A green transition in South Africa? Sociotechnical experimentation in the Atlantis Special Economic Zone

Abstract

South Africa faces interconnected challenges of developing and diversifying its economy and adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change. A green policy tilt is ascendant in the country, manifest in a cascading array of policies and special initiatives. Utilising concepts from the multi-level perspective on socio-technical transitions, we assess Africa's first designated Green Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Atlantis SEZ (ASEZ) in the Western Cape, a niche innovation aimed at transforming the Province's industrial base. This initiative is very ambitious in four respects: (1) it links green SEZ development in a deprived metropolitan area to the broader regional economy; (2) it utilises an innovative governance structure; (3) it promises localization economies and export potential; and (4) it connects SEZ niche experimentation with emergent renewable energy regimes. While elements are in place which might seed a sociotechnical transition, societal and political forces (i.e. landscape features) continue to limit its realisation, highlighting the immanent, structural realities shaping South Africa's economic futures.

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“…Some conducted studies point out that within SEZs, a significant amount of energy resources is consumed and a substantial amount of CO2 is emitted (You et al, 2021). Similarly, in this regard, the academic community seems to be divided, and within SEZs, more environmentally-friendly solutions conducive to sustainable development are also being implemented, including the reduction of CO2 emission (Chen et al, 2022), implementing monitoring and control (Grant et al, 2020), or serving as incubators for green economy (Mohiuddin et al, 2014). For example, Beata Ślusarczyk and Katarzyna Grondys (2018) have noted that in Poland, municipalities belonging to SEZ develop in line with the concept of sustainable development (compared to municipalities outside of SEZ) in areas such as:  Economic aspects: higher levels of entrepreneurship and lower unemployment.…”

Special Economic Zone, Carbon Emissions and the Mechanism Role of Green Technology Vertical Spillover: Evidence from Chinese Cities

“…For example, Wang and Nie [ 23 ] found that the water quality of surrounding rivers deteriorated significantly in the short term after establishing the zones. In contrast, some researchers suggest that the development of special industry zones induces effects such as the monitoring-and-inspection effect, the economy-of-scale effect from public pollution treatment facilities, and the technological innovation promotion effect, which can ultimately improve the environmental performance of the region [ 24 ]. For example, Mohiuddin and others [ 10 ] revealed that China’s special zones serve as green economy incubators and agents for sustainable economic development.…”

Challenges of Improving Livelihoods by Slum Upgrading A Sociotechnical Transitions Perspective

“…to unpack and explicate the livelihoods-infrastructure nexus. Transition scholars further need to consider the wider sustainability implications of infrastructural innovations and include issues of social justice and improved socioeconomic development (e.g., see Grant et al (2020), Smit and Musango (2015), Swilling (2014), Swilling et al (2016)). Tackling these conceptual challenges requires a place-based lens, a turn that has been advocated for recently e.g., Carroli (2018); (Hodson et al, 2017).…”