Result of Service

To conduct a national policy and legislative gap analysis in South Africa, identifying barriers and reform opportunities to support AfCFTA implementation and sustainable mineral industry value chains development in alignment with ESG principles.

Work Location

Home based

Expected duration

4 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities - Background and Rationale In the fight against climate change, the world is transitioning to low-carbon energy generation sources and storage technology, leading to a rise in the global demand for minerals essential for renewable energy technologies, such as electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines. This will require an unprecedented increase in the production of critical minerals of which Africa is a key global source. However, it is imperative that increased mining activity minimizes environmental impact and contributes to creation of new, higher-value and job-creating industries across Africa, fueling the region’s green economy for the well-being of local communities – a priority of African policy makers. Led by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), a consortium of six implementing partners, including the African Union Commission-African Minerals Development Centre, University of Witwatersrand, World Wildlife Fund, German Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, and Projekt Consult, secured funding from the German International Climate Initiative (IKI) to implement a 5-year project entitled "Initiative on Fostering Environmentally and Socially Responsible Decarbonized, Inclusive, and Transformative Value Chains for Energy Transition Minerals in the SADC Region". The project commenced with a preparatory phase running from October 2024 to February 2026, leading to the main implementation phase from March 2026 to February 2031. The project aims to facilitate inclusive governance of the mining sector involving local groups, youth, women, African governments, and the private sector. It will be implemented in six SADC countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. 2. Objective of the Assignment The ultimate objective of the project is to ensure that the raw materials extraction and processing to be undertaken in the critical energy transition minerals (CETMs) boom are done so inclusively and in an environmentally sustainable manner. This aligns closely with the regional and participating countries’ priorities for resource-based sustainable development and socioeconomic transformation, and is consistent with various international and regional frameworks, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Africa Mining Vision, the Africa Green Minerals Strategy, the African Continental Free Trade Area, the SADC Industrialization Strategy and Roadmap, the COMESA Industrialization Policy Framework and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It is imperative that the energy transition benefits natural resource owners and producers and addresses potentially negative impacts of industrialization on the environment and concerns of local communities at all stages of the project. Under Output 1, Work Package I.2, UNECA will conduct six country-level policy gap analyses to assess the readiness of national policy and legislative frameworks to operationalize AfCFTA in support of sustainable mineral-industrial value chains. This work will run in parallel with complementary analytical work under WP I.1 (Wits Enterprise), with opportunities to align and cross-reference findings where relevant. The national consultant will conduct a national policy and legislative gap analysis in South Africa, identifying barriers and reform opportunities to support AfCFTA implementation and sustainable mineral industry value chains development in alignment with ESG principles. Key responsibilities Inception and scoping (Contract 1: Months 1-4) - Prepare an inception note outlining the national context, scope of analysis, stakeholder mapping, and workplan, aligned with the regional analytical framework developed by the regional consultant - Ensure alignment of approaches with Wits University work on ESG Governance particularly where there are overlapping areas of analysis. - Coordinate with regional consultants, other country consultants, and project partners to ensure consistency in approach. National Policy, Value chain and Institutional Analysis (Contract 1: Months 1-4) - Conduct a comprehensive review of national trade, mining, industrial, environmental, investment, and competition policies relevant to AfCFTA implementation in mineral and related value chains. - Assess alignment between national policy, legal and regulatory frameworks and AfCFTA provisions affecting mineral extraction, processing, and trade in manufactured goods. - Map existing and potential value chain segments within the country (extraction, processing, beneficiation, manufacturing, and supporting services) in coordination with Wits consultants and regional consultants - Map national institutional coordination mechanisms related to AfCFTA implementation and mining sector governance. - Identify bottlenecks limiting cross-border business opportunities and development and participation in regional mineral-based value chains. - Analyze the impact of national trade and regulatory measures (export restrictions, local processing requirements) on value addition, market access, and integration into regional mineral value chains - Analyze barriers related to gender equality, youth participation, inclusion of marginalized groups, in access to value chains and trade opportunities Stakeholder engagement and initial validation (Contract 1: Months 1-4) - Conduct consultations with key national stakeholders, including government institutions, private sector actors (including ASM), civil society, academia, and financial institutions, to validate preliminary findings and gather inputs. - Ensure that stakeholder consultations include dedicated sessions with or inputs from national gender ministries, women's business associations, women in mining networks, and youth entrepreneurship bodies. - Coordinate stakeholder engagement with other consultants working on the IKI project, notably on Wits package, as well as other ECA projects on CETMs - Prepare a draft National Policy Gap Analysis Report, including evidence-based findings and preliminary recommendations to be validated through the national workshop. Validation process (Contracts 1-2: Months 4-7) - Support the organization and facilitation of the national validation workshop in collaboration with Government, including stakeholder identification and engagement, preparation of presentation materials, and logistical support in coordination with ECA administrative staff Coordination and Knowledge Sharing (Contract 1–2: Months 1–7) - Participate in regular coordination meetings with the Regional Consultant and project team to ensure alignment of methodologies, findings, and timelines. - Coordinate, as relevant, with other national-level initiatives and consultants working on related topics to ensure complementarity and avoid overlaps - Contribute to cross-country knowledge exchange by sharing key findings, challenges, and good practices with other national consultants. - Provide timely inputs to regional consolidation processes Deliverables 1. Inception report, including national context analysis, stakeholder mapping, and workplan aligned with the regional framework within ten days of signing the contract. 2. Stakeholder engagement and validation reports, data colletion and analysis reports 3. Draft national policy gap analysis report, presenting findings and preliminary recommendations. Payment terms

On submission of acceptable inception report (Month 1): 6,000 USD
On submission of stakeholder consultations and data collection and analysis reports (Month 2/3): 6,000 USD
On submission of draft Policy Gap Analysis Report (Month 4): 12,000 USD

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced degree in economics, trade law, public policy, mineral economics, minerals engineering, mining policy, or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Minimum 5 years of experience in trade policy, mineral value chains, or industrialization and industrial policy is required Strong knowledge of national legislative and regulatory processes is desirable Demonstrated experience conducting policy analysis and stakeholder consultations is desirable Familiarity with SADC regional integration and industrialization and AfCFTA frameworks is desirable

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this assignment, fluency in English is required. Fluency in French is an asset.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

CFND- National Policy Consultant South Africa – Mining Value Chains & AfCFTA Frameworks for the project: “Fostering an environmentally sound, inclusive, and transformative raw materials extraction an