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The report finds that Atha-Africa Ventures' financial provisions for the Yzermyn coal mine are incomplete and significantly underestimated. GCS Water and Environment identifies critical omissions, including costs for wetland rehabilitation, wetland offsetting, and the construction and operation of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to manage post-closure decant. GCS estimates that the 2020 financial provision provided by Atha-Africa is less than one-quarter of the realistic costs required. The report emphasizes that the mine's location within the Mabola Protected Area and its impact on sensitive headwater wetlands necessitate a full-scale revision of closure and water management costs to ensure long-term environmental protection.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) provides written submissions on the March 2018 Final Draft Report of Climate Change Mitigation Policies and Measures (PAMs). The CER supports the examination of policy effectiveness but identifies several gaps, including the need for better alignment between various government climate projects, the exclusion of certain greenhouse gases and externalities in socio-economic analyses, and a lack of rationale for prioritizing coal-to-liquid production through 2050. The CER emphasizes that the report's findings—specifically regarding the electricity sector as the key to decarbonization—should inform the revision of the Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP 2010).

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and groundWork, submitted supplementary objections on 5 March 2018 against the Water Use Licence Application (IWULA) and Integrated Water and Waste Water Management Plan (IWWMP) for the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power station. The objections argue that the project is unnecessary due to excess electricity capacity, poses severe risks to the water-stressed Mokolo Catchment, and fails to account for climate change impacts and toxic coal ash disposal risks.

The report argues that South Africa's coal sector is in a state of crisis due to rising costs, energy insecurity, and the increasing competitiveness of renewable energy. It models three pathways: a least-cost NDC-based scenario, a 2°C-consistent scenario, and a sensitivity analysis regarding Sasol's Secunda plant. The findings indicate that meeting a 2°C target requires the rapid retirement of coal-fired power plants, including Medupi and Kusile, and a shift toward wind and solar PV. While the transition offers benefits like cheaper electricity and improved air quality, it poses significant risks to employment in coal-mining regions, particularly Mpumalanga, necessitating a planned 'just transition' to support workers and diversify local economies.

The study evaluates the South Africa–DRC development partnership, finding that South Africa is a significant partner in absolute financial terms and relative to its gross national income. While the partnership aligns with SSC values of national ownership and non-conditionality, it suffers from fragmented coordination, weak monitoring and evaluation systems, and a lack of clear strategic intent from the South African side.

The report analyzes base metal beneficiation in Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia, comparing their outcomes with the successful industrial policies of Japan and China. It argues that China's state-led expansion of smelting and refining capacity has caused a 'Great Compression' of margins, making autonomous beneficiation in Africa commercially unattractive. The study concludes that African countries can only succeed in beneficiation through comprehensive industrial policies and strategic partnerships, particularly with Chinese state-owned enterprises.

The report argues that the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE) was correctly proclaimed due to its high biodiversity and hydrological importance. It concludes that de-proclaiming the MPE to allow the Yzermyn coal mine would set a dangerous precedent, risk irreplaceable ecosystems, and contradict South Africa's climate change goals. While the mine's current underground plan has moderate short-term impacts, the report warns of long-term risks including acid mine decant and permanent loss of critical water-producing wetlands.

The report by Friends of the Earth International analyzes how water is being transformed from a common good into a financial asset through corporate capture, international trade agreements, and extractive projects. It provides case studies from various regions—including Palestine, Australia, Sri Lanka, the US, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Switzerland, England, Mozambique, Mexico, and El Salvador—to illustrate the social and environmental impacts of this trend. The document concludes that the 'financialization' of water allows transnational agents to speculate on natural resources, often with the complicity of states, and advocates for the recognition of water as a common good managed through community-led and public systems.

The report argues that South African institutional investors, as 'universal owners', face material financial risks from climate change and water scarcity, which are currently underpriced in securities markets. It highlights that listed coal reserves exceed scientific carbon budgets and that water scarcity poses significant operational risks to water-intensive sectors. The document recommends a shift toward low-carbon and water-responsible investments, calling for regulatory interventions to create investment-grade green financial products and mandatory ESG disclosures to avoid stranded assets and systemic market shocks.

The National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2011-12 details the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI). Key trends include a 30% increase in registered EMIs, a significant rise in Section 24G administrative fines, and a focus on combating rhino poaching. The report provides detailed statistics on criminal dockets, convictions, and industrial inspections, while highlighting landmark court cases and capacity-building efforts for inspectors and prosecutors.

Mozambique possesses significant hydropower, natural gas, and coal potential, yet over 80% of its population lacks grid connectivity, relying instead on traditional biomass. The report details the country's transition from a centralized socialist economy to a liberalized market, highlighting the role of the 1997 Electricity Act in opening the sector to private investment. It examines the functions of key entities like Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) and the National Energy Fund (FUNAE), while outlining strategic goals to increase electrification rates to 20% by 2020 and leverage regional power demand through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

The report examines the experiences of South African companies operating in Mali, noting that while the country is a democratic success story with strong economic growth, significant practical barriers exist. South African investment is heavily concentrated in gold mining and energy, contributing substantially to Mali's GDP and state revenue. However, investors face challenges including a complex tax system, weak judicial infrastructure, poor transport logistics due to Mali's landlocked position, and a lack of skilled labour. The document recommends structural reforms in taxation, labour law, and infrastructure to attract more diversified foreign investment.

The report examines the impact and challenges of South African investment in Mali, noting that while the country offers political stability and significant gold mining opportunities, investors face severe bureaucratic, legal, and infrastructural hurdles. South African firms, particularly in gold mining, have significantly boosted Mali's GDP and state revenues, but struggle with a complex tax system, an inefficient judiciary, and a lack of skilled local labor. The document highlights the case of the Syama gold mine to illustrate the environmental and social risks of mine closures. It recommends that the Malian government modernize its tax and labor laws and that the South African government provide better diplomatic and commercial support for its firms in the region.

The Hendrina Power Station Consolidated Life-ex Report evaluates the technical condition of various plant systems to determine the requirements for extending the station's operational life to 2025. The report identifies critical failures in turbine auxiliaries, pump casings, electrical motors, and ash disposal facilities, while noting that many systems can operate until 2025 provided that maintenance backlogs are addressed and specific component replacements are executed.

This report section provides a detailed technical assessment of the equipment and infrastructure at Hendrina Power Station, specifically evaluating the feasibility and requirements for a 10% capacity increase. It identifies critical components that would fail under increased load—including generators, MV motors, and various pumps—and recommends extensive replacements, upgrades, and maintenance strategies to enable higher output.

The document analyzes the role of renewable energy in the Southern African mining sector, highlighting how energy instability and the high cost of diesel generators drive mining firms toward hybrid and private renewable solutions. While South Africa faces challenges from a reliance on coal and potential 'bridging' fuels like shale gas and nuclear power, the declining cost of solar and wind technologies, supported by the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPPP), offers a viable path to reduce operating costs and increase energy security.

The report identifies an investible renewable energy market in South Africa of R161.2 billion across 12.9 GW of capacity by 2030. It highlights two primary investment areas: large-scale solar PV, wind, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) targeting the private wheeling market, and behind-the-meter (BTM) solar PV and BESS for commercial and industrial users. Key drivers include electricity price instability, decarbonisation pressures from international regulations like the EU's CSRD, and energy security needs. However, the market faces significant barriers, most notably severe grid connection constraints in high-resource zones and a lack of standardised municipal wheeling frameworks. The report also notes the transition toward a competitive South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM) and the introduction of the Independent Transmission Infrastructure Procurement Programme (ITIPP) to attract private capital for grid expansion.

South Africa's carbon-intensive export model is increasingly vulnerable as 78% of its exports are sold to countries with net zero targets. The report highlights acute risks in the basic metals, automotive, and agricultural sectors due to high embodied CO2 emissions compared to global competitors. While the EU's CBAM and shifting US trade policies pose immediate threats, South Africa's reserves of critical minerals and renewable energy potential offer a strategic path toward 'carbon competitiveness'. The report argues that success depends on decarbonising the national electricity grid, implementing the Climate Change Act 2024, and securing international support through the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

The research paper assesses the capacity of the South African state to implement a just energy transition (JET), concluding that current state capacity is low due to a reliance on top-down, 'tick-box' public participation rather than genuine co-production. It defines a 'transition effective state' as one capable of identifying and solving community-priority problems through collaborative, context-specific processes. Fieldwork in Mpumalanga reveals that critical issues—such as the informal economy's dependence on coal, water rights, and the loss of corporate social investment services—remain invisible in national policies. The author recommends developing detailed guidelines for co-production and applying them to specific gaps in the JET framework to build legitimacy and ensure social equity.

The report outlines the transition of South Africa's automotive industry toward electric vehicles, highlighting key opportunities in public transport, micro-mobility, private passenger vehicles, and lithium-ion cell manufacturing. It emphasizes the pressure from the European Union's 2035 ban on internal combustion engine vehicles to drive local production and the role of South Africa's mineral reserves in the battery value chain.