One year after the World Cup: Africa and South Africa on the international playing field

One year after hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa is urged to leverage the 'soft power' and international prestige gained from the event to address 'hard' geopolitical issues in Africa. The author suggests utilizing South Africa's roles in SADC, the AU, and the UNSC to resolve stalemates in Zimbabwe and Madagascar, and to address conflicts in Somalia, Darfur, and Abyei, while pushing for more decisive African-led solutions to avoid Western intervention as seen in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire.

• The 2010 FIFA World Cup was utilized by South Africa as a foreign policy tool to promote the African Renaissance and the goals of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), aiming to enhance the international image and economic profile of both South Africa and the broader continent.
• South Africa is positioned to use its influence in three key international arenas—the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)—to resolve African conflicts. As of 2011, South Africa chairs the SADC Organ on Peace, Development and Security, serves on the AU Peace and Security Council, and is an African non-permanent member of the UNSC for 2011-2012.
• Within SADC, South Africa has pushed for a new constitution in Zimbabwe to precede elections, as stated by Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane on 9 June 2011. While some progress was made regarding the Global Political Agreement and the lobbying for the lifting of sanctions, the document notes a lack of notable progress regarding the crisis in Madagascar.
• The document highlights failures in African unity and timeliness during crises in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire, which allowed Western powers, specifically NATO and France, to pursue national interests over 'African solutions'.
• South Africa, alongside Gabon and Nigeria, is encouraged to use its UNSC tenure to combat double standards in handling African conflicts, specifically citing the need for a no-fly zone and naval blockade in Somalia to stop arms proliferation, a request the UNSC has been criticized for delaying.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2011). One year after the World Cup: Africa and South Africa on the international playing field. https://saiia.org.za/research/one-year-after-the-world-cup-africa-and-south-africa-on-the-international-playing-field/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. One year after the World Cup: Africa and South Africa on the international playing field. 2011. https://saiia.org.za/research/one-year-after-the-world-cup-africa-and-south-africa-on-the-international-playing-field/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=One year after the World Cup: Africa and South Africa on the international playing field |date=11 July 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/one-year-after-the-world-cup-africa-and-south-africa-on-the-international-playing-field/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2011one, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{One year after the World Cup: Africa and South Africa on the international playing field}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/one-year-after-the-world-cup-africa-and-south-africa-on-the-international-playing-field/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }