NEOMA Alumni Mag - N°26 - Mars 2021 - 37

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ods. Thanks to the president's efforts to power stations provide work? We try to open up a
restore sound governance, South Africa manages dialogue about the different conversion options
to retain financial market confidence. " Though a between the local stakeholders, the private sector
young democracy, the country is seen as politically and the municipalities. "
stable. The elections are conducted peacefully, Cities are the focal point of a Just Transition
and the ANC1 easily wins the majority of the votes, because they bring up issues such as transport
though they have lost in popularity because of and access to public services which are at the
corruption " , says Clarisse Henrion. Its political sta- crossroads of ecology and social justice. Carl Berbility and diversified economy make it the pre- nadac worked on a social housing project with the
ferred platform for investments in sub-Saharan city of Johannesburg, which was targeted at a
Africa. " Universities have a long history of excel- low-income population who would usually spend
lence too, so investors may expect well-qualified hours commuting in deteriorated modes of transemployees " , says Carl Bernadac. The country acts ports. " Bringing them closer to their workplace and
as a regional hub for VIE2 contracts too, as Clarisse places of sociality helps in overcoming the spatial
Henrion explains: " For smaller firms, it seems safer barriers that were erected during apartheid and to
to have someone based in South Africa and then ensure everyone gets equal access to public serhave that person explore business opportunities vices. " It's also an opportunity to build energy-effiin sub-Saharan Africa from there. That's what I did cient buildings and to become less reliant on
too, when I went to Zambia and Kenya during my carbon-dependant modes of transport.
VIE. " There is no denying that the country has Spatial transformation is really at the heart of
many resources to tap into to rebuild itself. As social transformation in South Africa. Inner city
pointed out by Nolwenn Lelièvre, " its road infra- Johannesburg has become so unsafe that most
structures are well-developed, compared to other people avoid it altogether. Yet it is also home to a
African countries, which, together with its incredi- few isolated cultural venues or urban markets
where the middle-class from all
ble landscapes, is an undeniaraces gather to shop, to listen
ble asset for the tourism
to music or to watch a live perindustry in particular. " The
formance. Carl Bernadac is
country indeed boasts " a diverimpressed by such projects:
sity of natural resources: you
" You get black or white inveshave the sea, the mountains,
tors who want to bring these
the safaris, the wine district
near Cape Town " , says Alexanareas back to life by opening a
dre Lelièvre. Carl Bernadac
bar or a brewery, but these
Clarisse Henrion
mentions the fact that South
places are like an anomaly
Africa is considered a " biodiversity hotspot " , con- there because you wouldn't normally be able to
centrating a large number of endemic species that walk around in this area! So the public sector
are threatened by climate change. These hotspots should try to promote an interconnection between
are critical to restoring and maintaining our global these places, which will in turn attract more busiecosystem's balance and as such, they are suscep- nesses to settle there. "
tible to be the focal point of green investment. In Most alumni stressed the complexity of the issues
his eyes, " South Africa's biodiversity is clearly an facing the country and opinions about its future
asset for the development of a greener economy. " remain contrasted. As summed up by Carl Bernadac, " in times of economic uncertainty, it is not
TRANSITION AND INNOVATION AS KEY
easy to reconcile efforts towards an economic
TO TRANSFORMATION
upturn, the short-term necessity to preserve jobs,
One of the Agence Française de Développement's and the long term goal of a green transition that
missions is to support South Africa in its ecological would provide new forms of employment. " The
transition but Carl Bernadac explains that it can be general lesson one can get out of an experience in
a very " touchy " issue because it has to address South Africa is one of humility in the face of the
social justice concerns at the same time. For exam- challenges South Africans are taking up. The soluple, the coal and mine industries are important tions they will find might well inspire others as they
employment providers in South Africa but they are tackle the same global problems. ❚
also very harmful for the environment. " Our goal is
Camille Proust
to promote a Just Transition3 that goes a little bit
further than simply investing in renewables. In the 1. The African National Congress led the resistance movement against the apartheid
during the period known as " the struggle " . The party has remained in power
case of Eskom for example, which is the country's regime
since the end of apartheid and the election of its leader Nelson Mandela as president
of
the
Republic
of South Africa in 1994.
main electricity provider, you could close down the 2. VIE or Volontariat
International en Entreprise is a short-term contract that enables
old coal-fired power stations and invest in new young Europeans to work for French firms located outside of France.
3. The concept of a Just Transition seeks to unite social justice and climate justice by
assets that support the energetic transition, but providing a framework in which workers do not bear the cost of the transition towards
a more sustainable economy. The COP 24 and the European Green Deal have adoptwhat will happen locally, in the areas where those ed Just Transition as part of their guidelines.

Though a
young democracy,
the country is seen
as politically stable.

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NEOMA Alumni Mag - N°26 - Mars 2021

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