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The Institute for Economic Justice argues that the 2022 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) must abandon current fiscal strategies in favor of aggressive investment in social security, public services, and economic infrastructure to address structural unemployment and poverty in South Africa.

This briefing by the Institute for Economic Justice evaluates the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant in South Africa and advocates for the transition to a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG) funded through progressive revenue measures.

This report by the World Resources Institute evaluates the progress made one year after the COP26 summit in Glasgow. It tracks commitments across national emissions targets, renewable energy, climate finance, net-zero goals, the financial sector, methane reduction, deforestation, urban emissions, and electric vehicles, noting that progress is mixed and often hindered by geopolitical tensions and economic crises.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and the Council for the Advancement of the Constitution (CASAC) hosted a conference on September 14-15, 2022, to analyze the final report of the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture. The conference focused on enhancing state and private sector accountability through themes such as public procurement reform, whistle-blower protection, and the strengthening of governance institutions in South Africa.

This policy brief examines how the war in Ukraine has disrupted global supply chains and increased fertilizer prices across Africa, threatening food security and crop yields. It argues that while short-term input subsidies are necessary, African nations must pursue long-term industrialization to build local fertilizer manufacturing capacity using the continent's own natural gas, coal, and phosphate rock reserves.

This executive summary from the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines a comprehensive framework of 101 sustainable finance policies designed to align global capital flows with the 1.5°C warming limit. It argues that while the costs of climate action are high, the costs of inaction are higher, citing increased capital costs for vulnerable nations and credit downgrades for fossil-fuel-dependent sovereigns. The proposed framework is built on three pillars: providing clarity on green investments via taxonomies, tilting investment toward green opportunities through de-risking and carbon pricing, and building green investment pipelines for resilient development.

The Africa Private Equity and Debt Programme, running from November 2020 to March 2025, is a pan-African initiative by FSD Africa designed to increase the availability of long-term financing for social and economic sectors by mobilising private equity and debt capital, specifically targeting increased participation from local institutional investors like pension funds.

A report by FSD Africa detailing a project (April 2017 to June 2022) aimed at increasing long-term finance (LTF) in Sub-Saharan Africa through the creation of an LTF scoreboard and the improvement of public data availability.

A fact sheet detailing the outcomes of FSD Africa's co-funding of the Digital Frontiers Institute (DFI) across Phases I and II from 2016 to 2022, focusing on professional training and institutional capacity for digital financial services (DFS) in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) audits the August 2022 draft of the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM). It evaluates the draft against labour recommendations, arguing that the current plan lacks sufficient detail on decent work, public ownership, and aggressive localisation. The IEJ proposes a series of demands for final negotiations to ensure the energy transition supports employment creation, local manufacturing, and a proactive recycling industry.

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) outlines ten priorities for the 2022 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), advocating for a shift away from fiscal consolidation toward a framework that prioritizes unemployment, poverty, and inequality reduction through increased public investment and progressive taxation.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the priorities and challenges for African nations leading up to COP27 in Egypt. It highlights the continent's push for climate justice, increased financial support for adaptation and loss and damage, and a 'just transition' that allows for the temporary use of natural gas to ensure energy security.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) issued a statement to the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) raising concerns regarding transparency, environmental compliance, and climate impact assessments for onshore gas and petroleum activities. The CER highlights a lack of public information on rights holders and questions the legality of specific projects and the use of hydraulic fracturing.

A summary of a High Court of South Africa judgment where the City of Ekurhuleni Municipality successfully obtained an interdict against New Star Technology CC and Zhibing Yuan for operating a waste recycling facility without required environmental authorisations.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the climate finance landscape in Africa, highlighting a significant gap between the funding required to meet Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and actual annual flows. It examines the distribution of finance across regions and sectors, the role of public versus private investment, and provides recommendations to scale up funding through blended finance, improved data tracking, and capacity building.

A joint submission by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), groundWork Trust, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), and Natural Justice objecting to a proposed Ministerial Determination for the procurement of 3,000 MW of gas-to-power capacity in South Africa. The submission argues that the determination is legally flawed, procedurally unfair, and environmentally and economically irrational.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing groundWork, Earthlife Africa, and the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), issued a statement to the National Environmental Consultative and Advisory (NECA) Forum regarding the consultative process established under section 3A of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA). The CER outlines legal requirements for compliance with Minimum Emission Standards (MES) and sets minimum conditions for the Forum's operations to ensure transparency and the protection of affected communities' rights.

Natural Justice and the Biodiversity Law Centre provide a commentary on the Draft White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biodiversity 2022, expressing strong support for its shift toward a 'Living in Harmony with Nature' paradigm and its recognition of the colonial and apartheid legacies within the conservation sector.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) criticizes proposed replacements for the R350 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant by the South African National Treasury and the Presidency. The IEJ argues that Treasury's proposals are regressive and exclusionary, potentially reducing the number of beneficiaries by half through the introduction of complex categories and job-seeking conditionalities.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) critiques proposals from the South African National Treasury (NT) and the Presidency to replace the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, which expires in March 2023. The IEJ argues that NT's plans to introduce targeted jobseekers, household, and caregivers grants are regressive, unconstitutional, and administratively unworkable, as they would exclude millions of poor people. The memo further challenges NT's claims of unaffordability, suggesting that the government has ignored progressive tax options and the net cost benefits of grants.