South African Institute of International Affairs
Red lights are flashing over Russian dealings with Mozambique and Zimbabwe
7th December 2020 Russia is clearly keen to boost its presence in Africa. “Africa is one of the priorities of Russian foreign policy,” declared Russian deputy... →
Lives or livelihoods
2nd December 2020 The coronavirus crisis poses new and unprecedented challenges for every country, in particular developing nations. Our Chief Executive Elizabeth... →
Tshisekedi and Kabila fall out
2nd December 2020 Two-and-a-half years after striking a political deal with his erstwhile political enemy that saw him being handed the presidency of the Democratic... →
G20 and development
19th November 2020 Covid-19 has turned everything upside down. The global lockdowns, the stresses on weak health systems, the absence of fiscal space and social... →
Rebuilding Trust, Reliability, and Predictability
13th November 2020 Most parts of the world sighed in relief when the outcome of the US presidential election was announced—not only because the wait had been long,... →
Is BRICS past its sell-by date?
1st October 2020 The demise of the BRICS based on its apparent incoherence has long been predicted by pundits. But as Mark Twain observed about reports of his death... →
Does Egypt need to go nuclear?
1st October 2020 Egypt's venture into nuclear power has been planned from the top down, with environmental groups and rights organisations expressing reservations,... →
China holds all the cards as pandemic pushes African countries to default on loans
1st October 2020 Governments on the continent may be forced to cede control of key assets as Beijing swops debt for equity. Covid-19 is acting as a kind of X-ray,... →
How to make the UN relevant again: Pursue a fresh approach to climate change
23rd September 2020 As the United Nations celebrates 75 years of championing safety and security, social welfare, refugee rights, and more, it risks seeing all this... →
Africa’s gathering debt storm
4th September 2020 Without rapid and vastly increased external help to weather the Covid-19 storm and ease their debt-service burden, many African economies could... →
Corruption hampers the development of South Africa’s youth
31st August 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has once again exposed the rife corruption and disregard for governance, accountability and transparency by senior... →
It is very much in SA’s interest to ‘interfere’ in Zimbabwe
11th August 2020 The fate of the neighbouring state has a profound influence on the economy of the entire region. For about 20 years SA has watched, rarely exerted... →
Nuclear developments in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic
7th August 2020 Africa’s response to COVID-19 has been boosted by nuclear-derived technology innovations and their peaceful application in the health and food... →
Not much give from China in its relationship with Africa
30th June 2020 Despite a warm African response to the recent ‘Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against Covid-19’, not much new came out of the... →
DRC president’s chief of staff convicted of corruption and embezzlement
25th June 2020 Congolese president Felix Tshisekedi’s chief of staff, Vital Kamerhe, was once a close ally of Joseph Kabila, leading his election campaign in... →
Covid-19 and the politics of the year of the nurse
4th June 2020 When the World Health Organisation (WHO) last year named 2020 the ‘International Year of the Nurse and Midwife’, there was no way of knowing that... →
Burundi: Can newly-elected President Ndayishimiye deliver change?
4th June 2020 On 20 May, as most of the world was preoccupied with Covid-19, Burundi quietly held its fourth general elections since the end of the civil war in... →
Hong Kong and China’s National People’s Congress: The danger of a new cold war
27th May 2020 As China gears up to sink its claws deeper into Hong Kong, the world weighs up how best to respond. The pro-democracy movement also has some hard... →
The pandemic creates ideal conditions for the rise of populism
27th May 2020 Prior to the coronavirus pandemic the world’s political climate was darkening. Rising and deepening levels of authoritarianism, protectionism,... →
Africa Day: recalibrating the continent’s future
26th May 2020 Fifty-seven years ago today, the Organisation of Africa Unity was born. Founded by 32 states, its quest was to bring about freedom and unity on the... →
Cybercrime and COVID-19: A concern for financial stability during the pandemic
18th May 2020 The largest continent in the world today is no longer a physical geographical location but a virtual one. Cyberspace has redefined how people,... →
COVID-19: Implications for the ‘digital divide’ in Africa
18th May 2020 This article is part of the ‘ COVID-19 and Innovation in Africa’ series, produced by the Africa Portal, Wits University and the African Centre for... →
Can the ‘super year for nature’ be salvaged? Reflecting on Earth Day 2020
22nd April 2020 The year 2020 was billed as a ‘Super Year for Nature’ – a year of important global negotiations on the future of biodiversity, oceans governance... →
Renewed urgency to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area: How can Africa prepare now?
22nd April 2020 In recent weeks, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on the world. While there is uncertainty about how long this pandemic will disrupt... →
Are states ready to commit to providing global public goods?
15th April 2020 Covid-19 is the crisis no one expected to happen in our generation despite frequent speculation about the potential impact of the recurrence of the... →
Fragile African health systems face COVID-19 catastrophe
2nd April 2020 By March 31, Africa had 5,431 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with almost a quarter (1,353) in South Africa, followed by 656 in Egypt and 584 in... →
Ambassador Lin Songtian’s recall signals shifts ahead in China-Africa relationship
30th March 2020 The sudden recall from South Africa of Chinese ambassador Lin Songtian was initially interpreted as being a demotion. But the contrary appears to... →
Immunising one country and leaving the rest to their fate not enough to protect citizens
23rd March 2020 The Group of 20, chaired by Saudi Arabia, must consider the specific plight of the poorest countries during global pandemics With the number of... →
Coronavirus and upcoming elections in Africa: What are the options?
20th March 2020 At the rapid rate at which the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been spreading, it was only a matter of time before Africa was affected. At the... →
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 50 years on: Where does Africa stand?
6th March 2020 Today marks 50 years since the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entered into force. Resting on three pillars – nuclear disarmament, nuclear... →
A decade of G20 summitry: Assessing benefits, limitations & future of global club governance
27th February 2020 A decade on from its elevation to a global leadership forum, the Group of 20 (G20) merits nuanced, updated evaluation. The G20 met for the first... →
Africa could be the winner as the US attempts to stifle Huawei
25th February 2020 The adoption of 5G technology, powered by Chinese tech giant Huawei, has become a game of international geopolitical football with Donald Trump as... →
Strategic choices for South Africa as it enters 2020
21st February 2020 In February, President Cyril Ramaphosa became the chairman of the African Union (AU) for a year, as well as the chairman of the African Peer Review... →
Trump’s travel ban benefits only China
17th February 2020 If the US wants to counter Chinese influence in Africa, greater engagement with Nigeria seems like a no-brainer. But, with its decision to include... →
South Africa has a new chance to promote good governance in Africa
11th February 2020 As South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa begins his term as chairperson of Africa’s premier instrument aimed at promoting good governance among... →
Turkey and the shifting geopolitical sands of North and East Africa
4th February 2020 In the last few months Turkey’s actions in North Africa and the greater Middle East have confirmed it as an important regional power. These efforts... →
Cybercrime and data privacy: How Africa can up its game
30th January 2020 Africa is the fastest-growing continent when it comes to internet penetration. The percentage of people on the continent using the internet... →
SAIIA Futures: anticipating & preparing for major disruptors facing Southern Africa
2nd December 2019 South Africa has had a long tradition of undertaking scenario exercises at critical times in its history – from the Mont Fleur to the Dinokeng... →
Stepping up e-commerce would boost SA Inc
18th November 2019 A market of 1.3-billion people could be tapped into if postal and internet services were made efficient and accessible. Just over 25 years ago, on... →
The retreat of multilateralism: What should Africa do?
7th November 2019 For developing countries multilateralism with the UN at its centre, is considered a key pillar of the global system because it provides for an... →
Springboks’ triumph provides hope for country and continent
5th November 2019 The power of sport to bring people together was on display when underdogs South Africa upset a previously rampant England 32-12 in the Rugby World... →
