Just Access: The Real Transition

PARI (The Public Affairs Research Institute)

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Just Access: The Real Transition is a documentary-style podcast from PARI (Public Affairs Research Institute) exploring South Africa’s Just Transition through one simple test: access. Access to electricity, water, land, and affordable services — but also access to decision-making, opportunity, and the real benefits of a changing economy.

21 APR

Just Access: The Real Transition - Episode 9: Beyond Green Growth

Just Access: The Real Transition is a 10-part podcast series from PARI (the Public Affairs Research Institute) exploring what a truly just transition means for South Africa, not only in energy policy, but in access to land, water, power, decision-making and economic opportunity. Episode 9 brings two central voices in the series together to ask a bigger question, what would it actually take to make justice real? Tasneem Essop convenes economist Dr Tracy Ledger and political economist Dr Sithembile Mbete to move beyond policy detail and interrogate the deeper political and economic choices shaping the transition. The episode begins by challenging a core assumption, that inclusion alone is enough. In South Africa, millions are already included in the economy and energy system, but on deeply unequal terms. As a result, inclusion without equity often reproduces exclusion. From there, the conversation opens up. What counts as “justice” in the transition is not agreed, and different definitions lead to very different outcomes. For some, it is about reducing emissions. For others, it is about compensating workers and regions tied to coal. But a broader view asks how the transition can fundamentally reshape an economy built on inequality. The episode argues that current approaches risk simply replacing one system with another, swapping fossil fuels for renewables while leaving the underlying structure of the economy intact. Concepts like “green growth” may expand industries, but without addressing equity, they are unlikely to reduce poverty or exclusion. At the heart of the discussion is a deeper constraint, a lack of political and economic imagination. Policy debates remain siloed, and opportunities to rethink how resources, energy, and economic power are distributed are often missed. Yet the transition also opens up real possibilities, especially if cheaper, decentralized energy can support new forms of livelihoods and more distributed economic participation. Episode 9 makes a clear argument, the just transition is not only about changing energy sources. It is about rethinking the rules of the economy itself, and deciding who benefits from that change. Subscribe to follow the full series, and to learn more about PARI and their research, visit www.pari.org.za

22 min
14 APR

Just Access: The Real Transition - Episode 8: Building Accountability

Just Access: The Real Transition is a 10-part podcast series from PARI (the Public Affairs Research Institute) exploring what a truly just transition means for South Africa, not only in energy policy, but in access to land, water, power, decision-making and economic opportunity. Episode 8 asks a practical question, what does accountability look like on the ground? Building on the previous episode’s focus on co-production, this episode turns to how participation and collaboration can work inside municipalities. Tasneem Essop speaks with researcher Kate Tissington, whose work through the COMPACT partnership focuses on strengthening relationships between communities and local government. Despite strong policy commitments to participatory democracy, the reality is often very different. In many municipalities, engagement has broken down, trust is low, and accountability mechanisms are weak. Participation frequently happens too late, after decisions have already been made, leading to frustration and, in many cases, protest. The episode explores practical ways to shift this. Approaches such as citizen-based monitoring and collaborative planning bring together communities, councillors and officials to work on shared problems. Rather than consultation as a formality, these models aim to create ongoing relationships where information flows more openly and responsibility is shared. At the same time, the episode returns to coal-affected communities in Mpumalanga. Researcher Mahlatse Rampedi describes how, in the absence of clear state leadership, communities are finding their own ways to adapt. From cooperatives to informal economies, people are building resilience and navigating uncertainty with limited support. Episode 8 makes a clear argument, accountability is not only about systems or policies. It is about relationships. A just transition depends on rebuilding trust between institutions and the people they serve, and on creating spaces where decisions are shaped together, not imposed from above. Subscribe to follow the full series, and to learn more about PARI and their research, visit www.pari.org.za

24 min
31 MAR

Just Access: The Real Transition - Episode 7: Designing Justice

Just Access: The Real Transition is a 10-part podcast series from PARI (the Public Affairs Research Institute) exploring what a truly just transition means for South Africa, not only in energy policy, but in access to land, water, power, decision-making and economic opportunity. Episode 7 turns to a critical question, how do we move from policy promises to real, lived change? While the language of participation is widely used in policymaking, this episode challenges how participation actually works in practice. Tasneem Essop speaks again with economist Dr Tracy Ledger to unpack the limits of traditional public consultation and to introduce an alternative approach, co-production. The episode argues that most policymaking processes engage communities too late, after problems have already been defined and solutions designed. In these models, participation becomes a checkbox exercise, rather than a meaningful way of shaping outcomes. As a result, policies often fail not because of poor implementation, but because they were never grounded in the realities they are meant to address. Co-production offers a different approach. It involves communities at the very beginning of the process, helping to define the problem itself. This shifts the role of citizens from passive participants to active contributors, recognising that those living with the challenges often have the most accurate understanding of them. The episode also highlights how narrow data and formal economic metrics can obscure the full picture. In coal-affected regions, for example, policymakers often overlook informal work, community support systems, and services provided by mining companies, all of which are central to people’s livelihoods. When these realities are excluded from planning, entire dimensions of the transition remain invisible. Episode 7 makes a clear case, a just transition cannot be designed from the top down. It must be built with communities, from the ground up, through processes that value lived experience as essential knowledge, not an afterthought. Subscribe to follow the full series, and to learn more about PARI and their research, visit www.pari.org.za

19 min
24 MAR

Just Access: The Real Transition - Episode 6: From Below

Just Access: The Real Transition is a 10-part podcast series from PARI (the Public Affairs Research Institute) exploring what a truly just transition means for South Africa, not only in energy policy, but in access to land, water, power, decision-making and economic opportunity. Episode 6 shifts the focus from the state to the ground, asking what the transition looks like when communities begin to lead it themselves. While policy remains uncertain and institutional reform lags, the transition is already unfolding in everyday life. In this episode, Tasneem Essop speaks with researcher Mahlatse Rampedi, whose work explores energy poverty, affordability and community-level experiences in coal-affected regions. The conversation reveals a different story to the one often told in policy debates. Far from resisting change, many communities are actively engaging with the transition, experimenting with new technologies, forming cooperatives, and building local solutions that prioritise livelihoods, inclusion and sustainability. Grassroots organisations are not only educating communities about the transition, but also pushing for local ownership, transparency and fair distribution of benefits. At the heart of this episode is a broader understanding of the just transition as systems change, not just climate change. For communities, this means rethinking the entire economic and social model, from access to energy and affordability, to jobs, training, gender equity and democratic participation. The episode also highlights the key fault lines of energy justice, affordability, ownership and voice. Without reforms to tariff structures, municipal finance models and minimum access thresholds, energy poverty risks being reproduced, even in a renewable future. At the same time, meaningful participation is not optional, it is essential to building trust and ensuring that communities are not excluded from decisions that shape their futures. Episode 6 makes a clear argument, the just transition is already happening from below. The question is whether policy and institutions will catch up, and whether the transition will ultimately be shaped by people, not just plans. Subscribe to follow the full series, and to learn more about PARI and their research, visit www.pari.org.za

14 min
17 MAR

Just Access: The Real Transition - Episode 5: State Of Transition

Just Access: The Real Transition is a 10-part podcast series from PARI (the Public Affairs Research Institute) exploring what a truly just transition means for South Africa - not only in energy policy, but in access to land, water, power, decision-making and economic opportunity. Episode 5 turns to the state itself and asks what happens when the institutions meant to lead the transition are uncertain, constrained, or internally conflicted. Following the restructuring of the former Department of Mineral Resources and Energy into two departments, government now sits at the centre of South Africa’s energy transition. Yet despite this shift, there is still no clear, coherent position on what a “just transition” should look like in practice. Policy signals are often contradictory, public engagement remains limited, and key responsibilities, from mine rehabilitation to community transition planning, are unevenly fulfilled. In this episode, Tasneem Essop speaks with PARI researchers Dr Thokozani Chilenga-Butao and Waseem Holland, who unpack the institutional and political dynamics shaping the transition. Their research reveals a state grappling with competing mandates: expected to regulate extraction, protect the environment, support communities, and drive transformation, often all at once. At the heart of this tension is South Africa’s minerals-energy complex, a system that has historically tied the state, the economy, and energy production together. Coal remains deeply embedded in local economies and livelihoods, while also symbolising empowerment and economic inclusion for many. At the same time, renewable energy is often perceived as dominated by external or elite interests. This creates a complex political landscape where transition is not only technical, but deeply contested. The episode also explores what researchers describe as “institutional stickiness” - the difficulty of shifting entrenched systems, roles, and ways of working. Years of restructuring, capacity loss, policy uncertainty, and resource constraints have left departments struggling to respond at the pace required. The result is a form of policy inertia, where responsibility is diffuse, accountability is blurred, and leadership is often perceived as absent. On the ground, this uncertainty is felt most acutely in coal-dependent communities, where people are navigating profound economic and social change with limited guidance or support. In many cases, mining companies continue to play roles that the state has not fully occupied, reinforcing patterns of dependence and mistrust. Yet the episode also points to emerging forms of transition from below where communities, activists and local initiatives are beginning to experiment with alternative, more inclusive models of energy and development. Episode 5 makes a clear argument: the just transition cannot be delivered by fragmented institutions or unclear mandates. It requires a capable, coordinated state and a shift from managing competing interests to actively shaping a shared future. Subscribe to follow the full series, and to learn more about PARI and their research, visit www.pari.org.za .

31 min
9 MAR

Just Access: The Real Transition - Episode 4: Governing the Ground

Just Access: The Real Transition is a 10-part podcast series from PARI (the Public Affairs Research Institute) exploring what a truly just transition means for South Africa — not only in energy policy, but in access to land, water, power, decision-making and economic opportunity. Episode 4 moves the conversation from national debates to the level where the transition becomes real: local government. As climate change, renewable energy development, and settlement pressures intensify, municipalities are increasingly responsible for decisions about how land is allocated, governed and used. These decisions determine where infrastructure is built, where communities can live, and who benefits from new development. Yet many municipalities are navigating these pressures using planning systems and institutional arrangements that were not designed for the demands of the energy transition. In this episode, Tasneem Essop speaks again with Dr Gaynor Paradza and Daniel Sher from PARI’s land governance programme about the practical realities municipalities face when managing land in a rapidly changing environment. The conversation reveals how land allocation often still follows an economic logic — where land goes to the highest bidder — even though land also plays a crucial role in addressing South Africa’s deep spatial inequalities. Without deliberate social considerations, this approach risks reproducing the same patterns of exclusion that shaped the country’s past. Municipalities also face structural constraints. Many local governments control only a small portion of the land within their own boundaries, while large areas remain under the authority of provincial departments, national government entities, or private owners. Transferring land between these entities can be slow and bureaucratic, making it difficult for municipalities to unlock land for housing, renewable energy projects, or climate adaptation initiatives. At the same time, new forms of development linked to the transition — from renewable energy infrastructure to climate resilience planning — are emerging faster than planning frameworks can adapt. Officials are often forced to make decisions on a case-by-case basis, while struggling with incomplete information about land rights, especially where those rights exist outside the formal property system. Despite these challenges, there are early signs of experimentation and collaboration, including new efforts to support municipal climate planning and initiatives that provide communities with access to land for local livelihoods. Episode 4 argues that the energy transition cannot succeed without addressing these governance realities. Climate mitigation, adaptation and development all happen on land, and municipalities sit at the front line of these decisions. A truly just transition will depend not only on national policy, but on whether local institutions have the capacity, authority and tools to govern land fairly. Subscribe to follow the full series, and to learn more about PARI and their research, visit www.pari.org.za

15 min
3 MAR

Just Access: The Real Transition - Episode 3: Whose Land Powers the Transition?

Just Access: The Real Transition is a 10-part podcast series from PARI (the Public Affairs Research Institute) exploring what a truly just transition means for South Africa — not only in energy policy, but in access to land, water, power, decision-making and economic opportunity. Episode 3 turns to the ground beneath the transition: land. As South Africa accelerates renewable energy and green hydrogen projects, new pressures are being placed on land that already carries a long and unresolved history of dispossession. Tasneem Essop is joined by Dr Gaynor Paradza and Daniel Sher from PARI’s land governance programme to unpack how land tenure, identity and governance shape the Just Energy Transition — and who bears the risks. The episode explains why land tenure security is central to climate justice. Land tenure describes the relationship between people and land — the rights they hold to use it, benefit from it, exclude others, or transfer it. In South Africa, many people access land outside the formal property system. When tenure is insecure, communities are more vulnerable to dispossession, sidelined in negotiations, or inadequately compensated when land is earmarked for mining or renewable energy developments. A just transition must ensure that those already marginalised do not once again absorb the costs of national development. The conversation explores the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent and the “right to say no.” Although legal protections such as the Interim Protection of Informal Land Rights Act exist, they are often difficult to enforce. Consultation may happen late, unevenly, or in ways that divide communities. On paper, rights are recognised; in practice, power imbalances frequently determine outcomes. A case study from the Northern Cape illustrates these tensions. The Nama people, dispossessed during colonial and apartheid eras, now face the prospect of large-scale green hydrogen development on land they have successfully claimed in court but not fully regained in practice. The episode shows how “green” investment can reproduce historic patterns of exclusion if unresolved land claims and governance failures are ignored. Ultimately, Episode 3 argues that land cannot be treated as a neutral backdrop to the energy transition. Climate mitigation and adaptation both happen on land, and decisions about its use are inseparable from history, governance and power. If South Africa has not yet achieved land justice, climate justice will remain incomplete. Subscribe to follow the full series, and to learn more about PARI and their research, visit www.pari.org.za

24 min
23 FEB

Just Access: The Real Transition - Episode 2: Rationed Rights

Just Access: The Real Transition is a 10-part podcast series from PARI (the Public Affairs Research Institute) exploring what a truly just transition means for South Africa — not only in energy policy, but in access to land, water, power, decision-making and economic opportunity. Episode 2 asks a harder follow-up to the first episode’s core insight: if connection isn’t the same as access, how is exclusion produced and maintained? Tasneem Essop returns to economist Dr Tracy Ledger, who explains how South Africa’s revenue-driven service delivery model has turned constitutionally protected rights into commodities. When municipalities and utilities depend on payment to survive, affordability becomes the real gatekeeper. In this system, poverty is effectively punished through rationed, unreliable, or delayed service. The episode examines how infrastructure failures deepen inequality. Poor households and small businesses often cannot afford coping strategies like generators or water storage. Outages therefore hit them hardest. At the same time, broken infrastructure is frequently repaired more slowly in poorer areas, while underinvestment in township and informal settlement networks creates a two-tier system of reliability. Some communities are able to absorb shocks; others are left in prolonged uncertainty. The gap between what is budgeted and what is delivered reveals another layer of exclusion. Millions of households are funded each year for free basic services, yet far fewer actually receive the benefits in practice. As affordability pressures intensify and municipal finances strain, the policy challenge is not only increasing support, but ensuring that allocated funds reach the households they are meant to serve. Reform proposals include removing free basic service funding from discretionary municipal allocations so that basic access cannot simply be deprioritized. Finally, Episode 2 reframes the Just Energy Transition itself. A narrow definition focuses on compensating workers and regions affected by decarbonisation — justice in the “journey.” PARI’s approach insists that justice must also define the “destination.” An energy transition that leaves affordability and reliability unchanged will reproduce existing inequalities. A just transition must therefore redesign the system itself, ensuring that electricity and water are accessible in practice, not only in principle. Subscribe to follow the full series, and to learn more about PARI and their research, visit www.pari.org.za

13 min
14 FEB

Just Access: The Real Transition - Episode 1: Access and Affordability

Just Access: The Real Transition is a 10-part podcast series from PARI (the Public Affairs Research Institute) exploring what a truly just transition means for South Africa — not only in energy policy, but in access to land, water, power, decision-making and economic opportunity. Episode 1 begins with a fundamental question: what does justice actually look like in practice? Tasneem Essop speaks with economist Dr Tracy Ledger, who leads PARI’s Just Transition Programme, about why millions of South Africans who are technically connected to electricity and water remain excluded in reality. In South Africa, basic services are constitutionally protected rights — yet rising tariffs, prepaid meters and revenue-driven municipal models mean that many households must sacrifice food and other essentials simply to keep the lights on. This episode introduces the concept of “developmental access” — the minimum level of electricity and water required not just for survival, but for dignity, health and economic participation. Current free basic service allocations fall far below that threshold, and research shows that households living at or below the poverty line often cannot afford the difference without compromising nutrition. If the Just Transition is about equity, then affordability is its most important measure. When services cost more than people can pay, inclusion on paper becomes exclusion in practice — and inequality deepens rather than declines. Subscribe to follow the full series, and to learn more about PARI and their research, visit www.pari.org.za

21 min

9 Episodes

Just Access: The Real Transition is a documentary-style podcast from PARI (Public Affairs Research Institute) exploring South Africa’s Just Transition through one simple test: access. Access to electricity, water, land, and affordable services — but also access to decision-making, opportunity, and the real benefits of a changing economy.

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PARI (The Public Affairs Research Institute)
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9
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