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This policy brief argues that Southern Africa can leverage the increased use of the Cape of Good Hope as a global trade safety valve—driven by instability in the Middle East, the Red Sea, and the Strait of Hormuz—by establishing a SADC-led Cape Corridor Assurance Framework to provide safe, predictable, and low-carbon maritime transit.

This briefing examines how the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, following a US-Israeli attack on Iran, has triggered a global fertiliser supply shock that exacerbates food insecurity in Nigeria. While Nigeria has increased domestic urea production, it remains vulnerable due to the export of most urea, reliance on imported blending materials from Russia, Morocco, and China, and the timing of the disruption during the planting season.

This research report by Good Governance Africa investigates systemic labour and community exploitation by two Chinese-owned extractive companies, Avatar New Energy Materials Company Limited and Hong Tai Quarry Company Limited, operating in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The report documents severe violations of the Nigerian Labour Act, failure to meet community development obligations under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and economically imbalanced land lease agreements that result in the dispossession of local landowners.

This briefing by Good Governance Africa (GGA) outlines policy priorities for the South African government ahead of the 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA). It argues that economic growth is contingent upon strengthening political institutions, professionalising the public service, and improving governance at the municipal level. The document emphasizes the need for a cohesive regional strategy within SADC and the AfCFTA, the operationalisation of the Climate Change Act, and the restoration of public trust through electoral reform and accountability.

This report by Good Governance Africa (GGA) provides policy recommendations for the South African government ahead of the 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA). It argues that economic growth is contingent upon strengthening political institutions, improving municipal governance, reforming state-owned enterprises, and asserting a more cohesive regional and global leadership role, particularly regarding climate action and democratic integrity in Southern Africa.

The Cape Town City Profiling Report 2025, published by Good Governance Africa, provides a comprehensive analysis of the city's urban geography, governance, demographics, economy, and service delivery. It positions Cape Town as a lead city in the SADC region regarding governance and service delivery, while highlighting persistent structural inequalities and the legacy of apartheid spatial planning.

The Dar es Salaam City Profiling Report 2025 provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic, social, and governance landscape of Tanzania's largest city. It highlights a city experiencing rapid population growth and economic expansion, yet struggling with high levels of central government control, significant infrastructure deficits in water and sanitation, and a high prevalence of informal settlements.

The Lilongwe City Profiling Report 2025 provides a comprehensive analysis of the capital city of Malawi, detailing its urban geography, governance, socio-economic status, and service delivery. The report highlights a city facing significant challenges including high poverty levels, limited infrastructure, and a governance structure where the local council has minimal de facto control over essential services like health and education, which remain managed by the central government.

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.

This policy brief by Good Governance Africa examines the implementation of South Africa's Climate Change Act of 2024, focusing on the critical but challenged role of local government in achieving climate resilience and a just energy transition.

This policy brief by Good Governance Africa examines Zambia's water security crisis, detailing how infrastructure deficits, climate change, and governance failures impact health, agriculture, and the environment. It recommends establishing a National Water Resources Authority, revising water legislation to include groundwater management, and investing in irrigation to reduce reliance on rain-fed farming.

The 'Mineral Policy Review: Findings and Recommendations Report' (August 2024), produced by Mining Dialogues 360° and Good Governance Africa, evaluates the impact of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) of 2002 on the South African mining sector. The report finds that the mining industry is in a state of economic decline, characterized by falling GDP contribution, stagnant investment, and a depleted project pipeline. It identifies a combination of legislative shortcomings in the MPRDA, institutional capacity constraints within the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), and structural failures in electricity and logistics as primary drivers of this underperformance. The report recommends urgent legislative amendments to the MPRDA, the professionalization of stakeholder relations to resolve a deep trust deficit, and the establishment of a new, inclusive vision for the industry to restore investor confidence and promote sustainable transformation.

This policy brief by Good Governance Africa challenges the South African Government's Reviewed National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (2024), specifically its promotion of trophy hunting as a conservation tool. The author argues that the economic benefits of trophy hunting are overstated and its ecological costs are too high, recommending a shift toward non-consumptive alternatives and inclusive conservation that integrates local communities into ecotourism and conservation-enhancing agriculture.

This policy brief by Good Governance Africa examines the drivers of water insecurity in South Africa, the state of its water infrastructure, and the governance failures contributing to the crisis. It calls for immediate action to improve asset management, address climate change risks, and ensure equitable water access, particularly in rural areas.

This report by Good Governance Africa assesses the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) in South Africa, highlighting its success in attracting investment and reducing tariffs while identifying critical challenges in grid capacity, transaction costs, and the need for local financing solutions to avoid crowding out domestic investors.

The report examines oil exploration by Shell South Africa off the Wild Coast, highlighting a legal interdict against seismic blasting due to inadequate environmental authorisation under NEMA and poor community consultation. It identifies legislative discrepancies between the MPRDA and NEMA and calls for strengthened governance, transparency, and better alignment of regulatory frameworks to manage natural resources.

Good Governance Africa argues that while South Africa requires urgent electricity solutions to mitigate load-shedding, the proposed deal with Karpowership is problematic due to high costs, lack of transparency, and environmental concerns. The author suggests that natural gas should only be a temporary transition fuel and that priority should be given to grid reconfiguration and renewable energy to meet the 2050 net zero emissions goal.

Good Governance Africa provides a critique of President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered on 9 February 2023, praising investments in infrastructure and data-driven crime fighting while expressing concern over the energy crisis, the state of local government, and political instability.

A statement by Good Governance Africa regarding the election of the African National Congress (ANC) leadership at its 55th National Conference, urging the party to prioritize effective governance to address South Africa's energy crisis, corruption, and political instability.

Good Governance Africa's statement on COP27 highlights the establishment of a fund for vulnerable developing countries as a major achievement, while criticizing the Global North for failing to acknowledge its responsibility for climate change and the lack of a unified African strategy on energy transition and governance.