Assessing opportunities and constraints related to different models for supplying wind turbines to the South African wind energy industry

We explore the opportunities and constraints in the development of a localised wind energy industry in South Africa by analysing four wind energy projects representing different models of wind turbine production as suggested by Lewis and Wiser. We find that each model has strategic challenges and opportunities, and that particularly in the early growth stage of the industry the ‘turbine assembly’ model (with low levels of local content) has important risk and financing advantages. With regard to broader socio-economic impacts, however, we confirm the expectation that the ‘full turbine manufacturing’ model (with high levels of local content) has a significantly higher job creation potential. In terms of resulting policy implications, we support local content requirements, but emphasise the need for a strategic, phased approach to the development of industry clusters, with support not only to power producers and manufacturers, but also their domestic suppliers.     

An Index‐Based Model for Determining the Investment Benchmark of Renewable Energy Projects in South Africa

In a globalised world, financial markets observe the optimal level of asset allocation and returns based on risk inherent in the economies. Whether public or private investors, they need to have an optimal return on their investment given the finite resources. In relatively new sectors like grid‐connected renewable energy, many investors face difficulty in assessing proper return, making them more averse to financing such projects, affecting transborder project development opportunities. In developing countries like South Africa, which has tremendous potential for renewable energy projects, an arbitrary choice of the required rate of return for project evaluations can negatively affect funding decisions. This paper explores an index‐based model to make fair estimates of the required equity benchmark internal rate of return (IRR) using financial markets observation for renewable energy projects in South Africa. The index‐based model is parsimonious and captures common macroeconomic factors. More specifically, it provides a simple and effective mechanism to calculate IRR for renewable energy projects given different gestation periods.     

Localisation barriers to trade: The case of South Africa’s renewable energy independent power program

South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Projects Procurement Program (REIPPPP) has been hailed as one of the most successful programmes of its kind, contracting 92 renewable energy projects totalling 6 328 MW and US$20.5 billion since its inception in 2011. Despite this success, the programme’s use of non-price factors such as local jobs, local black ownership, local content, and local community ownership in bid evaluation has generated criticism and controversy. Lessons learned in other countries about how and when to use policies like import substitution to promote sustainable economic development seem not to have been fully incorporated by the REIPPPP. We therefore offer a cautionary note that dramatic and impressive localisation results are not inevitable – especially considering the size of the South African market and accompanying investment uncertainties – and that there is bound to be a trade-off between price and non-price factors in these kinds of competitive procurement programmes.     

The development status of women in South Africa: Patterns and progress in the provinces

The development status of women in South Africa declined between 1996 and 2001. This study examined whether the decline was pervasive throughout the nine provinces, and whether any development patterns were apparent among the provinces. The findings revealed that women had lost ground across the board, both in absolute terms and relative to men. They also showed that certain ranking patterns prevailed among the nine provinces and, notably, that women in provinces with pre-existing poor development statuses may also be predisposed to a poor development status relative to men. This double burden may translate into a perpetuation of poverty for women who find themselves in these provinces.     

Decentralisation of competencies and local development agencies in North-Eastern Italy

Despite the economic success of north-eastern Italy, some of its areas, such as those closest to the Adriatic coast, are still experiencing difficulties in industrialisation. Since the 1960s, some development policies have been implemented to stimulate economic restructuring. After the disappointing performance of centrally planned initiatives, most development policies are now the responsibility of local authorities. In fact, institutional and constitutional reforms have increased the competencies and the autonomy of lower levels of government, which have also been allowed greater responsibility in development initiatives. The establishment of development agencies is therefore increasingly left to local collective action.¹ This paper examines the effectiveness of such bottom-up initiatives driven by local institutions, and attempts to identify the best forms and the best regulatory framework for such activities.     

Coping with climate change in Africa: an analysis of local interpretations in Eastern Cape,SA

The emissions of greenhouse gases together with other anthropogenic activities has caused a change in global climatic conditions with corresponding negative effects on agricultural productivity, biodiversity and other socio-economic indices. Studies reveal that the impacts of climate change are felt most severely by the vulnerable, who have fewer adaptive capacities. In Africa, for example, little is known about local narratives on the ‘causes’ of climate change, and how such narratives influence climate change coping and adaptation strategies in specific local settings. Where do the ‘local’ and the ‘global’ intersect in the search for effective coping measures – and do they? Using a qualitative approach, this paper reveals how local conceptions of climate change appear to be rooted in ‘politics’ and spiritual forces. The paper highlights not only the major points of divergence between local interpretations and ‘Western’ conceptions about climate change, but also important areas of convergence between the two ideational domains.     

The relationship between financial sector development and savings mobilisation in South Africa: An empirical study

This article examines the link between financial sector development and savings mobilisation in South Africa for the period 1980–2012. Taking the life-cycle hypothesis as our theoretical background and using Johansen co-integration that allows for hypothesis testing, the empirical results revealed a long-run relationship between savings, interest rates and financial sector development. We find an inverse relationship between the interest rate and savings, implying that South Africans are net borrowers because the income effect overwhelms the substitution effect. This in part explains the low level of savings in recent time. Important policy lessons for boosting the national savings rate are discussed.     

Market-based incentives in South Africa and Zambia: A comparative analysis of the clean development mechanism

The clean development mechanism (CDM) is intended to serve as a market-based incentive that is both efficient and cost-effective for eligible developing countries. The analysis contained in this article explores why, in theory, such an attractive incentive opportunity has been so under-utilised in sub-Saharan Africa. The paper compares the experience of the CDM in South Africa and Zambia. These two Southern African countries were selected because of their varying levels of statehood, South Africa being an emerging, middle-income economy while Zambia is classified as a least developed country. General challenges affecting the CDM were identified in the literature to be awareness, capacity, eligibility and access to finance. The paper then compares how these overarching issues specifically impact the CDM experience in South Africa and Zambia. The paper finds that common complexities relating to the CDM have varying implications for eligible host countries at different levels of statehood.     

广东省能源问题及其对工业发展的影响

文章阐述了广东省能源问题及能源问题对广东工业发展的影响,分析了广东省存在的能源问题,强调能源问题对广东工业可持续发展的制约作用。     

Tourism and regional development: The case of South Africa's distressed areas

Uneven development is a long-established feature of South Africa's space economy. Recent policy initiatives have been launched for tourism to be a vehicle for regional development. Against the background of international debates about tourism and regional development, this article examines the tourism economy of South Africa's 23 priority development districts or distressed areas that are the current focus of national policy to redress uneven development. The nature and growth of tourism occurring in these areas is shown to be primarily domestic tourism and concentrated upon visiting friends and relatives travel. The prospects for regional development ultimately hinge upon leveraging potential assets for leisure tourism. Key challenges for incipient tourism-led regional development in South Africa are identified.     

Promoting alignment between innovation policy and inclusive development in South Africa

Innovation for inclusive development (IID) is widely promoted as a policy objective in the global South, but the challenge is that there is little design and implementation of context-appropriate instruments and incentives. One critical foundation is network alignment – that innovation policy should be aligned with the goals and strategies of government departments responsible for promoting inclusive development (Von Tunzelmann, N, 2007. Approaching network alignment. Draft Paper for the U-Know Consortium: Understanding the relationship between knowledge and competitiveness in the enlarging European Union). The paper contributes by using qualitative analysis software to analyse the nature of shared policy goals and instruments in South Africa, and assess how these can be aligned with each other and with the goals of IID. Three main spaces for policy intervention are identified, to promote IID in a way that goes beyond the aspirational and the rhetorical. Such analysis of formal policy does not take into account the political will, capabilities and resources for implementation, but it does provide a systematic evidence base to effect strategic change.     

Corporate social responsibility,mining and sustainable development in Namibia: Critical reflections through a relational lens

For its advocates, corporate social responsibility (CSR) represents a powerful tool through which business and particularly multinationals can play a more direct role in global sustainable development. For its critics, however, CSR rarely goes beyond business as usual, and is often a cover for business practices with negative implications for communities and the environment. This paper explores the relationship between CSR and sustainable development in the context of mining in Namibia. Drawing upon extant literatures on the geographies of responsibility, and referencing in-country empirical case-study research, a critical relational lens is applied to consider their interaction both historically and in the present.     

金融危机对能源发展的影响及我国的应对策略

金融危机的爆发使得全球能源产业格局发生了重要变化,对全球能源新秩序产生了巨大影响。本文分析了金融危机对能源发展的影响及呈现的新特征,在此基础上提出我国的应对策略。     

区域经济发展与能源结构的关系研究——引入能源安全及环境因素

能源结构对于区域经济发展具有极其重要的意义。在回顾了能源消费与经济发展关系的研究成果的基础上,提出了必须结合能源生产结构来综合研究两者的关系,并进一步建立了引入能源安全因素和环境因素的能源与经济之间的数量模型。     

山东省海洋可再生能源产业发展现状与对策研究

在全球能源供需格局变化和国内经济发展新常态背景下,海洋可再生能源的产业化应用作为新动能,将带来新产业、培育新技术,找到新的经济增长点。山东省发展海洋可再生能源产业具备顶层设计优势、技术基础优势、人才优势,但仍在存在产业发展环境不优越、自主创新能力不足、基础服务业欠发达等亟待突破的问题。结合优势和问题,从细化顶层设计、强化要素集聚、建立支撑与服务保障体系等方面提出了对策建议。     

Economic Development and South Africa: 25 Years Analysis (1994 to 2019)

Economic Development highlights the growth and progression of every nation towards prosperity, and South Africa is not an exception to this phenomenon. Present article reviews economic progression in South Africa for last 25 years of time by applying systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis (1,241 articles) on Scopus extracted database (1994 to 2019; until 06 June). Inferences evidence significant work contributed by top universities, authors, funding sources, journals and citation statistics. Noticeably, implementation of a concept solely will not fetch real situation; however, a systematic review extends good to excellent understanding of the considered research agenda. Findings reveal the contradictory inter-connectivity of Cluster 1 Economic Inequality and Poverty, Cluster 2 Developing Country and Corruption and Cluster 6 Economic Development and Economic Policy. It is very important to understand that if a nation is facing economic inequality, corruption, and poverty; how it can achieve the status of economically developed nation. Identification of Cluster 3 Industrialization and Industry 4.0, Cluster 4 Unemployment and Entrepreneurship Education and Cluster 5 Sustainable Development and Economic Growth signifies scope of improvement. Conclusively, the researcher has proposed a conceptual model to address above stated concerns.     

Household formation and service delivery in post-apartheid South Africa: Evidence from the Agincourt sub-district 1992–2012

ABSTRACT

South Africa has seen a rapid rate of new household formation since 1994. The same period has also seen an impressive roll-out of housing and services. These interact since new household formation delays the elimination of backlogs. Based on data from the Agincourt study site and a novel decomposition technique we examine the process by which household size has been reduced and suggest that service delivery may actually fuel new household formation.     

Economic and Distributional Impact of COVID-19: Evidence from Macro-Micro Modelling of the South African Economy

A computable general equilibrium model linked to a microsimulation model is applied to assess the potential short-term effects on the South African economy of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With a particular focus on distributional outcomes, two simulations are run, a mild and a severe scenario. The findings show significant evidence of decline in economic growth and employment, with the decline harsher for the severe scenario. The microeconomic results show that the pandemic moves the income distribution curve such that more households fall under the poverty line while at the same time, inequality declines. The latter result is driven by the disproportionate decline in incomes of richer households while the poorest of the poor are cushioned by government social grants that are kept intact during the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is still unfolding and its economic modelling as well as the data used to operationalise the model will need to be updated and improved upon as more information about the disease and the economy becomes available.     

Social assistance and dignity: South African women's experiences of the child support grant

Many women interact with the South African social security system in relation to the Child Support Grant (CSG), which is social assistance payable for children living with low-income caregivers. This paper explores women's accounts of how the CSG serves to protect and respect dignity, a foundational value in the South African Constitution. Drawing from focus groups and in-depth interviews with female CSG recipients of working age, it is argued that whilst the experience of using the CSG does protect dignity in certain important respects, other aspects including the application process, the small amount of the grant and negative discourses associated with the status of being a CSG recipient were experienced by many as erosive of dignity.