Business Day - 5 November 2020 by Allan Seccombe

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Presentation: The Global Future of Jobs Report

Report: The Future of Jobs Report 2020

Published since 2016 on a biennial basis, the Future of Jobs Report is one of the flagship publications of the World Economic Forum. In the context of the COVID-19 health pandemic, the 2020 edition will provide an overview of emerging and disrupted jobs and skills, of the projected expansion for mass reskilling and upskilling across industries and of the proactive adaptation measures that will be needed to ensure stable livelihoods for citizens across economies.

Presentation: South African STI Indicators Report

Report: South African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators

The National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) 2020 report provides statistics and an assessment of South Africa's Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) performance. These statistics are contextualised globally to understand the state of STI in South Africa, given its important role in contributing to economic development and industrial policy in the country.

Background to Workshop

South African partners, represented by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) and Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), in collaboration with the World Economic Forum convened a workshop on innovation and skills in South Africa. These issues are critical for the country’s post-COVID economic revival.

The workshop is part of the Closing the Skills and Innovation Gap Accelerator that kicked off earlier this year as part of the Global Network of Country Accelerators of the World Economic Forum. The Closing the Skills and Innovation Gap Accelerator is a platform for public-private action and collaboration in South Africa to identify, scale and accelerate selected initiatives that can contribute to closing the fundamental skills gap and increase the diffusion of innovative technologies and business models in South Africa, leading the country to a more inclusive and sustainable growth trajectory.

Objectives

The objective of the workshop is to:

• Improve public and private sector participants understanding of STI, the future of work, and the trends in innovation in South Africa against a global perspective;
• Highlight the importance of these issues in the context of COVID-19 with implications for economic growth and employment in South Africa, and of the actions and opportunities to transform the economy through reskilling and innovation; and
• Collect the views from relevant stakeholders in South Africa on these priority issues.

Agenda

10:00: Welcome and introductory remarks

10:10: Insights from the Future of Jobs Report

10:35: Insights from the NACI report on Science, Technology and Innovation indicators

11:00: Comments and discussion   

11:15: Conclusions and next steps

To engage in this initiative, please contact: Saul Levin, TIPS, 083 326 0848, saul@tips.org.za

WIDER Working Paper 2020/148

This working paper, Future-proofing the plastics value chain in Southern Africa, forms part of the project: Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED)

Abstract

Plastics are ubiquitous across the region and play an important role in multiple industries. Most plastic products are based on a value chain that is grounded in petroleum refining, posing an environmental challenge. Plastic manufacturing in South Africa suffers from the high cost of polymers as inputs. Mozambique is endowed with large natural gas deposits.  

This research assesses the potential for the sustainable development of a plastics value chain in Southern Africa, with the aim of future-proofing the industry against changes in the petroleum space while bolstering growth in plastics manufacture and fostering a more equitable regional distribution of plastics activities. This study found that there is strong regional value chain potential between South Africa and Mozambique, with Mozambique producing natural gas feedstock and South Africa providing labour, capital, and technology. South African plastic manufacturers could also benefit from better input prices derived from better priced natural gas from Mozambique.

Download Working Paper: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/Publications/Working-paper/PDF/wp2020-148.pdf

A Policy Brief based on the working Paper is also available: Unlocking a regional plastics value chain between Mozambique and South Africa

TIPS acknowledges the support of the SA-TIED programme for this working paper, with special thanks to UNU-WIDER and the South African Department of Trade and Industry.