Background
South Africa’s green transition is unfolding amid pressure to decarbonise, restore energy security, create jobs and rebuild industrial capacity. Green technologies can help by expanding cleaner energy, supporting new industrial activity, improving resource efficiency and creating higher-value employment. Yet the country has limited domestic capability in many of the technologies required and therefore depends heavily on international technology transfer. Trade and foreign investment are key channels through which firms can access equipment, knowledge and production capabilities, learn from international partners and develop local supply chains. These flows have not consistently delivered deeper capability. Much activity remains concentrated in imported finished products, foreign-financed infrastructure and basic assembly, with limited transfer of know-how, research capability and technology ownership. South Africa’s intellectual property system also provides insufficient support for domestic firms, universities and innovators seeking to protect and commercialise green technologies. Persistent gaps remain in local manufacturing, research and development, high-skill employment, intellectual property creation and domestic control over key technologies.However, current trade and investment flows have not consistently delivered these outcomes. Much activity is concentrated in imported finished products, foreign-financed infrastructure and basic assembly. This has resulted in limited transfer of know-how, research capability and technology ownership. South Africa’s intellectual property system also provides insufficient support for domestic firms, universities and innovators seeking to protect and commercialise green technologies. As a result, persistent gaps remain in local manufacturing, R&D, high-skill employment, intellectual property creation, and domestic control over key technologies.
The Event
Against this background, Rabia Transitions Initiative, in partnership with the African Policy Research Institute (APRI), is convening a virtual validation workshop on green technology transfer in South Africa. The workshop will bring together policymakers, firms, investors, researchers, universities, innovators and civil-society organisations to test and strengthen findings from two papers on green-technology trade, foreign direct investment and intellectual property. A short presentation and plenary clarification discussion will be followed by three concurrent breakout sessions on green-technology trade and transfer quality; foreign direct investment and transfer quality; and intellectual property, local innovation and technology ownership. Participants will assess whether the papers accurately capture how trade, investment and intellectual-property regimes shape the depth and quality of technology transfer. The discussion will identify evidence gaps, refine findings and policy recommendations and generate practical inputs for phase two of the research, including priority data sources, case studies, stakeholder contacts and feasible follow-up fieldwork.
