Previous Conferences - Capacity building initiative

Launched in 2016, the annual Public Economics Winter School was an important component of GTAC’s public economics capacity building initiative for six years. In 2023 this was expanded to include the PEPA Savings@Work Conference under the banner Public Economics Conference.

The Public Economic Conference offers an opportunity for post-graduate economics students, young professionals working in the private sector, public officials at a national, provincial and local level and economists and academics to engage with senior public sector officials and university academics locally and internationally.

The Conference is hosted over a three day period, and participants will have an opportunity to engage with current policy debates and listen to leading researchers and fellow students and young professionals, while exploring South Africa’s public economics challenges.

2024 Public Economics Conference

The second Public Economics Conference ran from 3 – 5 September 2024 under the theme “Harnessing the power of technology and data for government service delivery.”

The conference explored how governments can leverage technology and data analytics to enhance their operations and improve public services. Governments worldwide generate, receive, and connect data on a vast scale. The conference unpacked how government analytics offers a transformative shift towards evidence-based and continuous improvement in government administration. Coupled with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), these tools can significantly enhance public sector efficiency and transparency.

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2023 Public Economics Conference

The first Public Economics Conference ran from 6 – 7 September 2023 and shone the spotlight on government’s initiatives to boost job creation and address unemployment under the theme “Employment and the economics of job creation: evaluating government employment programmes”.

The conference tapped into the wealth of knowledge accumulated through the research, project reviews and evaluations done by GTAC and the National Treasury over the past decade.

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Public Economics Winter School

2022 — Reviving Public Infrastructure Investment

The sixth Public Economics Winter School was held virtually, in partnership with National Treasury. It ran from 30 August – 1 September 2022 under the theme “Reviving public infrastructure investment for community development”. The programme exposed students and officials to practical challenges in the infrastructure sector and in municipal management.

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2022 — Reviving Public Infrastructure Investment

2021 — Covid-19: Policy Choices Towards Containment and Recovery

The fifth Public Economics Winter School was a virtual event held in partnership with the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME). It ran from 17 – 19 August 2021. The 2021 Winter School focused on a crucial public economics issue – the impact and consequences of Covid-19 on South Africa’s people and the economy.

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2021 — Covid-19: Policy Choices Towards Containment and Recovery

2019 — Taxes, Fiscal Policy & Education Financing

The fourth Public Economics Winter School ran from 8–12 July 2019 at the South African Reserve Bank. The three themes covered were: Taxes, User Charges and Behavioural Change; Education Financing and Outcomes; and Fiscal Policy and Fiscal Sustainability.

2018 — Tax Policy, Infrastructure & Urban Development

The third Public Economics Winter School ran from 9–13 July 2018 at the South African Reserve Bank. The three themes covered were: Tax Policy and Design; Infrastructure Investment for Inclusive Growth; and Urban Integration and Human Settlement Investment.

2017 — Tax Policy, Housing & Financial Markets

The second Public Economics Winter School ran from 3–7 July 2017 at the University of Pretoria. The themes covered were: Tax Policy and Design; Housing and Urban Development; and The Role of the State in Financial Markets.

2016 — Tax Policy, Industrial Economics & Health Reform

The first GTAC Public Economics Winter School took place from 11–15 July 2016 at the University of Pretoria. The three themes covered were: Tax Policy and Design; Industrial Economic Competitiveness; and Health Reform and Social Security.