Research Brief
Can trade in services bolster regional development in Southern Africa?
Service exports are the fastest growing portion of world trade and now account for nearly a quarter of global exports. Tradable services contribute to economic growth and development by bolstering industrial capabilities, facilitating productivity...
Working Paper
Regional and subregional analyses of macroeconomic policy strategies for growth and equality in Southern Africa
We investigate the relevance of beta (β, absolute and conditional) and sigma (σ) convergence in the economies of the Common Monetary Area of Southern Africa and in the provinces of the Republic of South Africa using panel data, allowing an...
Working Paper
The COVID-19 pandemic and the economy in Southern Africa
The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe economic consequences in Southern Africa, resulting in an unprecedented decline in production and employment. Similar policy responses have emerged across the region, centred on temporary and inadequate relief for...
Working Paper
Sources of output growth in the countries of the Common Monetary Area and provinces of South Africa
This paper aims to decompose the sources of growth in economies in the Southern African region’s Common Monetary Area and in the provinces of South Africa. Decomposition results for the Common Monetary Area reveal that the growth of aggregate and...
Working Paper
Learning from experience: Special Economic Zones in Southern Africa
Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have become common across Southern Africa in the past 20 years. In line with experiences in the rest of the world, they have had at best marginal success. Their essential premise is that it should be more efficient and...
Working Paper
The contribution of services to trade and development in Southern Africa
Services are the fastest growing portion of world trade and now account for nearly a quarter of global exports. This presents opportunities for emerging economies to adapt and enter new markets. Many countries in southern Africa have struggled to...
Blog
Addressing poverty and unemployment in South Africa’s townships
by
Mthokozisi Mncedisi Tshuma
July 2023
Nearly half the working-age population and nearly two-thirds of the unemployed live in areas designated as townships under apartheid spatial laws...
Working Paper
Land and agronomic potential for biofuel production in Southern Africa
The Southern African region, from a purely biophysical perspective, has huge potential for biofuel production, especially in Mozambique and Zambia. Although many of the soils are sandy and acidic, with careful management and correct fertilization...
Working Paper
The Southern African poultry value chain
This paper highlights the key strategies, both regional and domestic, that have led to the current structure of the poultry value chain in Southern Africa. While large firm strategies in poultry have been found to be regional in nature, and important...
Working Paper
Options for suitable biofuel farming
Southern African countries’ interest in biofuel is due of its rural development potential. Finding models to optimize this benefit is therefore paramount. High-energy-density crops with low perishability allow farmers to grow small quantities on...
Working Paper
Constraints to biofuel feedstock production expansion in Zambia
World biofuel production has been increasing to improve energy security and mitigate global warming. Southern Africa’s bioenergy demand could increase with South Africa’s planned fuel blending mandates, triggering increased demand for feedstocks and...
Working Paper
Analysis of the animal feed to poultry value chain in Zambia
Rapid population growth, urbanization, and income growth are triggering increased demand for high-value agricultural products across Southern Africa with scope for gains from trade and regional integration. We analyse the animal feed to poultry value...
Working Paper
Understanding intra-regional transport
Efficient transport links are critical to enhancing the integration of markets in Southern Africa. This paper assesses the structure of markets, competition, and prices and costs of road transportation between urban hubs in Malawi, Mozambique, South...
Workshop
Navigating administrative data access: strategies, reasons, and partner perspectives
The United Nations World institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), the National Treasury of South Africa, the Spatial Economic Activity Data South Africa, and the Southern African Towards Economic Development (SA-TIED) programme, with...
Mon, 4 December 2023
–
Fri, 8 December 2023
Stats SA Auditorium,
ISIbalo House, Koch Street; Salvokop ,
Pretoria,
South Africa
Past event
Presentation
SA-TIED research presented at the Finnish Economic Association's 43rd Annual Meeting
On 3 February 2023, UNU-WIDER and SA-TIED researcher Amina Ebrahim will present at the Finnish Economic Association's 43rd Annual Meeting in Espoo, Finland. She will chair the session 'Economics of Development' as well as present her paper 'Income...
Fri, 3 February 2023
Lahti University Campus (Mukkulankatu 19),
Lahti,
Finland
Past event
Workshop
Macro-fiscal analysis and policy modelling
On 22 March, the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) and the National Treasury of South Africa will host a workshop as part of the Southern Africa - Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED)...
Wed, 22 March 2023
Online,
South Africa
Past event
Workshop
Training on Structured Query Language (SQL)
SA-TIED recently organized a comprehensive 3-day training programme on Structured Query Language (SQL) for data developers and research assistants, as well as participants from the National Treasury of South Africa and the South African Revenue...
Wed, 22 March 2023
–
Fri, 24 March 2023
National Treasury of South Africa,
240 Madiba St,
Pretoria,
South Africa
Past event
Workshop
Work-in-progress workshop –SA-TIED workstream 1-3
On the 19th and 20th of April 2023, SA-TIED will host a Work-in-progress author workshop for workstreams 1-3. This workshop is a closed event designed exclusively for authors of commissioned research papers and accepted research proposals from the...
Wed, 19 April 2023
–
Thu, 20 April 2023
Protea Hotel Johannesburg Balalaika Sandton,
Maude St, Sandown, Sandton, 2126,
Johannesburg,
South Africa
Past event
Workshop
SA-TIED workshop: Workstream 5 – WEF in the context of climate change
On 12 May 2023, the Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED) programme will host a work in progress workshop for workstream 5: Food, Energy, and Water in a Context of Climate Change at the Development Bank of South Africa...
Fri, 12 May 2023
Development Bank of Southern Africa,
1258 Lever Rd, Headway Hill, Midrand, 1685,
Pretoria,
South Africa
Past event
Workshop
SA-TIED workshop: Workstream 5 – WEF in the context of climate change
The Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED) programme will host a work-in-progress workshop for Workstream 5: Food, Energy, and Water in a Context of Climate Change at Stellenbosch University. This workshop, scheduled for...
Fri, 10 November 2023
Stellenbosch University,
Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch,
Stellenbosch,
South Africa
Past event
Workshop
Introduction to Spatial Data Using QGIS
On 14 -16 November 2023, SA-TIED will to host a comprehensive training workshop on the "Introduction to Spatial Data Using QGIS” at Statistics South Africa. The training is tailored for SA-TIED programme partners and will be delivered by Dr. Bruno...
Tue, 14 November 2023
–
Thu, 16 November 2023
Stats SA Auditorium,
ISibalo House, Koch Street; Salvokop ,
Pretoria,
South Africa
Past event
News
Visit to National Treasury´s secure facility offers a glimpse into the data supporting policy making in South Africa
On 4 May 2023, representatives from the European Union, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the South African Revenue Services (SARS) visited South Africa's National Treasury (NT) to learn more about the secure data lab there...
Presentation
SA-TIED at the 2023 Nordic Conference in Development Economics
SA-TIED researchers will take part in the Nordic Conference in Development Economics, NCDE 2023, organized by the University of Gothenburg. The event will take place 13-15 June in Gothenburg, Sweden.The NCDE 2023 conference serves as a meeting point...
Tue, 13 June 2023
–
Thu, 15 June 2023
University of Gothenburg,
Universitetsplatsen 1, 405 30 Göteborg,
Sweden
Past event
Presentation
Exploring Localized Impacts of Mining: SA-TIED Paper Presented at the Irish Economics Association Conference
Carol Newman who serves as co-academic lead for SA-TIED´s Workstream 1 on Enterprise development for job creation and growth, presented her paper titled "Spillovers from extractive industries" at the Irish Economics Association conference held in...
Thu, 4 May 2023
–
Fri, 5 May 2023
Sheraton Hotel,
Gleeson St, Athlone, Co. Westmeath,
Athlone,
Ireland
Past event
News
Can grants help combat unemployment? Insight from the SA-TIED and Econ 3x3 policy debate
How do we tackle unemployment in South Africa? Is there a role for well-designed grants to complement active labour-market policies? The second of these questions was the central theme in the first of a series of policy debates in late June hosted...
About
SA-TIED work stream 6: Regional growth for southern Africa’s prosperity
Policy makers face critical decisions regarding a regional economic strategy in southern Africa and this work stream will bring together personnel from UNU-WIDER, the Department of Trade and Industry (dti), and Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies...
Working Paper
Special economic zones and transnational zones as tools for Southern Africa’s growth
The paper evaluates strategies for developing successful special economic zones and transnational zones for Southern African countries to spur growth and employment. Most special economic zones implemented in Southern Africa have largely failed to...
Conference
Growth and development policy – new data, new approaches, and new evidence
Economies in the southern Africa region face thorny challenges when it comes to the transformation of their economies, job creation, and the need to share the benefits of growth. For the past three years, more than 100 researchers have engaged in a...
Wed, 30 November 2016
–
Thu, 1 December 2016
Protea Hotel Fire & Ice!,
213 Thys Street,
Pretoria Menlyn,
South Africa
Past event
Research Brief
Supermarkets and regional growth in Southern Africa
Supermarkets are potential partners in regional industrial development and should be considered in future policy making While the growth of supermarkets in the region has improved competitive pricing and accessibility to a broader range of products...
Working Paper
Identifying growth opportunities in the Southern African Development Community through regional value chains
This paper considers findings of studies analysing the development of a regional animal feed to poultry value chain in southern Africa (Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe). The southern African regional poultry value chain is underdeveloped...
Working Paper
Towards the integration of markets
Rapid urbanization and rising income levels in Southern Africa have increased the consumption of perishable and processed food products. This paper relies primarily on firm-level interview data to assess competition and bottlenecks in transporting...
Working Paper
Institutional arrangements for biofuel feedstock production in Zambia
Given likely increases in biofuel demand across Southern Africa, we identify suitable production models in Zambia for the Southern African market. This is crucial given, on the one hand, the problems of contract failure and transaction costs that...
News
Unlocking data expertise: SA-TIED stata training initiative
The SA-TIED programme, in collaboration with the National Treasury, recently wrapped up an intermediate Stata training course. Held from 29–31 August 2023, this training was exclusively tailored for SA-TIED programme partners, a group that included...
News
Capacity Building for SA-TIED Research assistants
SA-TIED research assistants recently completed the specialised training programme, "Data Wrangling with STATA: How to manage your empirical research project," offered by the University of Cape Town's Southern Africa Labour and Development Research...
Presentation
SA-TIED at the inaugural Public Economics Conference
SA-TIED researcher Mthokozisi Tshuma actively contributed to a panel discussion at the inaugural Public Economics Conference held from 6 – 7 September 2023. The conference aimed to spotlight government’s initiatives to boost job creation and address...
Tue, 6 June 2023
–
Wed, 7 June 2023
Online,
South Africa
Past event
News
SA-TIED hosts special session at ESSA Biennial Conference
SA-TIED hosted a special session at the Economic Society of South Africa's 2023 Biennial Conference, held from the 12th to the 14th of September at the CSIR Convention Centre in Pretoria. This event was a dynamic gathering of economists...
Presentation
Nomvuyo Guma presents key insights on South African economic reforms
Nomvuyo Guma, Chief Director for Microeconomic Policy at the National Treasury, and policy lead on SA-TIED work stream 6 recently presented a research paper at the International Winelands Conference hosted by Stellenbosch University. The conference...
Mon, 16 October 2023
–
Wed, 18 October 2023
The Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS),
10 Marias Rd, Mostersdrift ,
Stellenbosch,
South Africa
Past event
Presentation
Estimating the macroeconomic costs of power outages in South Africa
Richard Kima, a Research Fellow at UNU-WIDER / SA-TIED, will present research at the Academic Seminar Series that will be held on 6 November, 2023 at the University of Pretoria. His paper, "Estimating the Macroeconomic Costs of Power Outages in South...
Mon, 6 November 2023
University of Pretoria,
Lynwood Road,
Pretoria,
South Africa
Past event
Conference
SA-TIED's presence at the Inequality, Work, and Nature Conference
SA-TIED representatives recently participated in the Inequality, Work, and Nature Conference, held on 8 and 9 November 2023. This collaborative effort, led by The Presidency, The EU, and the African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research at the...
Wed, 8 November 2023
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Thu, 9 November 2023
University of Cape Town,
Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700,
Cape Town,
South Africa
Past event
Project workshop
SA-TIED technical workshop on the strengths and limitations of long-term structural models
Mon, 28 November 2022
Development Bank of South Africa Head Office in Midrand,
1258 Lever Rd,
Headway Hill, Midrand,
South Africa
Past event
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