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The document examines the potential for rechannelling Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) from wealthy IMF member states to Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), specifically the African Development Bank (AfDB), to address Africa's annual financing gap of over $400 billion. It details a proposal where SDRs would serve as hybrid capital, allowing the AfDB to leverage funds up to four times on capital markets. The brief identifies significant political and legal barriers, including the European Central Bank's (ECB) monetary financing prohibition and the lack of formal commitment from major holders like China, Japan, and the US. It recommends that South Africa's G20 presidency use diplomacy to seek ECB clarification, coordinate a Liquidity Support Agreement (LSA) with bilateral partners, and explore innovative fiscal tools such as SDR bonds or direct allocations to prescribed holders.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of groundWork and Earthlife Africa, submits a formal objection to Eskom's application for exemptions from Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for eight coal-fired power stations under section 59 of the Air Quality Act (AQA). The submission argues that these exemptions violate the constitutional right to a healthy environment, particularly for residents in Priority Areas, and that Eskom has failed to justify its 14-year delay in achieving compliance.

African countries face a deepening financial crisis where debt servicing obligations constrain the policy space needed for climate and development goals. The document highlights that total public debt in Africa reached $1.8 trillion in 2022, with 23 countries spending more on debt service than on health or education. To address this, the author suggests that South Africa's G20 presidency should advocate for negotiations that integrate a debtor's financial obligations with its environmental and social commitments, noting that Africa requires $1.3 trillion annually for SDGs and $1.3–1.6 trillion annually until 2030 for climate change impacts.

The High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria, ruled in the #CancelCoal case that the South African government's plan to add 1500 megawatts of new coal-fired electricity generation to the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) was unlawful and invalid. The court found that the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) failed to consider the environmental and health impacts of this additional capacity, particularly regarding the rights of children.

The document analyzes the factors driving the high demand for BRICS membership, introducing the concept of 'magnetic pull'—where ideas about development and systemic reform act as coalition magnets. It traces the group's expansion from South Africa's entry in 2010 to the 2023 enlargement (adding Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE) and the 2024 introduction of a 'Partner Country' category. While the group's appeal is rooted in South-South cooperation and de-dollarization, the author notes challenges to internal cohesion and the limits of its attraction, as seen in Argentina's rejection of membership.

The document explores the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to drive economic growth and strengthen cooperation among BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). It argues that while AI can streamline trade, enhance maritime security, and bolster cybersecurity, the bloc must overcome internal economic imbalances and diverse regulatory approaches. The author highlights existing frameworks like the 2015 MoU on Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation and recommends joint R&D, shared ethical guidelines, and infrastructure development to counter the hegemony of the Global North in AI policymaking.

The research paper examines the gap between constitutional human rights declarations and actual implementation within BRICS nations. It argues that the organisation, now expanded to include several non-democratic states, may function as a shield for autocratic regimes to avoid Western-led human rights sanctions while pursuing economic and geopolitical influence. The author highlights systemic violations across member states, including democratic backsliding in Brazil and India, war crimes in Russia, state-sponsored forced labour in China, and systemic corruption and xenophobia in South Africa, concluding that BRICS members often instrumentalise human rights rhetoric to assert regional dominance.

The Centre for Environmental Rights contends that Eskom's request for MES exemptions is based on a flawed analysis that systematically underestimates the health benefits of pollution control. The document highlights the omission of morbidity impacts, the use of outdated population data, and a restricted geographical scope of 33 km around power plants. It further criticizes the ethical implications of Eskom's cost-benefit analysis, which prioritizes financial savings over public health and uses electricity tariff increases to deter compliance. Finally, the document notes that Eskom's analysis relies on South African legal limits rather than the stricter World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, thereby ignoring global scientific consensus on safe exposure levels.

The report outlines a five-step framework for structuring adaptation-focused financial instruments: defining a resilience thesis, building a bankable pipeline, strategically engaging funders, cultivating local collaborations, and measuring impact. It highlights that while adaptation finance lags behind mitigation, private sector opportunities exist if perceived risks are managed through blended finance and simplified structures. Based on 17 adaptation-relevant instruments, the report notes that 12 successfully mobilized capital, totaling USD 1.2 billion, emphasizing the role of technical assistance and concessional capital in de-risking early-stage projects.

The report analyzes the digital information ecosystem during South Africa's May 2024 elections, identifying a complex market of paid and ideological influencers who used coordinated strategies to undermine electoral institutions and distort political narratives.

The DMRE has slowed South Africa's just energy transition due to an institutional self-perception as a protector against 'imperialist' Western impositions and a desire to protect the livelihoods of miners and emerging black mining industrialists. The document highlights internal contradictions, such as the DMRE managing environmental regulations for the same mining activities it licenses, and a lack of transparency regarding mine closure plans. It recommends utilizing existing policy tools like the Integrated Resource Plan, increasing accountability, and acknowledges the recent split of the DMRE into the Department of Mineral Resources and Petroleum (DMRP) and the Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE) as a necessary step to resolve conflicts of interest.

President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted the G20 Presidency for South Africa, announcing the theme 'Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability'. He committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and the Pact for the Future, while prioritizing inclusive economic growth, food security, and AI for sustainable development. Ramaphosa emphasized the need to address wealth disparities, specifically noting the lack of sustainable financing for climate action and the burden of national debt in developing countries.

The document argues that Africa-EU and Africa-Germany relations are still defined by 'coloniality', manifesting as power imbalances that marginalise African agency. It critiques the EU's security-development nexus and the 'Samoa Agreement' for prioritising European interests, and examines German development aid through the GIZ as often intrusive or tokenistic. The author highlights the exploitation of raw materials and the use of intelligence services to acquire indigenous medicines as contemporary colonial practices. To decolonise, the paper recommends respecting African demands on trade and resource beneficiation, ending the 'Europeanisation' of security missions, and shifting from development aid to industrialisation projects.

South Africa's upcoming G20 presidency is positioned as a critical lever for reforming the global financial architecture to better support African nations facing a severe debt crisis and escalating climate risks. The paper highlights that Africa's debt has surged by 183% since 2010, with 57% of the population living in countries that spend more on interest payments than on healthcare, education, and infrastructure. It critiques existing G20 mechanisms like the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) and the Common Framework for Debt Treatments for their slow implementation and failure to secure private creditor participation. The author advocates for a holistic approach that links debt sustainability with climate resilience, noting that climate financing needs are projected to exceed USD 10 trillion annually from 2031 to 2050. South Africa's presidency, themed 'solidarity, equality and sustainable development', aims to amplify the voice of the Global South and the African Union within the G20 to secure equitable debt relief and increased concessional finance for climate adaptation.

The document outlines the role of supply-side policies in accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by influencing manufacturers to increase the production and sale of compliant vehicles. It highlights a broader analysis of ZEV policies in eight specific markets—Australia, Brazil, China, the European Union, India, Indonesia, the United States, and South Africa—to identify policy gaps and the link between policy design and the mobilization of financing.

This briefing by Good Governance Africa discusses the passing of South Africa's Climate Change Act in July 2024, noting the country's warming trend and the necessity of effective implementation to achieve climate resilience and a just energy transition.

The New Development Bank (NDB) has expanded its mandate to support climate action and sustainable development but faces challenges including aligning financing with local currency and non-sovereign lending.

The fact sheet proposes a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG) as a tool to support South Africa's Just Energy Transition (JET). It argues that while the shift to renewables is necessary for climate goals, it threatens coal-dependent industries and communities. A UBIG would provide a non-conditional financial safety net to cushion economic shocks, build resilience against climate crises, and ensure that the risks and benefits of the energy transition are redistributed equitably, particularly for vulnerable groups like informal workers and caregivers.

The report critiques the current South African social assistance framework, specifically the SRD grant, as inadequate due to its low value and restrictive digital means testing. It contrasts a 'fiscal consolidation' approach favored by the National Treasury and international financial institutions with a rights-based approach advocated by civil society and the Department of Social Development. The authors recommend transitioning the SRD grant into a permanent basic income grant pegged to national poverty lines, funded through non-regressive measures like wealth taxes, and supported by inclusive consultative structures and secure digital systems.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) conducted a mixed-methods study involving 900 survey respondents and 58 interviews in Durban and rural North West to analyze exclusions from the SRD grant. The research found a monthly average erroneous exclusion rate of 89.7% among eligible respondents, with only 10.3% of eligible participants receiving payments. Key drivers of exclusion include a flawed bank verification system that counts non-income inflows (such as child maintenance or loans) as 'means', digital barriers due to online-only applications, and language barriers from an English-only process. The study highlights that marginalized groups—including women, rural dwellers, and those with lower education levels—are at higher risk of exclusion. Furthermore, 98% of 10 million grant appeals in the 2023/24 financial year were unsuccessful. The IEJ recommends transitioning toward a universal basic income, reforming the appeals process, and increasing grant values to align with the food poverty line.