In 2024, the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) deepened its impact in South Africa and across the continent, advancing progressive research and advocacy to support rights realisation and planetary wellbeing. The year was marked by organisational growth and consolidation: IEJ expanded to 27 staff members and three research associates, strengthened internal systems, and adopted a Strategy Summary and Implementation Plan (2023–2027) to guide the organisation’s work over the next five years.
Across our programme areas, IEJ colleagues shaped debates nationally and globally, from South Africa’s Medium-Term Strategic Framework (2024–2030) Reference Group to engagement within G20 advisory processes, and our work was recognised through awards, including the Mail & Guardian Greening the Future Award.
What’s in the report
The Annual Report 2024 provides an overview of our governance, organisational development, and project work over 2024. It includes:
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A Chairperson’s note and Director’s review
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Board and team overview
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Organisational development and strategy implementation updates
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Project highlights across IEJ’s core areas of work
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Funders, income and expenditure summary, and audited financial statements
2024 highlights across our work
African Feminist Economics continued to build research capacity and policy networks across the continent, including the 5th Annual Feminist Economics Summer School in Kampala, publication of new work on care policy, and ongoing engagement to advance women’s economic empowerment in national and global policy discussions.
Basic Income work focused on securing universal income support for adults aged 18–59. IEJ advanced litigation, research, coalition advocacy, and public engagement around the SRD grant and Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG), including new factsheets and policy briefs, multilingual resources, and contributions to public debate and policymaker engagement.
Food Systems work strengthened the evidence base and policy engagement for a just transition in South Africa’s food system, with a particular focus on the beef sector. This included publications, stakeholder engagement, and convening efforts through the National Policy Dialogue on Just Transition and Adaptation in the South African Food System.
G20 engagement ensured Global South priorities were reflected in global economic governance debates, with IEJ contributing across C20 and T20 processes and supporting the development of South Africa’s vision for its 2025 G20 Presidency.
Just Energy Transition work advanced research and stakeholder engagement across South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya — supporting localisation, decent work, gender equity, and sustainable livelihoods as core pillars of the transition.
Resourcing for Rights Realisation challenged prevailing macroeconomic approaches and advanced progressive alternatives across tax and budget justice, climate finance, and international financial institution reform — including submissions, policy briefs, convenings, and global advocacy interventions.
Rethinking Economics: Challenging orthodoxies supported student chapters and curriculum reform initiatives, making heterodox approaches more accessible and strengthening the pipeline of future economists and organisers.
Special and legacy projects, including the Climate Ambition to Accountability Project, strengthened civil society participation in climate governance and supported rights-based climate finance advocacy, with the Climate Finance Toolkit informing high-level policy debates.
Advocacy and communications
IEJ continued to contribute actively to public policy debate through statements, media engagement, and opinion pieces. In 2024, IEJ’s social media following grew from 10,200 to over 13,600, and the organisation issued 11 public statements, including joint interventions with partners and coalitions.
Financials and governance
IEJ’s audited financial statements are included in the report. In 2024, IEJ received an unqualified audit, and the report includes a summary of revenue, expenditure, assets, and liabilities for the year.