Search Climate Insights Directory

The report details a two-day conference in Johannesburg that examined the 'Reimagining Developmental Local Government' theme. It highlights the COMPACT project's efforts to move public participation from 'tick-box exercises' to meaningful collaboration through a specialized 'Toolbox' and Citizen-Based Monitoring (CBM) pilots. Key discussions centered on the exclusion of youth and women, the need for interoperable digital infrastructure, and the role of 'invented' community spaces when formal 'invited' spaces fail. The event advocated for the institutionalization of these tools within municipal systems to ensure long-term sustainability beyond the project's January 2026 conclusion.

The document outlines research and proposals for reforming South African local government, emphasizing the need to move from neoliberal cost-recovery models to 'democratic decommodification' and fiscal justice. Key themes include the use of digital platforms like fixlocal and MyRepresentative to bridge the information gap between citizens and councillors, the role of 'invented spaces' for community action on water rights, and the implementation of data-driven tools like Cape Town's Ease of Doing Business Index to improve service delivery. It also highlights failures in Performance Management Systems (PMS) in municipalities such as Polokwane and the need for gender-inclusive political communication and youth civic education to ensure meaningful participation in governance.

The Institute for Economic Justice and the Universal Basic Income Coalition critique Sassa's implementation of biometric identity verification and algorithmic risk scoring for the Social Relief of Distress grant. They argue these measures exclude eligible recipients who lack smartphones, internet access, or smart ID cards, while raising concerns about data privacy and the lack of evidence for systematic fraud.

The South African electricity market is dominated by coal-fired power from Eskom, but is currently characterized by severe rolling blackouts and rising tariffs. This has driven a growing energy services (ES) market comprising rooftop solar PV, energy storage, and energy efficiency (EE). The ES value chain is primarily dominated by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Policy drivers include the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2019, the Carbon Tax Act, and the removal of the licensing threshold for embedded generation. While rooftop solar is popular, energy storage is in early stages—with Lithium-Ion being most promising for short-duration use—and energy efficiency faces barriers such as a lack of reliable performance data.

The policy brief examines the devastating socioeconomic and financial impacts of load shedding in South Africa, highlighting a cumulative 15 percentage point loss in GDP growth from 2020 to 2023. It argues that the current reliance on Eskom's aging coal fleet and proposed nuclear projects is insufficient and too costly. Instead, it advocates for municipalities to leverage solar PV and battery energy storage systems (BESS), which are significantly cheaper and faster to deploy, to increase electricity supply and reduce bulk purchase costs.

The report outlines a strategic framework to transition South Africa's TVET system toward a green hydrogen economy (GHE). It identifies critical gaps in current vocational training, such as low throughput and poor industry alignment, and proposes a 'demand-led' model using Centres of Specialisation (CoS). Through four quantitative scenarios, the report forecasts that an 'All-inclusive Portfolio' of domestic use and exports would maximize GDP growth and TVET job creation by 2050. Key recommendations include developing a Green Skills Master Plan, implementing nano-credentialing, and reskilling workers from sunset industries like coal mining into growth sectors such as platinum mining and green steel.

Natural Justice submitted comments on the draft Climate Change Bill (B9-2022) to the South African Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 27 May 2022. The organization argues that the Bill lacks the urgency required to address the climate crisis, fails to set ambitious emission reduction targets, and provides insufficient protections for constitutional rights and vulnerable communities.

The document examines the relationship between climate change and conflict in Africa, asserting that climate change functions as a 'risk multiplier' that exacerbates existing political, social, and economic tensions. It highlights that while some regions like the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and the Lake Chad Basin are particularly vulnerable, the path from climate impact to violence is indirect, often mediated by resource scarcity, forced migration, and institutional weakness. The report calls for the Global North to fulfill climate finance commitments and for African nations to adopt evidence-based, community-informed adaptation strategies that are sensitive to local conflict dynamics to prevent future instability.

The document explores the complex, indirect link between climate change and violent conflict in Africa, emphasizing that while climate change is a 'risk multiplier', it does not cause conflict in a simple cause-and-effect manner. It highlights regional examples from North Africa, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and Southern Africa, noting that vulnerability is often tied to existing institutional weaknesses and social inequalities. The author calls for the Global North to fulfill climate finance commitments and for African states to prioritize evidence-based, community-informed adaptation measures that account for local conflict dynamics.

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is seeking funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to prepare a national Water Reuse Programme (WRP) in South Africa. The country faces a projected 17% water deficit by 2030, exacerbated by climate change. The proposed WRP consists of two main components: the establishment of a national water reuse programme office to support municipalities in project preparation and the creation of a blended finance solution using project bonds to establish water reuse as a new asset class. The project preparation phase will include technical and climate impact assessments, the design of financial architecture, and gender and social studies. The total indicative cost for the full programme is estimated between USD 3 billion and 5 billion, with a request for USD 153.4 million in GCF funding.

The research examines the systemic nature of corruption and rent-seeking in South African metropolitan municipalities. It contrasts two distinct governance models: Cape Town's 'growth machine,' which leverages land rights and property development for established interests, and Nelson Mandela Bay's 'clientelist' regime, which relies on procurement and personnel rents to sustain patronage networks. The author argues that while growth machines may produce better overall development outcomes, neither model effectively serves the urban poor.

The document outlines the proceedings of a three-day conference focused on the causes, mechanisms, and aftermath of state capture in South Africa. It examines the role of apartheid legacies, the influence of the private sector, the vulnerability of state-owned enterprises, and the failure of oversight institutions. The report emphasizes that state capture is a politico-economic project involving both formal and informal power, often facilitated by the politicization of the bureaucracy and the erosion of the criminal justice system. It argues for comprehensive state reform, including electoral changes, transparency in party funding, and the protection of whistleblowers, while drawing comparisons with state capture in Nigeria, Kenya, and Angola.

The document details how a network of officials and politicians captured the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, specifically within the Human Settlements and Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) departments. It describes the use of 'deviations' in procurement to funnel funds to a small pool of contractors and the role of political factions within the ANC in enabling this corruption. The author analyzes these events through frameworks of neo-patrimonialism and the 'political marketplace,' noting that such capture led to administrative decay, financial crises, and a loss of public trust, eventually resulting in a decline in ANC electoral support in the 2016 elections. The paper concludes by evaluating a 2015 intervention led by Mayor Danny Jordaan and the National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to restore accountability and clean up the administration.

The 2014 South African elections saw the ANC retain power with 62.2% of the vote, though it experienced a real loss of 10.41% when controlling for registered voter growth. The DA increased its national vote share to 22.23%, consolidating its position as the official opposition, while the newly formed EFF secured 6.35% of the national vote and became the official opposition in Limpopo and the North West. The analysis highlights significant ANC losses in Gauteng and predicts highly competitive 2016 local government races in the City of Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Nelson Mandela Bay.

The report argues that South Africa's existing legal and policy frameworks, particularly those addressing social equity and industrial development, provide sufficient space to implement sustainable public procurement (SPP) without requiring new legislation. While the social pillar of SPP is well-established through Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) and preferential procurement, the environmental pillar is less formalized but gaining traction through renewable energy targets and subnational initiatives. The document highlights that government spending represents 29.1% of GDP, offering significant leverage for sustainable development. It identifies a decentralized procurement system that allows provinces and municipalities, such as the City of Cape Town and Western Cape, to run pilot projects. The report recommends aligning SPP with existing investment incentives and developing specific technical guidance to scale up 'green' procurement.

This document is a formal record of refusal issued by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) regarding an application for Environmental Authorisation (EA) for a project on ERF 252 Coega, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The DFFE refused the application based on several factors, including the lack of a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and failure to address specific environmental and legislative requirements.

This document contains the Applicant's Heads of Argument and Practice Note filed by the City of Cape Town in the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria). The City is seeking a declaratory order regarding the interpretation of section 34 of the Electricity Regulation Act 4 of 2006 (ERA), arguing that a ministerial determination is not required for an independent power producer (IPP) to establish a new power plant and supply electricity to the City. The City contends that the current interpretation held by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) and the Minister of Energy is either legally incorrect or unconstitutional as it infringes upon the autonomy of local government.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa has refused an application for Environmental Authorisation submitted by Karpowership SA (Pty) Ltd for a 540MW Gas to Power Powership Project at the Port of Ngqura. The refusal is based on significant failures in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, including inadequate public consultation, missing critical specialist studies on underwater noise, and gaps in the provided environmental assessments.

The report documents a conference hosted by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) focused on the systemic nature of state capture in South Africa. It details the erosion of institutions like SARS and the PIC, discusses the role of commissions of inquiry (Zondo, Nugent, and PIC), and explores strategies for recovery including 'lawfare', parliamentary oversight, and public advocacy. The document culminates in a Civil Society Charter that outlines a comprehensive program for institutional reform, whistleblower protection, and the pursuit of accountability for those implicated in state capture.