South Africa’s Economic Statecraft in Southern Africa: Non-existent or Nascent? An Examination of Relations with Zimbabwe and Swaziland

This research paper examines South Africa's use of economic statecraft and economic diplomacy in its relations with Zimbabwe and Swaziland, analyzing the country's reluctance to leverage economic power to promote democratic reform and human rights in these neighboring states.

• South Africa has shown a clear hesitation to utilize its economic influence to drive democratic reforms in Zimbabwe and Swaziland. This reluctance is attributed to several factors: the close personal connections between political elites, a government priority on sovereignty and non-interference, and tensions between the state and the business sector.
• South African policy discourse prefers the term 'economic diplomacy' over 'economic statecraft'. The document describes 'economic diplomacy' as a more benign approach that allows post-apartheid South Africa to avoid being viewed as a regional hegemon.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2014). South Africa’s Economic Statecraft in Southern Africa: Non-existent or Nascent? An Examination of Relations with Zimbabwe and Swaziland. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africas-economic-statecraft-in-southern-africa-non-existent-or-nascent-an-examination-of-relations-with-zimbabwe-and-swaziland/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. South Africa’s Economic Statecraft in Southern Africa: Non-existent or Nascent? An Examination of Relations with Zimbabwe and Swaziland. 2014. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africas-economic-statecraft-in-southern-africa-non-existent-or-nascent-an-examination-of-relations-with-zimbabwe-and-swaziland/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=South Africa’s Economic Statecraft in Southern Africa: Non-existent or Nascent? An Examination of Relations with Zimbabwe and Swaziland |date=28 May 2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africas-economic-statecraft-in-southern-africa-non-existent-or-nascent-an-examination-of-relations-with-zimbabwe-and-swaziland/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2014south, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{South Africa’s Economic Statecraft in Southern Africa: Non-existent or Nascent? An Examination of Relations with Zimbabwe and Swaziland}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africas-economic-statecraft-in-southern-africa-non-existent-or-nascent-an-examination-of-relations-with-zimbabwe-and-swaziland/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }