From Hegemony to Champion: South Africa and Strategic Balance

This research paper by Kurt Shillinger analyzes South Africa's transition from a regional hegemon during the apartheid era to a self-appointed champion of the 'Global South' in international diplomacy. It argues that while regional strategic rebalancing within southern Africa is not currently underway, South Africa is actively pursuing a rebalancing of global economic and diplomatic power through non-aligned blocs and the United Nations.

• During the apartheid era, South Africa acted as an aggressive regional hegemon, utilizing its economic dominance to shape neighboring economies and employing military destabilization campaigns against states that supported liberation movements.
• The South African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) was established in May 1979 by nine states to reduce economic dependence on South Africa and support liberation efforts in Namibia and South Africa.
• The transition of SADCC to the South African Development Community (SADC) in August 1992 integrated South Africa into the regional framework, but the author contends that the organization remains one of the least effective regional economic communities in Africa due to conflicting national interests and power rivalries.
• South Africa is shifting its strategic focus from regional balancing to a global effort to rebalance power, positioning itself as a leader for non-aligned states and the 'emergent South' to challenge the disproportionate influence of Western powers.
• South Africa's votes in the UN regarding Iran and Myanmar demonstrate a strategy of prioritizing the authority of the General Assembly over the Security Council to resist what it perceives as Western 'bullying' and selectivity.
• South Africa is participating in a new global bifurcation between 'the West and the Rest,' utilizing overlapping constellations such as IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) and the G22+ to democratize control over global trade, resources, and security.
• The rise of non-aligned powers is making Western punitive measures, such as isolation and sanctions, less effective, as South Africa and others maintain relations with 'rogue' states based on ideological kinship or strategic interests.

APA

Shillinger, K. (2007). From Hegemony to Champion: South Africa and Strategic Balance. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/Kurt_IPRI_Paper.pdf

Chicago

Shillinger, Kurt. From Hegemony to Champion: South Africa and Strategic Balance. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2007. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/Kurt_IPRI_Paper.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Shillinger |first1=Kurt |title=From Hegemony to Champion: South Africa and Strategic Balance |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=February 2007 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/Kurt_IPRI_Paper.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{shillinger2007from, author = {Shillinger, Kurt}, title = {{From Hegemony to Champion: South Africa and Strategic Balance}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2007}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/Kurt_IPRI_Paper.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }