Ntombifuthi Tshabalala is an Economist and Researcher at TIPS. She joined the organisation in September 2023, and she is currently anchored on the JUST SA project where she is conducting research on key economic opportunities to implement a Just Transition in South Africa. She is also facilitating a series of capacity building workshops on the Green Economy and Just Transition across South Africa.Prior to joining TIPS, she was an Economist and Assistant Lecturer at the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED) at the University of Johannesburg. She holds a Master of Commerce degree in Development Economics from the…

Dr Simbarashe Mhaka is an economist with expertise in international trade, green economy, and just transition policies for sustainable development. He holds a BCom, BCom Honours, MCom, and a PhD in Economics from Nelson Mandela University, where his doctoral research focused on the effects of exchange rates on bilateral trade balances within the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Since joining Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) in 2023, Simba has contributed to the JUST SA project, addressing issues of economic growth, poverty, and inequality. Prior to this, he gained extensive academic experience as a lecturer at Nelson Mandela University, Cape Business…

South Africa had a trade surplus of R54 billion in the second quarter of 2024, up from R9 billion in the second quarter of 2023, but lower than the R79 billion surplus recorded in the second quarter of 2022. Both imports and exports declined in the year to the second…

Neva Makgetla: Eskom the 800-pound gorilla that does what it wants

Business Day - 8 October 2024 by Neva Makgetla

Read online at Business Day

Letter: Sell power stations

Business Day 10 October 2024

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In late 2023, ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) announced it would close down its long steel unit, including its mill at Newcastle, unless government, its workers and its customers increased their support. In early July 2024, it said it would delay the closure depending, again, on greater support from stakeholders. This…

Carbon-intensive power will hinder local manufacturers

Engineering News 18 October 2024 by Halima Frost

Read online at Engeneering News

 

Neva Makgetla: Investment malaise has its roots in inequality

Business Day 22 October 2024 by Neva Makgetla

Read online at Business Day

Think-tank warms state actions will seal Sasol's fate

Business Day 22 October 2024 by Kabelo Khumalo

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Sasol's gas supply and volatile oil raise sustainability risks

By Bloomberg News 18 October 2024

Read online at Money Web

SA faces urgent need for carbon compliance as EU deadline approaches

IOL 24 October 2024 by Banele Ginindza 

Read online at IOL

This policy brief provides a summary of nine Industrial Policy Action Plans (IPAPs) published from 2007 to 2018. The National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF) set out the strategic direction for South Africa’s industrialisation. The NIPF was a framework for  IPAPs, aiming to support labour-absorbing and value-adding industries while shifting from…

TIPS highlights positive second-quarter trade, investment movements

Engineering News 29 October 2024 by Marleny Arnoldi

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South Africa has not fully realised the benefits of localisation as a tool for reindustrialisation. A number of issues contribute to this: a) failure to consolidate demand across the state due to fragmentation of procurement plans; b) the influx of cheaper imports which threatened industries such as steel and the clothing,…

New report shows depth of Sasol Secunda distress

BizCommunity 28 October 2024 by Lindsey Schutters

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Sasol not in ‘sunset’ phase but transition plans cannot outpace market demand – Baloyi

Engineering News 5 November 2024 by Terence Creamer 

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A global transition to low-carbon development pathways, enabled by rapid technological evolution is underway. This transition was initially fostered by policy and the urgency of climate action, primarily to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The transition is increasingly driven by market forces, as greentech becomes more and more competitive. Global dynamics…

The TIPS Annual Forum is a platform for researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders to present research and engage in dialogue on policy-relevant issues hosted by TIPS. The Forums have overarching themes and have been running since 1997. For details of past Forums and copies of research presented, go to Forum Papers. TIPS is partnering with, and receiving financial support for the Forum from, the DSI/NRF South African Research Chair in Industrial Development (SARChI) based at the University of Johannesburg. The Forum will be undertaken in association with the Department of Trade Industry and Competition (the dtic).

Looking ahead, inclusive industrialisation requires more decisive industrial policy interventions. Policy-orientated research is required to better understand the political-economy impacts, the socio-economic costs to society, and appropriate strategies and measures. The Forum offers the opportunity for collective critical analysis of possible solutions considering related opportunities and challenges, and further actions on broad themes of industrial policy and inclusive growth, such as:

• Building and enabling a small business ecosystem
• The production structure in South Africa
• Education, training and skills constraints within small and medium manufacturing enterprises
• The Master Plans, localisation, and other industrial policy instruments
• The climate emergency and the Just Transition
• Promoting green industrialisation among small businesses
• The quality and affordability of infrastructure
• Innovation in SMEs
• Technological change
• Strategies to promote more inclusive growth
• The AfCFTA and global trade
• Integration into regional value chains (within SADC)

Who can attend?

The Forum is a platform for researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders to present research and engage in dialogue on policy-relevant issues. Government officials and others who contribute to policy are targeted by the Forum but all are welcome, though places are limited.

The African Programme on Rethinking Development Economics (APORDE) hosted by TIPS offers a platform to share views and ideas on specific development issues and alternative policy strategies. APORDE is a high-level training programme in development economics which aims to build capacity in economics and economic policymaking. The course is run for two weeks and consists of lectures and seminars taught by leading international and African economists. Though the has been designed for government officials for whom the themes tackled are of relevance, APORDE allows talented academics, policymakers and civil society representatives from Africa to gain access to alternatives to mainstream thinking on development issues and to be equipped in a way that will foster original thinking. Participants receive intensive high-level training and interact with some of the best development economists in the world and with other participants from across the continent. 

Africa is probably the continent most affected by the poor availability of cutting-edge research and teaching in economics. While only a few African countries have experienced sustained economic development in the past 50 years, African governments and civil societies have in the past been weakly equipped to respond critically to external initiatives aimed at their development and to generate endogenous strategies. The tide is, however, gradually turning in South Africa and in other African countries, the need for “more” (rather than merely “better”, which has often proved to mean “less”) state intervention in economic affairs is increasingly recognised. Crucially, economic take-off and converting growth spurts into sustained periods of structural change appear bound to remain a pipedream unless it is premised on developmental policy. However, African decision-makers are often not exposed to alternatives to mainstream policy design and implementation strategies, a gap which APORDE aims to help fill. APORDE covers essential topics in development economics, including industrial policy, rural poverty, inequality and financialisation. Lectures will equip participants with key information pertaining to both mainstream and critical approaches. The programme will mostly consist of daytime lectures, as well as several shorter evening talks and debates. 

Previous APORDE sessions included lectures on: 

• Critical Perspectives on Development Economics 
• Market, State and Institutions in Economic Development 
• Governance, Democracy and Economic Development 
• Globalisation, Global Value Chains and Regional Value Chains 
• Trade and Industrial Policy 
• Agriculture, Economic Development and Land Reform 
• Gender, Development and Growth 
• International Financial Flows 
• Industrial Development in Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Latin America 
• Mineral Resources and Industrial Policy 
• Industrial Policy in South Africa 

Previous lecturers included: 

• Ha-Joon Chang (SOAS, University of London) 
• Mushtaq Khan (SOAS, University of London) 
• Chris Cramer (SOAS, University of London) 
• Fiona Tregenna (University of Johannesburg) 
• Adeyemi Dipeolu (Government of Nigeria) 
• Judith Fessehaie (International Trade Centre) 
• Mwangi wa Gĩthĩnji (University of Massachusetts-Amherst) 
• Faizel Ismail (University of Cape Town) 
• Nimrod Zalk (South African Department of Trade, Industry and Competition) 

Who can attend?Usually hosted in South Africa at a venue in late September, annually, the call to enter to be part of the prestigious programme is directed at talented economists, policymakers, academics and civil society activists who, if selected, will be fully funded to participate in the course. Places are limited. (add the link page to Aporde https://www.aporde.co.za/)

The Industrial Policy for Policy Makers (IPPM) programme takes place, alongside the annual African Programme on Rethinking Development Economics (APORDE).

The five-day intensive training course is focused on Industrial Policy and consists of lectures and seminars by leading international and African economists. It is of particular relevance given: 

• The slow pace of industrial development on the African continent and the threat of premature deindustrialisation.
• The increasing threat posed by climate change and the impact of and opportunities arising from a shift to a low carbon economy.
• The increasing relevance and need for green industries.
• Challenges in financing green industrial policy.
• Discussions about the most appropriate strategies to advance structural transformation and regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

Who can attend?

Applicants should be senior government officials in African countries working in economic ministries, departments, or other public institutions, or supranational policy institutions in Africa. In particular, we encourage applications from officials working on issues such as industrial policy, green industries, trade, development banking or climate change/environmental policies. Participants need to be proficient in English. There is no charge to attend the training; however, due to limited places, applicants will be accepted through a competitive application process. South African participants, or their institutions, will be required to cover their own transport and accommodation costs. Participants from other countries will have their travel and accommodation costs covered by the programme. 

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