact of a coal transition on employment

  • Year 2021
  • Author(s) Lauren Hermanus (Adapt), Gaylor Montmasson-Clair (TIPS)
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. A credible…
Download:
Topic:
Friday, 30 April 2021

COVID-19 and small business finance: Lessons from the 2008 global financial crisis

  • Year 2021
  • Author(s) Gabriel Davel and Saul Levin (TIPS)
The small and medium enterprise (SME) sector is critical for the South African economy and job creation – but it is highly vulnerable to external shocks. In responding to the COVID-19 crisis there is much to learn from the experience of the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC) and the impact…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 21 April 2021

The petroleum-based transport value chain: A just transition approach

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Nokwanda Maseko
This policy briefs aims to provide an overview of the characteristics of the vulnerable groups in the petroleum-based transport value chain; an understanding of the dimensions of the impact and expected timeframes for the transition; and an overview of the proposed resilience plans. It first looks at the characteristics of those…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 08 April 2021

Cross-cutting issues emerging from Master Plans

  • Year 2021
  • Author(s) Saul Levin (TIPS)
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…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 01 March 2021

Opportunities to develop the lithium-ion battery value chain in South Africa

  • Year 2021
  • Author(s) Gaylor Montmasson- Clair, Lesego Moshikaro and Lerato Monaisa (TIPS)
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…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 13 January 2021

Illicit financial flows and industrial development in South Africa: A discussion of policy options

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Nishal Robb
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…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 06 January 2021

Unlocking a regional plastics value chain between Mozambique and South Africa

  • Year December 2020
  • Author(s) Liako Mofo (TIPS)
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…
Topic:
Thursday, 05 November 2020

Employment trends in the South African economy

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Lesego Moshikaro (TIPS)
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…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 27 October 2020

A chrome export tax: An important intervention to support industrial development in South Africa

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Saul Levin (TIPS)
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…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 23 September 2020

Metals value chains in a climate-compatible world: A just transition approach

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Gaylor Montmasson-Clair (TIPS)
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…
Download:
Topic:
Sunday, 02 August 2020

Towards a reconstruction programme

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla and Saul Levin (TIPS)
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…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 16 July 2020

A case for water and sanitation in South Africa's post-lockdown economic recovery stimulus package

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Shakespear Mudombi (TPS) and Gaylor Montmasson-Clair (TIPS)
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…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 18 May 2020

A case for renewable energy in South Africa’s post-lockdown economic recovery stimulus package

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Gaylor Montmasson-Clair (TIPS)
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…
Download:
Topic:
Saturday, 16 May 2020

Mapping the coverage of stimulus measures in response to COVID-19: What risks remain?

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Christopher Wood
The R500 billion stimulus package announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 21 April 2020 is almost certainly cheaper than not acting. While stimulus packages are complex to manage, the complexities of managing a messy set of rolling closures as a result of a crisis like COVID-19 would be worse. Experiences from…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 12 May 2020

Reopening the economy: Learning from success

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla, Gillian Chigumira, Nokwanda Maseko (TIPS)
South Africa has adopted a phased approach to reopening the economy. The relaxation of restrictions on economic activity will depend on the extent to which the contagion is controlled and the health sector prepared to deal with a surge. In that context, the specific regulations for the economy are still…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 11 May 2020

Macroeconomic response to COVID-19

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Owen Willcox (Oxford Policy Management)
This brief argues that government needs a large response to the COVID-19 crisis, with a package that approaches R1 trillion. A stimulus that large cannot be financed using the conventional mechanisms. Instead, government must use quantitative easing, both to offset the collapse in demand and to finance government expenditure. Interest…
Download:
Topic:
Friday, 08 May 2020

COVID-19 and Cape Town: What went wrong?

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla (TIPS)
From 2 May to 5 May, the Western Cape accounted for three quarters of new COVID-19 cases in South Africa, although it makes up only a seventh of the population. On 5 May, the incidence of COVID-19 in the Western Cape was 52.4 per 100 000 population, compared to 7.6…
Download:
Friday, 24 April 2020

Reopening the economy: Obstacles, opportunities and risks

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla (TIPS)
Both South Africa and the world face an economic crash as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The downturn, which threatens to rival the Great Depression, results from the need to take extraordinary efforts to limit the contagion. Internationally, the consequence has been plummeting demand, especially in the global North,…
Download:
Topic:
Friday, 17 April 2020

COVID-19: The South African steel industry

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Charles Dednam (CD Research)
South Africa’s economy was already weak at the start of 2020, coming from a technical recession and the forecasted low growth. The decision to lock down the country as part of the COVID-19 response to protect the health of the South African population has put further pressure on the steel…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 14 April 2020

COVID-19: The South African auto industry

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Prof Justin Barnes (B&M Analysts, TWIMS, Gordon Institute of Business Science)
This policy brief aims to support the South African Presidency and Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) in their deliberations on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the South African automotive industry. It has been compiled from secondary readings, the author’s own industry knowledge, two CEO interviews…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 09 April 2020

COVID-19 and small business support: South Africa needs a credit guarantee scheme

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Saul Levin (TIPS)
This policy brief identifies the benefits of implementing a comprehensive credit guarantee scheme that would move the needle in small business support and improve liquidity. Three possible measures that could be used are proposed: a credit card that is guaranteed by the government; a guarantee for trade credit providers; and…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 07 April 2020

The ratings downgrade

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla (TIPS)
The economic effects of Moody’s recent credit ratings downgrade have been overtaken by the whirlwind effects of the COVID-19 crisis. It is, however, also important to understand the likely effects of the downgrade, which vary for different sectors and stakeholders,  to ensure a reasoned response. This policy brief looks at…
Download:
Topic:
Friday, 27 March 2020

COVID-19 and the economy: Lockdowns, recession and policy responses

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla, Nokwanda Maseko, Kudzai Mataba (TIPS)
The South African economy is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through: The sharp fall in growth initially in China and then in Europe and the US as a result of measures to contain the virus; and The increasing pressure to exercise social distance and lock down households and businesses to…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 03 March 2020

Coronavirus: impact of an economic slowdown in China on the South African economy

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Nokwanda Maseko, Rhulani Hobyani, Neva Makgetla (TIPS)
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…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 23 January 2020

The crisis at the state-owned enterprises

  • Year 2020
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla
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…
Download:
Wednesday, 25 September 2019

The National Treasury economic policy discussion paper

  • Year 2019
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla
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…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 12 September 2019

Master Plans and industrial policy

  • Year 2019
  • Author(s) Saul Levin, Neva Makgetla
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…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 21 January 2019

Targeting gaps in the South African product testing market: Results from a new dataset

  • Year 2018
  • Author(s) Christopher Wood, TIPS Economist
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…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 18 October 2018

Forward-looking approach to next generation sanitation and industrial development in South Africa – a briefing

  • Year 2018
  • Author(s) Shakespear Mudombi, TIPS Economist: Sustainable Growth
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…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 16 October 2018

Improving vehicle technologies for sustainable development in South Africa

  • Year 2018
  • Author(s) Bhavna Deonarain, TIPS Researcher: Sustainable Growth
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…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 11 June 2018

Challenges around the GDP data for first quarter 2018

  • Year 2018
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla
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.
Download:
Thursday, 08 February 2018

Unlocking barriers to dynamism and growth in plantation forestry in South Africa

  • Year 2018
  • Author(s) Struan R. Robertson
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…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 23 November 2017

Revisions to South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product

  • Year 2017
  • Author(s) Asanda Fotoyi, TIPS Economist
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…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 14 November 2017

Using the green economy and youth inclusion for sustainable development in South Africa

  • Year 2017
  • Author(s) Shakespear Mudombi, TIPS Economist: Sustainable Growth
South Africa’s economic growth relies strongly on resource and energy-intensive sectors, which worsens the pressure on the environment and exacerbates the threat of climate change (Montmasson-Clair, 2012). The country is also grappling with high income inequality, unemployment and poverty levels. Economic growth has not been inclusive (Mayer et al, 2011).…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 31 July 2017

South Africa’s local content policies: challenges and lessons to consider

  • Year 2017
  • Author(s) Wendy Nyakabawo, TIPS Economist
South Africa through its Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) identifies local content as a strategic industrial policy instrument, which can be used to leverage the power of public procurement; reduce the country’s trade deficit; address market failures; foster infant industries; and increase the governments tax base (the dti, 2016). Although…
Download:
Sunday, 11 June 2017

Responses to the electricity oversupply

  • Year 2017
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla, TIPS Senior Economist
Since 2011, Eskom has experienced a sharp decline in demand, while the electricity intensity of the South African economy has fallen by a quarter from 2005 to 2017. This briefing note analyses the factors behind the fall in demand and, on that basis, a range of strategic responses. It concludes…
Download:
Tuesday, 06 June 2017

The role of trade restrictions in promoting local manufacturing in South Africa’s motorcycle industry

  • Year 2017
  • Author(s) Sithembiso Mtanga, TIPS Senior Researcher
South Africa’s motorcycle industry is waning while other emerging markets are expanding their production activity, usage and trade performance, and are developing integrated value chains for motorcycles. South Africa is a net importer of motorcycles and imports have been declining for the past five years. No local manufacturing is taking…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 02 May 2017

Three new practical ideas in heterodox industrial policy thinking

  • Year 2017
  • Author(s) Sandy Lowitt, TIPS Research Fellow
This brief presents three pragmatic industrial policy implementation ideas based on recent heterodox thinking. The examples were identified during the research for a theoretical think piece on current heterodox industrial policy literature. The ideas are presented without the context of supporting theory, but simply as ideas that incumbent industrial policy…
Download:
Thursday, 23 March 2017

Making the Industrial Parks Revitalisation Programme work for employment and firm growth

  • Year 2017
  • Author(s) Mbofholowo Tsedu, TIPS Senior Researcher
This policy brief provides an overview of South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry’s industrial park revitalisation programme (IPRP). It then highlights some key success factors for implementing successful spatially-targeted industrial development interventions such as industrial parks. Although infrastructure provision is a crucial (and necessary) investment facilitator, other key factors…
Download:
Monday, 13 March 2017

Electricity supply in South Africa: Path dependency or decarbonisation?

  • Year 2017
  • Author(s) Gaylor Montmasson-Clair, Senior Economist: Sustainable Growth
Renewable energy technologies have experienced an exponential growth in South Africa, thanks to the procurement of large-scale power plants. However, South Africa’s electricity sector still lacks a level playing field. Significant vested interests have maintained overwhelming support for centralised, coal-based electricity generation, preventing the development of renewable energy technologies to…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 22 February 2017

A practical agenda for reducing technical barriers to trade in SADC

  • Year 2017
  • Author(s) Christopher Wood, TIPS Economist
This policy brief provides context for technical regulation in the region. It then offers some cross-cutting solutions for developing monitoring mechanisms that can allow policymakers to identify problem areas, and some specific interventions for the Standards, Accreditation and Metrology functions that can build capacity at low cost. It provides some…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 12 December 2016

South Africa’s trade and investment relationship with the United States post-AGOA

  • Year 2016
  • Author(s) Faizel Ismail
This policy brief considers the three main options available to South Africa in a post-AGOA trade and investment relationship with the United States: to stay in AGOA, negotiate a Free Trade Agreement, or fall back on Most Favoured Nation terms and the Generalized System of Preferences.
Download:
Topic:
Friday, 26 August 2016

Debates on the sugar tax

  • Year 2016
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla
The National Treasury proposed 20% tax on sugary soft drinks derives from the National Department of Health strategy to reduce obesity. It is rooted in the scientific consensus that these kinds of drinks are a key factor behind rising obesity and the attendant ailments of diabetes, heart disease and some…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 04 July 2016

Opportunities for strategic intervention in the South African agricultural sector: Trade and employment

  • Year 2016
  • Author(s) Blessing Chipanda
There is scope for a number of strategic interventions by the South African government to support agro-industrial production. These could make a significant difference to the country’s foreign trade and its domestic employment record. This policy brief outlines the potential impact that a more labour-intensive agriculture sector, which is also…
Download:
Topic:
Friday, 13 May 2016

The jobs bloodbath that wasn’t: What happened to employment in the first quarter of 2016?

  • Year 2016
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) reported that the country lost a total of 355 000 jobs from the last quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2016, for an astonishing 2,2% decline in a single quarter. But the figures seem unreliable, due at least in part to the…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 18 April 2016

Revised IMF growth forecasts

  • Year 2016
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla
In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF revised downward its growth forecast for most countries and for the world as a whole. This note briefly reviews some of the key revisions. 
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 30 March 2016

Maximising niche markets: South African abalone

  • Year 2016
  • Author(s) Gillian Chigumira
Aquaculture is the fastest growing food producing sector in the world, and although abalone contributes a relatively small proportion to aquaculture, it is one of the most highly prized seafood delicacies and most sought-after invertebrate. With high returns, farmed, fished or ranched abalone is able to generate foreign currency earnings…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 29 March 2016

A developmental systems approach to agro-processing policy

  • Year 2016
  • Author(s) Tracy Ledger
Agro-processing is an increasingly important market access point for agricultural producers. The development of the agro-processing sector thus has significant potential to create opportunities for smaller agricultural producers, thereby supporting the creation of new employment and livelihood opportunities in rural areas. However, market access points are not homogenous from the…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Eskom’s regulatory clearing account submission for 2013/14

  • Year 2016
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla
Responses to Eskom’s request for compensation for additional costs and for lower than expected sales in 2013/4 should be designed to support industrialisation. From this standpoint, the regulator’s response to Eskom’s proposals should take into account the following. Eskom should be guaranteed compensation for the cost of diesel and other…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 02 February 2016

Using the UIF surplus as part of a stimulus package

  • Year 2016
  • Author(s) Neva Makgetla
The commodity boom and the drought confront South Africa with difficult challenges that require innovative responses. In these circumstances, this briefing note assesses  proposals for using the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s current and accumulated surpluses – currently worth over R100 billion –  to support economic growth without impacting on the sustainability of…
Download:
Sunday, 31 January 2016

Reflections on the National Industrial Policy Framework and industrial policy implementation in South Africa post-2007

  • Year 2015
  • Author(s) Mbofholowo Tsedu
The 2007 launch of the National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF) and the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) could not have anticipated the impact that the global financial crisis of 2008/2009 and subsequent recession would wreak on South Africa’s economy. With its strong focus on the manufacturing sector as a key driver…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 28 December 2015

Macroeconomic policy in times of slow growth and crisis

  • Year 2015
  • Author(s) Stephanie Seguino
This briefing note considers three key questions about inflation targeting in South Africa, drawing on international experience as well as an assessment of the conceptual framework for monetary policy. First, does inflation in the low single digits promote development and growth? If not, raising interest rates at low rates of…
Download:
Topic:
Friday, 18 December 2015

The two shall become one: Overcoming the stalemate between industrial and climate change policies

  • Year 2015
  • Author(s) Gaylor Montmasson-Clair
Industrial development and climate change mitigation have historically been opposed to each other. This is reflected in the industrial and climate change policy frameworks in South Africa. As a result of these two opposing frameworks and the disruptive and complex nature of the necessary transition to a low-carbon economy, the…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 17 December 2015

Climate change mitigation: achieving an optimal mix of measures

  • Year 2015
  • Author(s) Georgina Ryan
A global benchmarking of policy instruments for effective climate change mitigation demonstrates the need for a mix of policy measures. The optimal policy package is characterised by the complementarity of its policy components, and the recognition of context: the appropriateness of the mix of measures varies from country to country depending on unique…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 02 December 2015

Penetrating the Asian market: A case study of trade barriers for South African exporters into Indonesia

  • Year 2015
  • Author(s) Blessing Chipanda
Asia has been an important export market for South Africa’s trade-induced industrialisation strategy, China being the country’s main trading partner in that region. This case study explores the potential of increasing trade with other Asian countries such as Indonesia, rather than focussing mainly on China. The case study details potential opportunities…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Technical regulations and trade: Implications for regional integration

  • Year 2015
  • Author(s) Mbofholowo Tsedu
Technical regulations lay down compulsory requirements for product or service characteristics or their related processes and production methods. They have specific administrative provisions and conformity assessment requirements with which compliance is mandatory for safety, health, environmental control and consumer protection. The capacity to comply with international standards, norms and technical regulations underpins the…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 28 August 2014

South Africa's super exporters

  • Year 2014
  • Author(s) Blessing Chipanda
Promoting exports to develop manufacturing remains a key growth strategy in the National Development Plan. Super-exporters dominate almost all South Africa's export sectors. They are the main drivers of export growth and they define the country's export structure. However, despite their dominance, super-exporters have been losing dynamism and competitiveness, with…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 30 October 2013

Restructuring ports for improved investment

  • Year 2013
  • Author(s) Wendy Nyakabawo
South Africa has embarked on a drive to attract private investment in ports, with the objective of not only acquiring investments but also as a means to build up local expertise and develop capacity. Due to its strong regulatory and legislative framework, as well solid entrepreneurial culture, South Africa has…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 02 May 2012

Policy Brief ASSET Research TIPS 5 - Implications of the regulatory landscape for the restoration of natural capital

  • Project ASSET Research
  • Year 2012
  • Author(s) Marco Pauw
The principle that the person or the organisation responsible for pollution or environmental degradation should be responsible for the restoration of the affected ecosystem has been established in South African law. However, what constitute successful restoration remains a contentious issue. This policy brief considers two examples and make recommendations for…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Policy Brief ASSET Research TIPS 1 - Supporting livelihoods through the protection of natural capital: A case study of the Agulhas Plain

  • Project ASSET Research
  • Year 2012
  • Author(s) Helanya Fourie; David le Maitre
This policy uses the Agulhas Plain as an example to compare two different pos-clearing land-use options that can be used to support livelihoods in the area: restoring natural capital to allow wildflower harvesting, or using the land for bioenergy production. Authors: Helanya Fourie, Western Cape Department of Agriculture and ASSET…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Policy Brief ASSET Research TIPS 3 - Market challenges for the restoration of the natural environment

  • Project ASSET Research
  • Year 2012
  • Author(s) DJ Crookes; JN Blignaut
The marketability of the natural environment is influenced by different forms of restoration activities, which in turn has cost implications depending on the different types of ecosystems and the extent of the damage. This brief adopts an economic approach to explore some of the key market challenges. Authors: Douglas J…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Policy Brief ASSET Research TIPS 4 - Urban water use

  • Project ASSET Research
  • Year 2012
  • Author(s) Alanna Rebelo; Katie Gull
There has been a global shift in the way that water provision for urban water use is viewed. Governments are increasingly choosing to invest in environmental health. By protecting river systems, governments can reduce management costs. In this brief, examples of international case studies related to such government interventions are…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Policy Brief ASSET Research TIPS 2 - Bush thickening and indigenous woody plants as a source of renewable energy

  • Project ASSET Research
  • Year 2012
  • Author(s) Jacques Cloete; Nico Smit
An increase in tree density, or bush thickening, beyond a certain threshold may be detrimental for the ecosystem and reduce the productivity of such rangeland for agriculture and conservation. However, the woody plants in areas where there is bush thickening present at opportunity to harvest the wood as bio-fuel. Authors:…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 29 March 2012

Policy considerations of adopting Geographical Indication protection in South Africa

  • Year 2012
  • Author(s) Dinga Fatman
Geographical Indications are goods that derive the uniqueness of their quality from the region where they originate. Provision for protection of such goods is provided for in the TRIPS Agreement among WTO member countries. This policy brief looks at some international examples where goods have been protected based on a…
Download:
Topic:
Tuesday, 13 March 2012

The policy case for a tailor-made indicator of sustainable development for South Africa

  • Year 2012
  • Author(s) Gaylor Montmasson-Clair; Peet du Plooy
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the main indicator used to measure economic activity. However, GDP is not designed to assess the welfare of a nation. This policy brief recommends the construction of a tailor-made sustainability indicator for South Africa, based on the Adjusted Net Savings methodology that would track the…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 08 March 2012

An alternative perspective on the emigration of highly skilled people from South Africa

  • Year 2012
  • Author(s) Thomas Höppli
Emigration of highly skilled people has become an increasing concern in South Africa. While it is uncontested that such emigration can have detrimental effects in the form of a brain drain, this policy brief argues that South Africa could also draw some benefits from this emigration. It recommends that the…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 08 February 2012

Payment for ecosystem services in South Africa: Prospects for programme development

  • Year 2012
  • Author(s) Graham Sherbut
The need to address sustained economic growth while simultaneously preserving the natural environment presents important policy challenges for countries such as South Africa. Growing concerns about climate change, a loss of biodiversity, and the poor management of natural resources such as forests and water all indicate that the benefits of…
Download:
Topic:
Friday, 05 August 2011

SADRN Policy Brief 1: Southern African Development Community: Reaping the benefits of regional economic integration

  • Project SADRN
  • Year 2011
Southern African Development Community (SADC) members signed the Trade Protocol in 1996, however progress in the region to reap the benefits purported to accompany regional economic integration appears limited. Although SADC has adopted a growth and development through trade strategy, indications are that more needs to be done to implement…
Download:
Topic:
Wednesday, 03 August 2011

TIPS Policy Brief: Industrial policy development in the Southern Africa Customs Union: Ideal approaches

  • Year 2012
Countries in Southern Africa have only recently begun considering the possibility of jointly developing comprehensive industrial policies under the auspices of regional integration bodies such as the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Regional co-operation in industrial policy design and implementation has the potential to both identify and capitalise on the…
Download:
Topic:
Thursday, 21 July 2011

TIPS TRALAC Policy Brief SACU service negotiations

  • Project TRALAC
  • Year 2011
For many African states, negotiations to liberalise trade in services is a relatively new experience. Southern African Development Community (SADC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and East African Community (EAC) member states are set to negotiate services at several levels – regional, bilateral, multilateral and even at…
Download:
Topic:
Monday, 17 January 2011

TIPS Policy Brief - Towards a right to work: The rationale for an employment guarantee in South Africa

  • Year 2012
What if unemployed people in South Africa had a right – a real right – to a minimum level of regular work on decent terms? In 2005, India passed a law guaranteeing rural households up to 100 days of work a year, at minimum wage rates. Over 55 million households…
Download:
Topic:
Saturday, 01 January 2011

SADRN Policy Brief 4: The effects of the European Union-imposed livestock identification and traceback system on Botswana's beef exports and rural poverty

  • Project SADRN
  • Year 2011
In 1997 the EU introduced a requirement that beef imports be traceable through a computerised system. To ensure continued access to the EU market, Botswana introduced the livestock identification and traceback system (LITS). The objectives  of this study are to estimate the costs associated with implementing the system and determine…
Download:
Topic:
Saturday, 01 January 2011

SADRN Policy Brief 9: Prospects for establishing an education hub: The case of Botswana

  • Project SADRN
  • Year 2011
Globally, a rapid increase of mobile tertiary education seekers has been observed. In 2005, more than 2.7 million tertiary education students were studying in a country other than their own, representing an increase of about 61% since 1999.  Trade in education services is increasingly becoming important worldwide. Saner and  Fasel…
Download:
Topic:
Saturday, 01 January 2011

SADRN Policy Brief 2: The impact of biofuels on food prices in the Southern African Customs Union

  • Project SADRN
  • Year 2011
The quest for new sources of energy away from traditional petroleum products has in recent times led to the development and use of biological material (biomass). As the name suggests, biofuels are developed from organic materials. Thus an increase in the price of oil has also increased demand for biofuels,…
Download:
Topic:
Saturday, 01 January 2011

SADRN Policy Brief 3: Services sector development in Uganda: The role of financial services

  • Project SADRN
  • Year 2011
The objectives of financial sector reform in Uganda were interest liberalisation, reducing directed credit, improving prudential regulation, privatisating financial intermediaries, reducing reserve requirements, liberalisation of securities markets and pro-competition measures. Interest rate liberalisation focused on positive interest rates, with rates linked to the weighted average of an auction-based treasury bill,…
Download:
Topic:
Saturday, 01 January 2011

SADRN Policy Brief 5: Export diversification in Zambia and Botswana: Little progress so far

  • Project SADRN
  • Year 2011
There is increasing evidence that export diversification is linked to growth. However, possibly less than 10 African countries show signs of export diversification, with manufacturing making up at least 25% of total exports. Botswana and Zambia are both heavily reliant on primary commodity exports. In Zambia, the dominance of copper…
Download:
Topic:
Saturday, 01 January 2011

SADRN Policy Brief 6: The trade effects of regional economic integration in the Southern African Development Community

  • Project SADRN
  • Year 2011
In their quest to achieve higher economic growth and development African governments have experimented with different growth and industrialisation models. Prominent among these is the import substitution industrialisation (ISI) model adopted after gaining independence in the 1960s and 1770s. It is widely believed that the ISI model failed, and after…
Download:
Topic:
Saturday, 01 January 2011

SADRN Policy Brief 7: The 2007/2008 food crisis: The case of maize and maize taxation in Southern Africa

  • Project SADRN
  • Year 2011
Maize is the most important staple cereal consumed in the Southern African region. Global warming and accompanying increased volatility in rainfall, rising populations and the shift to maize-fed biofuels pose risks of substantial price increases in the future that may affect food security. The general view is that a combination…
Download:
Topic:
Saturday, 01 January 2011

SADRN Policy Brief 8: Internationalising higher education in Southern Africa with South Africa as the major exporter

  • Project SADRN
  • Year 2011
A number of factors have propelled the rapid demand for foreign higher education services. These include the need for internationally recognised qualifications, the demand for highly skilled labour in both developed and developing countries, and the inclination by several countries towards promoting foreign collaborations to improve the quality of domestic…
Download:
Topic:
Saturday, 01 January 2011

SADRN Policy Brief 10: Services sector development: A key to poverty alleviation in Mauritius

  • Project SADRN
  • Year 2011
Having a vibrant production base is the foundation of economic prosperity. The more goods a country produces the more jobs are created. The specialisation resulting from the production of goods tends to result in newer technologies and higher levels of income, which leads to even higher growth. There is little…
Download:
Topic:
Page 1 of 2