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 imports in the current quarter, and higher than exports in the same quarter of 2024.

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 is to improve the outcomes and impacts from the public investments being made, for participants, for the society and for the economy. This paper focuses on a particular dimension of that agenda, related to the modalities of delivery of public employment programmes and the relative merits of approaches that “mainstream” public employment into the budgets of existing government programmes, where employment is an ancillary outcome, compared to more programmatic approaches to the design, rollout and scale-up of programmes which have public employment as their main purpose.

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 in the capital goods industry details the carbon intensity throughout the capital goods value chain, identifying the concentration of emissions in the upstream, midstream, downstream, and end-use phases. It then explores the policy landscape and sustainability risks, assessing environmental regulations, decarbonisation initiatives by companies, and international risks.

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 sustainability of the South African steel industry, focusing on carbon intensity, sustainability risks, and the evolving policy landscape. It is the fourth in a series of studies on the steel industry. The previous studies explored various aspects of the sector, including mapping the steel value chain, analysing economic trends and their national impact, assessing international trends with a focus on global and South African trade by country and product, and examining technological advancements and their implications for the industry.

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 brief examines SACU’s member states exports to the US through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

South Africa maintained a positive trade balance in the first quarter of 2025, though the surplus fell to R28 billion, from R64 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024. Year-on-year, the surplus grew from R11 billion from the first quarter of 2024, rebased by CPI to the first quarter of 2025. Exports increased by a marginal R1 billion year-on year, while imports declined by R16 billion. The decline in imports was in part due to an almost R9 billion decrease in crude oil imports, a R2 billion decline in components for motor vehicle imports, and another R2 billion cellphone imports. Year-on-year, the value of the top five imports declined by R7 billion.

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.

Horticulture is a subsector of agriculture and food processing in manufacturing. This industry study analyses trends in global exports and imports and trends in Africa and South African imports and exports. It looks at drivers and constraints in trade such as non-tariff barriers and trends in foreign investment and dominant foreign exporters.

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A SERVICE PROVIDER TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ON THE IMPACT OF DESIGNATING WORKING WATERBORNE VESSELS (INCLUDING SHIPS AND BOATS) FOR LOCAL MANUFACTURING

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), on behalf of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), invites interested Service Providers to submit proposals to conduct research on the impact of designating working waterborne vessels (including ships and boats) for local manufacturing.

The purpose of the project is to appoint a Service Provider to conduct a comprehensive research and review the impact of the designation for local manufacturing of marine vessels, including all categories of ships and boats for commercial and recreational purposes, procured by public entities (national, provincial, and local departments, as well as State-Owned Companies) on the growth of the South African economy across various sectors.

The study aims at conducting a deep dive into the impact on the economy, of the designation policy for local procurement of waterborne vessels with a minimum threshold of 60% in all public expenditure related to working boats and ship. The rationale behind the study is to determine, using a scientifically proven methodology, the value addition in terms of jobs, exports, investment, capability, and any other developmental impact as a result of procurement under designation policy, of vessels from the local Marine Manufacturing industry. Furthermore, the study will identify and project the future impact of the industry's designation and identify components with potential for localisation, meaning components that can be produced locally and/or accredited to the marine standards. 

Proposals should be sent to Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) for the attention of Ms. Daphney Mabuza (daphney@tips.org.za) 

Closing Date: 19 September 2025 at 16h00.

The full ToR is available to download or read online

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 also provides African countries with an excellent opportunity to engage with all G20 members (including the United States (US)) on how to restore the integrity of the multilateral trading system and advance a just transition for African countries that also advances their economic development and social transformation. 

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 data provided by international and local agencies, findings from the survey of cosmetic and retail firms in South Africa, and recommendations for the way forward.