What’s Urdu for biltong? Can South Africa help Pakistan?

The document assesses the dysfunctional state of Pakistan, characterized by military dominance and Islamist extremism, and argues that South Africa is uniquely positioned to assist through its experience in conflict resolution and democratization. It evaluates the fragile India-Pakistan peace process and identifies significant untapped economic potential for trade and investment between South Africa and Pakistan, while noting that political dissonance and the 'India factor' have historically hindered these ties.

• Pakistan is described as one of the most destabilized states globally, characterized by a history of military coups, corruption, and a violent divide between the state and ideologically driven groups. Socio-economic indicators are poor, with 22.32% of the population living below the poverty line and a literacy rate for those aged 15–25 of 53% for males and 42% for females.
• The Pakistani military and intelligence services (ISI) have historically fostered an 'ideological state' based on religious nationalism and confrontation with India to maintain political dominance. This alliance between the 'mosque and the military' created a Jihadi mindset that has since evolved into a threat to both local and global security.
• South Africa is identified as a uniquely suited partner to help Pakistan due to its non-aligned international voice and its own historical experience with constitutional reform, political accommodation, and democratization.
• The India-Pakistan peace process, specifically the composite dialogue resumed in 2004, has achieved some progress in 'people-to-people' exchanges and confidence-building measures (CBMs), such as a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and the resumption of bus services. However, the process remains fragile and is frequently disrupted by terrorist attacks, such as the July 2006 Mumbai bombings.
• The dispute over Kashmir is the central obstacle to lasting peace between India and Pakistan. While Pakistan has shown some flexibility by moving away from a strict demand for a UN-mandated plebiscite toward concepts of 'self-governance' and 'joint management', India remains committed to the territorial status quo.
• Bilateral trade between South Africa and Pakistan is described as 'dismally weak', with Pakistani exports to South Africa consistently remaining below 1% of Pakistan's total global trade. However, notional analysis suggests a potential export range for Pakistan to South Africa between $286 million and $480 million.
• Economic interaction between South Africa and Pakistan has been hindered by political factors, including South Africa's support for Pakistan's suspension from the Commonwealth in 1999 and the 'India factor', where strong existing ties between Pretoria and New Delhi create a perceived disadvantage for Pakistani businesses.
• South Africa's role as a potential regional trade hub for Southern Africa presents a significant opportunity for Pakistan to gain preferential access to wider African markets, potentially reducing transit costs compared to using the port of Mombasa in Kenya.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2009). What’s Urdu for biltong? Can South Africa help Pakistan? https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Research-Report-2.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. What’s Urdu for biltong? Can South Africa help Pakistan? 2009. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Research-Report-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=What’s Urdu for biltong? Can South Africa help Pakistan? |date=February 2009 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Research-Report-2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2009whats, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{What’s Urdu for biltong? Can South Africa help Pakistan?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2009}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Research-Report-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }