South Africa s foreign policy under Zuma towards greater strategic partnerships

The research paper evaluates South Africa's foreign policy during the presidency of Jacob Zuma, highlighting the shift toward emerging powers like China and the BRICS grouping while noting a decline in human rights commitments and strained relations with the West. It contrasts Zuma's multilateral approach with the 'African Renaissance' focus of his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, and argues that domestic issues like xenophobia and the Marikana Massacre have damaged South Africa's continental leadership and global image.

• Under President Zuma, South Africa shifted its strategic focus toward emerging powers, most notably by joining the BRICS grouping in 2011 and upgrading its relationship with China to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2010.
• South Africa's trade relationship with China is characterized by a significant imbalance, with a trade deficit of 9.2% as of October 2017, which the author suggests contradicts the ideal of 'win-win cooperation'.
• The Zuma administration's commitment to human rights was undermined by domestic events, specifically the August 2012 Marikana Massacre where police killed 34 striking mineworkers.
• South Africa's attempt to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) following its failure to detain Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2015 damaged its international reputation as a human rights protector, though the Pretoria high court blocked the withdrawal in February 2017.
• Recurrent xenophobic violence and the government's denial of the phenomenon have strained South Africa's relations with other African nations, including Nigeria, which recalled its ambassador after 2015 attacks.
• While South Africa remained active in peacekeeping operations in the DRC, Burundi, and Sudan, the Zuma administration showed less commitment to strengthening governance frameworks like the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) compared to the Mbeki era.
• Diplomatic relations with the United States deteriorated during the Zuma presidency, exacerbated by trade disputes over US chicken exports and the 'America First' agenda of the Donald Trump administration.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2018). South Africa s foreign policy under Zuma towards greater strategic partnerships. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-s-foreign-policy-under-zuma-towards-greater-strategic-partnerships/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. South Africa s foreign policy under Zuma towards greater strategic partnerships. 2018. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-s-foreign-policy-under-zuma-towards-greater-strategic-partnerships/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=South Africa s foreign policy under Zuma towards greater strategic partnerships |date=22 February 2018 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-s-foreign-policy-under-zuma-towards-greater-strategic-partnerships/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2018south, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{South Africa s foreign policy under Zuma towards greater strategic partnerships}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-s-foreign-policy-under-zuma-towards-greater-strategic-partnerships/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }