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The report examines the South African utility-scale renewable energy market, primarily driven by the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). It details the growth of wind and solar PV, the impact of local content requirements, and the role of the Western Cape as a greentech hub. It also identifies expansion opportunities within the SADC region and other African nations, while noting infrastructure constraints at Eskom.

The report analyzes the integration of SACU countries—Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland—into global and regional value chains. It finds that while the region is generally at the margins of GVCs, there are significant opportunities in the automotive and apparel sectors. The authors argue that South Africa can serve as a 'gateway' for the region, linking smaller member states to global networks through advanced services and infrastructure. Key barriers identified include geographical remoteness, small market scale, restrictive trade policies (particularly in agribusiness), and gaps in technical skills. The report concludes that GVC participation positively correlates with labor productivity, especially through backward linkages (imported inputs), and suggests a policy framework focused on economic densification, skills upgrading, and open regionalism.

The briefing examines the shift in SADC's focus from trade integration to a region-wide industrialisation policy via the Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (ISR). It highlights significant obstacles to implementation, including the economic dominance of South Africa, the lack of alignment between national and regional policies, and the historical failure of previous trade integration efforts. The author suggests that success depends on incorporating private sector insights and developing regional value chains (RVCs) that prevent economic polarisation by ensuring smaller states benefit from hub economies' access to global markets. Specific recommendations include linking Special Economic Zones (SEZs), regionalising local content requirements, and using fiscal incentives to lower input costs for beneficiation.

The document analyzes the shift in South Africa's investment policy from bilateral investment treaties (BITs) toward the Promotion and Protection of Investment Bill (PPIB) of 2013. It highlights how the PPIB prioritizes the state's right to regulate in the public interest and replaces international arbitration with domestic dispute resolution. The author argues that this creates regulatory uncertainty and misalignment with the SADC Finance and Investment Protocol (FIP) and the SADC Model BIT, potentially hindering foreign direct investment (FDI) and regional integration.

The document serves as a framework for analyzing the business-enabling environment and economic indicators in Southern Africa. It utilizes nine specific case studies to examine barriers to economic growth, including access to finance in Malawi, regulatory constraints on fuel ethanol markets in SADC, alternative energy in mining, access to medicines, the SADC univisa, regional transit bonds, non-tariff barriers at Beit Bridge, the Non-Tariff Barrier Monitoring Mechanism, and logistics development in Walvis Bay.

The 'A Green Guide (GG)' project seeks to provide accessible strategic thinking and communication tools to help generalists understand the practical links between climate change and development. It frames the green economy and climate change as opportunities for inclusive development, aiming to 'climate-proof' national policies and mainstream climate compatible development (CCD) to benefit the poor.

The report identifies Namibia as highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly in agriculture and water resources. It finds that while national policies like the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (2012) are strong, there is a significant gap in translating these into university curricula and coordinated research. The University of Namibia (UNAM) and the Polytechnic of Namibia are key partners, with UNAM's Multidisciplinary Research Centre (MRC) emerging as a hub for interdisciplinary work. However, the report highlights a lack of dedicated CCD postgraduate degrees, insufficient institutional coordination, and a need for greater transdisciplinary research that engages local communities and indigenous knowledge.

The report assesses South Africa's readiness for climate compatible development (CCD), defining it as low-carbon, climate-resilient development. It identifies significant research needs across eleven themes, including water security, food security, and health. While South Africa possesses a strong, networked research infrastructure led by the DST and NRF, the report highlights critical gaps in individual skills (such as systems thinking), institutional funding cycles that are too short for complex social-ecological research, and an uneven distribution of capacity across the 23 public universities. It emphasizes the need for transdisciplinary approaches and a shift from 'siloed' sectoral planning to integrated CCD strategies.

The paper argues that South Africa's regional policy exhibits an inconsistent and weak linkage between its stated normative values and its economic diplomacy. While South Africa positions itself as a normative leader in Africa, its historical ties to liberation movements and a focus on regional state-building have limited its use of economic resources as tools for political reform. The author concludes that South Africa has not integrated its economic drivers with its normative drivers, often failing to sacrifice economic interests to defend the political anchors of its external identity.

South Africa's FDI environment is characterized by a transition from a liberal, open-door policy to a regime that prioritizes domestic socio-economic benefits, such as fighting unemployment and promoting inclusive growth. While the country offers a strategic gateway to the SADC region and possesses strong mining, finance, and retail sectors, it faces challenges in attracting manufacturing FDI due to high labor costs, technical skills shortages, and infrastructure constraints. Recent trends show volatile FDI flows, with a shift toward investments from developing Asia, though greenfield investment remains persistently low compared to mergers and acquisitions.

The document analyzes the shift from traditional official development assistance (ODA) and commercial bank lending toward alternative financing for infrastructure in Africa. It highlights the role of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), blending finance, and institutional investors like pension funds and sovereign wealth funds. A significant portion of the text focuses on the SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP), which requires an estimated $500 billion in capital, and the systemic challenges facing the region, including underdeveloped financial markets and high utility tariffs.

The case study examines the disconnect between regional water management agendas in SADC and the national development priorities of member states. It argues that traditional donors have prioritised environmental conservation and river basin organisations over the large-scale infrastructure needed for hydropower and irrigation. This has led to 'economic water scarcity' where resources exist but lack the funding for development. The author notes a shift in this dynamic due to the emergence of China and Brazil as financiers for public infrastructure, which aligns more closely with national development goals.

The SADC Integrated Regional Electronic Settlement System (SIRESS) became operational on 22 July 2013 within the Common Monetary Area (CMA), comprising South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, and Swaziland. The system aims to replace paper-based clearance, which takes 7 to 21 working days, with electronic transfers that occur within the same working day. The project is led by the SADC Committee of Central Bank Governors (CCBG) and operationalised through the SADC Banking Association (SADCBA), with significant involvement from the private banking sector and technical assistance from the World Bank, IMF, and BIS. However, full regional integration faces obstacles, including unequal political commitment, the dominance of South Africa's economy, and overlapping memberships in other regional economic communities like COMESA.

The Southern African sugar sector is a vital agricultural industry characterized by high levels of state involvement and concentrated private ownership, particularly by South African firms. While the SADC region accounts for approximately 54% of African sugar production, the sector operates within a highly distorted global market marked by heavy subsidies and dumping. Regional cooperation is managed through the SADC Protocol on Trade (Annex VII), which establishes import quotas for surplus producers to access the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) market. The industry faces significant risks from the reform of the EU's preferential trade scheme for ACP countries, which threatens the value of exports for several regional producers.

The case study examines SADC's efforts to address infrastructure deficits through the Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP) Vision 2027, which targets six priority sectors. It highlights the shift from donor-led projects to a bottom-up, member-state-driven approach to ensure regional ownership. The document identifies critical barriers, including financing gaps, conflicts between national and regional priorities, and a lack of regulatory frameworks. It also analyzes the roles of traditional Western donors versus emerging partners like China and India, and South Africa's position as a regional champion for infrastructure investment.

The document examines the SA-EU Strategic Partnership, highlighting the EU's role as South Africa's leading regional trade partner and a major source of foreign direct investment. It contrasts youth unemployment challenges in both the EU and the SADC region, noting South Africa's goal to create 11 million jobs by 2030. The briefing also discusses the impact of migrant labour and remittances from South Africa to other SADC nations, specifically Zimbabwe, and notes a 24% decline in South African FDI from 2011 to 2012.

The paper argues that South Africa's National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 target of 5.4% average annual GDP growth is 'very ambitious' and unlikely to be met under current trends. Using the International Futures (IFs) model, the authors find a 'Base Case' average growth of 3.4% for 2014-2030, significantly lower than the NDP target and regional peers. While the 'Highway' scenario shows that combining aggressive interventions—such as reducing corruption, curbing HIV/AIDS, and increasing foreign direct investment—could push growth above 5%, such a path requires systemic structural change. Conversely, the analysis suggests that targets for education and infrastructure are 'eminently achievable' even with lower economic growth, indicating a potential lack of integration in the NDP's sectoral planning.

The paper analyzes the relationship between firm size, productivity, and export destinations in South Africa. It finds that exports are highly concentrated among a small number of large firms and that there is a distinct divide between high-productivity firms exporting to developed markets (North America and Europe) and lower-productivity firms exporting to Africa (SADC). The author argues that regional African markets are the most viable path for small-to-medium enterprises and for job creation, as they do not require the same productivity thresholds as global markets. The study also identifies volatile exchange rates and transport costs as primary constraints facing South African exporters.

South Africa has based its BRICS membership on national interest, regional integration, and infrastructure development, viewing the latter two as essential for the continent's growth and its own economic fortunes. While critics argue South Africa represents its own national interests rather than the continent's, the document suggests South Africa can provide a platform to reframe Africa's trade relations with emerging economies away from commodity exports. The text notes that BRICS-Africa trade has grown tenfold since 2002 to approximately US$340bn, and emphasizes that South Africa's leadership must be complemented by bilateral engagement with other regional anchors like Nigeria to be successful.

The document argues that South Africa's status as an economic gateway is primarily driven by its geography and infrastructure, though this role is challenged by emerging regional and global competitors. It assesses South Africa's capacity as a hub for regional headquarters, logistics, sourcing, and finance, while examining the impact of transport corridors and trade policies on its regional dominance.