South Africa is the most industrialized country and the second-largest economy on the African continent. It is also the United States’ largest trade partner in Africa, even as it maintains strong relationships with both China and Russia. South Africa plays an important leadership role among African countries: it was the first African member of the BRICS group of emerging economies and is the sole African member state of G20. Recent developments have brought the complexities of South Africa’s relations with the United States to the fore—including discussions on the reauthorization of the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act, South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and the recent U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act introduced in the U.S. Congress.
What factors within the country, the African continent and the U.S. are shaping South Africa’s relations with the rest of the world? What are the continuities and changes to expect in the U.S.-South Africa relationship? How is South Africa navigating an increasingly multipolar world?
Join the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Africa Program for a fireside chat and audience Q&A with Naledi Pandor, the minister of international relations and cooperation of the Republic of South Africa.