South Africa has the highest income inequality in the world.
If we introduce EVs in this equation, we could either try closing the gaps in accessibility to mobility OR we could exacerbate the inequality problem.
To quote the research paper by our speaker, Gaylor – “historically high levels of inequality and poverty have set the stage for a socially-regressive introduction of EVs.”
We take a look at the glass-half-full side of things, andchat about a dual strategy to have an inclusive rollout of EVs in the nation. The episode is segmented into two parts – private and public transport.
Gaylor Montmasson-Clair is a Senior Economist at Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), a South Africa-based economic policy research institute. He leads TIPS's work on sustainability and just transition and is the Facilitator for the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM), the industrialization plan for South Africa’s renewable energy and battery storage value chain. He is also a Director and Co-Founder of Southern Transitions, a Global South ‘just transition’ think-tank. In addition, Gaylor is a Research Associate and Guest Lecturer at the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED).
About TIPS:
Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) is an independent, non-profit, economic research institution based in Pretoria, South Africa. It was established in 1996 to support economic policy development, with an emphasis on industrial policy, in South Africa and the region. Currently, TIPS has three main areas of work: trade and industrial policy; inequality and economic inclusion; and sustainable growth.
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Shownotes:
Research Paper for the episode:
Towards an inclusive rollout of electric vehicles in South Africa
On the high-income inequality in South Africa:
Six Charts Explain South Africa's Inequality - IMF
South Africa can’t crack the inequality curse. Why, and what can be done
