Inclusive Society Institute hosts delegation from the Lauder Institute, Wharton School

On 20 July 2026, the Inclusive Society Institute welcomed a visiting delegation from the Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. The engagement took place over lunch at the historic Bismillah Restaurant in Cape Town's Bo-Kaap, where Dr Klaus Kotzé presented the Institute's work and facilitated a discussion on South African civil society, development and the role of the state.

The session was both engaging and insightful, combining a substantive policy briefing with an open and lively exchange in one of the city's most historic and culturally significant neighbourhoods.

Kotzé presented South Africa as a nation of paradox. On the one hand, it possesses a globally admired Constitution, a free and independent media, and a competitive multi-party democracy that demonstrated its resilience through the peaceful transition to coalition government in 2024. On the other hand, the country continues to grapple with deep structural inequality, persistently high unemployment and institutions operating under significant pressure. These realities illustrate that simplistic narratives fail to capture the complexity of South Africa's democratic journey.

The discussion also explored the distinctive nature of South African civil society. Unlike the more adversarial, philanthropy-funded model commonly associated with the United States, South Africa's constitutional framework actively encourages civil society to engage with the state in pursuit of dialogue, partnership and consensus-building.

Kotzé highlighted two of the Institute's flagship initiatives: the South Africa Social Cohesion Index and the True South Africa evidence series. Together, these projects challenge overly simplistic narratives of national decline by demonstrating a more nuanced reality, one characterised by significant challenges, but also resilience, institutional recovery and social progress. Rather than depicting South Africa as a state in irreversible decline, the evidence suggests a young democracy that remains under pressure yet continues to evolve and mature.

The exchange with the Lauder Institute delegation was thoughtful, probing and highly constructive. The Inclusive Society Institute values the opportunity to engage with future global leaders and appreciates the delegation's interest in South Africa's democratic development. The Institute looks forward to continuing this dialogue in the future.