Ongoing conflicts and rivalries continue to define the international landscape and South Africa’s political economy. Against this backdrop, MISTRA has been participating in, and presenting at, strategic engagements and forging partnerships, while engaging in its core business of producing relevant research.

MISTRA released a book titled South Africa in an Age of Disasters: Managing Risk and Building Competence. Please see below for a special offer on this book for newsletter readers.

MISTRA also co-produced Finding Our Rhythm: Gauteng Scenarios 2035, a useful strategic resource for anyone thinking seriously about Gauteng’s trajectory. It was commissioned by the Gauteng City Region Observatory (GCRO).

MISTRA’s Executive Director, Joel Netshitenzhe, addressed eThekwini’s Colloquium Series on how shifting international power dynamics intersect with South Africa’s domestic challenges. He was also the guest speaker on the State of the South African State: A Reflection on the Required Leadership at an event hosted jointly by the Foundation for Ethical Leadership, the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA) and the SA Human Rights Commission (Limpopo Province). He also made a presentation to the Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) on the current geopolitical and domestic challenges that South African business will have to navigate over the coming year.

With local government elections taking place later this year (or early next year), the governance of coalitions in a democracy presents key questions and challenges. MISTRA co-hosted high-level public seminars at which political parties, leading South African scholars and civil society representatives, joined by Dutch scholar-practitioner, Professor Bert Koenders, shared ideas on overcoming the challenges of coalition politics.

Senior MISTRA representatives engaged with several embassies about cooperation on various fronts. These include the Embassy of the Republic of Algeria; the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China. Through the South African Embassy in Jakarta, MISTRA is exploring strategic engagements with various Indonesian think tanks.

Click here for a broader look at other things we’ve been up to.