This policy brief examines the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), its member states, its objectives and trade between the member states. It also looks at the trade relationship between SACU and the United States (US), focusing on the US reciprocal tariffs and SACU’s exports to the US. Lastly, the policy…

TIPS industry studies aim to provide a comprehensive overview of key trends in leading industries in South Africa. They aim to provide background for policymakers and researchers and strengthen our understanding of current challenges and opportunities in each industry, thereby enabling a more strategic response. This industry study examines the…

TIPS industry studies aim to provide a comprehensive overview of key trends in leading industries in South Africa. They aim to provide background for policymakers and researchers and strengthen our understanding of current challenges and opportunities in each industry, thereby enabling a more strategic response. This industry study on sustainability…

The case for reform of public employment programmes (PEPs) has become increasingly urgent, as South Africa grapples with an ongoing unemployment crisis – alongside the need to address some scepticism about whether these programmes are delivering meaningful value for participants, society and the economy. The purpose of reform of PEPs…

South Africa’s quarterly exports over the 10-year period spanning the first quarter of 2015 (Q1 2015) to the first quarter of 2025 (Q1 2025) have trended in an overall upwardly direction, and have outperformed imports in several instances. In Q1 2025, exports fell on a quarterly basis, but remain higher than…

Industrial policy aims to promote diversification and tailor interventions to the needs of individual manufacturing industries. To support evidence-based policymaking, TIPS has completed a series of notes on the main manufacturing subsectors in South Africa. These briefing notes provide information on the contribution to the GDP, employment, profitability and assets,…

South Africa, albeit more than other African countries, has contributed a nominal amount to the global stock of GHG emissions. However, it is imperative that it shifts to a green industrialisation path, for two main reasons. First to avert looming risks arising from fundamental geo-political and economic shifts in the…

Monitoring added 15 projects in the first quarter of 2025. The total investment value, from the eight projects that published values, amounted to R17.7 billion. The Tracker recorded investments in manufacturing, services, mining, electricity, and agriculture for the quarter. Employment opportunities were recorded from one project – 55 jobs from…

The TIPS Training and Events Manager is responsible for implementing and managing training programmes and events that align with TIPS’s strategic objectives. This role combines training planning and management, communicating outcomes, team management, and overseeing event coordination with the aim of strengthening and expanding competencies around inclusive economic policies, especially across the spheres of the state and for key economic stakeholders; promoting stakeholder engagement; and expanding communication of key findings and proposals arising from TIPS’s research.Further information on TIPS and its current training and events programme can be accessed at www.tips.org.za.

Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) is seeking a Finance Intern. The internship is for 12months. You can see more about our work at www.tips.org.za.

TIPS industry studies aim to provide a comprehensive overview of key trends in leading industries in South Africa. They aim to provide background for policymakers and researchers and strengthen our understanding of current challenges and opportunities in each industry, thereby enabling a more strategic response. This industry study discusses the clothing…

TIPS is hosting a series of three Development Dialogues to present research on key manufacturing subsectors. The series will focus on three main areas: sustainability; technological change; and the evolving international trade environment.The first Development Dialogue in the series presents findings on the main sustainability issues for the iron and steel, automotive, and plastics…

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) recently released the Income & Expenditure Survey (IES) 2022/2023, which provides detailed insights into household income, consumption, and spending across national, provincial, and metropolitan levels. Conducting an analysis of the IES 2022/2023 is worthwhile in terms of industrial policy as the survey offers critical data directly…

What is JUST SA?

JUST SA is a five-year project supporting the implementation of pathways towards an environmentally sustainable, climate-change resilient, low-carbon economy and just society.

At the national level, JUST SA supports the implementation of the Just Transition Framework and facilitates dialogue and information sharing on the Just Transition in South Africa. At the provincial and local levels, JUST SA supports a variety of stakeholders in Mpumalanga to design and implement alternative diversification and development pathways.

In addition, JUST SA supports the rehabilitation of coal mining land and water through research, policy implementation and community engagement.

JUST SA is implemented by GIZ as part of a consortium with TIPS, NBI and WWF SA on behalf of the German Government as part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI), and in close collaboration with Indalo Inclusive, the Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency (MGCA), the Just Energy Transition Project Management Unit (JET PMU), the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) and others.

What is TIPS doing on JUST SA?

TIPS is involved in the design and implementation of a number of activities on JUST SA. These include:

Research

TIPS is involved in a three-pronged research programme on JUST SA: (1) building a short- and medium-term Just Transition policy package for South Africa’s coal workforce; (2) unpacking practical pathways for the economic diversification of the Mpumalanga coalfields; and (3) supporting the development of robust, commercially viable Just Transition project pipelines, updating the TIPS Just Transition Tagging Framework using real world data from the Just Transition Finance Tool, and developing an instrument or mechanism to solve a well-defined challenge or barrier in Just Transition finance.

We are also working with the PCC to develop a localised economic diversification strategy for the area around the Komati power station and investigating the potential role that South African financial institutions can play in supporting less well-resourced enterprises to develop credible, investible, and fundable Just Transition project proposals.

Training and capacity building

TIPS is delivering training in all nine provinces in South Africa to sub-national (provincial and municipal) government officials on the green economy and the Just Transition. JUST SA is also supporting the 2025 and 2026 editions of TIPS’s annual Industrial Policy for Policy Makers (IPPM) course on Green Industrialisation and the Just Transition.

Just Transition Community of Practice

TIPS is establishing a Community of Practice (CoP) on the Just Transition. This includes the establishment of an online learning platform for courses on the green economy and the just transition, just transition finance, and the role of gender inclusion in a Just Transition for SA. The JUST SA CoP will also include a series of events on specific topics related to a Just Transition in SA as well as an international study tour for selected alumni from our provincial training course. The purpose of the international study tour is to provide government officials with exposure to visit best practice international projects that can provide local solution.

1. CoP for sub-national government officials

   Beyond knowledge transfer, the JUST SA CoP serves as a catalyst for transformative practice at the local level by generating new insights and co-developing solutions that will enable South African municipalities and provinces to navigate the complex socio-economic and environmental dimensions of the Just Transition. Ultimately, the JUST SA CoP seeks to empower government officials to lead with confidence, strengthen institutional capacity, and deliver sustainable, inclusive outcomes for communities across South Africa. How can you get involved? Register your interest to become a practitioner.
   REGISTER HERE.

2. Provincial Just Transition Insights via Podcasts

   Learn more about the challenges and opportunities that other government officials are facing in different provinces by listening to our podcast series.
   LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE.
   
   

   Eastern Cape
   

   Western Cape
   

   Freestate
   

3. Capacity Building Online Course

   Access the JUST SA e-learning engagement platform:
   CLICK HERE 
   This is a free course.

Digital Knowledge Platform

TIPS is establishing a Digital Knowledge Platform, linked to the JUST SA website, that will serve as a repository of information (published articles, reports, podcasts, etc.) on the Just Transition in South Africa.

Access the Digital Knowledge Platform here:
https://www.tips.org.za/just-transition

Contact Details

Media Contact: Thobani Khumalo (Thobani@tips.org.za)
JUST SA Project Coordinator: Natasha du Plessis (Natasha@tips.org.za)

---

Main Bulletin: The Real Economy Bulletin - Second Quarter 2025 In this edition GDP growth: The GDP climbed 0.8% in the second quarter of 2025, mostly due to a recovery in mining, manufacturing and retail. It was the strongest quarterly GDP growth since 2022. Still, value added in mining and manufacturing was well below their pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Read more. Employment: Employment edged up slightly in the year to the second quarter of 2025, adding 154 000 jobs (less than 1%), with gains in informal work dampened by sharp losses in domestic employment. By sector, business services, logistics, and construction drove growth, while retail…

How can the cotton, textiles and apparel regional value chain drive the implementations of the AfCFTA? The key message of this paper is that the AfCFTA should be implemented in a manner that addresses the existing asymmetries between the member states and the need for all members to benefit from…

Since the Trump administration came to power, the US has sought fundamental changes in the international tariff regime. To that end, in April it announced both a much higher base rate for all US imports and extraordinarily high and arbitrary “reciprocal” tariffs on countries with which it ran a deficit. Its trade negotiations since then have been chaotic and fast changing. To enable more consistent understanding of the results and modalities of these negotiations, this Tracker summarises all of the tariffs and agreements reached, as well as some major disagreements, in both quantitative and qualitative terms. 

TIPS industry studies aim to provide a comprehensive overview of key trends in leading industries in South Africa. They aim to provide background for policymakers and researchers and strengthen our understanding of current challenges and opportunities in each industry, thereby enabling a more strategic response. This industry study evaluates the sustainability…

Internship at Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies TIPS has two internship opportunities available for recently or about to graduate Master’s students. The aim of the internship is to give young researchers the opportunity to acquire work experience, improve their research skills, and enhance their understanding of the South African economy. The internship is structured to give exposure to issues of industrial development, trade and the green economy as well as work on policy-orientated projects.The internship is for 12 months. The intern will directly participate in projects carried out by TIPS. TIPS also offers the opportunity to conduct individual research, in…

The impact of climate change and the decisions taken to reduce emissions will have an impact on workers and communities in multiple value-chains. TIPS, with funding from the UK-PACT Programme has undertaken research on five key value chains that will be impacted: Coal, petroleum-based transport, tourism, metals, and agriculture. This research was presented…