United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), together with its partners, now invites research proposals related to macroeconomic analysis for the Southern Africa Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED) programme. Deadline for submissions is 30 November 2019 23:59 UTC+3
The analysis of firm growth has been a topic of consistent economic interest as a growing body of literature has lent support to the possibility that the majority of growth and new employment creation is the result of a small sub-sector of high-growth firms (HGFs). While this has been demonstrated to be true in some periods in some countries,...
The opportunity for post-graduate students based in South Africa to join SA-TIED's Young Scholars programme will now be accepting applications until 11 October 2019.
UNU-WIDER is looking for an outstanding individual with strong commitment and potential to contribute to the SA-TIED programme. VACANCY CLOSED: 20 October 2019 at 23:59 UTC+3
China’s growing edge in export manufacturing has caused concern for low-income and middle-income countries seeking to develop robust manufacturing sectors. China’s recent transition from an exporter of lower-tech goods, such as garments, to more advanced products, such as components for high-tech products has strengthened these concerns,...
Using firm-level tax administrative data from 2010 to 2017, we study the impact of Chinese import penetration on the performances of manufacturing firms in South Africa, and wheth-er firms investing in capabilities development are more resilient to such competitive pres-sure. Specifically, by instrumenting Chinese import penetration with China’...
In the case of South Africa, there are stark and persistent racial inequalities which are important to consider when analysing differences in the patterns of resource flows between the state and individuals, and between individuals and households. Variations by race in access to jobs, the degree of reliance on social grants, and the share of...
An expert with the SA-TIED programme was interviewed on an eNCA national news broadcast
The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), together with its partners, now invites interested participants to apply for the Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED) Young Scholars programme.
Econ3x3 has published a blog by SA-TIED researchers on their most recent working paper covering poverty, inequality, and the precarity of the middle class in South Africa. The authors, Rocco Zizzamia, Simone Schotte, and Murray Leibbrandt
Murray Leibbrandt, who co-leads the SA-TIED work stream on Turning the tide on inequality, was interviewed by Financial Mail this week for a feature on poverty, inequality, and social mobility in South Africa. He was asked to comment on his recent paper
South Africa is often cited as the most unequal economy in the world. Its experience of having to overcome both colonialism and apartheid makes it unique from the vantage of studies on socioeconomic class, economic mobility, and poverty — with household characteristics like race, gender, and geographical location playing a large role in an...
A working paper from the SA-TIED programme is the basis for an article on the gender wage gap in South Africa.
SA-TIED researchers Njeri Wabiri and David Fadiran will present their recent research on the spatial dynamics of firm-level productivity in South Africa to policy officials. Their research examines the role played by the regional clustering of firms and the resulting impact of agglomeration on employment, productivity, and firm-level success....
Channing Arndt appeared on SABC following a policy workshop in Pretoria on 28-29 August. The national broadcast channel asked Professor Arndt to appear on The Bottom Line to discuss recent research on South Africa’s prospects for a clean energy transition.
South Africa is highly coal and energy-intensive, with an economy characterized by extremely high levels of unemployment and inequality.
The World Bank reports that the world loses US$160 trillion in human capital wealth due to gender wage inequality every year. Inequality is not just an issue of fairness. It is also undesirable because it hampers poverty reduction strategies and leads to suboptimal allocation of resources. In South Africa, where labour market income makes up...
Another working paper from the SA-TIED programme has been the subject of a Financial Mail feature.
In a democratic system, taxation is a critical part of the social contract between the state and its citizens. The tax system can be used to help address the unacceptably high levels of poverty, inequality, and unemployment in South Africa.
Professor Carol Newman presents the research findings of her team's work under the SA-TIED programme on the impact of resource misallocation on total factor productivity within and between firms in South Africa at the University of Pretoria.
Lillian Khumalo, an SA-TIED researcher based at the South African Revenue Services (SARS), will present her scoping study on the current state of tax and taxation policy research in South Africa and will provide insights on the administrative tax data now available to fill gaps in this body of knowledge.
A recent working paper from the SA-TIED programme’s body of new research has been featured in the largest business weekly in South Africa. The Financial Mail’s feature is headlined: “Reserve Bank vindicated — the critics are wrong; the bank is no ‘inflation nutter’”.
As the largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa’s successes and failures spill over into the broader region. Today, as South Africans face high unemployment and a sluggish economy, policymakers are wrestling to create success through solutions that will quell rising public debt, overcome persistent inequality, and stimulate regional...
Since 2007, large and unexpected declines in generation costs for renewable energy systems, particularly solar but also wind, combined with policy measures designed to limit greenhouse gas emissions, have created a paradigm shift in energy systems. Variable renewable energy now dominates total investment in electricity power generation systems...
Southern African countries—mainly Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—account for around a seventh of global production of copper. In the 2010s, they imported over a third of the associated capital goods and components from South Africa. Given this strength, some observers suggest that the South African capital goods industry could...
Regional integration is making steady progress in Southern Africa, leading to the development of regional value chains (RVCs) that could strengthen the competitiveness of the region. Importantly, the development of RVCs also creates pressure for further integration. While integration brings major benefits for the region, these are unevenly...
Wynnona Steyn of the South African Revenue Services presented a recent SA-TIED study at the 7th World Congress of the International Microsimulation Association (IMA) held in Galway, Ireland. Wynnona Steyn is the co-author of SA-TIED Working Paper #30: Modelling Value-added Tax in South Africa.
The aim of this study is twofold. First, it assesses the full South African national policy landscape pertaining to the food system in order to understand policy alignment and coherence across and within sectors. Second, it provides an alternative way to view the South African food system, and correspondingly provides a framing for more...
UNU-WIDER and UNESCAP will hold the annual WIDER Development Conference at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand over three days 11-13 September. The SA-TIED programme will be presenting its work in a panel session for Parallel 7.1, Friday morning, on the conference topic of 'Transforming economies — for better jobs.' The...
The SA-TIED programme will be in Brussels on the 18-19 of June for the European Development Days conference (EDD). The theme of this year’s conference is “Addressing inequalities: Building a world which leaves no one behind.”
SA-TIED researchers from the Energy Research Centre will share the results of their recent research on how to reduce South Africa's greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) affordably.
Large and rapid declines in costs for renewable energy systems, particularly solar and wind power, and efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions are reshaping energy systems globally. Expanding renewable energy systems have great potential to achieve widespread electricity access, improve food security, and reduce emissions.