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This working paper by Joel Pearson surveys South African literature on the role of traditional authorities in land governance, analyzing the institution through the lenses of democracy, bureaucracy, and capitalism. It argues against a monolithic view of the chieftaincy, highlighting the diversity of local practices and the ongoing tensions between traditional leaders, rural residents, and the state in the post-apartheid era.

This report presents the consolidated findings of action research conducted between 2022 and 2024 across 12 local municipalities in South Africa as part of the COMPACT project. It evaluates the effectiveness of public participation in the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) process, the functionality of ward committees, and the alignment of operational planning and performance management. The research identifies systemic failures, including the perception of public participation as a mere compliance exercise, severe communication gaps between municipalities and residents, and the negative impact of political interference and coalition instability on service delivery.

This briefing examines the challenges of implementing just transition policies in South Africa, highlighting the gap between national ambitions and local priorities, institutional capacity deficits at the subnational level, and the limitations of current financial mechanisms. It specifically analyzes the role of green hydrogen as a potential new value chain and emphasizes the need for transparent decision-making to maintain public legitimacy.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the challenges South Africa faces as it moves from the planning phase to the implementation of its just transition away from coal. It identifies critical misalignments between national and subnational priorities, institutional capacity gaps in coal-dependent regions, and the inadequacy of current financial mechanisms to support transformative, high-risk projects.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) criticizes the 2024 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) as a continuation of austerity measures that prioritize debt stabilization over social needs. The IEJ argues that the budget fails to support the Government of National Unity's (GNU) goals of inclusive growth and poverty reduction, specifically citing cuts to social grants and underfunding of public services and industrial development.

The COP29 South African Youth Statement, presented by the Youth Policy Committee Global Change Working Group via Youth@SAIIA, outlines a comprehensive set of demands for the South African government delegation to COP29. The statement advocates for a climate justice approach that integrates human rights, gender equality, and social justice, calling for urgent reforms in water sanitation, waste management, and the energy transition to protect marginalized communities.

This report by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the power sector transition within the BRICS bloc, noting that non-fossil power capacity is poised to exceed fossil-fueled capacity for the first time in 2024. While the bloc hosts a significant portion of the world's coal capacity and continues to develop new fossil fuel plants, there is a massive pipeline of wind, solar, and hydropower projects that could potentially align the group with global goals to triple renewable capacity by 2030.

This discussion document examines South Africa's care regime, arguing that both paid and unpaid care work are fundamental to economic stability and societal well-being, yet remain undervalued and underfunded, particularly affecting women.

This research paper examines the feasibility, potential benefits, and challenges of establishing a unified currency among the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). It analyzes the proposal through the lens of Optimal Currency Area (OCA) theory, highlighting the geopolitical goal of reducing reliance on the US dollar while noting significant economic and political hurdles.

This research paper examines the feasibility, potential benefits, and risks associated with the adoption of a unified currency among the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). It analyzes the proposal through the lens of Optimal Currency Areas (OCA) theory, highlighting the tension between the desire for reduced dollar-dependency and the reality of significant economic and political divergence among member states.

This research paper analyzes the first ten annual intergovernmental declarations of the BRICS configuration (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) to evaluate how the group represents the interests of the 'majority world'. The author argues that while BRICS has successfully used discursive strategies to advocate for the reform of global economic governance and has achieved some practical outcomes through the G20, there remains a significant gap between its declarative statements and collective policy implementation.

A statement by the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) criticizing the 2024 Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank, arguing that the global financial architecture and debt relief mechanisms favor rich creditor nations while imposing austerity on developing African countries.

This factsheet by the Institute for Economic Justice argues against replacing South Africa's R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant with a work-seekers' grant, asserting that work-seeking conditionalities are costly, counter-productive, and unjust.

An open letter dated 24 October 2024, signed by a coalition of South African civil society, labour organisations, and policy experts, addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The letter argues that the National Treasury is exercising disproportionate authority over government policy, specifically by obstructing the transition of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant into a permanent basic income system through an ideology of austerity.

This research paper examines the governance and security challenges in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, specifically analyzing the impact of the withdrawal of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) in July 2024. The author argues that the mission's exit, driven by financial constraints and poor coordination, may have created a security void during a period of increasing insurgent activity.

A briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs outlining the expected agenda for the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, focusing on post-expansion integration, trade in local currencies, global governance coordination, and climate transition strategies.

This case study examines how Chile, Indonesia, and South Africa are decarbonizing their mining sectors to align with the Paris Agreement while continuing to supply critical minerals for the global energy transition.

This report by the Africa Policy Research Institute analyzes the economic implications of a proposed International Maritime Organization (IMO) shipping carbon levy on African states. Using the GTAP-E model, the study finds that such a levy would generally reduce GDP and household incomes across Africa, increase global food prices, and exacerbate existing freight cost imbalances. The report advocates for an equitable transition where revenues are redistributed as direct grants to climate-vulnerable nations for out-of-sector projects like renewable energy and resilient agriculture.

The Institute for Economic Justice argues that job-search conditionality for social grants in South Africa is bad policy because unemployment is structural, the costs of searching for work exceed the grant value, and such requirements violate constitutional rights and risk driving workers into exploitative, low-wage employment.

This research paper evaluates the prospects and challenges of economic integration among the BRICS nations, specifically the possibility of forming an Optimum Currency Area (OCA) and a common currency. While the bloc has established significant institutions like the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) to foster cooperation and reduce US dollar dependency, profound economic heterogeneity—ranging from commodity-driven to manufacturing-based economies—poses a major hurdle to monetary union. The analysis suggests that while traditional economic criteria for a currency union are not fully met, political will and strategic alignment may drive convergence over time.