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This research paper investigates the impact of Chinese and Indian investment in Africa's extractive industries on local industrialisation, specifically focusing on the dynamics of Zambia's copper value chain and the role of mine ownership in the development of upstream linkages.

This report examines the expansion of South African and other SADC supermarket chains across Southern Africa, analyzing the drivers of this growth, the retail models used, and the resulting impacts on local suppliers and regional trade.

This report analyzes the maize value chain within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to inform the Southern African Trade Hub’s (SATH) implementation strategy, focusing on production, trade, utilization, and the necessity of coherent regional policy.

This case study outlines a value chain analysis of the maize sector in Tanzania, intended to inform the National Strategy for the Maize Industry. It identifies systemic inefficiencies in the value chain and lists specific institutional and infrastructural barriers that hinder investment and growth.

This fact sheet provides a quantitative overview of the South African beef industry, detailing production distribution, supply chain integration, and international trade patterns including key import and export partners.

This research paper analyzes the challenges facing Africa's youth by examining Country Review Reports (CRRs) from the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) for 16 countries. It identifies a 'crisis of integration' characterized by a mismatch between education and labor market needs, high rates of youth unemployment and underemployment, and the resulting risk of social instability. While noting the potential for youth to be a 'destructive force' if marginalized, the author also highlights a strong entrepreneurial drive and a growing trend of political activism among young Africans.

This policy brief examines the border dispute between Malawi and Tanzania over Lake Malawi, which escalated due to the discovery of potential oil reserves. It analyzes the failures of regional preventive diplomacy mechanisms, specifically within SADC and the AU, and argues for the empowerment of these institutions to resolve inter-state conflicts through legitimate, binding processes.

This research paper analyzes the 2016 EU-Turkey migrant deal, arguing that while it has succeeded in its primary goal of deterring arrivals via the Aegean Sea, it has done so at a significant humanitarian and legal cost. The author contends that the deal, combined with border closures across Eastern and South Eastern Europe, has trapped refugees in squalid conditions and pushed migrants toward more dangerous smuggling routes, while potentially undermining the international principle of non-refoulement.

This research paper examines the role of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in advancing South Africa's developmental agenda and its strategic focus on the African continent. It analyzes the alignment between South Africa's normative goal of African primacy and its actual resource allocation, noting that while budgets face restrictions, strategic investment in African missions remains a priority to support economic diplomacy and the National Development Plan.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the state of youth policy in Africa, drawing on African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Country Review Reports. It argues that while youth policies are becoming more common, they are often hindered by poor design, inadequate data, and weak state implementation capacity. The author emphasizes the need for evidence-based strategies and partnerships with non-state actors to effectively integrate young people into developmental agendas.

This research paper examines land governance in Africa, highlighting the tension between formal statutory systems and customary informal arrangements, and argues that improving state capacity is essential for establishing productive land governance.

A statement by the South African Institute of International Affairs welcoming a March 31, 2016, Constitutional Court ruling regarding the president's private residence at Nkandla, emphasizing the ruling's broader implications for the rule of law, the separation of powers, and the protection of marginalized citizens.

This research paper analyzes the state of constitutionalism and civil liberties across Africa by examining African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Country Review Reports for 12 countries. It categorizes these nations based on Freedom House rankings and identifies systemic challenges to freedom, including executive dominance and securitization.

In a 2016 address, SAIIA National Chairman Fred T Phaswana discusses the intersection of South Africa's domestic political and economic crises with global instability. He highlights the erosion of South Africa's international leadership due to internal corruption and poor growth, while contrasting these failures with the success of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REI4P) and global multilateral agreements on climate and development.

This research paper analyzes the outcomes of the 2015 World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, arguing that the conference effectively signaled the end of the Doha Development Round. The author examines the geopolitical shifts causing this failure and proposes a transition toward plurilateral agreements and the integration of megaregional trade deals into the WTO framework to maintain the viability of the multilateral trading system.

This research paper examines the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and its potential to transform Ethiopia into a regional energy hub. It analyzes the project's technical specifications, its alignment with Ethiopia's national growth strategies, and the challenges and opportunities for energy cooperation within the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) and the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA).

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines landholding systems in Africa, drawing on African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) reports. It argues that while weak property rights hinder economic development, universal formal titling is often impractical due to institutional capacity constraints. The author proposes a gradual approach that leverages informal rights regimes and improves state administrative capacity to enhance tenure security.

This research paper analyzes three major Chinese foreign policy initiatives—the Maritime Silk Road, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and expanded UN peacekeeping contributions—and evaluates their implications for Africa and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The author argues that while China is increasing its infrastructure and security investments in Africa, particularly on the east coast, the continent remains secondary to China's strategic interests in Asia and Europe.

This policy brief, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs, provides recommendations to restore multilateral trade cooperation and the central role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) amidst a systemic crisis characterized by the failure of the Doha Round and the rise of Mega-Preferential Trade Arrangements (MPTAs).

This policy briefing examines the constraints affecting the Environmental Impact Assessment (EA) process in Botswana, focusing on legislative gaps, institutional capacity limitations, and the financial sustainability of the professional regulatory body.