The Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) enhances public finance management and builds public sector capacity to improve governance and enhance public service delivery.

This presentation draws on a special issue of Development Southern Africa that explores why addressing child stunting must be a national priority in South Africa. Bringing together interdisciplinary research, the discussion examined how chronic undernutrition, poor health, and adverse living conditions affect children’s growth and development, particularly during the critical first 1,000 days of life.

In this presentation Dr Gabrielle Wills unpacks why stunting remains one of South Africa’s most persistent development challenges, how structural inequality influences child nutrition and early development outcomes, and why coordinated, multi-sectoral action is essential to accelerate progress. The discussion also explored what is needed to strengthen accountability and build a more effective national response to reducing child stunting.

Climate-induced flooding is reshaping trade, supply chains, and economic resilience in South Africa. In this presentiation Marina Dodlova, Justyna Jantos, Krisztina Kis-Katos, and Anna Kochanova examined how floods disrupt firms, infrastructure, production, and regional trade networks using linked customs, tax, payroll, and flood exposure data from 2013–2021.

The study explored both the direct impacts of flooding on firms and the indirect effects transmitted through supply chains, highlighting how intermediary firms adapt by increasing imports particularly from African trade partners and China when domestic suppliers are disrupted.

The session also considered the broader policy implications for climate resilience, regional trade integration, infrastructure planning, and economic adaptation in developing economies facing increasing climate-related shocks.