South Africa

Politics & Policy

Xenophobic sentiment in South Africa reaches highest level in two decades

Economic frustration and electoral politics are driving a sharp rise in hostility towards migrants in South Africa
Anti-immigration demonstrators, wearing traditional Zulu attire, gather to stage a protest in Johannesburg, South Africa on 29 April, 2026. Participants voiced opposition to irregular migration during the demonstration.
Politics & Policy

South Africa’s G20 triumph comes face to face with Trump’s wrecking ball

The first G20 on African soil delivered on debt, energy and minerals — but can these wins survive Trump's antagonism and America's forthcoming presidency?
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sits at a desk with a placard reading "South Africa G20 President," backed by a "South Africa 2025" banner and delegation members.
Politics & Policy

Trump escalates South Africa feud with 2026 G20 exclusion

Donald Trump has announced that South Africa will not be invited to next year's G20 summit in Miami, in what would be an unprecedented attempt to exclude a member state from the world's premier economic forum
President Donald Trump meets with President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa in the Oval Office. They are flanked by officials from both the United States and South Africa.
Politics & Policy

Trump is revoking visas for African leaders who defy US policy

The second Trump administration is wielding visa revocations as a form of diplomatic punishment, targeting African leaders and intellectuals who've challenged US foreign policy
Naledi Pandor, South Africa's Foreign Affairs Minister
Economy

Africa’s debt crisis demands more than G20 declarations

African nations are trapped: spending more on debt servicing than on health or education, whilst climate shocks compound their struggles. South Africa's G20 tenure has highlighted the crisis, but substantive solutions remain elusive
President Cyril Ramaphosa leads South African delegation to virtual G20 Leaders' Summit in November 2020
EconomyPolitics & Policy

Africa’s debt crisis demands a bold new approach

Africa cannot rely on the global community to provide adequate funding or debt relief to address its development needs and crises, such as pandemics or extreme weather events
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other G20 leaders at the opening ceremony of the 2023 G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi, India, on 9 September 2023. The G20 agreed a Common Framework that was supposed to help resolve the sovereign debt crises in low income countries. Four African countries applied to have their debts restructured through the framework. Despite years of negotiations, it has failed to fully resolve the debt crisis in three of them.
Politics & Policy

Here’s why the ICJ’s genocide ruling won’t change Israel’s behaviour in Gaza

The International Court of Justice's ruling on Israel's behaviour in Gaza will be a hollow victory because global power politics will dilute its impact
Palestinian flags at a pro-Palestine rally in Johannesburg, 28 October 2023
Politics & Policy

Top UN court orders Israel to ‘prevent genocide’ in Gaza, but stops short of calling for immediate ceasefire

International Court of Justice orders Israel to take all measures in its power to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid in
The courtroom at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. In a landmark decision, the International Court of Justice in The Hague has ordered Israel to “take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of acts of genocide” in Gaza and to allow desperately needed humanitarian aid to enter the territory. But the court’s “provisional measures” in the case brought by South Africa at the end of December stop short of ordering a ceasefire.
Politics & Policy

South Africa’s genocide case against Israel: what to expect from the International Court of Justice

Three cases alleging violations of the Genocide Convention have been brought before the ICJ, the first in 1993; of these, the ICJ has only issued a final judgment in one case, 14 years after it was initiated
Naledi Mandisa Pandor, South Africa's foreign affairs ministers as of January 2024
Food & Beverage

Coca-Cola in Africa: a long history of shrewd marketing and political alliances

Coke's history in Africa is deeply and often surprisingly intertwined with key moments, including the emergence of postcolonial nations and the end of Apartheid in South Africa
Billboard in Kampala advertising Coca-Cola. While Africa is largely absent from books on Coca-Cola, the company’s imprint on the continent is enormous. It is present in every nation. The story of Coke's arrival in Africa in the early 1900s is deeply, and often surprisingly, intertwined with key moments in African history. These include the end of Apartheid in South Africa and the emergence of postcolonial African nations. Coca-Cola is also what it is in Africa today because it became local, bending to the will of Africans in everything from sports to music to healthcare.
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