South Africa and France in Africa: Exploring New Avenues for Pursuing the African Agenda

The paper assesses the continuity of French Africa policy under President François Hollande and identifies opportunities for South Africa to partner with France. It suggests that while the two nations may differ on specific conflicts, their shared interests in democratic governance and security, combined with France's permanent seat on the UN Security Council and South Africa's influence in the African Union, create a strategic basis for collaboration.

• President François Hollande's early actions and speeches in Senegal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo indicate a continuity of French Africa policy established under Nicolas Sarkozy, focusing on democratic governance, human rights, the rule of law, and the 'francophone bias'.
• South Africa and France possess complementary comparative advantages for managing African affairs: South Africa holds significant influence within the African Union and SADC, while France benefits from a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and deep bilateral ties in Francophone Africa.
• Despite shared goals regarding economic development and governance, South Africa and France have experienced divergent analyses on specific conflicts in Libya, Cote d’Ivoire, and Syria.
• Following the end of South Africa's non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council in December 2012, the author argues that Pretoria must consolidate its partnership with France to ensure its voice continues to influence resolutions on African issues.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2012). South Africa and France in Africa: Exploring New Avenues for Pursuing the African Agenda. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-and-france-in-africa-exploring-new-avenues-for-pursuing-the-african-agenda/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. South Africa and France in Africa: Exploring New Avenues for Pursuing the African Agenda. 2012. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-and-france-in-africa-exploring-new-avenues-for-pursuing-the-african-agenda/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=South Africa and France in Africa: Exploring New Avenues for Pursuing the African Agenda |date=27 November 2012 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-and-france-in-africa-exploring-new-avenues-for-pursuing-the-african-agenda/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2012south, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{South Africa and France in Africa: Exploring New Avenues for Pursuing the African Agenda}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2012}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-and-france-in-africa-exploring-new-avenues-for-pursuing-the-african-agenda/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }