South African Institute of International Affairs
BRICS rally to defend climate multilateralism at UN General Assembly
2nd October 2025 BRICS countries need to cooperate and develop tailored energy transition models for a fair and sustainable transition, requiring reforms in... →
End of a Cycle? South Africa’s G20 Presidency and the Future of Global Cooperation
18th August 2025 South Africa closes the first cycle of G20 presidencies with a call to refocus on development, equality and cooperation amid rising fragmentation... →
Brics Expansion: Adaptive Response or Proactive Restructuring of Global Governance?
13th August 2025 As Brics evolves from a loosely defined economic grouping into a more structured geopolitical entity, its recent expansion signals a more... →
Why SADC Integration Is Needed Now More Than Ever
12th August 2025 Until member states begin to take regional commitments seriously and act in a unified and coordinated manner, the lofty ambitions of SADC's... →
The Brics Expanded: Shaped by – or Shaping – the Global Order?
1st August 2025 The expanded Brics membership strengthens its goal to represent the Global South and boosts its economic and demographic influence in creating... →
Has South Africa Overtaken Nigeria as Africa’s Giant?
30th July 2025 Nigeria’s silence in the global community contrasts markedly with South Africa’s vibrancy, begging us to ask if Pretoria’s influence has eclipsed... →
The Road Ahead is Steep But Not Insurmountable: How South Africa’s G20 Can Still Deliver for Debt and Development
16th July 2025 The global economy has slowed and become less supportive of developing countries, leaving African nations increasingly reliant on international... →
South Africa’s G20 Presidency: Placing African Concerns on the Global Table
3rd July 2025 South Africa’s G20 presidency comes at a pivotal moment for rethinking the forum’s role in a shifting global order. South Africa took over the... →
This is a 1990 moment – Africa must seize it
24th June 2025 As the world order is being reshaped, Africa must make its voice heard and defend its interests with unity and resolve. In July 1990, nearly 35... →
A Statesman in the White House: Ramaphosa’s Lesson in Spectacle and Restraint
18th June 2025 Cyril Ramaphosa’s deft handling of a Donald Trump-led spectacle may offer global leaders an example of surviving diplomatic ambushes with composure... →
Governance in Southern Africa Still Needs Work
17th June 2025 The APRM process at national level is sometimes stage-managed to include CSOs friendly to the government and silence or ignore critical voices... →
Reimagining SA-US Relations in the Aftermath of the Oval Office Spectacle
9th June 2025 The confrontation between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump was not just a diplomatic rupture - it was a... →
Practical Steps SA Can Take to Reset its Relationship in the Trump Era
26th March 2025 Managing US perceptions of South Africa is increasingly vital. Rational explanations alone may not be sufficient to shift entrenched views,... →
DRC Debacle Batters South Africa’s Standing as an Actor in African Peacekeeping
20th March 2025 The withdrawal of the SAMIDRC force from the eastern DRC has significant negative ramifications for South Africa and SADC’s standing as a player in... →
More Than Elections: What’s Really Driving Protests in Mozambique?
28th February 2025 Lack of capacity and corruption have significantly eroded support for Frelimo in Mozambique, particularly among young voters, who regard its... →
Four Skills the African Union Commission’s New Leadership Needs
17th February 2025 Africa needs leaders at the helm of the African Union Commission that can position the continent to move its agenda forward. This weekend, African... →
Roadmap to Reform: Building Sustainable Transit for Africa’s Cities
10th February 2025 Africa’s urban transportation crisis reflects broader challenges of rapid urbanisation, historical inequities and governance inefficiencies.... →
Johannesburg Water Crisis Reveals Shortfalls in Delivering on Socio-Economic Rights
24th January 2025 Municipalities have been continuously constrained by inadequate human resources, lack of skills, scarce finances, years of neglect and corruption.... →
African Climate Politics and Multilateralism: Domestic Factors and Cross-Country Variation in Climate Ambitions
7th January 2025 This article explores what domestic factors contribute to the variation in climate policy ambition levels among sub–Saharan Africa countries. Abstract →
A Closer Look at South Africa’s Approach to Climate Change and the G20
29th November 2024 Both COP28 and the G20 committed to triple renewables but where is the money going to come from? Climate change is particularly important for South... →
South Africa’s G20 Presidency in 2025: A Pivotal Moment for the Country and Africa
18th November 2024 Poverty, unemployment and inequality will top South Africa's G20 presidency agenda. The Group of Twenty (G20) is an intergovernmental economic... →
Reflections After the Brics Summit: Membership, Payment Systems, and What Lies Ahead
14th November 2024 The 2024 Brics Summit revealed Brics’ pragmatic moves toward a diversified global economy. How will shifting alignments influence the international... →
The Pact for the Future: Gains to Celebrate and Challenges to Surmount
5th November 2024 To realise the Pact of the Future, historical injustices must be redressed, new threats addressed and innovative reform institutionalised. The... →
From Koeberg to Chernobyl: The Challenge of Nuclear Safety in SA and Ukraine
5th November 2024 As interest in nuclear energy grows and military conflicts around the globe rise, the safety of nuclear power plants in armed conflicts should be a... →
The COP29 South African Youth Statement
31st October 2024 The COP29 South African Youth Statement highlights the voices of the youth from across the country who see the future of a cleaner, greener South... →
High Expectations: Civil Society Participation in Conflict Early Warning and Response Systems of the AU, ECOWAS and IGAD
28th October 2024 ‘Early warning’ describes a process that alerts decision-makers and promotes their understanding of the nature and impact of a potential escalation... →
Governance Challenges in Cabo Delgado: Spinning Wheels in the Mud
24th October 2024 Amid unrest surrounding Mozambique's election, the task of dealing with extremism in the country remains. Mozambicans went to the polls on 9... →
What to Expect from the 2024 Brics Summit
21st October 2024 As the 2024 Brics Summit approaches, SAIIA highlights the key issues and debates that will shape the agenda. As the 2024 Brics Summit in Kazan,... →
Brics Economic Integration: Prospects and Challenges
10th October 2024 Amid the evolving global economic landscape, the Brics nations have emerged as proponents of economic multilateralism, challenging traditional... →
Can Old Alliances Survive New Realities in Russia-South Africa Relations?
19th September 2024 This piece explores the complexities of the relationship between Russia and South Africa, and how they must respond to international pressures,... →
Invisible No More: Securing Legal Identity as a Human Right
16th September 2024 The need for identification in an increasingly digital world is becoming more apparent, with over 60% of the nearly 850 million people without a... →
The G7, South Africa and the Sustainable Climate Agenda for Africa
28th August 2024 The G7 needs to emphasise its value addition within the more inclusive G20 with an acute sensitivity to the fact that Africans are articulating... →
Enhancing African Agency Amid Global Geopolitical Competition
16th August 2024 This piece explores how engagements with global powers unfold, the complexities they introduce, and what can be done to enhance African agency... →
What are the South Africans doing in Eastern DRC?
28th May 2024 Four years into a protracted war between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Rwandan supported M23 rebel group, the eastern DRC is... →
Marking a Milestone: 90 Years of SAIIA
16th May 2024 Reflections from our chief executive as SAIIA celebrates its 90th anniversary. The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA)... →
Empowering Youth Voices: Addressing Gender-Based Violence in South Africa
23rd April 2024 The South African Youth Gender Action Plan is a youth-driven policy framework that provides a roadmap for addressing gender-based violence and... →
Strengthening Africa’s Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Through Enhanced Policy Coherence and Coordinated Action
5th April 2024 In response to these vulnerabilities and impacts, it is essential that African countries develop adaptation and resilience building strategies to... →
AU Lays Foundations for Progressive Customs, Monetary and Fiscal Union
8th March 2024 Since the implementation of the heavily indebted poor country programme, most African countries have re-accumulated even higher external and... →
Africa’s Potential Role in Mediating the Ukraine Conflict
4th March 2024 The conflict in Ukraine, characterised by its complexity and seemingly intractable nature, underscores the importance of potential mediators in... →
The Future of SA Nuclear Energy Post-123 Agreement
12th January 2024 The plant at Koeberg is the only current nuclear power station in Africa and is responsible for roughly 6% of South Africa’s total electricity... →
East Africa Floods Highlight Urgency of COP28 Negotiations, Especially on Loss and Damage Fund
12th December 2023 In the first days of COP28, several developed countries committed funding to the newly established Loss and Damage Fund, which has been set up to... →
