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This document provides biographical profiles of speakers associated with ZondoCon 2023, featuring a diverse group of South African legal experts, government officials, academics, journalists, and civil society activists. The profiles highlight professional backgrounds in anti-corruption, constitutional law, public finance, and governance, with several individuals having direct ties to the Zondo Commission and state capture investigations.

The report summarizes dialogues on enhancing South African state capacity, highlighting the need for a $250 billion energy transition, the professionalization of the public service to reduce political interference, and the urgent need to address municipal infrastructure backlogs and the legacies of state capture.

This report documents the proceedings of a conference titled 'Civil Society – Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State', held on 23 October 2019 in Johannesburg. Hosted by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), the event brought together civil society representatives and academics to analyze the effects of state capture in South Africa and propose reforms to insulate the public service from political interference. The report details discussions on the findings of various commissions of inquiry, strategies for state reform, the role of 'lawfare', parliamentary oversight, and public advocacy, culminating in a 'Civil Society Charter' that outlines a collective commitment to rebuilding democratic institutions.

This report by the Public Affairs Research Institute analyzes the financial and operational crisis facing South African municipal electricity distribution and proposes integrating existing rooftop solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as a pathway to reduce bulk costs and improve reliability.

The Transnet Inquiry Reference Book, authored by the Public Affairs Research Institute, provides a fact-based account of governance failures and systemic corruption at Transnet, South Africa's state-owned freight transport and logistics company. The report details how the company's governance was repurposed to facilitate large-scale corruption and rent-seeking, primarily benefiting the Gupta family and their associates through manipulated procurement processes for locomotives, cranes, and IT services.

This case study examines the challenges of pharmaceutical procurement and regulatory harmonisation within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. It highlights how fragmented registration policies, weak regulatory capacity, and intellectual property barriers hinder access to essential medicines for treating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and non-communicable diseases. The document emphasizes South Africa's pivotal role due to its advanced pharmaceutical sector and regulatory framework, while noting that political and economic interests often obstruct regional integration.

The 'Air Aware: A Journey of Youth-Led Action for Clean Air and Environmental Justice in Johannesburg' guide documents a campaign by Youth@SAIIA, part of the global Breathe Cities initiative. The program empowers young people aged 13–25 in South Africa to transition from awareness to advocacy through capacity-building workshops, the creation of 'Youth Air Champions' (YACs), and community-led campaigns. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between youth lived experiences and formal air quality governance, culminating in a Youth-Led Conference on Air Pollution Policy and Implementation to influence the City of Johannesburg's air quality policies.

This policy brief analyzes the barriers to technology transfer from Chinese telecommunications equipment providers, specifically Huawei and ZTE, to South African companies. Based on fieldwork conducted in 2015, the author identifies three primary obstacles: the rise of managed services contracts, challenges regarding the legitimacy and professionalism of Chinese firms, and a weak institutional and regulatory framework in South Africa.

This fact sheet describes the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and its Schools Development Programme, specifically the Global Classrooms initiative in Johannesburg. The programme uses Model United Nations (MUN) simulations to teach secondary school students research, diplomacy, and international affairs, aiming to address skills shortages in these disciplines at the tertiary level.

The 'Air Aware: Youth Statement on Air Pollution in Johannesburg' is a declaration by young people from various Johannesburg communities detailing the health and environmental impacts of air pollution and demanding systemic changes in air quality management, waste services, and youth governance.

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 policy brief from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) explains the critical links between air pollution, human health, and climate change. It argues that prioritizing the immediate health benefits of reducing air pollutants can drive the policy changes necessary to achieve the IPCC's 1.5°C warming goal. The document highlights the role of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and introduces the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) and Integrated Benefits Calculator (IBC) as tools for cities and countries to plan integrated emission reduction strategies.

This guide provides an overview of the necessity and implementation of a transport modal shift in South African cities, moving commuters from private vehicles to public or non-motorized transport to reduce carbon emissions and congestion.

The African Cities Water Adaptation Fund (ACWA Fund), a key instrument of the Urban Water Resilience Initiative led by the World Resources Institute (WRI), aims to finance innovative urban water resilience projects across 100 African cities by 2032. The fund employs a blended finance model—combining grants, concessional loans, equity, and debt—to address a $66 billion infrastructure investment backlog in sub-Saharan Africa. It operates through a three-stage process: developing city-region scale water resilience action plans, preparing and investing in a standardized 'investment menu' of low-cost solutions, and maturing these programs through standardized toolkits and policy reform to enable scaling.

The African Cities Water Adaptation Platform (ACWA Platform) is a pan-African coalition designed to accelerate urban water resilience across Africa. Led by WRI Africa and a diverse group of partners, the platform coordinates research, technical assistance, and advocacy to address projected tripling of water demand by 2050. It operates in tandem with the African Cities Water Adaptation Fund (ACWA Fund), a blended finance instrument providing grants and investments to transform strategic water plans into investment-ready projects.

This fact sheet introduces the 'Towards a More Equal City' series by the World Resources Institute, which provides a roadmap for cities—particularly in the global south—to close the 'urban services divide' through seven cross-sectoral transformations to improve equity, prosperity, and sustainability.

The Low-Carbon Mobility Challenge Toolkit, published by WWF South Africa, provides a comprehensive guide for municipalities to organize experiential learning events that promote sustainable transport. The challenge encourages teams to navigate a city using low-carbon transport options, with the winner being the team with the lowest carbon footprint rather than the fastest time.

The WWF-SA PAIA Handleiding is a guide for requesting access to information from The National Parks Trust of South Africa, as required by the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). It outlines the Trust's history, its management by WWF South Africa, the process for requesting records, and the fees associated with such requests.

This document outlines 'Impact Goal 1' of the WWF South Africa Strategy 2030, which aims to reshape land and seascapes by integrating people as primary custodians of nature. The strategy focuses on four priority geographic areas aligned with Mega Living Landscapes (MLLs) and Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs), utilizing four interlinked pathways: biodiversity stewardship, livelihood enhancement, economic transition, and financial mobilization.

This fact sheet by WWF South Africa outlines the potential for job creation for coal truckers transitioning to biomass supply chains for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). It highlights that 6,400 trucking jobs could be created nationally, with 3,076 of those located in coal regions, primarily through the transportation of lignocellulosic biomass.