TIPS is an independent, non-profit economic research institution active in South Africa and the Southern African region in pursuit of viable economic policy solutions to developing country needs.

TIPS clusters its research activities around a number of thematic areas:

  • Trade analysis (tariff & trade analysis, trade promotion, trade in services, trade & poverty and Southern African trade development)
  • Sector analysis (sector strategy development, including service sectors, and industrial policy) 
  • Economic regulation of public sector reform

TIPS’ cross-cutting themes include:

  • Economic modelling
  • Capacity-building 
  • Academic data access and training

Website includes full text of our journals, such as the Trade and Industry Monitor, a quarterly newsletter which disseminates the full spectrum of economic research – from macroeconomic policy to competition and regulation policy, development issues in general, as well as sub-national economic policy issues – in an accessible format to policy-makers and analysts. Young researchers in particular are encouraged to use the Monitor as a first step towards peer-reviewed journal publication.

TIPS’ website also offers full text of economics working papers, policy briefs and full-length research publications related to Southern Africa, taken from a variety of external sources and produced internally.

Through its Academic Data Access & Training Programme, TIPS offers online access to South African trade statistics and other economics databases on a subscription basis.

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