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From the Editor’s Desk
Coalitions of Necessity
The 2021 local government elections (LGEs) were remarkable for many reasons, none more significant than the birth of an era where the African National Congress (ANC) exists with less than 50...
The 2021 LGE voter turnout marks a shift in our political culture that is likely to impact our political stability
The 2021 Local Government Elections (LGE) took place against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw electioneering activities severely constrained due to the ongoing state of disaster –...
Emerging Tensions in the African Continental Free Trade Area
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the most ambitious regional integration initiatives taking place in the world today. Full implementation is still at least a decade away...
Making Local Government Coalitions Work
The 2021 Local Government Elections are testament to the success of the initial purpose of proportional representation in our electoral system. The objective was to ensure that numerous smaller...
LGE votes counted as SA politics enters a period of testing coalitions
As the IEC announced the final election results, South Africans reflected on the outcomes: whether their candidate or party of choice saw the results they were hoping for, whether their protest...
What we need for truly inclusive elections in South Africa
Rafia Akram and Maymoona Chaugley For many, heading out to cast our vote may seem like a standard process with the only concern being who to vote for. For others, there is unsaid complexity that...
The heritage of looting
My 27th birthday, this year, like last year’s 26th, was spent under lockdown. Unlike last year, however, the lockdown under which I found myself extended further than that related to the...
ConCourt vs. IEC: A glimpse into the growing pains of democracy
COVID-19 has been a catalyst for change across multiple dimensions through which human civilisations have come to function. Some of these could not have been anticipated before 2020; in many...
SA’s trade cognitive dissonance
As governments all over the world go through the final stages of ebb and flow on opening and closing their economies, South Africa seems to be keeping pace with the global recovery. Merchandise...
SMEs and women-led businesses must leverage the benefits of the AfCFTA
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was formed with the intention of boosting intra-African trade to accelerate growth and facilitate investment on the continent. This was done with...
A natural transition to gas – reflections from the Africa Energy Indaba
Anna Ngarachu I attended the annual Africa Energy Indaba, two weeks back, which brought together key experts from private and public sectors and other interested participants to talk about the...
South Africa on Regional Integration and Trade in the Era of COVID-19: Localisation vs regional value chains
Thabelo Muleya The Covid-19 pandemic has been the most fundamental disruption to economic activity in a century, introducing huge challenges for the South African economy, regional value chains,...
Taking stock. One year of pandemic economics
Heinrich Krogman Before the virus arrived in South Africa the major concern was how Chinese restrictions would affect global markets; trying to figure out which value chains would be affected by...
Trade and investment’s role in Africa’s post-COVID recovery
Older than modern civilisation, the concept of ‘globalisation’ really came into vogue around the turn of the millennium with what the Economist[1] refers to as the “sudden increase in the...
It’s time to willingly take the red pill
The post-2009 era is characterised by several events that include the Zuma-era patronage, consistent - sometimes late-night - cabinet reshuffles, the State Capture years, crumbling state...
