AGENDA 2063: THEMATIC FUTURES

This research paper provides a conclusion to the 'Combined scenario' of the Agenda 2063 thematic futures, arguing that African development is a non-linear, complex process requiring national ownership, strategic prioritisation, and a 'developmental state' focused on implementation and knowledge creation rather than grand schemes.

• Development in Africa is characterized by significant diversity and non-linear progress, often involving 'persistent failure, wastage, exploitation and misery' rather than smooth forecasts. Success requires organic practices tailored to domestic conditions and a 'hard slog' that takes decades.
• Effective transformation depends less on grand ambitions and more on mundane, technical, and bureaucratic improvements, such as land reform for food security, creating facilitative investment environments, and supporting sectors that already show potential.
• A central requirement for development is consistent investment in knowledge creation, research, and the manufacturing sector to move up the productivity and technology curve, as global value chains are increasingly knowledge-intensive.
• The realization of the Agenda 2063 vision requires several critical pillars: leadership with resolve, national ownership (avoiding outsourcing to donors), strategic prioritisation of catalytic interventions, capacity for implementation within civil services, and a practical 'developmental state' that enables markets.
• Sustainable change requires managing the political economy by building coalitions across classes, sectors, and regions to overcome resistance to reforms that redistribute power or disrupt rents.

APA

Cilliers, J. (2026). AGENDA 2063: THEMATIC FUTURES. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=17-combined-agenda-2063&topic=07-conclusion

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie. AGENDA 2063: THEMATIC FUTURES. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=17-combined-agenda-2063&topic=07-conclusion.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |title=AGENDA 2063: THEMATIC FUTURES |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=29 March 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=17-combined-agenda-2063&topic=07-conclusion |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliers2026agenda, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{AGENDA 2063: THEMATIC FUTURES}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=17-combined-agenda-2063&topic=07-conclusion}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }