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Our latest publication, The State of the South African State: Capacity, capability and ethics, offers a comprehensive assessment of the South African state three decades into democracy and a year after the establishment of the GNU.
Building on earlier MISTRA work, this publication focuses on state capacity, capability, and ethics, and provides an up-to-date evaluation of the South African state and offers clear recommendations for course correction.
| | In November, MISTRA hosted our 10th annual PGM Roundtable. At the roundtable, which is one of MISTRA’s flagship events, experts from academia, industry and government discussed everything from how green hydrogen can be a strategic asset for sustainable economic transformation to unpacking the business case for a South African PGM exchange. Attendees were also given the opportunity to address these experts directly during the Q&A session. | | MISTRA has put together a publication from the Thucydides Trap conference, which was held in October 2024. The conference brought together scholars and policymakers to discuss how Africa can navigate shifting global geopolitics, avoid conflicts arising from great power competition, and assert its own interests from an African perspective. | | | | In October, Executive Director, Joel Netshitenzhe, was part of a panel discussion, titled 30 Years into Democracy: Inequality and Moral Erosion, at the Defend our Democracy conference. The conversation explored what our democracy is missing, and asked if it can be saved? The panel also unpacked the rise of corruption and its impact on ethical leadership and governance across all spheres, as well as the role of communities and civil society in promoting ethical leadership and protecting democratic institutions from self-serving interests. | | Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) has recently featured prominently in South African news amid renewed debate, with analysts calling on government and business to update BEE frameworks to reflect changing social and economic realities. Addressing a BEE Commission session, MISTRA’s Executive Director argued that BEE is being unfairly attacked by local and international critics who claim it fuels corruption, undermines growth, and entrenches inequality. In his speech, he contended that these critiques ignore the historical reality of apartheid’s deliberate suppression of black entrepreneurship and asset ownership. | | | | | This is the question posed by Adrian Enthoven, member of MISTRA’s Council of Advisors at the University of Stellenbosch Thought Leader Lecture. According to Enthoven, to make sense of our moment today, we need to see it in the context of our journey over the past 30 years, and he argues that indeed the country has turned the corner. | | In September, MISTRA and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, hosted a conference in Pretoria titled Reimagining African Modernisation: Leveraging China-Africa Partnerships for Technology and Green Development. The event brought together policymakers, researchers, technical experts, diplomats and business leaders from Africa and China for an exchange of ideas about industrial development, infrastructure, digital connectivity and green energy. This policy brief identifies the key findings and actionable policy recommendations that emerged. | | Zamanzima Mazibuko-Makena | | State of the South African State | | 10th Annual Platinum Group Metals Roundtable | | | | |
