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The document evaluates the Eyethu Soccer League, a gender-tailored intervention for young men in Cape Town designed to reduce violence, HIV risk, and substance use. Despite being well-resourced and based on cognitive-behavioural therapy, a cluster randomised controlled trial involving 1,200 participants found few effects on risk behaviours, with no reported changes in violence perpetration or mental health. The brief concludes that social skills-based programmes are often unable to disrupt the structural factors shaping negative outcomes and recommends that public safety policies avoid 'easy wins' in favour of evidence-based, structurally integrated, and early-childhood interventions.

The review finds that effective violence prevention in South Africa must be context-responsive, culturally relevant, and trauma-informed, often requiring multilevel interventions that combine social support with economic empowerment. It highlights that while laws and policies provide essential building blocks, sustainable change requires community mobilisation and the addressing of structural determinants like poverty and spatial marginalisation.

The report identifies a lack of demand for post-consumer recyclate (PCR) and poor packaging design as primary barriers to a circular plastics economy in South Africa. It highlights a fragmented value chain where brand owners and retailers hold the most influence but often prioritize cost and marketing over sustainability. The study emphasizes the need for mandatory extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations to fund infrastructure, integrate informal waste collectors, and incentivize the shift from virgin polymers to recycled content.

This filing notice and updated practice note, submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) on December 8, 2020, outlines an appeal in the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria). The appeal challenges a Water Tribunal decision that dismissed a previous appeal against the granting of a water use licence (WUL) to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd by the Department of Water and Sanitation.

The document examines the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and urban inequality, proposing six priority solutions to build climate-resilient and equitable cities. It highlights how the pandemic exposed systemic vulnerabilities, particularly for the urban poor in informal settlements, and argues that adaptation investments offer high benefit-cost ratios (2:1 to 10:1) and local job creation. Proposed solutions include upgrading poor settlements, building water resilience, advancing nature-based solutions, creating knowledge networks, enhancing devolved funding, and fostering peer-to-peer city collaboration.

The policy brief proposes restructuring South African governance by establishing a National Strategy and Development Council (NSDC) in the presidency. This body would transform existing cabinet clusters into directorates to ensure policy continuity and prevent ministers from making uncoordinated, sector-specific decisions. Specifically, it suggests an International Relations Trade and Security (IRTS) directorate supported by an independent, non-governmental Council on International Relations and Cooperation (CIRC) to provide expert advice and research, moving away from a 'party-state' model toward a disciplined 'developmental state'.

The report contends that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep structural faults in South Africa's economy, including extreme inequality and a dependence on fossil fuels. It advocates for a 'Just Recovery' based on five principles: prioritizing health, providing direct economic relief, supporting workers over corporations, creating resilience for future crises, and building international solidarity. The authors propose a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050, the implementation of a 'purple economy' to value care work, and a shift toward democratic public ownership to replace market-centric neoliberal policies.

GreenCape issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) on June 19, 2020, to appoint a Product Development Organisation (PDO) to support the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP). The project aims to develop viable products or value chains from unwanted manufacturing materials in the Atlantis Industrial Area to improve resource efficiency and reduce landfill waste.

The document argues that Africa is experiencing a growing economic divergence from the rest of the world, with GDP per capita projected to be less than one quarter of the global average by 2040. While human well-being indicators like life expectancy have improved, the continent's growth is constrained by an unproductive economic structure dominated by low-end informal services and a slow demographic transition. To ignite a 'growth revolution', the author advocates for a 'bottom-up' approach focusing on basic infrastructure, reducing fertility rates, and transitioning toward manufacturing and productive agriculture. The brief emphasizes that leveraging the fourth industrial revolution, renewable energy, and the African Continental Free Trade Area, alongside accountable leadership, is essential to reversing commodity dependence and achieving sustainable prosperity.

The document argues that standard lockdown measures are often impractical and potentially more damaging than COVID-19 in Africa due to high poverty levels, weak democratic institutions, and a large informal economy. It highlights risks such as the erosion of democratic processes, food insecurity, and a disproportionate burden on women. The author advocates for localized, flexible responses and calls for wealthier Northern states to provide debt cancellations and aid to prevent regional instability.

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) has closed its offices in Cape Town and on the Wits campus and cancelled all public events to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The institute will continue its policy engagements and analysis through remote work and digital communication platforms.

The Life After Coal Campaign, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, calls for the urgent promulgation of a robust Climate Change Act and the abandonment of new fossil fuel projects in South Africa. The document highlights the lack of transparency regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data from the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) and argues that non-compliant coal-fired power stations must be decommissioned as part of a just transition. It further asserts that South Africa's current commitments under the Paris Agreement are inadequate and must be revised to align with the 1.5 degree Celsius limit to avoid severe regional climate impacts.

The document outlines proposed oil and gas exploration activities by a joint venture (Africa Oil SA Corp, Ricocure (Pty) Ltd, and Azinam Limited) in Block 3B/4B off South Africa's west coast. It details the planned drilling of up to five wells, the associated logistics involving ports and helicopters, and the potential environmental and social risks. Key concerns include impacts on marine biodiversity, noise pollution, disruptions to fishing and tourism livelihoods, and the contribution of fossil fuel expansion to the climate crisis. Conversely, it notes potential short-term economic gains and job creation. The guide provides a timeline for the EIA process and instructions for the public to submit comments by 8 February 2024.

The report evaluates the DBSA and IDC using the Fair Finance Guide International (FFGI) methodology, finding that both institutions lack strong policy commitments to a low-carbon transition despite their developmental mandates. The DBSA showed strength in nature and power generation policies but failed on climate change targets, while the IDC ranked lowest among six assessed DFIs due to a critical lack of publicly available policies.

The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town has diverted over 11,000 tonnes of waste from landfills over five years, reducing disposal costs by up to 36%. The precinct focuses on organic waste due to its high volume—nearly 70% of landfill waste—and its impact on climate change. Key initiatives include source separation, a waste tariff structure to incentivise tenants, green leases, and the use of an 'eco-intelligence dashboard' for real-time data. The project has resulted in annual GHG emission savings of 4,147 tonnes and the creation of 86 permanent daily jobs. The long-term goal is zero waste to landfill by 2023, with plans for an on-site waste-to-energy plant.

The document examines the GreenPitch Innovation Challenge 2019 as a mechanism to strengthen Cape Town's economic resilience by supporting green Small, Medium and Micro-Sized Enterprises (SMMEs). It argues that multi-stakeholder collaboration and pitching events help fragmented cleantech start-ups overcome resource gaps—such as lack of financial assets and networks—to better address climate-related stresses. The challenge attracted 40 nationwide entries, resulting in five finalists and providing the winner, Nubrix, with R 30,000 in business development support.

The document examines the role of FoodForward SA as a trusted intermediary in South Africa's food supply chain, using a circular economy lens to divert surplus food from landfills to those in need. It highlights the economic and environmental drivers for food rescue in Cape Town, such as high landfill fees and provincial organic waste diversion targets. In 2020/21, FoodForward SA redistributed approximately 7,215 tonnes of food nationally, with specific impacts in Cape Town including the saving of 8,592 tonnes of GHG emissions and the creation of R45 million in retail value from rescued food.

The document details how District Watch Group, a Cape Town-based security company, integrated eight BMW i3 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) into its 60-vehicle fleet. The transition resulted in an overall cost reduction of approximately 80% over the vehicle's life, primarily driven by significantly lower maintenance and fuel costs, despite higher upfront capital, insurance, and tyre expenses. The case study highlights the role of green innovation in enhancing the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) against acute shocks and chronic stresses.

The document details the adaptive measures taken by the City of Cape Town (CCT) and GreenCape to ensure green economy skills training continued during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. By shifting to virtual learning platforms, adjusting technical course protocols, and providing remote training, the partnership aimed to build economic resilience and empower youth in Atlantis to access opportunities within the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (ASEZ). Key outcomes include the reach of over 115 learners through IkamvaYouth and 129 people trained via Lesedi Training Academy.

The document details a green economy initiative in two Cape Town informal settlements, Freedom Farm and Malawi Camp, where GreenCape and iSolar Ngoku are deploying solar home systems. The project aims to address a 30-year lack of formal electricity while fostering local employment through the training of community members as installers. The model uses a paid-service approach to ensure ownership and funds a community resource pool.