The charm of anti-westernism: Russia’s soft power in Africa
The effectiveness — or, for that matter, the existence — of Russia’s soft power has always been a controversial topic, dividing both academic and policy researchers. Now, with Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, talking about Russia’s soft power may sound like fiction – even more so from Europe’s perspective. However, this is not the case when it comes to Africa.
Mauritius’ Free Trade Agreement with China: Lessons and Implications for Africa
The Mauritius–China Free Trade Agreement, signed in 2019, was Beijing’s first with an African country.
The Climate–Conflict Nexus in Africa: A Conflict-Sensitive Approach
Africa is one of the areas that are most vulnerable to both climate change and conflict.
Empowering Women in Africa’s Restoration Economy
Despite increasing recognition of the roles and opportunities for women in ecological restoration, women typically still have less social, economic and political power. This has negative consequences for their equitable participation in the restoration economy.
Russia’s Soft-Power Sources in Africa
While Russia is widely associated with hard power, which relies on force or economic sanctions, it has been trying to recover some of the Soviet Union’s soft power as part of its toolkit to rebuild its influence in Africa.
Russia’s media playbook in Ukraine and Africa — let the great world spin
Russian information operations are the first crucial step in many of its pursuits. In Ukraine, it is about painting Kyiv as the aggressor, Moscow the liberator. In Africa, it is to convey that Russia’s presence on the continent is larger than it really is.
SADC Infrastructure Futures: Pathways to Complementary Regional Interconnectivity
Effective regional connectivity calls for a vibrant relationship between economic and social infrastructure, on the one hand, and an underlying enabling policy framework for the financing and development of sustainable, appropriate infrastructure, on the other.
Integrating African Climate Priorities into the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
Growing evidence indicates that addressing the twin challenge of the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis requires greater synergy and integration across these two sectors, and
for them to be treated as two components of the same challenge.
SADC Industrialisation Futures: Towards Economic Wellbeing
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is to transform the region as per SADC Vision 2050, which seeks to build a competitive middle- to high-income industrialised society.
South Africa’s corruption nemesis
A recent report highlights the urgent need for South Africa to implement reforms to combat state capture, reverse institutional decay, and restore confidence in the constitution. The biggest obstacle is the ruling African National Congress, which is beset by factional infighting.