30 July 2026
Community and stakeholder engagement workshop: Flood risk monitoring for informal settlements with GeoAIThe work of the Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES) is informed by Agenda 2063 of the African Union, which seeks to establish peace, security, and integration across the continent, alongside the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP) and other prevailing national government priorities. The division’s research, implementation, and advocacy efforts aim to build a capable, ethical, and developmental state; strengthen social cohesion; and create safe, inclusive, and resilient communities in South Africa, across Africa, and the Global South.
Knowledge generated through DCES contributes to more sustainable peacebuilding and strengthens participatory democracy by enabling better accountability and citizenship. This approach places people at the centre of governance while promoting and protecting socio-economic and environmental rights.
Governance, accountability and state capacity for service delivery This theme focuses on conducting innovative research to improve governance, strengthen accountability and enhance the state's capacity to deliver services effectively and equitably. It covers public-sector performance, anti-corruption mechanisms, and service-delivery challenges across critical sectors, including water, sanitation, energy, and waste management. The division also studies citizen-state relations and local governance, generating evidence to support institutional reforms and innovations.
Public attitudes toward governance are continuously monitored. The division maintains a long-standing partnership with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on electoral research, providing evidence-based recommendations to enhance electoral management and integrity. Collaborative engagements with government partners and Chapter 9 institutions ensure that research insights inform reforms and policy uptake. Future research initiatives include studies on disability-responsive service delivery and the experiences of public servants. These efforts aim to foster a capable, citizen-centred developmental state committed to social justice.
Drawing on South African, pan-African, and global expertise, this thematic area conducts rigorous research at the intersection of governance, technology and ethics to strengthen democratic foundations with local and international insights and support institutions, the government and communities in navigating the evolving digital state. Its overarching aim is to lead cutting-edge research that strengthens democracy, promotes ethical governance, and harnesses digital technologies for inclusive citizen participation across Africa.
This includes:
• Democratic governance and accountability, which examines barriers to ethical leadership and professionalism, promoting transparency, informing anti-corruption strategies, enhancing electoral democracy, and strengthening institutions at all levels of government.
• Digital democracy and civic engagement investigates tools like e-voting and participatory digital platforms to strengthen civic voice and build trust in digital public services.
• Ethics in leadership advances ethical public service through anti-corruption strategies and values-based approaches to governance to support South Africa's journey towards a more ethical state and society that serves all citizens equitably.
This thematic area engages diverse stakeholders to enhance human and social security through research aimed at sustainable development in a rapidly changing, globalising and urbanising world. It includes the following sub-themes:
• Human dimensions of climate change investigates climate justice, socio-cultural risk perception, social vulnerability, and adaptation to extreme weather events, alongside their social, health, and economic impacts, particularly on livelihoods and human security.
• Disaster preparedness and risk management adopts multidisciplinary approaches to strengthen social and health systems, promoting climate-disaster resilient systems, food security and local adaptation strategies, while also analysing infrastructure development, circular economy, waste management, and cultural heritage in recovery efforts.
• Mining, just-transition and development leads research on the impacts of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on mining and the concept of 'Just Energy Transitions,' critically analysing how economic activities intersect with energy infrastructure changes, exclusion, insecurity and disasters, with a specific focus on mining-related disasters and gender dynamics in societal transformation.
ABGS advances research and policy engagement on Africa’s development, global partnerships and position within an evolving multipolar world. It generates evidence-based insights on the social, economic, health, governance and development challenges and opportunities facing Africa and the broader Global South, with a focus on strengthening African agency and advancing inclusive, peaceful and prosperous societies.
Through comparative and policy-relevant research, ABGS supports knowledge production, science diplomacy and strategic partnerships across Africa and BRICS countries. It seeks to position South Africa and the HSRC as thought leaders and knowledge brokers, strengthening the country’s capacity to influence regional and global policy debates, foster collaborative innovation, and advance development priorities aligned with national interests and continental aspirations.
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