South African Institute of International Affairs

In this interview with Cape Talk, SAIIA Chief Executive Elizabeth Sidiropoulos examines growing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and its implications for European politics. She discusses the historical, economic and cultural aspects behind the party’s rise.

In this interview with SAfm, Acting Head of SAIIA’s African Governance and Diplomacy Programme, Gustavo de Carvalho, discusses the political fallout of the Iran conflict for US President Donald Trump, the UN’s push for maps reflecting Africa’s true size and renewed diplomatic tensions over Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands.

The contemporary world is increasingly defined by transition, disruption and uncertainty. Climate change, geopolitical fragmentation, rapid technological advancement, democratic contestation, economic volatility and shifting labour markets are reshaping the nature of work globally. At the same time, the rise of AI, fintech, platform economies and data-driven governance has intensified anxieties surrounding employability and the future of work.

In April 2026, South Africa’s ambition to lead on artificial intelligence (AI) governance stumbled. Weeks after Cabinet approved the Draft National AI Policy, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi withdrew it when at least six of its 67 academic references proved fabricated. The draft policy had proposed a national AI commission and an insurance fund for AI harms. Much of its substance was sound; the unverified references buried the stronger ideas along with the flaws.

Climate change is not a crisis that affects everyone equally. The countries and communities that have contributed least to global emissions often bear the greatest costs – from extreme heat and water stress to food security, displacement and lost livelihoods. In South Africa and across the Global South, climate shocks intersect with poverty, unemployment, spatial inequality and constrained public finances, threatening to deepen existing divides and reverse hard-won development gains.

Although South Africa and India share a long-standing relationship, there is considerable scope to explore what closer cooperation could mean amid changing global, economic and climate dynamics. But beneath the cultural affinities lies a significant diplomatic relationship, shaped by shared histories and increasingly common interests.

SAJIA Volume 33.2 is now available to read on the Taylor & Francis website. This special issue examines the repercussions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution for peace in Africa, asking what peace means in an environment of profound technological and societal transformation.

SAJIA Volume 33.2 is now available on the Taylor & Francis website. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is transforming societies at an unprecedented pace, reshaping politics, diplomacy, security and everyday life. As digital technologies become increasingly intertwined with international politics, they raise important questions about the future of peace on the African continent. What does peace mean in an environment of profound technological and societal transformation?

On the back of this week’s summit, Head of the Economic Resilience and Inclusion Programme at SAIIA, Dr Joseph Upile Matola, speaks to Moneyweb about the gap between SADC’s regional integration commitments and their implementation, including delays in operationalising the Regional Development Fund.

In this interview with Sputnik Africa, Gustavo de Carvalho, Acting Head of SAIIA’s African Governance and Diplomacy Programme, examines South Africa’s exclusion from the G20 Summit and its implications for the forum’s credibility, global governance, and the Global South’s role in international decision-making.