What South Africa should get out of its engagements in the DRC

This research paper analyzes South Africa's political and economic engagements in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), arguing that South Africa must transition from a commercial focus to a comprehensive political and economic strategy to ensure stability and protect its investments.

• South Africa has a significant economic presence in the DRC, with investments totaling nearly US$ 1 billion and providing 20% of the DRC's imports. South African corporate investment is particularly concentrated in the logistics, mining, and retail sectors.
• The Grand Inga Treaty, signed in October 2013 and reiterated during the 9th session of the Binational Commission, represents a long-term commitment to infrastructure rehabilitation, with the project's scale estimated at US$ 100 billion or more.
• South Africa is integrated into multiple regional and international mechanisms for DRC stability, including the Southern African Development Community, the Tripartite Mechanism for Dialogue and Cooperation (with Angola and the DRC), and the Intergovernmental Conference on the Great Lakes Region. It also maintains a bilateral relationship based on 35 memoranda of understanding and agreements.
• The author proposes five strategic priorities for South Africa to improve its role in the DRC: dissuading President Kabila from seeking a third term based on Article 220 of the 2006 constitution; supporting the continued presence of MONUSCO to ensure credible elections; encouraging Kabila's return to SADC summits; enacting domestic legislation to prevent corporate malpractice similar to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; and improving diplomatic capabilities, specifically French language proficiency and embassy staffing.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2015). What South Africa should get out of its engagements in the DRC. https://saiia.org.za/research/what-south-africa-should-get-out-of-its-engagements-in-the-drc/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. What South Africa should get out of its engagements in the DRC. 2015. https://saiia.org.za/research/what-south-africa-should-get-out-of-its-engagements-in-the-drc/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=What South Africa should get out of its engagements in the DRC |date=27 October 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/what-south-africa-should-get-out-of-its-engagements-in-the-drc/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2015what, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{What South Africa should get out of its engagements in the DRC}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/what-south-africa-should-get-out-of-its-engagements-in-the-drc/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }