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The South African Water Caucus (SAWC) submitted an urgent request to Minister Lindiwe Sisulu on April 30, 2020, demanding the provision of water tanks, reliable water supply, and sanitation packs for numerous communities across South Africa facing dire water shortages and sanitation failures during the COVID-19 lockdown.

This case study by GreenCape examines how FoodForward SA, a Public Benefit Organisation, utilizes a circular economy model to recover and redistribute surplus food in South Africa, specifically focusing on the impact within Cape Town during 2020/21.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues that the electric vehicle (EV) revolution presents Southern African states with an opportunity to transform their economic trajectories through a systemic innovation approach. It advocates for a 'just e-volution' that integrates the mining, automotive, and energy sectors to move toward a low-carbon economy, specifically suggesting a 'Green New Deal' for the SADC region to avoid becoming a dumping ground for obsolete internal combustion engine technology.

This monograph examines the use and misuse of less-lethal weapons (LLWs) within South African prisons and by the South African Police Service (SAPS) Public Order Police (POP) units during crowd management from 2013 to 2018. It analyzes the legal and regulatory frameworks of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and SAPS, highlighting systemic failures in accountability, the use of equipment as instruments of torture, and the lethal consequences of weapons marketed as 'less-lethal'.

This report analyzes the failure of Section 139 interventions in South African municipalities between 1998 and 2019. It finds that interventions are typically initiated too late, are legally misclassified to avoid mandatory financial recovery processes, and rely on an unauthorized 'administrator model' that often exacerbates municipal collapse. The authors call for a standardized, non-political implementation framework with clear triggers and strengthened oversight.

The Khoikhoi Peoples’ Rooibos Biocultural Community Protocol (BCP), published in 2019 by Natural Justice, serves as a formal framework to assert the Khoikhoi people's rights as traditional knowledge holders of Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis). It outlines the community's history of dispossession, their organizational structure for granting Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and the mechanisms for sharing benefits from the commercialization of Rooibos through a dedicated trust.

The report 'Young Leaders' by WWF South Africa documents the first decade of its Environmental Leaders internship programme (2008–2018), which aims to bridge the gap between university graduation and professional employment in the green economy. The programme focuses on developing scarce green skills through work-based learning, dedicated mentoring, and professional networking to combat high graduate unemployment in South Africa.

This 2018 report by the Centre for Environmental Rights evaluates the legal and practical regulation of wild animal welfare in South Africa. It argues that the current system is fragmented, outdated, and biased toward economic gain, leaving captive and exploited wild animals with minimal protection. The report highlights a critical jurisdictional divide between biodiversity conservation (Department of Environmental Affairs) and animal welfare (Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), which results in inconsistent permitting, poor compliance monitoring, and inadequate enforcement.

This 2018 fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice examines South Africa's fulfillment of economic and social rights ahead of its first UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights review. It argues that the government's adoption of fiscal austerity, combined with extreme systemic inequality and corruption, undermines the rights to health and education.

This report analyzes the political and economic implications of Cyril Ramaphosa's narrow victory at the African National Congress (ANC) 54th national conference in December 2017. The author argues that while the result averted a major party split, South Africa remains in a "muddling along" scenario characterized by deep factional divisions and economic fragility. The document examines the prospects for the 2019 elections, the potential recall of Jacob Zuma, and the need for structural reforms to avoid credit rating downgrades and stimulate growth.

This report is a submission by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) to the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee into the Funding of Political Parties. It examines how the lack of regulation in private political funding and the abuse of state resources in South Africa undermine institutional capacity, foster political corruption, and enable 'state capture'.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the disproportionate negative impacts of large-scale development projects—such as dams and mines—on women's human rights to water, food, and a healthy environment. It highlights the gap between international legal instruments and their practical implementation, particularly in countries with weak governance, and provides recommendations for governments, companies, and civil society to protect women's land rights and ensure their participation in decision-making.

This report by WWF South Africa examines the potential and progress of renewable energy (RE) in South Africa, focusing on the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REI4P) and the challenges posed by the state utility Eskom's dominance and the country's historical dependence on coal.

South Africa's 2nd Biennial Update Report (BUR-2) provides a comprehensive overview of the country's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2000 to 2012, its mitigation strategies, and the financial and technical support received to transition toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy by 2030.

WWF South Africa's 2016 report 'Water: Facts and Futures' details the critical state of the country's water security. It highlights that while only 8% of land generates 50% of river flow, these Water Source Areas are under-protected. The report identifies severe threats from invasive alien plants, failing engineered infrastructure (with 37% urban water loss), and widespread pollution from sewage and mining. It calls for a 'Water and Sanitation Revolution' focusing on nature-based solutions, groundwater management, and decentralized service delivery to ensure equitable access to safe water.

The National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2015/16, published by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), provides a comprehensive overview of environmental law enforcement activities in South Africa. It details the capacity of the Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI), national compliance statistics, provincial performance, and specific case studies regarding industrial pollution and biodiversity crimes, particularly rhino poaching.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) evaluates the infrastructure and effectiveness of foreign direct investment (FDI) promotion in South Africa. It examines the decentralised system of provincial investment promotion agencies (IPAs) and their relationship with the national agency, Trade and Investment South Africa (TISA). The author argues for increased strategic oversight by TISA to reduce inter-provincial competition and improve the quality and sustainability of FDI inflows, particularly in the context of the Promotion and Protection of Investment Bill of 2013.

A joint media statement by a civil society coalition criticizing Minister of Mineral Resources Ngoako Ramatlhodi for ignoring mining-affected communities and prioritizing corporate interests over public participation and justice in the development of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA).

The National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2013/14 provides a comprehensive overview of the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI). It details statistics on criminal and administrative enforcement, compliance monitoring across 'brown' (pollution/waste) and 'green' (biodiversity) sectors, and specific case studies involving industrial facilities and wildlife crime, particularly rhino poaching.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the persistence of political killings in post-apartheid South Africa, noting a high concentration of these incidents in KwaZulu-Natal and a low rate of criminal convictions.