This 2022 Macro-Social Report (MSR) aims to update and build on the MSR published by the Presidency of South Africa in 2006. That document discussed major macro-social trends in the country, with a specific focus on core nation-building pillars such as social identity, social cohesion and socio-economic transformation.

Reflections on Africa’s Place in the World brings together a collection of essays on international relations and Africa that have been published by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) during its first decade.

The juxtaposition found in South African society, where poverty and opulence exist alongside each other, has yet again been brought to the fore with the advent of COVID-19. The country’s extreme inequality is always a factor when dealing with adversity and this global pandemic has been no different.

The dire state of mathematics education in South Africa is a cause for concern. South Africa falls short in international assessments. Poor performances in maths and science are a legacy of gross racial, gender and spatial inequalities. Much attention has been given to maths education post-apartheid. However, there has been minimal improvement in results.

MISTRA’s report on the local government elections of 2021 goes beyond the historic event of 1 November 2021, and explores the conversion of the electoral mandates into local government. It comes at a time of political turmoil, when party dominance is fading.

During its research on platinum group metals (PGM) and the Hydrogen Economy, the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) observed that although there were positive developments in the PGM value chain, there was limited collaboration between stakeholders. In order to address this, MISTRA convened a roundtable series, providing a platform for government, platinum producers, trade unions and research institutions to exchange views.

Understanding South Africa’s Democratic Trajectory: A comparative analysis of postcolonial societies is the product of a research project undertaken by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) on behalf of the Open Society Foundation for South Africa (OSF-SA). The research examines three cases studies – Mozambique, Algeria and India – in order to assess whether South Africa’s current democratic trajectory is exceptional or comparable to other post-colonial experiences.

The journey of this research report started in August 2013 when the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) published its book entitled South Africa and the Global Hydrogen Economy: The Strategic Role of Platinum Group Metals. The publication explored the strategic opportunities that arise from South Africa’s endowment of these strategic minerals.

The Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) was conceived in late 2009; work on its
establishment commenced in late January 2010; and it began functioning in March 2010. It was formally
launched, however, in March 2011 at an event held at The Castle in Kyalami, Johannesburg. The launch
event took the form of a gala dinner followed by a two-day conference.

Voting Trends 25 Years into Democracy: Analysis of South Africa’s 2019 Election contributes strategic reflections on and in-depth analysis of the implications of Election 2019.

Voting Trends Twenty Years Into Democracy: Analysis of South Africa’s National and Provincial Elections is a study by MISTRA, that seeks to develop a deeper understanding of the outcome of South Africa’s 2014 national and provincial elections.

MISTRA partnered with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), Global Progressive Forum (GPF) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) to conduct a groundbreaking study aimed at better understand the political attitudes of young people, aged between 15 – 35 years in South Africa.