IMAGE: Foreign Policy Research Institute

Abstract

South Africa held a general election in May 2024 that saw the African National Congress (ANC) lose its
majority. This necessitated a Government of National Unity (GNU). This new governance architecture
has important implications for South Africa’s foreign policy. The key but multifaceted question is: what
does the GNU mean for South Africa’s relations with the world? Broadly, South Africa is entering a new
foreign policy era after thirty years of the ANC’s monopoly of international affairs. This working paper
discusses the friction points related to foreign policy and international relations that will confront the
GNU. Taking a broad perspective, it discusses potential friction that will test the nascent coalition based
on party representation in the key foreign policy ministries. It hopes to present scenarios that can be
revisited as the foreign policy dimension of governance by consensus, or lack thereof, gets off the
ground.

Read Full Paper