SESSION 1

TIPS Annual Forum 2023: Industrial Policy in an era of global structural change: Implications for Southern Africa

Moderator: Gillian Chigumira (TIPS)

Speakers:

Nishal Robb: Domestic economic trends

Saul Levin presenting on behalf of Neva Makgetla: The political economic context for industrial policy

Itumeleng Mokoena: Trends in the global political economy and trade

Muhammed Patel presenting on behalf of Nokwanda Maseko: The climate crisis

Background

The past 15 years have seen far-reaching structural changes that have affected how we approach industrial policy. The global financial crisis shook financial markets and set off a multi-year recession that caused significant job losses, with a lasting impact on South Africa. International trade stagnated in constant dollar terms from 2010, in the biggest slowdown since World War II. Concurrently, as a result of the favourable cost of financing in the decade that followed, countries in the Global South significantly increased their borrowing from financial markets and international lenders, leaving them exposed to external shocks when the world economy contracted during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the climate emergency has begun to have devastating impacts across the globe, including deepening droughts and floods across Southern Africa. Efforts to internalise these costs nationally and internationally have placed immense pressure especially on energy systems and are affecting trade. These disruptions have wider implications for industrial policy.

TIPS is partnering with, and receiving financial support for the Forum from, the DSI/NRF South African Research Chair in Industrial Development (SARChI) based at the University of Johannesburg. The Forum was undertaken in association with the Department of Trade Industry and Competition (the dtic)

Further information about the speakers and the event can be found here:
http://forum.tips.org.za/