Is South Africa’s mediation offer in the Israel-Hamas conflict feasible?
Pretoria has offered to mediate to try to end the devastating war that has erupted between Hamas and Israel and which has killed well over 1,000 people on both sides in just two days. In this interview with the Daily Maverick, SAIIA’s Chief Executive Elizabeth Sidiropoulos said because South Africa was not a neighbour of […]
Washington, Pretoria ‘reaffirm and recommit’ after public spat over Russia
The White House says a recent high-level call ‘reaffirmed the strong partnership between South Africa and the United States’ — a move that analysts say improves what has long been a tense relationship, marred by a public diplomatic spat and Pretoria’s reluctance to disengage from Russia. In this Voice of America interview, SAIIA’s Researcher Isabel […]
Nigeria, South Africa need sustained political, trade relations for Africa’s development
Stronger and more cordial trade and political relationships between the two leading economies of Africa, Nigeria and South Africa, will translate to the development of the continent. Speaking during a visit by Nigeria’s MTN Media Innovation Fellows to SAIIA head offices, our Head of the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme, Steven Gruzd, said when a […]
Calls for stronger bilateral trade relationship between Nigeria and South Africa
Our Head of African Governance and Diplomacy Programme Steven Gruzd has stressed the importance of strong institutions and committed government in building a stronger bilateral trade relationship between Nigeria and South Africa. He was speaking during the visit of the second cohort of MTN Media Innovation Fellows from Nigeria to the institute, in continuation of […]
Nigerian businesses need better strategies to survive in South Africa
Inability to cope with the sophisticated nature of the South African economy, stringent regulatory frameworks and rigid labour laws are listed as probable reasons many Nigerian companies, which attempted to open in the former apartheid country could not survive. Speaking with Nigerian journalists, SAIIA’s Head of African Governance and Diplomacy Programme Steven Gruzd said that […]
G20 summit: How India put the Global South in the spotlight
World leaders flocked to Delhi to participate in the G20 summit set for 9–10 September 2023, as a culmination of India’s year-long presidency of the Group of 20 leading nations. India has spent the past year marketing itself as a bridge between the Global North and the Global South. In this interview with the Christian […]
Prigozhin death will disrupt Wagner Group activities in Africa
While it might be too early to assess the effects of the deaths of Yevgeny Prigozhin and other leaders on the Wagner Group’s operations in Africa, some analysts say there will be short-term disruptions. In this interview with the Voice of America, Steven Gruzd, SAIIA’s African Governance and Diplomacy Programme Head says, ‘There’s going to […]
BRICS bloc adds six new members
The BRICS group of emerging economies has admitted six new members, its leaders announced on the final day of the bloc’s 2023 Summit held in Johannesburg. Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were announced as the new members added to the bloc starting from January 2024. In this interview with […]
BRICS countries continue to retain their independence
Some political analysts have assessed that the BRICS nations may adopt a more obvious anti-Western stance, but South Africa, India, and Brazil have all expressed that they hope to maintain close relations with traditional Western partners. In this interview with World Journal, SAIIA’s Senior Researcher Gustavo De Carvalho says member countries ‘continue to retain their independence, […]
The BRICS expansion expected to be high on the summit agenda
Leaders from five developing nations, accounting for nearly half the world’s population, gathered in Johannesburg for the 15th BRICS Summit, with the expansion of the emerging market grouping, the war in Ukraine and relations with the West all high on the agenda. In an interview with CNBC, SAIIA’s Senior Researcher Gustavo De Carvalho said final decisions […]