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This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs outlines Africa's priorities and demands for COP28, emphasizing the need for a fundamental overhaul of the global financial architecture to ensure equitable climate finance, accelerated adaptation funding, and the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) outlines a strategic roadmap for implementing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) withinS within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The authors argue that while SADC has strong foundational payment systems, it faces systemic risks due to policy fragmentation and a lack of regulatory harmonisation, specifically regarding the AU Malabo Convention. The document proposes a 'Triple-A' agenda—accelerate, anchor, and assert—to drive inclusive digital transformation, leveraging lessons from India's 'security-by-design' and Brazil's 'brownfield' approach to digital sovereignty.

This policy note, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs in October 2025, advocates for a shift from incremental to transformational climate adaptation in Africa. It outlines the conceptual differences between these approaches, identifies systemic barriers to implementation across the continent, and provides strategic recommendations for South Africa's G20 presidency to champion scalable, just, and context-specific adaptation frameworks.

This policy brief by the Brookings Institution, published via the South African Institute of International Affairs, argues for strengthening the G20 Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable (GSDR) to address unsustainable debt in the Global South. The authors propose reforming the Common Framework for Debt Treatments (CF), integrating climate financing into debt management, and addressing the systemic drivers of high debt service costs, particularly for African nations.

This policy brief by Jayati Ghosh for the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the drivers of global food insecurity, specifically the 'ratchet effect' where domestic food prices in low- and middle-income countries remain high even after global prices fall. The author argues that recent price spikes were driven by financial speculation and agribusiness profiteering rather than supply shortages, and proposes a series of strategic interventions including public buffer stocks, financial regulation of commodity markets, and capital flow management to protect vulnerable economies.

This briefing outlines the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) theory of change for its G20-related activities, detailing the pathway from research and capacity-building to the inclusion of African policy inputs in global governance.

Speaking notes from Walid Badawi, Country Director of UNDP in Pretoria, detailing the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the G20 in advancing the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their application within the African context.

This report analyzes the state of the South African mining industry following the August 2012 Marikana massacre. It argues that the tragedy was a symptom of deeper structural issues, including poor living conditions for mine workers, a failing Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) framework, and a volatile regulatory environment. The author calls for a 'new social contract' involving community development agreements and a shift toward broad-based empowerment to ensure sustainable growth and prevent further violence.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the proposed preferential trade agreement (PTA) between the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and India. It details the economic rationale, negotiating interests, and potential challenges of the deal, while considering its place within the broader IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) Dialogue and the possibility of a future trilateral free trade agreement.

This research paper examines the nature of parliamentary democracy in the United Republic of Tanzania, focusing on the relationship between the legislature (Bunge) and the executive, as well as the level of engagement between parliament and civil society. It analyzes the transition from a single-party 'rubber stamp' legislature to a multi-party system, the constitutional mechanisms for checks and balances, and the practical constraints—such as party supremacy and resource limitations—that hinder effective legislative scrutiny and public transparency.

This research paper examines the inclusion of women in the renewable energy (RE) value chains of Rwanda and South Africa. It identifies systemic barriers—including limited access to STEM education, a lack of gender-responsive financing, and a disconnect between policy and implementation—that prevent women from moving beyond passive roles as energy consumers into technical, managerial, and entrepreneurial positions. The document provides a three-tier gender mainstreaming toolkit to help policymakers, donors, and the private sector foster a more inclusive energy sector in Africa.

This research paper examines the potential for establishing a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) hybrid Centre of Specialisation (CoS) to support South Africa's Green Hydrogen Economy (GHE). It analyzes systemic failures in the current vocational skills development system—including declining enrolments, poor throughput rates, and a disconnect between curricula and industry needs—and evaluates the existing CoS model and pilot programs (Bambili and NBI) to provide recommendations for a demand-led, flexible skills strategy for the green transition.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) proposes a strategic framework to transition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) skills toward a green hydrogen economy in South Africa by 2050. Using foresight tools like the Three Horizons framework and scenario planning, the document identifies systemic failures in the current TVET system and outlines a vision for a 'just and inclusive' ecosystem that prioritizes economic wellbeing and ecological resilience over a narrow focus on job placement.

The Reimagine our Future Declaration is a statement by over 150 South African children and youth (aged 14-24) outlining their vision for a future characterized by climate resilience, social equality, and active youth participation in governance. The document identifies systemic failures in economic support, environmental management, and social services, while providing specific recommendations for government and private sector action to ensure a just transition and inclusive development.

Remarks delivered on July 8, 2021, by the APRM Secretariat on behalf of the Country Coordination Unit for Zimbabwe during the Zimbabwe APRM Popular Sensitisation (ZAPS) Civil Society Validation Workshop. The text emphasizes the critical role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process to enhance accountability and influence governance policies in Zimbabwe.

This report details a Civil Society APRM Sensitisation Workshop held on February 26, 2021, as part of the second phase of the Zimbabwe APRM Popular Sensitisation (ZAPS) Project. The event, hosted by the SIVIO Institute and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), brought together representatives from the Zimbabwean government, the APRM Secretariat, and civil society organisations (CSOs) from Zimbabwe and other SADC countries to discuss the role of CSOs in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process.

This report examines the impact of energy efficiency on electricity demand for cooling appliances in households at risk. It highlights that while expanding cooling access could significantly increase energy needs, the adoption of best-available technologies and passive building strategies can offset this demand and support sustainable energy transitions.

SEforALL's Theory of Change focuses on five outcomes to achieve SDG7: gender mainstreaming, global commitments, policy standards, financial flows, and direct energy connections. Key achievements include securing over USD 600 billion via Energy Compacts, supporting national energy plans in Nigeria and Rwanda, and delivering direct electricity connections to over 3,000 people in Madagascar.

This document introduces a needs-based approach to sustainable cooling, linking it to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and identifying three core cooling needs: food, nutrition and agriculture; health services; and human comfort and safety.

This report outlines the critical cooling and cold chain needs in Ghana across three primary sectors: food, nutrition and agriculture; health services; and human comfort and safety in the built environment. It details the economic and health impacts of inadequate cooling, such as significant food waste, vaccine distribution failures, and rising heat-related mortality, while highlighting the inefficiency of current air-conditioning infrastructure.