Dr Phindile Nkosi Director The Public and Environmental Economics Research Centre (PEERC) has had a productive year of research across its core focus areas of public and environmental economics. PEERC successfully completed two Water Research Commission (WRC)-funded projects: a study on the economic efficiency of municipal responses to water supply crises in South Africa, examining the cases of Nelson Mandela Bay and the City of Cape Town, and a dynamic water pricing project exploring the introduction of innovative pricing mechanisms into the South African water sector. The centre continues to actively pursue new research funding, with proposals submitted to the GIZ, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), the Western Cape Government, the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA), and to the Just Energy Transition (JET) Funding Platform, among others. PEERC has grown its global footprint significantly over the past year through strategic international engagements. Dr Nkosi participated in the B20 Just Energy Transition Task Force, contributing to a policy paper presented at the G20 Summit, and represented PEERC at the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE) conference in New Mexico, USA. She also attended the INFORUM modelling workshop in Spain, the Environment for Development Meeting in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, and delivered a presentation on energy poverty at the University of Pretoria. Most recently, Dr Nkosi was a speaker at the 3rd International Energy Congress in Istanbul, hosted in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg. PEERC is further expanding its international partnerships through participation in the Environment for Development (EfD), the Sustainable Energy Transitions (SETI), and the Universitas 21 Nature Positive Coalition. PEERC has continued to build its research capacity and achieve notable recognition. The centre has grown its team of senior research associates and research associates, including Prof. Stephen Hosking, Prof Johane Dikgang, Prof Dambala Kutela, Dr Hiywot Menker, Dr Nouran Zenelabden, Dr Genius Murwirapachena, Dr. Frank Bannor, Dr. Jean-Luc Mubenga-Tshitaka, Dr Isaiah Magambo, and Mr Jugal Mahabir who are actively contributing to a growing pipeline of publications in areas spanning climate change, conflict, ecological footprints, infrastructure, and green economics. Recent publications include peer-reviewed work in Sustainable Development and Discover Environment, with several additional papers currently under review. PEERC’s leadership has also garnered exceptional personal recognition: Dr Nkosi graduated with her PhD in December 2025 and has been honoured with the Standard Bank Top Woman Young Achiever Award 2025, the Best Researcher in Science and Technology Award 2026, and the Best Women in Energy Award 2026 — a remarkable set of achievements that reflect the excellence and impact PEERC continues to bring to the field. PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS RESEARCH CENTRE (PEERC) School of Economics 64 College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2025
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