South Africa's business interests in the African continent: a case study of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 1994-2006

Abstract

South Africa’s growing economic presence across the African continent has triggered debates in public and scholarly circles as to its intentions. As a result, this paper traces South Africa’s economic diplomacy in the African continent, in the DRC in particular. It argues that South Africa’s foreign policy objectives have been largely geared towards peaceful resolution of African conflicts. This research will therefore scrutinise how South Africa managed to achieve measurable gains in the DRC since 1998. It is further argued that Pretoria’s involvement in the DRC’s complex conflict was boosted and informed by its long-term economic interests in the region, and advancement of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), which puts both its parastatals and private corporations under the spotlight in the DRC.