Latest Opinions
Colonial tax records hold 3 lessons for South Africa today – economic historian
23rd January 2026 In 1825, a tax collector compiling a census in South Africa’s Cape Colony paused to write a poem in the margin of his work. In it, he complained... →
SA’s naval-gazing reflects a deep defence and foreign policy disconnect
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 23rd January 2026 Exercise Will for Peace exposed a disjointed maritime approach that could cost the country dearly. Exercise Will for Peace, the multinational naval... →
Stability versus resilience
By: Terence Creamer 23rd January 2026 The revised Eskom unbundling strategy announced is emerging as something of a touchstone for government’s commitment – or otherwise – to reforming... →
Good State and community-based development
By: Saliem Fakir 23rd January 2026 One must be guided by several precepts when considering community-based development. The first is that if you do not know something, do something.... →
Mpumalanga at the turning point: Building a future beyond survival
22nd January 2026 The story of Mpumalanga has always been told in images of contrast. A province of soaring escarpments and deep coal seams. A place of the rising... →
Trump’s Africa policy: strategy or shakedown?
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 21st January 2026 The 2025 US National Security Strategy recasts Africa from partner to price tag in a transactional, resource-driven era of great-power rivalry.... →
2026: Africa’s year to turn climate ambition into action
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 21st January 2026 Before global constraints become irreversible, countries must show how loss and damage can be measured and linked to development and debt. The 2025... →
South Africa’s Non-Alignment Posture Under the GNU: Still Seeking Multipolarity Amid Great Power Rivalry?
By: South African Institute of International Affairs 21st January 2026 Policymakers argue that South Africa’s openness to engaging with contested powers reflects its pursuit of a more equitable, multipolar world order.... →
Getting into university is only the first hurdle for students from rural South Africa. Here’s what comes next
20th January 2026 As universities in South Africa prepare to admit a new group of students, thousands of young people from rural parts of the country hope for a... →
Nigeria’s former election umpire has been appointed an ambassador: why this is a red flag
20th January 2026 The Nigerian Senate confirmed the appointment of the immediate past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as an... →
