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This report provides a comprehensive analysis of South Africa's development trajectory to 2043, comparing a 'Current Path' (business-as-usual) against eight sectoral scenarios and a 'Combined' scenario. It examines the impacts of demographics, health, education, manufacturing, trade (AfCFTA), infrastructure, financial flows, and governance on the country's GDP, poverty levels, and carbon emissions. The analysis highlights structural challenges such as extreme inequality, high unemployment, and a history of deindustrialisation, while offering policy recommendations to transition toward an export-led, green economy with improved human capital and governance.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of South Africa's geographic and socio-economic landscape. It details the country's transition from apartheid to a democratic state, the subsequent economic fluctuations, and the current challenges of deindustrialisation, corruption, and infrastructure decay. Key focus areas include the decline of the mining sector despite vast mineral reserves, the impact of the 2024 elections on political governance, and critical shortages in electricity and water.

The 2026 Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape outlines renewable energy (RE) investment opportunities in South Africa, identifying a potential market of R161.2 billion by 2030. The report focuses on large-scale RE projects and behind-the-meter (BTM) solutions, while detailing the transition from public procurement to a private offtake market and the structural unbundling of Eskom.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing the Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle Campaign, submitted comments on South Africa's Draft Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The submission argues that the draft's mitigation targets are inadequate and lack ambition, proposing instead more stringent emission limits aligned with the 1.5°C global warming target. The CER also criticizes the lack of transparency in the process, specifically the late release of the underlying technical report, and calls for stronger integration of climate justice, adaptation measures, and a clear commitment to phasing out fossil fuels.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, submitted comments on the Presidential Climate Commission's (PCC) draft recommendations for South Africa's 2030–2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) update. The submission emphasizes the need for high mitigation ambition to avoid fossil fuel lock-in, the integration of social justice, and the urgent implementation of adaptation measures in accordance with the Climate Change Act.

This policy brief argues that South Africa requires a fundamental transformation of its land administration system to secure tenure for unregistered (off-register) land rights. The author contends that existing empirical research on urban and rural tenure—including the 'family house' custom and household-level customary rights—provides the necessary evidence-based data to move away from opinion-based policymaking and create a system capable of recording and administering diverse forms of tenure.

This report by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) examines the role of South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) in the country's Just Energy Transition (JET). It argues that the DMRE has exhibited significant reluctance to lead the transition, driven by institutional 'stickiness', conflicts of interest between its minerals and energy mandates, and a perception of the JET as a Western imposition. The report highlights a lack of policy articulation, poor stakeholder engagement, and capacity constraints resulting from repeated organisational restructuring and the legacy of state capture. It concludes by welcoming the recent split of the DMRE into two separate departments—Mineral and Petroleum Resources, and Electricity and Energy—as a necessary step to resolve these conflicts and improve policy focus.

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) report 'Strengthening the SAPS for a safer South Africa' provides a framework for reforming the South African Police Service (SAPS) to reverse a decline in organisational performance and public safety observed since 2012. The report outlines five strategic focus areas: leadership and professionalisation, serious violent crime, corruption and accountability, data and technology, and auxiliary policing. It argues that increasing personnel numbers alone is insufficient and calls for evidence-based strategic planning, improved investigative capabilities, and a shift toward a professional police identity to restore public trust.

The 2024 GreenCape report identifies significant investment opportunities in South Africa's electric vehicle (EV) sector, particularly in the local manufacturing of private passenger vehicles (estimated at R620 billion annually) and the electrification of freight, public transport, and last-mile delivery. While rising fuel prices and global supply chain diversification (the 'China Plus One Strategy') drive adoption, the transition is hindered by high upfront CAPEX, limited charging infrastructure, and energy security concerns related to loadshedding. The South African government is supporting the transition through the Electric Vehicle White Paper and a 150% investment allowance for qualifying EV and hydrogen-powered vehicle spending starting in 2026.

This report details Phase 3 (2019–2024) of the transformational partnership between WWF South Africa and Nedbank, which received an investment of R25 million. The collaboration focused on safeguarding strategic water source areas, promoting sustainable agriculture in the dairy and fruit sectors, and enhancing rural livelihoods, with a primary geographic emphasis on the Eastern Cape province.

This document is an appeal submitted by groundWork and the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action against a decision by the National Air Quality Officer (NAQO) to grant Eskom a postponement of compliance with Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for the Kusile Power Station. The Appellants argue that the decision is unlawful, violates constitutional rights to a healthy environment, and was based on flawed health and atmospheric impact assessments and unfounded claims regarding the reduction of load shedding.

This submission by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of groundWork and Earthlife Africa, opposes Eskom's applications for the postponement and suspension of Minimum Emission Standards (MES) compliance. The document argues that Eskom's failure to comply with air quality laws violates constitutional rights to health and a safe environment, particularly in the Highveld Priority Area. It provides evidence of extensive emission exceedances, high emission intensity compared to international standards, and severe public health impacts, while asserting that abatement technologies are technically and economically feasible.

This briefing by GreenCape provides a comprehensive guide for global manufacturers considering investment in South Africa's green economy, specifically focusing on renewable energy, water, and sustainable agriculture. It details the policy landscape, market attractiveness, operational costs, labour laws, tax systems, and physical infrastructure, while identifying critical bottlenecks such as load shedding and policy inconsistency.

The 2023 Water Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape identifies significant investment opportunities in South Africa's public wastewater infrastructure, specifically focusing on metropolitan municipalities. The report highlights a critical state of existing infrastructure, the potential for circular economy solutions through sludge beneficiation, and the need for energy efficiency and renewable energy interventions to combat rising costs and energy insecurity.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes provincial murder trends in South Africa from 2011/12 to 2022/23. It argues that national murder statistics are misleading because trends vary significantly by province, with a small number of populous provinces driving the overall increase in the national murder rate.

This report summarizes a two-day conference held in October 2023 by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC). The event focused on the implementation of recommendations from the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture (the Zondo Commission) to hold perpetrators accountable and reform state institutions to prevent future state capture in South Africa.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and a coalition of civic organisations issued statements condemning hate speech, cyberbullying, and threats of violence directed at the South African Informal Traders Forum (SAITF) and the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI). The actions are attributed to Councillor Nkululeko Mbundu of ActionSA, the MMC for Economic Development in the City of Johannesburg, following a court victory by SERI and SAITF against illegal evictions.

The Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change, adopted on 2 July 2022, is a statement by over 300 individuals and representatives from more than 100 civil society, labour, business, and faith-based organisations. The document asserts that South Africa's constitutional democracy is under threat from corruption and state capture, and it outlines a programme of action to reclaim democratic integrity, reform the electoral system, and professionalise the public service.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the complex relationship between climate change and violent conflict in Africa. It argues that while climate change acts as a 'risk multiplier' that can exacerbate existing political, social, and economic tensions, the link to violence is indirect and highly contextual. The document emphasizes the need for conflict-sensitive climate adaptation strategies, particularly in fragile contexts, and calls for the Global North to fulfill climate finance commitments to support the Global South.

This report argues that political instability and violent protests in South Africa are primarily driven by unmanageable elite contestation within the African National Congress (ANC) rather than spontaneous socio-economic grievances. Using data modelling and artificial intelligence, the authors demonstrate a strong correlation between ANC internal conflicts and protest spikes, particularly from 2018 onwards, while finding a low correlation with service delivery or unemployment trends.