The wind energy global value chain localisation and industrial policy failure in South Africa

Author(s):  
Mike Morris ◽  
Glen Robbins ◽  
Ulrich Hansen ◽  
Ivan Nygard
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henri Bezuidenhout ◽  
Sonja Grater ◽  
Ewert P.J. Kleynhans

Orientation: African countries offer many investment opportunities and also urgently need global investment finance. Along the value chains of the agro-industrial sector there are many global challenges for African countries to attract foreign direct investment. This article investigates the investment flows in agro-industries and products to and from South Africa.Research purpose: This study evaluates the nature and dimensions of the agro-industrial sector that receive investment inflows in South Africa, as well as investigating South African investment patterns into Africa.Motivation for the study: Of particular interest is the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) flows, their integration into global value chains and sustainable investment options.Research design, approach and method: Qualitative data and visual techniques using available data for the period 2003–2014 disambiguate the linkages in FDI patterns with regard to regions, industries and specific companies. Flows between regions and the specific companies are identified and studied.Main findings: The results indicate that the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are the largest investors in South Africa, with a strong focus on agricultural input production and subsequent agro-processing industries. South African investment into Africa follows a similar, albeit narrower and more focused, pattern. The study concludes that foreign multinational enterprises are actively involved in global value chain expansion and South African firms are following suit.Practical/managerial implications: The lack of FDI in actual agricultural crop production in Africa offers future investment opportunities.Contribution/value-add: This study creates a better understanding of how FDI in agriculture is linked to the development of regional value chains in the Southern African region. The methodology applies a novel approach to an important field of study, of which little knowledge exists, and may contribute to the creation of wealth in the countries of the region and the welfare of its population.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caio Torres Mazzi ◽  
Gideon Ndubuisi ◽  
Elvis Avenyo

Using the South African Revenue Service and National Treasury firm-level panel data for 2009–17, this paper investigates how global value chain-related trade affects the export performance of manufacturing firms in South Africa. In particular, the paper uses extant classifications of internationally traded products to identify different categories of global value chain-related products and compares the productivity premium of international traders for these different categories. Also, the paper investigates possible differences in learning-by-exporting effects across the identified categories of global value chain-related products by estimating the effect of exporting before and after entry into foreign markets. The results confirm that global value chain-related trade is associated with a higher productivity premium compared with traditional trade. However, within the categories of exporters, only the firms that trade in global value chain-related products and simultaneously engage in research and development in the post-entry periods appear to learn from exporting.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guendalina Anzolin

Natural resources are an important source for development, and Latin America is one of the regions with the highest endowment. This calls for a reconsideration of resource-based development. Ambitious countries are moving toward high-value activities and more diversified economies to continue moving up the development ladder. In this sense, the resurgence of industrial policy can correct market failures and lead to the implementation of mission-oriented policies. This document analyzes opportunities to design and implement integrated policies through a revised taxonomy of mining-related policies, applying it to Australia, South Africa, and Chile. The mining sector has been a fertile field, characterized by high technology niches, growth, and innovation. Demand and supply policies can shape the path for development within the sector and across the economy due to the potential of vertical and horizontal linkages.


2020 ◽  
pp. 102452942097515
Author(s):  
Pamela Mondliwa ◽  
Simon Roberts ◽  
Stefano Ponte

This paper bridges the understanding of power in the global value chain literature and the analysis of market power and barriers to entry in competition economics. It draws on competition economics to provide a better understanding of the ways in which bargaining power between firms shapes patterns of value creation and capture along value chains. It also considers the influence which competition laws have on the conduct of large and powerful firms. Through the case studies of supermarkets and petrochemicals in South Africa, the paper shows how the dominant bargaining power of lead firms owes much to the historical impact of government regulations and industrial policy, including those enforced by competition authorities. We conclude by highlighting that choices regarding the type of competition rules to be adopted have important implications for the ability of supplier firms to build capabilities and to upgrade in value chains.


2021 ◽  
pp. 53-77
Author(s):  
Antonio Andreoni ◽  
Lauralyn Kaziboni ◽  
Simon Roberts

The metals, machinery, and mining equipment industries have been at the heart of South Africa’s industrial ecosystem. Their central position is associated with the long-term importance of mining, with which there are extensive demand- and supply-side linkages. This chapter reviews key turning points in the development and restructuring of these value chains in post-apartheid South Africa, from 1994 to 2019. The overall record is of a basic steel industry that performed better in terms of value added relative to the more diversified downstream industries, despite government industrial policy targeting more labour-intensive downstream industries. The downstream machinery and equipment industry struggled to compete with imports in the 2000s and 2010s and only partially engaged with digitalization. In explaining these developments the grand bargains struck by the state with the main company producing basic steel and the use of procurement as a demand-side industrial policy are critically examined. The chapter also provides micro-level evidence of the evolving relationships between mining houses; engineering, procurement, and construction management services companies; and input suppliers along the value chain. Overall, it is argued that the relatively poor performance of this industry grouping in South Africa has been due to power asymmetries along the value chains, upstream concentration, high levels of fragmentation in the domestic ecosystem, the lack of key institutional ingredients, and poor policy design. Lessons for resource-endowed middle-income countries are discussed, and policy challenges for upgrading and diversification are presented.


2020 ◽  
pp. 83-108
Author(s):  
Moon Hwy-Chang ◽  
Wenyang Yin

Although North Korea is one of the most closed countries in the world, it has long been pursuing international cooperation with other countries in order to upgrade the quality of its film industry to international standards. Preceding studies on this topic have mainly focused on the political influences behind filmmaking in general and very few studies have exclusively dealt with North Korea’s international co-productions. In this respect, in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the internalization strategy of North Korea’s film productions, this paper uses the global value chain as a framework for analysis. This approach helps understand the internationalization pattern of each value chain activity of film co-productions in terms of the film location and the methods for collaborating with foreign partners. By dividing the evolution of North Korea’s international co-productions into three periods since the 1980s, this paper finds that although North Korea has shown mixed results with different aspects of the film value chain, it has generally improved its internationalization over the three periods. This paper further provides strategic directions for North Korea by learning some of the successful Chinese experiences in the film sector regarding collaboration with foreign partners—to foster a win-win situation for all involved parties.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document