India, South Africa and Africa in a Changing Global Landscape

This report summarizes a conference held on June 9-10, 2011, at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg. The event focused on the evolving economic, political, and security relationships between India, South Africa, and the broader African continent, emphasizing South-South cooperation, trade synergies, and joint efforts toward reforming global governance institutions like the UN and IMF.

• Trade between India and Africa has seen significant growth, increasing from $967 million in 1990-91 to $39 billion in 2008-09. Bilateral trade was reported at $50 billion at the time of the conference, with expectations to reach $70 billion by 2015.
• Indian firms in South Africa demonstrate higher success and staying power compared to Chinese firms, characterized by a lower failure rate. This is attributed to more cautious entry strategies, longer-term investment horizons, and a shared business culture as both are ex-British colonies.
• South Africa is positioned as a "gateway into Africa" due to its developed infrastructure, skilled labor force, and access to capital markets. Its membership in BRICS is seen as a way to leverage these advantages to facilitate broader African development and funding.
• India and Africa share critical security interests in the Indian Ocean, specifically regarding the maintenance of open sea lanes of communication (SLOCs). Key threats identified include piracy—linked to instability in the Horn of Africa—terrorism, and narcotics trade.
• Both India and South Africa seek permanent membership in the UN Security Council, though they are hindered by different grouping dynamics: India by the G4 and South Africa by the Ezulwini Consensus. India's credentials include being the world's largest democracy and a major contributor of UN troops, while South Africa's include its moral stature and role as a champion for the global South.
• In the pharmaceutical sector, India and South Africa act as both collaborators and competitors. India possesses strengths in formulation and development, while South African firms like Aspen focus on niche markets and emerging market pipelines to leverage Indian formulation capabilities.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). India, South Africa and Africa in a Changing Global Landscape. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/rep_india_africa-sa_conf_report_feb_2012.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. India, South Africa and Africa in a Changing Global Landscape. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/rep_india_africa-sa_conf_report_feb_2012.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=India, South Africa and Africa in a Changing Global Landscape |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/rep_india_africa-sa_conf_report_feb_2012.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndindia, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{India, South Africa and Africa in a Changing Global Landscape}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/rep_india_africa-sa_conf_report_feb_2012.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }