Report

Post Apartheid South Africa’s Foreign Policy after Two Decades

Following the introduction of democratic rule in South Africa in 1994, Tshwane embarked on a new foreign policy trajectory. In July 2013, the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR), Cape Town, South Africa, convened about 50 leading practitioners, scholars, and civil society activists to review post-apartheid South Africa’s foreign policy after two decades. The meeting sought to explore and enhance the potential leadership role that Tshwane can play in promoting peace and security, as well as regional integration and development in Africa. It considered key themes in South Africa’s post-apartheid foreign policy, including a review of its history; Tshwane’s peacemaking, defence, and human rights roles; and South African corporate expansion. The seminar also focused on
Tshwane’s interlocking bilateral relationships on the continent and beyond, and considered South Africa’s multilateral relations, including with the Southern African Customs Union (SACU); the Southern African Development Community (SADC); the African Union (AU); the United Nations (UN);
the European Union (EU); and the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) bloc.