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25th Global Conference on Environmental Taxation

18 – 20 September 2024

Stellenbosch, South Africa

TRAVELLING IN STELLENBOSCH AND SOUTH AFRICA

Click here for everything you need to know about South Africa’s entry requirements. Please note that visa applications can take up to 3 months, depending on the local consulate/embassy in your region.

To locate your nearest embassy or consulate, please visit the Official Department of Home Affairs website.

Should you require a visa invitation letter for your visa application, please email the Conference Chair (Prof Lee-Ann Steenkamp) at leeanns@sun.ac.za.

Stellenbosch is located in the Western Cape Province in the southwestern part of South Africa. South Africa has 9 beautiful provinces. Cape Town is the provincial capital and also the legislative capital of South Africa.

Stellenbosch is a large university town in the cosmopolitan Western Cape. As such, we would advise travellers to exercise the same level of vigilance they would exercise when visiting any city in the world.

This includes ensuring you follow basic safety tips such as keeping emergency numbers on hand, avoiding carrying large sums of cash and keeping your valuables safe at all times. The overwhelming majority of visitors to Stellenbosch and the Western Cape, enjoyed a positive and memorable experience.

We want you to leave our beautiful region with nothing but with happy memories. To ensure a pleasurable trip, please keep in mind a few precautions that you can employ on all your travels across the world:

  • Avoid walking in deserted and dark places at night.
  • Never allow strangers to assist you in any way when withdrawing cash at an automated teller machine (ATM).
  • At night, park in a secure and well-lit area with street guards. Keep photocopies and all valuable documents in a safe place.

With some exceptions, South Africa unfortunately does not have a safe and reliable public transport system. If this is your first time visiting Cape Town, we advise that you book an airport transfer to your accommodation in Stellenbosch. Popular riding apps such as Uber and Bolt are also commonly used.
If you prefer, you can rent a car. Most major car rental agencies are based at Cape Town International Airport, so you can book a vehicle as you arrive. It’s best to book your rental beforehand, especially if you’re travelling in the peak season, to ensure your booking. Keep in mind that you will need a driver’s license that is valid in South Africa, or an international driver’s license.
Cape Town International Airport is the main port of entry for local and international delegates. The airport is a 30 to 40 minutes’ drive to Stellenbosch. Please factor in additional time if you are travelling during morning rush hour (roughly between 7am – 9am) or afternoon traffic (generally between 4pm – 6pm). Travel time could then take anything from 30 to 90 minutes.
For your own safety, it is not advised to make use of trains and minibus (unmetered) taxis.

South Africa has a well-developed communication infrastructure and offers national coverage for mobile calls and Wi-Fi coverage. Local sim cards can be purchased at the MTN and Vodacom stores, located at the Arrival Halls at Cape Town International Airport.

Free Wi-Fi is available at the conference venue, and at some public spaces, hotels, shopping centres and restaurants.

The Rand is the official currency unit in South Africa.

Currency converter: www.xe.com/currencyconverter

Most major international credit cards are accepted in South Africa, including Master and Visa. Although widely accepted, American Express and Diners Club sometimes may not be accepted. ATMs are widespread and most will allow visitors to withdraw Rands directly from bank or credit cards.
Remember to inform your bank that you will be using your credit card abroad. Many banks, to reduce fraudulent transaxtions, may block your card in your overseas transactions, as they may suspect ‘suspicious activiy’.

South Africa has 11 official languages. English, Afrikaans and Xhosa are widely spoken in Stellenbosch. Tour operators in Cape Town and Stellenbosch often speak German, French and Spanish too!

HEALTH RELATED QUESTIONS:

South Africa is open and ready to welcome travellers from all over the world.

In June 2022, the South African government repealed all remaining Covid-19 regulations. Travellers entering South Africa are therefore no longer required to produce vaccination certificates or recent negative PCR tests. More information can be found here.

South Africa has a well-developed healthcare system and there are both public and private hospitals in South Africa. Be sure to top up your medical and travel insurance before leaving home.

Mediclinic Stellenbosch is a private hospital in Stellenbosch which offers a 24hr emergency service.
There are many general practitioners (GPs) and specialists to choose from in Stellenbosch. You can also opt for an immediate, virtual consultation with a registered doctor in South Africa.
Stellenbosch has numerous pharmacies, with Stelkor pharmacy being the nearest to the conference venue.

There are pharmacies throughout South Africa, and many everyday medications, such as painkillers, are available over the counter. Some large chain stores also have in-store pharmacies that offer good value for money.

If you have a specific medical condition, it’s wise to carry the relevant doctor’s prescription with you. In the event of you losing your medication, a qualified pharmacist should be able to source a replacement, even if the trade name differs in South Africa.

South Africa requires all travellers journeying from or transiting through yellow fever risk countries to show proof of yellow fever vaccination by means of a valid yellow fever certificate. Please see more information here.

Stellenbosch and the Western Cape are malaria-free areas. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease which is prevalent throughout the year in the Kruger National Park and the low-lying areas of northern KwaZulu-Natal. If you’re heading to the above-mentioned areas then you should consult a healthcare professional about the ideal prophylactic. The type of prophylactic will be determined by your personal health, how long you are visiting the malarial area and the time of year.

Tap water in Stellenbosch and the Western Cape is generally safe to drink and cook with when taken from taps in urban areas. This means you can save on plastic and just fill up your water bottle each day!

If you are visiting a rural area, you do need to be extra careful as the water may not be safe for consumption, so you may need to take extra precautions. Simply check with locals or a guide to know if the water is safe or not.

The conference venue will provide drinking water during the conference.

MISCELLANEOUS:

The South African Electricity supply is 220/230 volts AC 50HZ. Unlike most other countries, South Africa generally uses round pin plugs. You will likely need to bring a travel adaptor with you to enable the charging of your personal electrical devices. More information can be found here.

Loadshedding (also known as rolling blackouts or power-cuts) may occur during day or night times and a schedule will be available from your accommodation establishment.

Alternatively, you can download the EskomSePush App from Google Play and the Apple App Store for scheduled times.
Stellenbosch University has invested in solar panels and back-up generators to augment electricity supply during nation-wide electricity blackouts, thereby ensuring the smooth continuation of lectures and daily operations. The conference venue (which is on campus) is well-equipped to manage loadshedding.

Although most people employed in the service industry will receive a base salary, tips generally form the bulk of what they take home each day. If you’ve experienced excellent service, please show your appreciation with a tip. The general minimum tipping rate at restaurants in South Africa is 10%.

All stores charge the Value Added Tax (VAT) of 15% levied on the purchase of most goods in South Africa. As a foreign visitor you may apply for a refund of the VAT you pay while in the country provided you apply before you depart.

Ensure that you receive your tax receipts for all purchases made. To claim your VAT refund, present all your tax receipts to the VAT administrator at your point of departure (airport).

We would love you to bring the whole family to Stellenbosch! There are plenty of child friendly activities in Stellenbosch and Cape Town. Children are welcome to attend the gala dinner and join in the fun.

Saliem Fakir is an expert in the fields of climate and energy, finance and economics. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the African Climate Foundation, the first strategic grant-making foundation on the African continent with a focus on delivering impact through support to interventions at the climate-development nexus. He currently also holds the position of honorary lecturer at the Mandela School of Governance (UCT). Saliem serves on the Board of GreenCape and the Atlantic Special Economic Zone. Prior to establishing the African Climate Foundation, Saliem served as the Head of the Policy & Futures Unit of WWF South Africa for 11 years. He worked at Lereko Energy Investments. He served as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Public Administration and Planning and an Associate Director for the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy at Stellenbosch University. Prior to that he served as Director of the World Conservation Union, South Africa (IUCN-SA) for eight years. He has served on several other Boards and is a prolific writer who contributes regularly to leading South African publications like Engineering News, Business Day and the Daily Maverick.
Stephanus van Zyl is a professor in Tax Law in the department of Mercantile Law at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He is a research fellow at the African Tax Institute at the University of Pretoria and a visiting professor at Gujarat National Law University, India. He lectures on income tax law and value added tax law. He is a well-respected researcher of tax law. He has published widely, locally, and internationally, on e-commerce, value added tax, tax administration, environmental taxes, and income tax. He was instrumental to the e-commerce amendments to the VAT legislation in South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana. He has advised the Davis tax commission on the impact of e-commerce on the collection of value added tax. He serves on the Indirect Tax Technical Committee of the African Tax Administration Forum. He serves on the African Tax Research Network advisory board as the chair of research and ethics. He advises the South African National Treasury, the Mauritius Revenue Authority, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Nigeria) regularly. He is a Master Tax Practitioner and an academic member of the South African Institute for Tax Practitioners.
Keith Engel is the CEO of the South African Institute of Taxation (SAIT), a prominent professional body for tax practitioners. As part of his core duties managing the Institute, he is actively engaged in tax at a policy, legislative and interpretative level (e.g., with National Treasury, Parliament, SARS, the Davis Tax Committee, and the private sector). His role also includes presentations and participation in a wide range of South African tax and regional African tax issues for technical audiences and is repeatedly engaging with the media. Outside of the Institute, he regularly teaches at the Wits University as an adjunct professor and provides lectures at other universities. Keith is well known for his leading roles in the formulation of tax legislation at the National Treasury from 2000 to 2013.
Ian Parry is the Principal Environmental Fiscal Policy Expert in the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department. Previously he held the Allen Kneese Chair in Environmental Economics at Resources for the Future. He has a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago in 1993. Parry’s research focuses on country-level analysis of carbon pricing and other policies to implement mitigation strategies and their broader fiscal and economic impacts. Parry also quantifies the broader environmental (e.g., local air pollution) costs of fossil fuel use at the country level and efficient levels of fuel prices needed to reflect supply and environmental costs.
Nthabiseng Moleko is a development economist and a senior lecturer in Managerial Economics and Statistics at Stellenbosch Business School. She is the CEO and Founder of Ngezandla Advisory, an interdisciplinary research and advisory firm that specialises in providing unique solutions to business, governments, and the philanthropic sector to navigate the complexities of today’s challenging terrain. She has worked in the macroeconomic, development finance, public finance, economic development, and econometrics fields for 18 years. In 2018 she was appointed to the Board of Trustees for the National Empowerment Fund, where she Chaired the Board’s Investment Committee. In 2021 she was appointed as the Chairperson of the National Empowerment Fund and has recently been appointed to the Presidential B-BBEE Advisory Council. She also serves in the strategic advisory committee of the Development Bank of Southern Africa’s Infrastructure Fund.
Ashfaq Ahmad is a high ranking Pakistani civil servant (an IRS officer), who was until last year, Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue, Pakistan. He holds a PhD in Political Economy and is a visiting faculty at about half a dozen national and international universities. He has now over 40 international publications to his credit on international financial architecture, international taxes, political economy, revenue system reforms, Pakistan’s economy, and of course environmental taxation. During his career he has won several fellowships that bear the seal of excellence such as World Bank Fellowship, Fulbright Fellowship, Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship, and Charles Wallace Fellowship. Of late, he has his interest continually growing in international environmental justice, carbon taxation, carbon border adjustments and the international environmental diplomacy and relations – particularly from a Global South’s lens. He is currently Member of the United Nations Tax Committee, where he strongly raises his voice for developing countries’ fiscal rights. He also co-chairs the United Nations Committee on Environmental Taxation.
Shameela Soobramoney is the CEO of the South African National Business Initiative (NBI), an independent coalition of local and multinational businesses focusing on taking action to achieve social and environmental sustainability, underpinned by good governance. Shameela, formerly the Chief Sustainability Officer at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), led the JSE's Sustainability and Climate Change Disclosure Guidance initiative, which won the 2022 award for Thought Leadership in Sustainable Investing: Africa from Environmental Finance. Her notable contributions include advancing the JSE's exploration of climate change, carbon credit trading, and sustainable finance frameworks. She has served as chair of the World Federation of Exchange’s (global) Sustainability Working Group, a member of the Strategy Group of the Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance (GISD), and chair of the Sustainable Finance Working Group of the National Treasury of South Africa. Shameela holds a Master's in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from the University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). She is an alum of the Chevening and Mansion House scholarships.
Susanne Aakerfeldt is a Senior Adviser at the World Bank, Fiscal and Sustainable Growth Unit, seconded by the Swedish Government since April 2024, focusing on climate aspects of fiscal policy. During 30 years at the Swedish Ministry of Finance, she has been instrumental in fine-tuning the Swedish carbon tax as well as pursuing green tax reforms and aiming for the EU legislation to reflect the Polluter Pays Principle. From January 2021 until August 2022, she was part of the CBAM team at the EU Commission, being the lead legal drafter of the proposal. Returning to the Ministry, she took part in the CBAM negotiations in Council and contributed to its national implementation. Until March 2024 she served as Head of the Swedish Delegation to the EU CBAM Committee. She is since many years extensively engaged in global climate policy within the framework of the UN (as Co-Coordinator of UN Subcommittee on Environmental Taxation and contributor to the 2021 UN Handbook on Carbon Taxation for Developing Countries), as well as within the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action. Susanne has a Master of Laws degree from Uppsala University and received the Kreiser Award in 2020.
Karen Bosman is Head of Advocacy and Advisory at Wesgro, the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape. Karen is educated in international economic law and policy. Her focus at Wesgro includes the competitiveness of the Western Cape economy in a changing international economic context, with a particular focus on international trade, investment and tourism. Karen previously spent time working in Washington D.C. where her research focussed on international trade and investment law, regional integration, and enabling legal frameworks in Africa. She has also worked as a legislative advisor in the South African Parliament, and at a commercial law firm in Cape Town. She holds degrees in law (LLB) and in political science, philosophy and economics (B.A. PPE) from Stellenbosch University and a master in international economic law (LLM) from Georgetown University in the United States.
Chris Morgan’s background is in international tax and EU tax. Chris became Head of Tax Policy for KPMG UK in 2011 and in 2014 spearheaded KPMG UK’s Responsible Tax Programme. Chris’ role is now Head of Global Responsible Tax Programme which brings all stakeholders into a constructive debate about how to make tax systems work for all. The project has actively included input from organisations such as the UN, IMF, World Bank and OECD as well as from a wide range of Civil Society organisations. One of the areas of focus of the Programme is tax and the environment. Since 2021 Chris has run roundtables and global seminars looking at border carbon adjustments, compliance with WTO rules, the difference between incentives and tax, and the impact of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on developing countries. Chris has also authored a number of papers looking at how tax could facilitate investment into decarbonisation especially in developing countries, the circular economy and a Carbon Added Tax. Chris is a member of the UN Sub-committee on Environmental Taxes and collaborated in producing the UN Handbook on Carbon Taxation. He is the lead drafter of a paper on the impact of border carbon adjustment mechanisms on developing countries.
Abel Sakhau is the Chief Sustainability Officer of Sanlam, the largest non-banking financial services group on the African continent, with a leading niche presence in Asia. Abel is a qualified environmental scientist from the University of Witwatersrand and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership and an MBA from Stellenbosch University. His expertise includes sustainability strategy development, managing professional and specialised business units in climate change, environmental management, and sustainability.