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South Africa in Africa and the World: The Diplomatic Strategies of a Global–Regional Power

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Diplomatic Strategies of Nations in the Global South

Abstract

This chapter explores South Africa’s foreign policy aspirations and identifies some of the strategies used in pursuing them. It also reflects on how successful these strategies have been, and outlines some of the challenges facing the country in achieving its national interests and influencing the international system of global governance. It is argued that South Africa’s motivations for pursuing global ambitions are based on a mix of normative and instrumentalist considerations, including the country’s history of the struggle against apartheid on the one hand, and the urgency of domestic challenges on the other. In trying to pursue numerous and sometimes contradictory agendas through different foreign policy strategies, South Africa finds itself overextended and accused of inconsistency. A multi-pronged foreign policy approach of ambiguity may however be the only viable strategy for a state that is still struggling to come to terms with its identity and its national interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Studies, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Karen Smith

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  1. Karen Smith
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Political Science Department, The City College of New York, New York, USA

    Jacqueline Braveboy-Wagner

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Smith, K. (2016). South Africa in Africa and the World: The Diplomatic Strategies of a Global–Regional Power. In: Braveboy-Wagner, J. (eds) Diplomatic Strategies of Nations in the Global South. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-45226-9_5

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