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JUST SA North West - Nosisi du Toit · TIPS Podcast

• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies official podcast, Tips Talk.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: The show where we delve into the fascinating world of economics and its impact on global development.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Ndomisha Balala, and today we are asking why it is important for local and provincial government officials in the Northwest to understand the impacts of climate change and the imperative to decarbonize our economy as well as make that transition just.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: We find ourselves in Rastenberg today to see how government officials can turn policy into action.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_02: Today we have a special guest with us, Aus and Gnosis C.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_02: Dodoit.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: It is a great pleasure to have you on our podcast today.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: Before we start our discussion around the just transition, could you introduce yourself and tell us about the work that you're currently doing?
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Gnosis Detoit from Rastenberg.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: I work as a researcher at Northwest Development Corporation, which is an investment promotion agency for the Northwest.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: What we do is to package the Northwest as a preferred destination for investment.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: And also part and parcel of my work from the research desk.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's mainly your desktop research.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: And we work closely with universities, with your status A, collating data on socioeconomic variables.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: And as and when we gather this information, it forms part and parcel of how we package the Northwest, how we sell it in terms of opportunities in mining, in manufacturing, and other like agro processing.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: And part and parcel of my work also is to put my ear on the ground, working very closely with the DECO, with DECO, that is on bilateral trade agreements signed between South Africa and other countries, because we sell the province.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: So it is important that we know in terms of the trade and investment perspective, what is it that is being done nationally so that we align our strategies.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for that.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, after the intensive two-day training on just transition and the green economy, what would you say stood out for you?
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: What was your key takeaway?
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: My key takeaway basically was the reality about South Africa energy transition.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: And also that this transition is about the people, not the climate, the livelihoods, the value chains thereof.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: And also what stood out for me was the fact that in terms of a just transition, it's not only about closing the coal plants, it's about restructuring the local economies.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: And what I've picked up as well yesterday was also the impact that it has on the province.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not like all the provinces are going to be affected equally, according to this just transition, because you have your coal-dependent provinces.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: You cannot compare them to Northwest, Eastern Cape, you see.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: So it that stood out for me.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: And in terms of the provinces, it was indicated that as provinces, we should start to come up with our provincial strategies on just transition, not only relying on the national framework.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_02: No, thank you so much for that.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, going back to the office, you know, looking at your own work, how would you infuse these policies into what you're doing?
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: In terms of how to infuse the policies in what we are doing in our research unit, it is important that we wear the lens in terms of the technical studies that we might undertake or undertake, we must begin to wear the lens of who benefits, who loses in this, and who is excluded, and also who is a decision maker.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: I can make an example of a mind closure.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: If a mind closes, so it means the workers and the SMMEs are the ones who are going to bother brand.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and you know, looking at your province, what would you say is the biggest opportunities or challenges in advancing a just transition?
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: Looking at my province, I would say the challenges are that the just transition is largely dominated by big corporates in terms of green procurement.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: And the black SMMEs only come up as subcontractors.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I also see exclusion in terms of white women-owned firms.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: I see they're being excluded in terms of participating in capital-intensive projects.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: And in terms of the opportunities that I can say that I see an opportunity is for the Northwest to begin to do their, come up with green economic hubs and reskill people accordingly.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: And just to maybe to sum it up, my personal feeling in terms of just transition, I believe in the energy mix.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: I believe in the energy mix because of we cannot leave out the hydrogen and the nuclear energy from participating in this space.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Not long ago, my younger sister, where she works, we all know that the crow mines have been affected.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Just a stone throw away from where we stay in Cavani.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: The furnace has been closed, the smelters are closing down, over 2,000 job losses.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: This is one of the biggest areas in terms of the Northwest, in terms of especially Rastenberg, in terms of we are the biggest PGM producers in the world.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: We produce over 70% of platinum group metal.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: So you can just understand that a lack of energy will retard growth.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: So we cannot only rely on renewable energy through solar and wind, because solar and wind cannot power the smelters.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: We can see the reality.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: So the base load in terms of the fossil fuels, yes, gradually the government has pronounced on that, but we should also, you know, see how do we then include your hydrogen and the nuclear energy.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for sharing your insights today.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_02: On, you know, it's very important to look at the energy mix and also looking at who is really impacted in the just transition.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_02: It's been a great pleasure to have you on our podcast, and we really hope our listeners walk away with new ideas and inspiration for their own regions and work.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_02: Once again, thank you.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you, Galibu.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: That brings us to the end of today's episode.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: A huge thank you once again to our guests for sharing their expertise and their time with us and also for attending this training.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: We hope that they'll continue to champion the mandate of greening the economy in a just and equitable way.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: And to our listeners, your support means the world to us.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for joining the Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies official podcast.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: And remember, sustainable growth is not just a goal, but a path to a more resilient and prosperous future.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: Don't forget to subscribe, like, leave a review, and connect with us on social media.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, I'm Dom Bishabalala signing in.