SA is squandering international goodwill through rudderless foreign policy

This research paper argues that South Africa's foreign policy under the Zuma administration has become rudderless, characterized by a lack of strategic clarity and a managerial vacuum that risks eroding international goodwill and the country's status as a reliable developmental partner.

• The Zuma administration is perceived as lacking a clear foreign policy direction, with the issue receiving minimal attention in the State of the Nation address and budget speech, suggesting a retrenchment of South Africa's global diplomatic reach.
• A managerial gap within the Zuma administration has led to a situation where the diplomatic corps in Pretoria is uncertain about who holds decision-making power, resulting in ignored initiatives and lost opportunities with progressive international partners.
• The African continent faces significant challenges that require strong leadership, including political crises in Kenya, Nigeria, Niger, and Guinea, as well as chronic issues in Sudan, the DRC, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, looming crises regarding climate change, energy insecurity, and water stress threaten to reverse governance and developmental progress.
• To effectively drive domestic economic growth, the Department of International Relations and Co-Operation (DIRCO) must address internal pathologies by filling vacant senior managerial posts, increasing cooperation with the private sector, and expanding diplomats' linguistic and technical literacy in areas such as trade, marine, and environmental issues.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2010). SA is squandering international goodwill through rudderless foreign policy. https://saiia.org.za/research/sa-is-squandering-international-goodwill-through-rudderless-foreign-policy/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. SA is squandering international goodwill through rudderless foreign policy. 2010. https://saiia.org.za/research/sa-is-squandering-international-goodwill-through-rudderless-foreign-policy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=SA is squandering international goodwill through rudderless foreign policy |date=3 March 2010 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/sa-is-squandering-international-goodwill-through-rudderless-foreign-policy/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2010squandering, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{SA is squandering international goodwill through rudderless foreign policy}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2010}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/sa-is-squandering-international-goodwill-through-rudderless-foreign-policy/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }