African Agency Towards Global Powers: A View from the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Introduction In 2024, the African Center for the Study of the United States at the University of the Witwatersrand (Republic of South Africa) commissioned a study entitled “African Agency Toward Global Powers: A View from Regional Economic Blocs”.Agency, in a nutshell, refers
ACSUS Newsletter | July 2026
We are pleased to share the July 2026 edition of the African Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS) Newsletter, highlighting the Centre's recent programmes, research, partnerships, and engagements. This edition features African Agency in a Shifting Global Order:
African Stakeholders Convene to Advance Africa’s Agency in a Changing Global Order
By IJR Johannesburg, 2–3 July 2026 – African policymakers, scholars, civil society representatives and international affairs experts gathered at the University of the Witwatersrand for a roundtable discussion on “African Agency in a Shifting Global Order: African Priorities on the Reform of
Extra-Constitutional Changes of Government in Africa: The Dilemmas of Mischaracterised Political Convulsions
Image:The Youth Cafe Abstract This paper examines unconstitutional and extra-constitutional changes of government in Africa as legal, political, and geopolitical phenomena that are frequently mischaracterised when analysed solely through domestic constitutional doctrine or conventional coup typologies. It argues that contemporary political convulsions
The Second African Smart Cities Lab Initiative
Introduction The annual African Smart Cities Lab was held at the University of the Witwatersrand from October 1-3, 2025. This was the second edition of the initiative following the inaugural Smart Cities Lab held in August 2024. The Lab is a
African Americans: The First 250 Years
By: Asad El Malik, PhD INTRODUCTION When the United States declared its independence on July 4, 1776, approximately 500,000 people of African descent lived within its borders. They were not celebrating. Most were enslaved across the tobacco fields of Virginia and Maryland,
AFRICAN AGENCY IN A SHIFTING GLOBAL ORDER: AFRICAN PRIORITIES ON THE REFORM OF THE MULTILATERAL SYSTEM
By: Dr Bob Wekesa Intorduction The global governance landscape is undergoing profound change, presenting both challenges and opportunities for Africa. As geopolitical rivalries reshape international institutions and decision-making processes, it is increasingly important for Africa to actively influence the emerging global order
Cities Must Lead Africa’s Energy Transition
Despite the need for energy, more than 600 million Africans have no access to electricity. The continent exports about half of its oil and gas production. African countries are in effect supplying the rest of the world with energy, while
An Exploration of the African Dimensions of State-based Philanthropy in US Foreign Policy and Global Change
By: Dr. Bob Wekesa Abstract This article is situated at the intersection of foreign policy and philanthropy amid geopolitical shifts. It uses ongoing foreign policy shifts in the United States of America as they apply in African situations, tied to broader global
Connectivity, Diplomacy and Development: How Digital Diplomacy is Shaping Africa’s SDG Agenda
By: Amukelani Matsilele Introduction With less than six years remaining to achieve the SDGs, the African continent finds itself at a defining digital crossroads. Decisions made in Geneva, New York, and Nairobi today will shape the livelihoods of billions of people tomorrow.