PIC-Oxford say green investments could create 70 000 jobs annually

Groundbreaking research says Africa-focused green investments can outperform global benchmarks

- SIPHELELE DLUDLA

THE Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has released groundbreaking new research showing that Africa-focused green investments can outperform global benchmarks while generating significantly more jobs and long-term economic value than traditional sectors.

The paper titled “Scaling Institutional Capital for Green Jobs in South Africa” was developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford and published on Monday ahead of the G20 Leadership Summit.

It forms part of the PIC’s Perspectives: G20 Dialogues series and is the fourth such research contribution this year.

With the right policy environment and coordinated public-private action, the paper argues, South Africa can position itself as a continental leader in green finance, job creation and industrialisation while delivering competitive returns for long-term investors.

The study finds that South Africa is emerging as one of the continent's most competitive markets for green investment, with institutional-grade pipelines in renewable energy, grid modernisation, water infrastructure, circular manufacturing and early-stage green technologies such as green hydrogen.

Despite global economic headwinds, these projects offer resilient, inflation-linked cash flows and strong risk-adjusted returns.