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South Africa's Low-Emission Development Strategy (SA LEDS) 2050 establishes a framework to place the country on a low-carbon trajectory while ensuring socio-economic development. The strategy focuses on a 'peak, plateau and decline' (PPD) emissions trajectory, with a peak projected between 2020 and 2025. Key interventions span the energy sector (diversifying the electricity mix via the Integrated Resource Plan and REIPPP), industry (energy efficiency and carbon taxes), AFOLU (conservation agriculture and afforestation), and waste (waste-to-energy and recycling). The document emphasizes a 'Just Transition' to protect vulnerable workers and communities, supported by research into hydrogen, fuel cells, and carbon capture and storage. Implementation relies on a combination of domestic funding and international climate finance.

The High Court of South Africa dismissed an application by the Global Environmental Trust and others to stop Tendele Coal Mining's operations, ruling that the company's environmental management programme served as sufficient authorisation and that other required permits for waste and land use were not applicable under the circumstances.

The report analyzes Mpumalanga's spatial status, identifying a resource-rich province dominated by coal mining and agriculture but facing severe environmental degradation and infrastructure backlogs. Key findings highlight that while the province is a national energy hub, it suffers from poor air quality in the Highveld, critical water scarcity, and significant housing shortages. The analysis emphasizes the need for urban restructuring, agrarian transformation in rural areas, and the protection of strategic water source areas and biodiversity corridors against mining encroachment.

The report examines the 'political-administrative interface' in South Africa, arguing that while political deployment was a post-apartheid imperative for transformation, it has evolved into a system of clientelism and patronage. Through interviews with public servants in local, provincial, and national government, the authors illustrate how political interference—often driven by factionalism within the ANC—leads to institutional instability, the appointment of incompetent officials, and severe psychological trauma for employees. The document concludes by recommending a shift toward professionalisation, including strengthening the oversight powers of the Public Service Commission and limiting the HR authority of political executives to senior-most positions.

The report identifies Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) as critical land areas that provide a disproportionate amount of surface water runoff or groundwater recharge, sustaining over 50% of South Africa's population and 64% of its economy. It establishes a management framework to mitigate impacts from forestry, agriculture, mining, and invasive alien plants, while providing guidelines for government planners to integrate SWSA maps into strategic development frameworks and zoning schemes.

The report defines and maps 22 national Strategic Water Source Areas for surface water (SWSA-sw) and 37 for groundwater (SWSA-gw) in South Africa, including transboundary areas in Lesotho and Swaziland. It links these areas to major urban centres and agricultural sectors, highlighting that a small percentage of land provides a disproportionate amount of the region's water. The study identifies significant threats from invasive alien plants, mining, and land degradation, and recommends integrating SWSAs into national policy, legislation, and spatial planning to ensure long-term water security.

The report evaluates the South African legal framework for wild animal welfare, highlighting a critical divide between biodiversity conservation (managed by the Department of Environmental Affairs) and animal welfare (managed by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries). It finds that the primary welfare statute, the Animals Protection Act of 1962, is outdated and contains loopholes—specifically the use of the term "unnecessary"—that dilute protection. The report identifies significant failures in the permitting system, noting that provincial authorities often ignore national TOPS regulations and omit welfare conditions from permits. It concludes with recommendations for a standardized national electronic permit database, increased enforcement capacity, and the integration of welfare mandates across environmental and agricultural departments.

This document is a formal objection submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights on behalf of a coalition of eight civil society and community non-profit organisations. The objection opposes an application by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd to change the land use of Portion 1 of the Farm Yzermyn 96 in Mpumalanga from agricultural to mining purposes to facilitate the construction of the Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine. The objectors argue that the project would cause irreparable harm to a strategic water source area, threaten biodiversity in the Mabola Protected Environment, and negatively impact vulnerable local communities, while failing to comply with municipal spatial development frameworks and national interest requirements under the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA).

South Africa is overexploiting its renewable water resources, with more than 60% of its rivers currently overexploited. Forecasts indicate that demand will increase across agricultural, industrial, and municipal sectors through 2035, driven by population growth, urbanisation, and industrial expansion. The report highlights critical vulnerabilities, including deteriorating wastewater treatment facilities—where nearly 25% are in a 'critical state'—and high levels of non-revenue water (approximately 36% of municipal consumption). To avoid a national crisis, the authors recommend implementing tiered water pricing, expanding the use of treated wastewater, and increasing sustainable groundwater extraction. The report also notes that transitioning from coal-based energy to renewables would reduce industrial water demand. While large-scale infrastructure projects are planned, the report argues they are insufficient without aggressive demand reduction and efficiency measures.

The South African waste landscape is shifting toward a resource-efficient economy driven by legislative changes and rising landfill costs. In the Western Cape, significant opportunities exist for alternative waste treatment (AWT) of organics, e-waste processing, and the reuse of builders' rubble. The report highlights the role of Operation Phakisa and Industry Waste Management Plans (IndWMPs) in unlocking feedstocks and creating jobs, while noting barriers such as inadequate source separation and a lack of reliable data.

The report highlights the South African agriculture sector as a robust investment environment, particularly in the Western Cape, which contributes 24% of the national agricultural GDP. It identifies key growth areas in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), drone technology for precision farming, and renewable energy, while emphasizing water scarcity as a primary driver for the adoption of these green technologies.

The document argues that South Africa, the most unequal country in the world, is implementing unwarranted fiscal austerity that undermines the rights to health and education. It highlights that while the government justifies cuts through debt concerns, South African debt is moderate by international standards. The report identifies systemic failures including 'state capture', corruption costing R27 billion annually, and a regressive tax mix. It recommends progressive tax reform, such as wealth and corporate tax increases, and a human rights-based approach to fiscal policy to expand the resources available for social services.

The report assesses the feasibility of solar thermal systems in South African hospitals, finding a total annual thermal energy demand of 370 GWh for domestic hot water. While current adoption is very low—with only 23 systems totaling 1,333 m² of collector area—the study suggests hospitals could feasibly meet 20% to 40% of their thermal needs through solar thermal capacity. A case study at Paarl Provincial Hospital indicates a potential internal rate of return (IRR) of 10% and a payback period of 12.3 years. However, widespread uptake is hindered by the prevalence of energy-efficient heat pumps, high upfront costs, and infrastructure challenges such as asbestos roofing and limited roof space.

The document analyzes how biophysical climate impacts and international trade shifts threaten employment in South Africa's chemicals sub-sector, while identifying job creation potential through mitigation and adaptation interventions.

The report analyzes the aftermath of the ANC's 54th national conference, where Cyril Ramaphosa narrowly defeated Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. It argues that while Ramaphosa's victory averted a major crisis, the party remains deeply divided between 'reformists' and 'traditionalists,' placing South Africa in a 'muddling along' scenario. Key challenges include the potential recall of Jacob Zuma, avoiding a credit rating downgrade by Moody's, and managing the Tripartite Alliance. The author predicts the ANC will retain national power in 2019 but may lose its majority in Gauteng province, with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) emerging as a potential kingmaker there.

The document assesses the impact of underground mine workings on the shallow weathered and deep fractured Karoo aquifers within the Mabola Protected Environment. It simulates groundwater drawdown, noting that while the deep fractured aquifer's zone of impact extends approximately 2 km downstream or North of the mine, significant impacts (drawdowns above 20m) are limited to the area immediately above the workings. The report suggests that the 15-year mine life may be shorter than the time required to reach a steady-state cone of dewatering. Groundwater-dependent ecosystems and springs within the site boundaries may be negatively impacted by the dewatering of the shallow aquifer, whereas those in the deeper fractured aquifer are considered unlikely to be affected due to the limited connection between the two aquifer systems.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) provides critical feedback on the Department of Water and Sanitation's (DWS) draft Mine Water Management Policy Position. The CER argues that the draft understates the crisis of mine water management in South Africa, citing a systemic failure in mine closures and a lack of compliance monitoring and enforcement. The CER recommends that the DWS utilize existing legislative tools—specifically the National Water Act (NWA), the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), and the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA)—to enforce the 'polluter pays' principle and secure financial provisions for water treatment before granting licenses.

The report identifies five primary lignocellulosic waste streams in the Western Cape: invasive alien vegetation (IAV), industrial composite wood materials, pallets, paper sludge, and green waste. It evaluates the current utilisation of these resources, the barriers to unlocking their value—such as high logistics costs for IAV and chemical toxicity in composites—and identifies potential business partners and stakeholders. The analysis concludes that while some streams like paper sludge and green waste have established markets, others like IAV and composite woods offer opportunities for higher-value products and energy recovery if technical and logistical challenges are addressed.

The report identifies significant volumes of organic waste from dairies, piggeries, poultry farms, and abattoirs in the Western Cape, noting that most are currently underutilised or disposed of via landfill and burial. It highlights anaerobic digestion and composting as primary value-addition opportunities, while noting regulatory hurdles regarding fertiliser sales and strict landfill requirements for animal carcasses. The document provides a directory of waste providers and technology partners to facilitate business-matching.

The report identifies a significant gap in the adoption of value-addition technologies for industrial organic wastewater in the Western Cape, noting that only 1% of companies have implemented such solutions. While biogas generation is the most common application, other recovered resources include white starch, whey, and composting materials. Key barriers to adoption include high capital requirements, lack of awareness, and the fact that many Western Cape companies produce wastewater volumes below the 1ML/D threshold typically required for a viable business case. The document highlights specific companies already implementing these solutions, such as Simba PepsiCo and Parmalat, and identifies potential partners and technology providers within South Africa.