COVID-19's impact on South Africa's relations with Africa

This research paper examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced South Africa's leadership and relations within Africa. While the author praises South Africa's multilateral coordination of the continental health response as AU chair, they argue that domestic failures—specifically institutionalised xenophobia and corruption—undermine the country's soft power and long-term leadership potential on the continent.

• South Africa demonstrated strong leadership as the 2020 AU chair by coordinating a comprehensive continental response to COVID-19. This included establishing regional task forces across five main regions, creating a COVID-19 Response Fund that secured $12 million, and launching an innovative procurement platform for medical supplies led by Special Envoy Strive Masiyiwa.
• Persistent and institutionalised xenophobia within South Africa threatens to negate the gains made through its foreign policy. The pandemic has exacerbated social cleavages, leaving African migrants in fear of violence as poverty and hunger increase. The author notes that South Africa is among the most violently xenophobic societies globally, with a history of denying refugees and asylum seekers access to state resources.
• Recent government actions indicate a shifting, more restrictive tone toward foreigners. This includes the construction of a 40-kilometre-long fence along the border with Zimbabwe in April 2020 at a cost of nearly ZAR 17 million, and a 'South Africans first' discourse in policy, such as proposed restrictions on foreign employment in sectors like agriculture, tourism, and private security.
• The pandemic has provided a pretext for some African governments to suppress political opposition and restrict civic freedoms. The author identifies an upsurge in state-led violence in Zimbabwe and warns of similar trends in eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Algeria, and Tunisia.
• Corruption and 'state capture' have severely weakened South Africa's domestic stability, with some estimates suggesting losses of ZAR 1.5 trillion, or nearly one third of the GDP. During the pandemic, this has manifested as the siphoning of relief funds, maladministered social grants, and improper tender deals, including one involving the president's spokesperson, Khusela Diko.
• South Africa's economic recovery package of over ZAR 800 billion is supported by international loans, including $4.3 billion from the IMF, $1 billion from the New Development Bank, and $288 million from the African Development Bank. These loans impose conditions for financial stabilisation, including reducing government spending and slashing public sector wages.

APA

Lalbahadur, A. (2020). COVID-19's impact on South Africa's relations with Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/research/covid-19s-impact-on-south-africas-relations-with-africa/

Chicago

Lalbahadur, Aditi. COVID-19's impact on South Africa's relations with Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2020. https://saiia.org.za/research/covid-19s-impact-on-south-africas-relations-with-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lalbahadur |first1=Aditi |title=COVID-19's impact on South Africa's relations with Africa |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=2 October 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/covid-19s-impact-on-south-africas-relations-with-africa/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lalbahadur2020covid19s, author = {Lalbahadur, Aditi}, title = {{COVID-19's impact on South Africa's relations with Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/covid-19s-impact-on-south-africas-relations-with-africa/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }