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This report examines the financing gap for municipal energy transitions in South Africa, noting that municipalities receive less than 10% of climate finance despite their critical role in the just energy transition (JET). It identifies structural, institutional, and fiscal barriers and proposes four priority reform areas to improve local access to funding.

This case study describes the 'Climate Change Citizenship for a Just Transition in South Africa' (SA Climate Change Champions) project, which aimed to empower youth, women, and communities in the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape to engage with the renewable energy sector and climate policy. Co-funded by the European Union and delivered by GreenCape, the project established climate clubs, facilitated policy dialogues, and provided capacity building to ensure inclusive participation in South Africa's energy transition.

This industry brief by GreenCape explores how Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) can support South Africa's Just Energy Transition (JET). It argues that decentralised, community-driven models can bridge service delivery gaps in energy, water, sanitation, and waste management, particularly in underserved areas and coal-dependent regions like Mpumalanga, to ensure a more inclusive transition to a low-carbon economy.

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.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs provides a framework for South Africa's energy transition by 2050, advocating for a shift from growth-centric economic models toward 'Regenerative Prosperity' and sustainable resource management.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the intersection of global renewable energy goals and South Africa's socio-economic challenges, arguing that a 'Just Energy Transition' requires radical socio-economic transformation, energy democracy, and decentralized governance.

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice critiques the USD 8.5 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) for South Africa, arguing that its reliance on 'de-risking' private finance through Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and blended finance shifts commercial risks to the state while privatising gains. The authors contend that this model threatens to increase energy poverty, worsen the national debt profile, and undermine the localisation of renewable energy manufacturing. The document proposes alternative financing pathways, including the regulation of PPPs, debt cancellation for 'odious debt', climate reparations, and the implementation of allocative green credit policies.

A statement from the Life after Coal Campaign (LAC) and Fair Finance Southern Africa (FFSA) addressed to the South African government and the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) Secretariat. The document demands greater transparency, civil society inclusion, and strict conditions on climate finance to ensure a just transition that prioritizes community needs over corporate or fossil-fuel interests.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs, commissioned by Oxfam South Africa, examines the potential role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in supporting South Africa's transition to cleaner energy. It discusses the IMF's integration of climate risks into its global financial stability mandate and the specific macroeconomic challenges facing South Africa, while cautioning against the IMF's historical policy orthodoxies.

A letter from the Life after Coal Campaign (LAC) and the Fair Finance Coalition South Africa (FFCSA) to the South African government requesting transparency and civil society involvement in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and the work of the Presidential Climate Finance Task Team.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines South Africa's transition from a secret apartheid-era nuclear weapons programme to a state committed to nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. It details the country's normative frameworks, governance structures, and the challenges facing its nuclear energy expansion plans, including the legacy of state capture during the Zuma presidency and the current cautious approach under President Cyril Ramaphosa.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines how regional integration, specifically through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and a strategic partnership with the European Union can accelerate the transition to green energy in Africa. It identifies significant energy deficits and systemic constraints—including finance, technical capacity, and domestic policy—that hinder progress, arguing that a regional approach can overcome the limitations faced by individual nation-states.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the opportunities and constraints of transitioning to low-carbon energy in Africa, focusing on West Africa and Nigeria. It argues that while the continent has vast renewable potential, progress is hindered by fragmented governance, inadequate investment, and a lack of coordination between niche projects and national grids.

This 2010 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the tensions between South Africa's reliance on coal for energy security and its commitments to climate change mitigation. It analyzes the dominance of the state utility Eskom, the challenges of transitioning to a low-carbon economy, and the potential for regional energy cooperation within Southern Africa to diversify the electricity supply mix.

This document is a Request for Quotation (RFQ) issued by GreenCape for a service provider to conduct project close-out evaluations for an intervention titled "Active climate change citizenship for a just transition in South Africa." The project, co-financed by the European Union, aims to empower citizens, women, and youth to participate in democratic processes regarding climate mitigation and adaptation, specifically within the renewable energy sector.

This research paper analyzes the role of green skills development and social protection in Brazil and South Africa as they pursue carbon neutrality by 2050. It compares South Africa's Just Energy Transition Partnership (JET-P) and its struggle with coal dependency and structural unemployment against Brazil's established renewable energy sector and its challenges with labor market informality. The paper argues that a just transition requires coordinated national strategies, robust investment in vocational training, and the integration of social protection programs with environmental sustainability goals.

This research paper argues that South Africa and the European Union (EU) should deepen their strategic interdependence in critical minerals to navigate geopolitical uncertainties and avoid the 'blackmailing logic' of mineral-for-security deals. It highlights the complementary nature of their economies, the EU's financial commitments to South Africa's energy transition, and the need to reconcile the EU's desire for strategic autonomy with South Africa's goal of domestic value addition.

African Civil Society Organisations are calling on the South African G20 Presidency to lead a justice-driven energy transition by prioritizing value-addition and beneficiation of critical minerals within the Global South. The group advocates for people-centred governance, including Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), transformed industrial financing, and the establishment of a Global Critical Energy Transition Minerals Skills Compact to ensure that the transition addresses inequality and energy poverty in Africa.

This research paper examines the intersection of the G7's climate and energy agendas with South Africa's role as a representative for African interests. It analyzes the outcomes of the Italian G7 presidency, including the Energy for Growth in Africa Initiative and the Mattei Plan, while highlighting tensions over 'green protectionism' and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR-RC).

This policy briefing outlines a strategic framework for South Africa to navigate the geopolitical energy transition by 2050. It advocates for a shift toward complex adaptive systems thinking and the adoption of four strategic priorities: fostering sustainable energy democracies, practicing active non-alignment in diplomacy, challenging 'used energy futures,' and implementing anticipatory energy governance to move beyond growth-centric economic models.