- You are here:
-
Home
- Research
Research Archive (604)
11 September 2025
The AfCFTA: From negotiations to implementation - A developmental regionalism approach
- Year 2025
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Professor Faizel Ismail
- Countries and Regions Africa
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…
Download:
Published in
Trade and Industry
17 August 2025
Greening South Africa's Industrial Policy
- Year 2025
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Nimrod Zalk
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…
Download:
- TIPS Greening South Africa's Industrial Policy (340 Downloads)
Published in
Sustainable Growth
12 August 2025
Designing for Impact: Reforming Delivery Models for Public Employment in South Africa - A Practitioner Perspective
- Year 2025
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Kate Philip
- Countries and Regions South Africa
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…
Published in
Inequality and Economic Inclusion
- Year 2025
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Professor Faizel Ismail and Seutame Maimele (TIPS)
- Countries and Regions South Africa
This paper is intended to contribute to the discussion on how to build a broader framework to respond to the EU CBAM and engage in diplomacy with the EU to support South Africa and Africa’s “just energy transition”. With South Africa being the Presidency of the G20 in 2025, this…
Published in
Sustainable Growth
- Year 2025
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Pundy Pillay and Sakhile Ndlovu
The aims of this study were to review current policies and initiatives in the cosmetics sector, including funding support; developing a cosmetic sector strategy over the short- and long-terms; and defining funding and technical models to support the implementation of the strategy. It comprises a brief literature review, analysis of the…
Download:
- TIPS Development of the cosmetic sector strategy in South Africa (1062 Downloads)
Published in
Trade and Industry
20 July 2025
Summary Report of the Feasibility Study on the Promotion of Use of Timber in Construction
- Year 2024
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Enterprises University of Pretoria (Pty) Ltd
This report is a summary of a feasibility study that explores the potential of promoting timber in South African construction by addressing challenges and leveraging benefits. It emphasises capacity building and demand creation deliverables to unlock timber’s environmental, economic, and social benefits in various construction industries. The study was prepared…
Download:
Published in
Trade and Industry
14 February 2025
TIPS Working Paper Greening Industrial Policy in South Africa: Insights from China, the United States and the European Union
- Author(s) Michael Hector
Green Industrial Policy (Green IP) aims to advance green industries and transform existing sectors to support the move towards low-carbon economies. Traditionally, industrial policy has focused on enhancing productivity and economic prosperity by supporting specific industries. However, the growing urgency of climate change has caused a shift towards Green IP,…
Published in
Sustainable Growth
- Year 2025
- Author(s) Faizel Ismail
From 1 December 2024, South Africa assumed the Presidency of the G20. South Africa has a unique role to play in the G20 process. Its presidency follows that of a troika of other major developing countries: Brazil (2024), India (2023) and Indonesia (2022), and is expected to carry forward and…
Published in
Sustainable Growth
- Year 2025
- Author(s) Dr Neva Makgetla
The steel value chain has been in a long-term downturn since the mid-2000s. Only the mini mills, which produce long steel, and parts of downstream manufacturing have grown. The new public infrastructure build programme, especially for electricity and rail, should support recovery by boosting domestic demand. It may, however, just…
Download:
Published in
Trade and Industry
Topic:
09 December 2024
Evaluation of the industry/sector master plan process
- Year 2024
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Dr Neva Makgetla
- Countries and Regions South Africa
This research evaluates the progress and outcomes to date from the master plan approach to industrial policy, which was initiated in 2019. To that end, a main report analyses the 10 master plans published as of December 2023 using the theory of change methodology: the automotive industry; poultry sector; retail, clothing,…
Download:
- Evaluation of the industry/sector master plan process (1338 Downloads)
- Published master plans. Four case studies 2024 (842 Downloads)
Published in
Trade and Industry
- Year 2024
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Liako Mofo, Gillian Chigumira, Wendy Nyakabawo
- Countries and Regions South Africa
The medical devices sector in South Africa is characterised by its complexity and diversity, involving numerous products, companies, and rapid innovation cycles. This sector, despite not being a major employment generator, plays a crucial role in healthcare delivery and offers significant growth potential through both local manufacturing and international investments.…
Download:
- Main Report: Draft of the South African Medical Devices Masterplan – Value Chain 2024 (502 Downloads)
- Annexure 1: Trade in medical devices (450 Downloads)
- Annexure 2: Methodology of HS Codes for medical devices (451 Downloads)
- Annexure 3: Working group workshop on quick win interventions (452 Downloads)
- Annexure 4A: Case study - Turkey (472 Downloads)
- Annexure 4B: Case study - Development of medical devices value chain in Costa Rica (445 Downloads)
- Annexure 5: Manufacturing financial data (425 Downloads)
Published in
Trade and Industry
14 October 2024
Options for long steel: An evaluation
- Year 2024
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Neva Makgetla
- Countries and Regions South Africa
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…
Download:
- TIPS Options for long steel An evaluation 2024.pdf (1512 Downloads)
Published in
Trade and Industry
- Year 2024
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Dr Roderick Crompton; Dr Bruce Young, and Tristan Hahn
- Countries and Regions South Africa
The central question of this paper and policy brief is: what is the future of the South African petrochemicals and plastics, ammonia, fertiliser, explosives and other chemical value chains of the Secunda petrochemical complex in the light of Sasol’s stated greenhouse gas emission reduction plans and other assessed business constraints? Given…
Download:
- South Africas petrochemicals and basic chemicals in the context of South Africas energy transition focussing on Sasols Secunda coal to chemicals and liquids facilty August 2024 (2379 Downloads)
- Policy Brief Petrochemicals and South Africas energy transition Sasols Secunda coal to chemicals and liquids facility August 2024 (1915 Downloads)
Published in
Trade and Industry
- Year 2024
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Seutame Maimele
- Countries and Regions South Africa
The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) entered its transition period on 1 October 2023, with the first CBAM report for the fourth quarter of 2023 submitted on 29 February 2024. Key industries most affected in South Africa are iron, steel and aluminium. The transition period will run for…
Download:
Published in
Climate Change
- Year 2024
- Organisation the dtic and TIPS
- Author(s) Deyar Natha and Zavareh Rustomjee
Participants in the petroleum industry value chain, represented by the South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA), are currently granted exemption from the Competition Act largely on the basis of ensuring security of supply of petroleum products. This exemption was invoked in 2002 for 18 months to ensure fuel supply security…
Published in
Trade and Industry
Topic:
02 May 2024
Electrical Equipment Regional Value Chain Between South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe 2024
- Year 2024
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Lucas Mthembu (TIPS) Masana Baloyi (TIPS)
- Countries and Regions Southern African Development Community (SADC)
The demand for electricity in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is anticipated to double from 280 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2010 to 570 TWh by 2030. By extension, the region will require significant amounts of electrical equipment, which includes items that are used for generation, conversion, transmission, supply,…
Download:
Published in
Trade and Industry
Topic:
- Year 2023
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Ian Steuart, Karin Kritzinger
- Countries and Regions South Africa
In the face of rising electricity costs, persistent power outages (loadshedding), and the emergence of domestic and international carbon taxes, there has never been a better time for businesses in South Africa to adopt renewable energy (RE) to realise significant savings on their electricity bills, lower their tax liability, secure…
Download:
Published in
Energy
16 February 2024
The European Green Deal (EGD) and its implications for African Trade
- Year 2023
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Seutame Maimele
- Countries and Regions Africa
The European Green Deal (EGD) is a set of policy initiatives by the European Union (EU) with the overarching aim of making Europe the first continent to reach climate neutrality by 2050. The purpose of this study is to analyse the implications of the EGD on African trade. The objectives include…
Download:
- The European Green Deal and its implications for trade December 2023 (2645 Downloads)
Published in
Climate Change
- Year 2024
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Neva Makgetla and Luthandolwethu Zondi
In 2010, South Africa joined the BRICS bloc: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. BRICS is an association of regional powers across four continents, originating from an informal alliance in trade negotiations. So far, members have signed agreements among others on customs, energy efficiency, and tax. They have also…
Download:
Published in
Trade and Industry
Topic:
29 January 2024
Global Perspectives on the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
- Year 2023
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Dominic Ramos
- Countries and Regions South Africa
This Working Paper offers an overview of how governments in the Global South are responding to the EU CBAM, in contrast to responses from developed nations. It examines the background and essential measures of CBAM in relation to the reactions of major transnational groupings and the effects of CBAM on…
Download:
Published in
Climate Change
Topic:
18 December 2023
South Africa in AGOA: Impact, potential and the case for renewal
- Year 2023
- Author(s) TIPS and COSATU
- Countries and Regions South Africa
This paper examines the potential of a new regional framework for thinking about AGOA. It proceeds in four parts. Part 1 provides an overview of trade under AGOA, examining trends in trade, which products are traded, and profiling the tariff advantages of the programme. Part 2 looks at the bilateral…
Download:
- South Africa in AGOA: Impact, potential and the case for renewal (7397 Downloads)
Published in
Trade and Industry
Topic:
- Year 2023
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Lesego Moshikaro, Lebogang Pheto (TIPS)
- Countries and Regions South Africa
South Africa’s vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) value chain currently lies in raw material output, electrolyte production, and locally manufactured balance of plant components. However, there is potential for a more significant role to be played along the value chain. To foster the growth of a domestic VRFB industry, it…
Download:
Published in
Green Economy
- Year 2023
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Neva Makgetla (TIPS)
- Countries and Regions South Africa
Localisation has become an increasingly important part of South Africa’s industrial policy as articulated by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. At its core, it is a strategy to identify and support sectoral priorities for industrialisation. Those functions are also central to the well-known import-substitution and export-oriented models. The…
Download:
Published in
Trade and Industry
Topic:
10 August 2023
Responding to the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): South Africa's vulnerability and responses
- Year 2023
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Seutame Maimele
- Countries and Regions South Africa
CBAM is a key policy tool that forms part of the European Green Deal (EGD) to reduce net GHG emissions across Europe and abroad. Within this context, CBAM can be defined as a carbon border tax on embedded GHG emissions of carbon-intensive products imported into the EU. The main intent…
Published in
Climate Change
- Year 2023
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Kiara Muthusame, Seutame Maimele
- Countries and Regions South Africa
The United States of America (USA) is South Africa’s second largest single trade partner after China, having imported US$13 billion (about R192 billion) worth of goods in 2021. South Africa’s top five exports to the USA are platinum, motor vehicles, miscellaneous chemical products (some chemicals are used to create monomers and polymers for…
Download:
Published in
Climate Change
Topic:
- Year 2022
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Lerato Monaisa, Gaylor Montmasson-Clair
- Countries and Regions South Africa
Aluminium is the most used non-ferrous metal worldwide. Its multiple properties (lightweight, non-corrosive, high thermal and electrical conductivity, low density, non-toxic, non-magnetic) make it a versatile multiuse metal. Aluminium is used in various sectors, most prominently in transport, construction, consumer goods, packaging and machinery and equipment. The production of primary aluminium…
Download:
Published in
Climate Change
- Year 2022
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Neva Makgetla, Saul Levin, Rapula Diale, Itumeleng Mokoena, Mbofholowo Tsedu, Kelello Mashiane
- Countries and Regions South Africa
This Working Paper analyses the linkages between industrial policy and local economic development planning in South Africa in terms of both economics and governance. It outlines the role of four groups of municipalities in the economy: the largest metros (Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, Cape Town and eThekwini); the five secondary…
Download:
Published in
Trade and Industry
22 March 2023
A tale of life and death: The coal value chain's impacts on local communities in South Africa
- Year 2022
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Lerato Monaisa Gaylor Montmasson-Clair (TIPS)
This working paper unpacks the impacts of a transition away from coal on affected communities in South Africa. It takes a multi-layered approach highlighting the economic, social, and environmental impacts coal has had to date and the implications of a transition on communities. Sections 2, 3 and 4 discuss the…
Download:
Published in
Climate Change
16 March 2023
Small business in industrial policy
- Year 2023
- Organisation TIPS
- Author(s) Neva Makgetla (TIPS)
A critical mechanism behind the unusually deep inequality in South Africa is the very small number, by international standards, of small businesses in the country. On the one hand, far fewer people earn livelihoods from their own businesses than in other upper middle-income countries. That fact largely explains South Africa’s…
Download:
- TIPS Working Paper Small business in industrial policy March 2023 (1598 Downloads)
Published in
Trade and Industry
24 February 2023
South Africa’s New Energy Vehicle Transitional Roadmap: The Route to the White Paper
- Year 2023
- Organisation naamsa | The Automotive Business Council ; TIPS B&M Analysts
- Countries and Regions South Africa
South Africa’s New Energy Vehicle Transitional Roadmap - Thought Leader Discussion Document: The Route to the White Paper naamsa | The Automotive Business Council has released its electric vehicles strategy, which calls for clear signals from government. Dowload a copy of read online: The report builds directly on work by Trade…
Download:
- Recommendations to Advance South Africa's New Energy Vehicle Market and Domestic Supply Chain (2056 Downloads)
- South African New Energy Vehicle Research Report (3025 Downloads)
- South Africa’s New Energy Vehicle Transitional Roadmap - Thought Leader Discussion Document: Route to the White Paper (1929 Downloads)
Published in
Climate Change