Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI)

08/09/2026

Report | Security of Land Tenure in Southern Africa: Unregistered land rights in Namibia

PARI’s new report from the Land Governance programme gives an overview of the state of unregistered land rights in Namibia, looking to improving land governance and sustainable development in Southern Africa. The paper provides evidence and a basis for lobbying and advocacy by CSOs, communities and policymakers seeking to secure land rights in Southern Africa.

🔗 Read the full report:

Land rights are the legally or socially recognised entitlements which individuals or groups access, possess, use, transfer and exercise in various ways on land and land-based natural resources. Unregistered land rights are the rights people hold on land that has not been formally recorded in the gov...

07/09/2026

A look back at PARI’s Just Transition podcast from earlier this year.
If you missed it, take a moment to listen and catch up on the conversation here: 🔗 https://pari.org.za/podcast-just-access-the-real-transition/

04/09/2026

Bridget Masinga (SAfmRadio) spoke to PARI researcher Kate Tissington about wards and the role of councillors in the upcoming election and the importance of local government as the space where citizens directly intersect with local government.

🗣️ Listen to the full interview here:

GUEST: Kate Tissington - Senior Researcher at the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI)

03/09/2026

PARI researcher, Waseem Holland, interrogates anti-immigration electioneering and how it reflects the failure of a nation-building project, in this months blog.

"Within progressive circles, anti-immigration is claimed to be a symptom of state failure. This is true! But the question is, why are people’s righteous anger directed towards the poor and vulnerable, and not the state?

The mainstream anti-immigrant current reflects a failure not only of state capabilities but nation-building as well. The strategic decision by political parties to use it as an electioneering tool, points to a profound crisis of party politics in South Africa. Parties seemingly lack imagination and the creativity to speak to the material conditions of voters and thus lazily resort to cheap tricks to communicate with a disillusioned electorate."

🔗 Read the full blog:

Image: Wikimedia Commons By Waseem Holland The pervasiveness of anti-immigration sentiment and rhetoric in South Africa reflects the failure of a nation-building project. In difficult material conditions, where structural transformation is wilfully not pursued, appealing to the notion of the nation,...

02/09/2026

Hydration Station

As Mpumalanga’s older coal-fired power stations are decommissioned over the coming decades, there’s an opportunity to transform the province’s water security and fortify the Just Energy Transition. 'The Water Dividend' is a new report from PARI.

Read 'The Water Dividend': https://pari.org.za/report-the-water-dividend-reallocating-water-from-coal-fired-power-plants-and-coal-mines/

25/08/2026

Report | The Water Dividend: Reallocating water from coal-fired power plants and coal mines

Multiple policies and plans have been developed under South Africa’s JET to diversify the local economy and to create new employment and livelihood opportunities. This research report sets out an additional pathway whereby the intended socioeconomic benefits of the JET could be delivered, by repurposing the water infrastructure and bulk water allocations currently used by coal-fired stations and coal mining to support a wide range of new equitable development initiatives.

Much has been said about expected impacts of the JET in South Africa on coal revenues, workers and communities. In contrast, very little has been said about the role of water in the JET and water allocation is an area that has so far not appeared in the national and provincial dialogues on the just transition. However, it is a crucial element of distributive justice – communities, farmers and small businesses all stand to lose out if existing water supply fails as Eskom and major mining companies leave the area and if their needs are not considered in future water allocations.

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the water use, water allocations, water efficiency and water governance in Mpumalanga’s coal region, and explores the potential establishment of a new water utility to support the JET, by making that water available to address shortfalls in specific areas, leveraging the existing Eskom water infrastructure.

Read the full report here: https://pari.org.za/report-the-water-dividend-reallocating-water-from-coal-fired-power-plants-and-coal-mines/

24/08/2026

PARI’s report, ‘Powering Development: A Pathway to Integrating Rooftop Solar PV into Municipal Electricity Distribution’, reveals an untapped opportunity for SA municipalities to save billions in bulk electricity purchases every year. Solar panels and battery systems installed by residents and businesses offer paid-for, much-needed infrastructure that municipalities should incentivise, not penalise.

Read the report here: https://pari.org.za/report-powering-development-a-pathway-to-integrating-rooftop-solar-pv-into-municipal-electricity-distribution/

21/08/2026

The South African government has proposed an increase in Free Basic Electricity (FBE) from 50kWh to between 200kWh and 300kWh.

“The 50kWh allocation was set more than two decades ago, and electricity consumption has since increased significantly, a point the minister acknowledged. According to Kleynhans, Dr Tracy Ledger from the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) did interesting work on the topic and has lobbied for around 350kWh per month, making a strong case that this shift is necessary.”

Read more about the affordability of basic services here: https://pari.org.za/report-affordability-of-basic-services-for-south-african-households/

https://www.citizen.co.za/business/more-free-electricity-but-who-will-pay-for-it/

By Tracy Ledger, with Nonhalanhla Mathibela South Africa is characterised by high poverty and high inequality. More than half of all households live below the upper bound poverty line and 40 per cent of households live below the lower bound poverty line . Most concerning is that 25 per cent live bel...

21/08/2026

In yesterday’s JHB Urban Crisis Seminar, Dale T. McKinley presented the work of Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX), highlighting the growing mainstreaming of xenophobic mobilisation, including the targeting of informal traders, intimidation of migrant communities and the spread of misinformation where migrants are often blamed for deeper crises of unemployment, service delivery and governance as a result of state failure.

Discussant Obvious Katsaura reflected on South Africa as a society at war with itself, with unresolved pain and tensions from the past. The discussion from the floor highlighted the need to distinguish between South Africans being “xenophobic” and the presence of anti-immigrant sentiment, noting that xenophobic movements do not necessarily represent broad-based support across South African society.

Gauteng City-Region Observatory SWOP - The Society, Work & Politics Institute

21/08/2026

PODCAST | EPISODE 9: Women's Role In South African Democratic Journey.

PARI's Executive Director, Sithembile Mbete, speaks to Kea Ncube on the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) podcast about the powerful role women continue to play in South Africa’s democracy and the power of participation where every vote in a proportional representation system makes a difference.

▶️ Watch Episode 9 on YouTube:

🎙️ IEC PODCAST | EPISODE 9: SOUTH AFRICA’S DEMOCRACY STANDS ON WOME...