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This research paper analyzes the impact of climate change on hydropower within the Zambezi River Basin and the Southern African Power Pool, focusing on electricity generation costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and the necessity for cooperative governance.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines climate adaptation readiness in Southern Africa by analyzing the region's response to the severe 2015/16 El Niño-induced drought. The author argues that while the El Niño cycle is a natural phenomenon, the resulting drought serves as a critical test of the region's institutional and policy capacity to handle severe environmental stress. The paper identifies significant gaps in national and regional response capacities, highlighting the need for a shift from reactive 'response' to proactive 'prevention' and the scaling of successful local and regional adaptation strategies.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines electoral trends in Africa based on elections held in 2015 and early 2016. While noting progress in democratic institution building since the 1990s, the authors identify four critical trends—constitutional manipulation, electoral calendar tampering, harassment of opposition, and low voter turnout—that threaten to reverse democratic gains. The document advocates for stricter adherence to African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Community (REC) standards to ensure credible and inclusive elections.

This report by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) synthesises seven years of experience in promoting 'climate compatible development'—an approach that integrates climate mitigation and adaptation with poverty eradication and human development. The document provides a framework for mainstreaming climate concerns into national macroeconomic planning, sectoral policies, and local governance, while emphasizing the necessity of political leadership, cross-government coordination, and inclusive stakeholder engagement. It details the financial challenges of transitioning to a low-carbon economy, the role of 'knowledge brokers' in translating science for policy-makers, and the importance of gender-sensitive implementation to ensure equitable outcomes.

The briefing notes that while Zambia has established a national climate adaptation framework and district-level disaster committees, community-level mechanisms often fail between disasters. It recommends prioritizing gradual climate change adaptation over emergency responses and strengthening the financing and coordination of district institutions.

This research paper examines the infrastructure financing challenges facing 54 African nations, specifically contrasting the needs and capacities of low-income countries (LICs) and middle-income countries (MICs). It argues that while multilateral development banks (MDBs) provide critical low-interest loans and technical expertise, they face increasing competition from private and bilateral investors and must tailor their bureaucratic processes and financial offerings to the specific economic realities of individual sovereign states to remain relevant.

The Better Life Alliance (BLA) was a 4-year project in Zambia's Luangwa valley that linked smallholder farmers to market incentives to promote sustainable land management and conservation. The project achieved a potential greenhouse gas emission reduction of –902,531 tCO2e/yr, primarily through avoiding savanna degradation and conversion. BLA also improved soil fertility via agro-ecological practices and reduced postharvest losses for groundnuts, maize, rice, and soybeans, thereby lowering emission intensity per unit of production.

The document summarizes the conclusions of a seminar held on 9 December 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, focused on assistance and capacity-building for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540, disarmament, and non-proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons in Africa.

This case study examines the development of the microinsurance (inclusive insurance) market in Zambia, focusing on the role of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and FSD Zambia in catalyzing systemic change through industry leadership and coordination.

The December 2016 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates the African Union's (AU) role in managing continental crises. It finds that the Peace and Security Council (PSC) often relied on regional bodies rather than leading interventions. Key issues discussed include the impact of land privatisation and climate change in Kenya's Kajiado County, the contested nature of several 2016 national elections, and the AU's efforts to promote women's rights despite a perceived failure to challenge dictatorial regimes. The report also details the funding struggles of AMISOM in Somalia and the diplomatic complexities surrounding Morocco's request to rejoin the AU.

This case study examines the role of FinScope, a nationally representative survey developed by the FinMark Trust (FMT), in driving financial inclusion in South Africa. It analyzes how the tool filled a critical information gap for policymakers and financial service providers, moving the industry toward evidence-based decision-making and the development of pro-poor financial products.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) estimates the public and private investment required to end hunger by 2030, defining the goal as reducing the hungry population to less than 5 per cent of a country's population.

This research paper examines the commercial tax evasion component of illicit financial flows (IFFs) in five African countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Zambia, and Egypt. It clarifies the distinctions between transfer pricing, abusive transfer pricing, trade mispricing, and trade-based money laundering (TBML), while estimating the scale of these flows using IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS) and a developed TBML model. The authors highlight significant data anomalies in international trade databases and advocate for the implementation of the Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) to improve accuracy and curb illicit outflows.

This research paper examines the conflict between international regulatory norms, such as the CITES ivory trade ban, and the diverse local values held by communities in elephant range states and consumer markets. Using Cameroon's Congo River basin and Southern African states as primary examples, the authors argue that ignoring local societal values and the impacts of globalisation can lead to adverse reactions, undermining long-term conservation goals.

This World Resources Institute working paper analyzes the alignment between the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. By mapping climate actions across 92 INDCs, the authors demonstrate that climate policies often generate mutual benefits for sustainable development, though these synergies are frequently unrecognized or uncoordinated at the national level due to institutional silos.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the role of Regional Value Chains (RVCs) and Global Value Chains (GVCs) in promoting sustainable development and regional integration in Southern Africa, highlighting South Africa's central role in providing intermediate goods to neighboring countries.

This research paper investigates the impact of Chinese and Indian investment in Africa's extractive industries on local industrialisation, specifically focusing on the dynamics of Zambia's copper value chain and the role of mine ownership in the development of upstream linkages.

This report examines the expansion of South African and other SADC supermarket chains across Southern Africa, analyzing the drivers of this growth, the retail models used, and the resulting impacts on local suppliers and regional trade.

This report analyzes the maize value chain within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to inform the Southern African Trade Hub’s (SATH) implementation strategy, focusing on production, trade, utilization, and the necessity of coherent regional policy.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the state of youth policy in Africa, drawing on African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Country Review Reports. It argues that while youth policies are becoming more common, they are often hindered by poor design, inadequate data, and weak state implementation capacity. The author emphasizes the need for evidence-based strategies and partnerships with non-state actors to effectively integrate young people into developmental agendas.