Statement of SAIIA's National Chairman 2015

The statement asserts that South Africa's 'soft power' and global standing depend on its domestic adherence to constitutional principles and the rule of law. It advocates for a more effective 'economic diplomacy' based on a national consensus between the state and the private sector to leverage opportunities in the African continent and the global economy. The author emphasizes that as a small regional power, South Africa's primary interest lies in a rules-based international order and multilateralism, while cautioning against over-reliance on specific blocs like BRICS at the expense of other collaborations.

• South Africa's international influence and soft power are directly tied to its domestic stability and adherence to constitutional principles; failure of the '1994 project' domestically would negatively impact its global standing.
• Effective economic diplomacy requires a national consensus and synergy between the state and the private sector to address challenges such as a declining manufacturing sector and competition from other rising African powers.
• South Africa's strategic interest as a small regional power is the maintenance of a rules-based international order and multilateralism to protect smaller nations from more powerful ones.
• The author warns that an excessive focus on BRICS members may lead South Africa to overlook other critical economic and political collaboration opportunities.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2015). Statement of SAIIA's National Chairman 2015. https://saiia.org.za/news/statement-of-saiias-national-chairman-2015/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Statement of SAIIA's National Chairman 2015. 2015. https://saiia.org.za/news/statement-of-saiias-national-chairman-2015/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Statement of SAIIA's National Chairman 2015 |date=17 February 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/news/statement-of-saiias-national-chairman-2015/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2015statement, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Statement of SAIIA's National Chairman 2015}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/news/statement-of-saiias-national-chairman-2015/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }