Executive Director, Joel Netshitenzhe delivered the opening remarks at the roundtable discussion on Age of Identity Politics? A Roundtable on the Shifting Landscape of South African Identities

The Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) hosted a roundtable discussion exploring the question:

“Are we witnessing the return of identity politics?”

In response to the growing influence of identity-based politics in South Africa and around the world, MISTRA will host a roundtable discussion that reflects on how South Africans construct and express their identities in a changing political landscape.

The roundtable engaged with key themes, including:

  • South Africa’s 2024 elections and identity politics.
  • The rise of ethnically and linguistically based politics.
  • Youth identities in South Africa.
  • Gender and identity in South Africa.
  • Migration and regional African solidarities.
  • The role of economic inequality in shaping (non)belonging.

Several panels, composed of leading scholars and public intellectuals, engaged in dialogue on the intersections of identity, politics and nation-building.