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The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) denounces the surge of anti-migrant rhetoric and violence in South Africa, attributing the social unrest to systemic economic crises rather than migration. The document highlights the role of vigilante groups and political actors in scapegoating migrants to deflect from government failures, including high unemployment and failing public services. It calls for a shift toward regional integration, the regularisation of undocumented migrants, and a pro-employment economic strategy to address the root causes of community despair.

The report examines South Africa's development prospects to 2043, contrasting a 'Current Path' of modest growth and persistent poverty with a 'Combined scenario' where strategic interventions in manufacturing, trade, infrastructure, and governance lead to a 33% increase in GDP per capita. It highlights critical structural constraints, including a high disease burden, poor education quality, and energy insecurity, while proposing a transition toward an export-led, green economy.

The report outlines South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy, its current economic challenges including deindustrialisation and low savings rates, and the state of its mining sector and infrastructure. It details the country's political fragmentation following the 2024 elections and the formation of a Government of National Unity.

The report details the disproportionate burden of climate change on Africa, noting that since 1984, the continent has faced 1,865 climate-related disasters resulting in US$53 billion in losses. It highlights a critical lack of financial protection, with only 9% of disaster losses insured. Regional analysis shows water-related disasters as the primary threat, with severe flooding in East Africa and historic droughts in Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa. The document also links climate change to the spread of diseases like cholera and malaria, and the risk of desertification in the Sahel and West Africa.

The document analyzes the transition of South Africa from dominant-party rule to a coalition-based political landscape. It examines the formation and fragility of the 10-party Government of National Unity (GNU), provincial coalitions in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Northern Cape, and the chronic instability of municipal coalitions. The authors argue that while coalitions can broaden representation and introduce checks and balances, South Africa's current reliance on informal, non-binding agreements leads to gridlock and a reliance on courts for dispute resolution. The paper recommends formalizing coalition pacts, limiting motions of no confidence, and establishing transparent monitoring mechanisms to restore public trust.

The document provides a comprehensive critique of the South African food system, highlighting how historical land dispossession and post-apartheid deregulation have led to extreme corporate concentration and persistent food insecurity. It advocates for a transition toward agroecology and food sovereignty, emphasizing the need for secure land tenure—particularly for women—and the realignment of social grants to meet the food poverty line. The submission also details the 'triple burden' of malnutrition affecting children and the increasing risks posed by climate change to a water-scarce agricultural sector.

South Africa holds approximately 80% of global Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), which are essential catalysts for PEM electrolysers and fuel cells used in green hydrogen production. While this provides a strategic opportunity for re-industrialisation and decarbonisation, the transition faces severe constraints, including an outdated electricity grid, water scarcity in high-resource areas, and a significant skills gap. The shift also threatens the coal and internal combustion engine automotive sectors, risking large-scale job losses in regions like Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. Geopolitically, South Africa must navigate competition between China and Western powers, particularly as the US has withdrawn support for the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). The paper argues that for the transition to be 'just', the government must integrate mineral beneficiation with social safeguards, regional SADC integration, and comprehensive workforce reskilling.

The document identifies the Zululand and Mpumalanga regions of South Africa as critical habitats hosting over 350 bird species, including five of the country's most endangered bird species, and serving as a source for many major rivers.

The document describes the Drakensberg and Eastern Cape regions, noting that grasslands in these areas support wetlands and serve as sources for major rivers. It highlights the presence of over 350 bird species, including all five of South Africa's critically endangered species, and identifies the Umzimvubu as the country's longest free-flowing river at approximately 400 km. The region is characterized by hot summers with rainfall between 500-1,500 mm/year, winter snow on mountains, and 250 km of pristine coastline.

The report examines climate change perceptions in Majuba Village, Eastern Cape, finding that while residents are acutely aware of environmental decline, they often explain it through spiritual or moral frameworks due to a lack of local, trusted scientific information. It identifies radio as the most critical medium for communication due to high data costs and limited internet access. The study highlights that disinformation fills the void left by institutional silence and recommends establishing community radio in local dialects (isiXhosa, Sesotho, and Hlubi) and training local facilitators to bridge the gap between science and traditional beliefs.

The document outlines the economic and environmental necessity for South Africa to raise its climate ambition in its second NDC. It emphasizes that transitioning from a coal-dependent economy to one powered by renewables is an economic imperative to avoid trade risks from Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) and to unlock new industries like green hydrogen and electric vehicles. The briefing provides sector-specific recommendations for power, transport, and heavy industry, while stressing the need for deep public-private collaboration and the inclusion of SMEs to achieve a net-zero target by 2050.

The report details a workshop held in October 2025 to align various food system stakeholders—including farm workers, informal traders, and small-scale farmers—with the requirements of South Africa's Climate Change Act (CCA). It argues that current top-down climate responses, such as the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan (CCAMP), reinforce corporate agricultural models and fail to address structural inequalities. The workshop proposes an alternative paradigm based on agroecology, redistributive land reform, and a just transition that integrates labour rights and community agency. It outlines specific policy entry points within the CCA, such as the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan (NASP) and Sector Adaptation Plans, and provides a coordinated action plan for civil society engagement through 2026.

The document examines food price volatility in South Africa, attributing it to climate change, global shocks, and corporate market concentration. It proposes a phased implementation of public buffer stocks—beginning with white maize and expanding to wheat and indigenous grains—to protect vulnerable households and support smallholder farmers. The authors suggest that such a system, if governed transparently and linked to agroecological practices, could eventually integrate into a regional SADC mechanism to strengthen food sovereignty across Southern Africa.

The South African Tax Justice Working Group urges the South African government and National Treasury to implement domestic 'Tax the Rich' policies and combat corporate tax abuse. This demand follows South Africa's recent international commitments, including joining the Sevilla Platform for Action (SPA) on 1 July 2025 to tax High-Net-Worth Individuals and endorsing the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation (UNFCITC) at the 17th BRICS Summit in Brazil.

South Africa has committed to an ambitious plan of action to prevent and respond to violence against children by 2027, including implementing parenting programmes in 52 districts and strengthening school safety via the 2024 Basic Education Laws Amendment Act. However, the authors contend that these goals are jeopardized by the Social Development Department's failure to pay NGO service providers in provinces like Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as a lack of operational competence and clean audits at the national level. The document emphasizes that because NGOs deliver most services, the state must implement the Sector Funding Policy and adopt a holistic approach to family services to succeed.

The report uses the SATIMGE modelling framework to compare a least-cost Reference Case against various Policy Scenarios and an 'Ideal Energy Scenario' for South Africa. The Ideal Energy Scenario targets net zero CO2 by 2050 with a cumulative GHG limit of 8 Gt CO2-eq, featuring a systemic shift to 80% public transport, expanded social provisioning for low-income households (including 6.5 million solar water heaters), and a domestic clean energy manufacturing sector with 85% local content. Results indicate that while total system investment costs increase, an affordable and socially inclusive transition is possible, with energy sector employment increasing due to localisation measures, despite a slight relative decline in economy-wide employment compared to the Reference Case.

The document provides a comprehensive guide for South African small-scale fishing communities to navigate environmental laws and participate in decision-making processes. It details the legal framework—including the Constitution and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA)—and explains the risks associated with oil and gas exploration, mining, powerships, and hydrogen plants. The guide outlines how to engage in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), appeal authorisations, and use the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to hold developers and the government accountable.

The document provides a comprehensive framework for small-scale fishing communities in South Africa to exercise their environmental rights against industrial developments. It details the legal landscape, including the Constitution and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), and explains the processes for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and public participation. The guide highlights the risks associated with oil and gas exploration, mining, and power ships, while emphasizing the impacts of climate change on coastal livelihoods. It concludes with practical steps for legal challenges and accessing information via PAIA requests, illustrated by case studies involving Shell and Searcher.

The document provides a comprehensive guide for small-scale fishers in South Africa to exercise their environmental rights. It details the legal protections offered by the Constitution and acts like NEMA and MPRDA, explains the risks associated with oil and gas exploration, mining, and energy projects, and provides practical steps for engaging in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and legislative processes to ensure community voices are heard in ocean governance.

The policy brief advocates for an evidence-based approach to transforming land administration in South Africa, specifically addressing off-register rights in urban and rural settings. It highlights that current formal registration systems fail to capture the social and customary norms governing land use, such as 'family houses' in cities and household-level rights in rural areas. The author argues that a comprehensive, transformed land administration system is necessary to record these diverse tenures and resolve disputes administratively rather than relying solely on constrained common-law court remedies.