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The Institute for Economic Justice criticizes the South African government for prioritizing fiscal restraint over human wellbeing, specifically citing the removal of 35,000 people from social grants to achieve savings. The statement calls for the transition of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant into a permanent, non-means-tested universal basic income set at or above the food poverty line to protect vulnerable populations from rising food costs and economic instability.

The document argues for a global debt restructuring mechanism to replace the voluntary and often delayed processes of current frameworks. It suggests that such a mechanism should be housed closer to debtor nations, be linked to the African Union (AU) and African financial institutions, and be grounded in principles of fiscal legitimacy and human rights. To overcome political resistance, the brief recommends that African states form a 'Debtors Club' and transition to the African Credit Rating Agency to reduce reliance on unregulated US-based agencies.

Minister Ronald Lamola's address details South Africa's strategic approach to foreign policy, emphasizing the need to address the root causes of irregular migration among Africa's youth and the necessity of reforming the global financial architecture to ensure debt sustainability. He highlights South Africa's leadership roles in the G20 and BRICS to advance African priorities, including climate finance and inequality, while committing to regional peace and security efforts in Sudan, South Sudan, and the DRC.

The document examines 'technological leapfrogging' in Africa, focusing on how decentralised renewable energy, mobile finance, and artificial intelligence can overcome infrastructure deficits. It presents a 'Large Infrastructure and Leapfrogging' scenario projecting significant GDP growth and poverty reduction by 2050, while providing policy recommendations to address structural bottlenecks in skills, financing, and regulation.

The document argues that AI represents a frontier for technological leapfrogging in Africa, capable of bypassing traditional constraints in education, healthcare, and governance. It highlights the potential for inclusive AI deployment to add US$ 1 trillion to the continent's GDP by 2035, particularly in sectors like agriculture and finance. A key example is provided by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), which uses AI to shift tax administration from reactive enforcement to proactive compliance. However, the document notes that realizing this potential requires addressing gaps in computing infrastructure, digital skills, and regulatory frameworks. To support this, the AI 10 Billion Initiative aims to mobilize US$ 10 billion by 2035 to invest in AI infrastructure and skills, targeting the creation of up to 40 million jobs.

The report highlights the impact of corruption and inefficiency on energy projects in South Africa and the DR Congo. In South Africa, the Medupi and Kusile coal plants suffered from massive cost overruns and delays, contributing to unsustainable debt for Eskom and frequent blackouts, though performance improved by 2025. In the DR Congo, the Grand Inga Hydropower Project, specifically Inga III, has been delayed for decades due to funding and transparency issues, leaving the country with unreliable electricity despite significant hydropower potential.

Africa faces a significant infrastructure deficit, with an annual funding shortfall of US$68–108 billion. The report examines the role of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the potential of domestic capital—estimated at over US$1.1 trillion—and the challenges of public-private partnerships. It highlights that up to 90% of projects fail before financial close due to poor early-stage preparation, arguing for better project bankability and risk-sharing instruments to attract private investment.

Africa's infrastructure spending is robust relative to GDP but insufficient given population growth, with financing heavily reliant on governments and development partners. Public investment is severely constrained by high sovereign debt, with debt servicing costs often exceeding infrastructure spending. Private investment remains low due to high capital costs and risk perceptions, though specific countries like South Africa and Egypt have seen success through targeted policy frameworks. Development finance is also facing a decline due to geopolitical and macroeconomic pressures.

The Large Infrastructure and Leapfrogging scenario is projected to accelerate Africa's average annual economic growth to 6% between 2027 and 2050, resulting in a total GDP nearly US$1 trillion higher than the baseline by 2050. This trajectory is expected to increase average GDP per capita by approximately US$510 and reduce the number of people in extreme poverty by 63 million, bringing the poverty rate down to 11.5% by 2050.

The research paper argues that Africa's infrastructure deficit is a cumulative result of colonial-era designs focused on extraction, post-independence mismanagement, and the impact of 1980s debt crises and Structural Adjustment Programs. It notes that colonial railways shaped current urban locations and that recent investments have often focused on prestige projects or specific corridors funded by external partners like China.

The paper examines the role of technological leapfrogging in transitioning Africa's large informal economy into the formal sector. It highlights that in 2024, the informal sector accounted for 58% of the labour force and 27% of GDP, with projections suggesting a decline to 50% of the labour force and 24% of GDP by 2050. The author identifies digital ID systems as the critical first step for formalisation, noting that roughly half of the world's one billion people without official identification live in Africa. The document asserts that digitisation—including biometric IDs, mobile payment solutions, and PAYG models—can expand the tax base and improve access to credit and social protections without imposing heavy compliance costs on small-scale operators.

The document critiques the South African Reserve Bank's (SARB) restrictive interest-rate cycle and its shift toward a lower inflation target, arguing that such policies prioritize price stability over sustainable growth and employment. It proposes a more 'developmental' approach to monetary policy, including a 'look-through' rule for supply shocks and targeted funding tools for productive sectors.

At the 2026 African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings, Recourse is calling for a shift in development finance to prioritise equitable renewable energy access and a just transition across Africa. The organisation demands a dedicated financing window for decentralised renewable energy (DRE), targeting at least 30% of energy access financing by 2027, and urges the Bank to halt all LNG and fossil gas financing. Recourse also advocates for grant-based and concessional public finance to prevent increasing debt distress and calls for stronger protections for communities affected by energy and extractive projects.

The document argues that policy incoherence is driven not by poor coordination, but by power asymmetries, vested interests, and the prioritization of economic growth over social and environmental goals. Based on research in nine countries, it finds that fossil-fuel interests consistently drive incoherence and that vulnerable groups disproportionately bear the resulting burdens. It calls for a post-2030 framework that moves beyond 'synergies' to address distributional consequences and cross-border spillovers.

The statement contends that Africa's reliance on fossil fuels leaves its communities vulnerable to external shocks, such as the economic ripple effects of the US-Iran war. It advocates for the implementation of existing frameworks like the African Single Electricity System and the African Union Green Minerals Strategy to achieve energy sovereignty and justice, arguing that transitioning to net-zero is more cost-effective than enduring the costs of global energy instability.

The report argues that the expanded BRICS bloc is not a coherent actor but a collection of competing interests, where fossil-industrial interests often conflict with climate rhetoric. It categorizes members into five functional actor groups and proposes a five-axis 'Climate and Energy Compass' and a focus on climate finance reform to facilitate a just and sovereign energy transition.

The document outlines the International Labour Organisation's definition of employment and highlights the disconnect between having a job and escaping poverty. It identifies the 'working poor' as those whose employment incomes are insufficient to lift them out of extreme poverty, noting that 29.3% of employed people in Africa lived below US$2.15 per day in 2024, with figures exceeding 70% in Madagascar and the DR Congo.

The report argues that African governments must rely on social grants and employment schemes to support populations not absorbed by the economy. It highlights South Africa's expansive but potentially unsustainable grant system and the Expanded Public Works Programme. The text discusses the transition from conditional to universal grants and the use of biometric identification systems, like India's Aadhaar, to reduce corruption. A critical barrier identified is Africa's low tax-to-GDP ratio (16.5%), exacerbated by tax breaks for investors, which limits the funding available for these social protections.

The report examines the systemic failure of mine closure and rehabilitation in Mpumalanga, South Africa, highlighting a dangerous reliance on third-party financial guarantees over ring-fenced cash. It identifies a significant gap where older mining rights are exempt from stricter 2015 financial provisioning regulations and notes that large-scale mines rarely receive formal closure certificates. Through a PAIA information request, the report reveals that the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) lacks a system to verify if provided funds are sufficient for actual rehabilitation costs. It concludes with recommendations for a regional closure framework, mandatory proactive disclosure of environmental data, and a shift toward rehabilitation trust funds to protect the public from inheriting environmental liabilities.

The UBIC coalition demands the resignation of South African Minister of Social Development Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe following allegations of financial misconduct and improper hiring. The coalition argues that these scandals distract from urgent poverty alleviation efforts, specifically the finalisation of basic income support and Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant policies.