Co-operation in the South Atlantic Zone: Amplifying the African Agenda

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues that South Africa should expand its foreign policy by reconceiving its engagement with Latin America and Africa as a unified 'South Atlantic Zone'. The authors suggest that this framework can enhance maritime security, promote the 'blue economy' through initiatives like Operation Phakisa, and increase trade and cultural ties among littoral states.

• The authors propose that South Africa shift its foreign policy approach by viewing Latin American and African littoral states as a single 'South Atlantic Zone' to bridge conceptual and geographic divides and foster multilateral co-operation.
• South Africa's engagement in South America has historically been skewed toward Brazil due to shared commitments to global governance reform and South–South co-operation, leaving other Latin American countries neglected.
• The Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic (ZPCSA), established in 1986, consists of 24 countries and focuses on security and the maintenance of a nuclear-weapon-free zone, though progress has been slow due to a focus on institutional frameworks and limited naval capabilities among African members.
• Renewed interest in the ZPCSA is driven by maritime security threats, such as piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and tensions between the UK and Argentina over the Falklands/Malvinas islands, as well as economic interests in offshore oil and gas.
• South Africa aims to leverage the 'blue economy' through Operation Phakisa, launched on 15 July 2014, to boost GDP growth by exploiting untapped maritime resources in sectors like offshore oil and gas, aquaculture, and marine transport.
• Trade between South Africa and Latin American South Atlantic countries (Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay) remains low, totaling $3.34 billion in 2013, partly because the countries produce similar finished goods and commodities.
• The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), formed in 1996, provides a cultural and diplomatic mechanism for engagement, with six of its nine members overlapping with the South Atlantic Zone.

APA

Lalbahadur, A., Grobbelaar, N., & du Plessis, R. (2015). Co-operation in the South Atlantic Zone: Amplifying the African Agenda. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Policy-Insights-21.pdf

Chicago

Lalbahadur, Aditi, Neuma Grobbelaar, and Rudolf du Plessis. Co-operation in the South Atlantic Zone: Amplifying the African Agenda. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Policy-Insights-21.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lalbahadur |first1=Aditi |last2=Grobbelaar |first2=Neuma |last3=du Plessis |first3=Rudolf |title=Co-operation in the South Atlantic Zone: Amplifying the African Agenda |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=21 July 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Policy-Insights-21.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lalbahadur2015cooperation, author = {Lalbahadur, Aditi and Grobbelaar, Neuma and du Plessis, Rudolf}, title = {{Co-operation in the South Atlantic Zone: Amplifying the African Agenda}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Policy-Insights-21.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }