National Treasury Launches Phase III of SA-TIED Programme in South Africa

The National Treasury launched the third phase of the Southern Africa – Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED) programme in Pretoria on Tuesday. This affects South African policymakers, researchers, government officials, and citizens who gain from better economic policies. It matters now as it reaffirms commitment to evidence-based economic policy-making amid economic challenges, according to SAnews.gov.za.

Partners include the National Treasury, South African Revenue Service (SARS), and United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER). Funding comes from the European Union and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Deputy Finance Minister Dr David Masondo said, “At its core, SA-TIED is anchored on a simple and yet powerful principle – good policy must be grounded in credible evidence. Better evidence leads to better policy, and better policy leads to better outcomes for our people.” This was at the launch event on March 24, 2026, per SAnews.gov.za.

Phase II achievements include:

• Over 130 research papers published, with 65% authored or co-authored by South African researchers and 63% featuring women as authors or co-authors.
• More than 200 participants trained in advanced economic modelling, econometrics, spatial analysis, and data science; half from government.
• Growth of the National Treasury Secure Data Facility (NTSDF), supporting over 65 researchers in the past year and informing policy.

SA-TIED aims to close the gap between research and policy. It embeds evidence in government systems and builds analytical capacity.

Phase II covered six core areas:

• Enterprise development for job creation and growth.
• Public revenue mobilisation for inclusive development.
• Structural transformation, labour markets, and inequality dynamics.
• Macro-fiscal analysis and policy modelling.
• Food, energy, and water in the context of climate change.
• Reform implementation and delivery.

Incoming UNU-WIDER Director Patricia Justino said, “What SA-TIED has built is something very rare: trust between research and policymaking.” SARS Deputy Commissioner Johnstone Makhubu added, “We see tax administration data as the lifeblood of research and economic policy design.” Details from SAnews.gov.za.

The programme sets a model for the Global South. Countries seek to copy the NTSDF for responsible data use.

NTSDF supported over 65 researchers in the past year alone (SAnews.gov.za).

It builds lasting skills through training. Research directly shapes policy. Phase III stresses public expenditure efficiency amid tight budgets.

Research matters in uncertain times. Bad decisions cost more then. Political pressure can push out careful thought, per speakers at the event.

Phase III runs from 2026 to 2029. It will consolidate past gains.

It will strengthen links between research and policy. Access to administrative datasets will grow. State capability will build through training and research integration.

A new focus is public spending efficiency. No other immediate steps were named in the announcement, per SAnews.gov.za.

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