Draft Report of Launch Meeting

This draft report documents the January 28, 2015, launch meeting of the South African chapter of the Network of Southern Think Tanks (NeST), co-hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and Oxfam. The meeting brought together over 40 stakeholders to discuss South Africa's approach to South-South cooperation (SSC) and development partnerships in Africa. The report outlines the goals of NeST South Africa, analyzes the specific paradigm of South African development assistance, identifies systemic challenges in coordination and data management, and discusses the pending establishment of the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA).

• South Africa defines itself as a 'development partner' rather than a 'donor', utilizing a 'diplomacy of ubuntu' that emphasizes collaboration, co-operation, and partnership over competition.
• A significant gap exists in the quantification and reporting of South African development co-operation because most of its activities—such as peacekeeping, non-concessional infrastructure loans, and knowledge exchange—do not fit the narrow OECD-DAC definition of Official Development Assistance (ODA).
• South Africa's development efforts are characterized by a 'demand-driven' approach to support country ownership, but this has led to fragmented, uncoordinated, and unsustainable projects lacking an overarching strategic direction.
• The establishment of the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA) has been delayed for eight years since it was first proposed at the ANC Conference in Polokwane, with the SADPA Bill still pending in Parliament as of March 2015.
• South Africa faces a diplomatic tension between adhering to Southern principles of non-interference and respect for sovereignty and its own constitutional commitment to a rights-based approach and the promotion of democracy.
• There is a critical lack of coordination among the nearly 50% of South African government departments engaged in development co-operation, resulting in weak monitoring, evaluation (M&E), and information management.
• South Africa prioritizes domestic resource mobilization for African countries to reduce dependency on North-South aid, supporting this through initiatives like the Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative (CABRI) and the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF).
• South Africa's development co-operation is heavily concentrated in the SADC region, accounting for approximately 70% of its activities, and 96% when Southern African Customs Union (SACU) transfers are included.
• The Network of Southern Think Tanks (NeST) was established in April 2014 to address knowledge gaps in South-South cooperation and to create a consolidated Southern voice to counter-balance the OECD-DAC narrative in global policy forums.

APA

Besharati, N., Khunou, K., & Moilwa, M. (2015). Draft Report of Launch Meeting. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-01-28-NeST-South-Africa_Report-of-Launch_final.pdf

Chicago

Besharati, Neissan, Kelebogile Khunou, and Matshidiso Moilwa. Draft Report of Launch Meeting. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-01-28-NeST-South-Africa_Report-of-Launch_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Besharati |first1=Neissan |last2=Khunou |first2=Kelebogile |last3=Moilwa |first3=Matshidiso |title=Draft Report of Launch Meeting |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=28 March 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-01-28-NeST-South-Africa_Report-of-Launch_final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{besharati2015draft, author = {Besharati, Neissan and Khunou, Kelebogile and Moilwa, Matshidiso}, title = {{Draft Report of Launch Meeting}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-01-28-NeST-South-Africa_Report-of-Launch_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }