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This research paper outlines the short- to medium-term trade-offs and costs associated with pursuing an industrialisation and manufacturing pathway in Africa, emphasizing that while upfront fiscal, social, and environmental costs exist, the cost of inaction—marked by unemployment and external dependence—is higher.

This factsheet by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) provides an overview of the Group of 20 (G20), its governance, and the specific context of South Africa's 2025 presidency. It details the G20's composition, its operational tracks, the role of civil society engagement groups like the C20, and South Africa's priorities for its term.

This fact sheet from the Institute for Economic Justice examines the structural causes of the African debt crisis, the impact of high interest rates on public services, and the limitations of G20 initiatives. It argues that the crisis is rooted in a 'rigged global system' and calls for systemic reform and debt cancellation through movements like Jubilee 2025.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues for the 'ring-fencing' of development expenditures in Africa to protect long-term investments from short-term fiscal and political pressures. It identifies a 'perfect storm' of challenges—including trade fragmentation, the 'securitisation' of economic policy, high debt burdens, and technological disruption—that threaten development financing. The document proposes five specific policy mechanisms to institutionalise this protection and suggests that development finance should be framed as complementary to security priorities to leverage international funding.

The November 2024 Peace & Security Council Report examines the African Union's (AU) efforts to integrate climate change into security frameworks, the strategic direction of Africa's foreign policy, the outcomes of the AU's first G20 Summit, and the coordination between the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the UN Security Council (UNSC).

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) outlines ten priorities for the 2022 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), advocating for a shift away from fiscal consolidation toward a framework that prioritizes unemployment, poverty, and inequality reduction through increased public investment and progressive taxation.

This policy brief compares the macroeconomic resilience of Senegal and Mali between 2000 and 2022, analyzing their responses to various domestic and global shocks. It finds that while both countries utilized fiscal and monetary measures to mitigate impacts, Mali experienced more frequent internal shocks due to security and climatic vulnerabilities. The authors propose a transition toward counter-cyclical policies and structural reforms in trade, industry, human capital, and governance to build long-term resilience.

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.