Search

The Inclusive Society Institute (ISI) participated in a high-level international roundtable on 10 April 2026 examining the future of the global sustainability framework beyond 2030. Convened by the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) in cooperation with the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC), the dialogue brought together policymakers, think tanks and experts from across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas.   The discussion forms part of a broader global process leading to the 2027 SDG Summit, at a time when progress on the Sustainable Development Goals remains off track and trust in multilateral cooperation is under strain.   Contributing an African and Global South perspective, ISI emphasised that future support for any post-2030 framework will depend less on new commitments and more on credible delivery. Central to this is a strengthened “means of implementation” compact, including fair climate finance, improved global tax cooperation, debt sustainability and more inclusive global governance.   On the structure of a future framework, ISI argued for a disciplined revision rather than a simple extension or complete redesign. Retaining the legitimacy of the current SDG architecture, while strengthening implementation and aligning it more closely with regional agendas such as Africa’s Agenda 2063, was identified as the most pragmatic path forward.   The Institute further stressed that legitimacy will hinge on process. A future framework must combine intergovernmental negotiation with structured engagement from civil society, local government and other stakeholders, while avoiding the traditional separation between goal-setting and financing.   As discussions advance toward the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in June 2026 and the 2027 SDG Summit, ISI will continue to advocate for a more balanced global development compact, one that aligns ambition with delivery and restores trust in multilateralism through tangible results.

From 27 to 29 March 2026, the Inclusive Society Institute (ISI), in partnership with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), and in association with the Africa Think-tank Dialogue, Foundation Max van der Stoel, Olof Palme International Center, Foundation Jean Jaurés and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, co-hosted a high-level EU-Africa Consultative Meeting in Cape Town. Held at the Pullman Hotel, Cape Town, the engagement brought together policymakers, academics, and civil society leaders to reflect on the future trajectory of EU-Africa relations in the context of a rapidly shifting global order.   The meeting opened with a welcome dinner, setting the tone for what would become a candid and forward-looking dialogue. Formal proceedings commenced the following morning with opening remarks from FEPS and ISI leadership, alongside a keynote address by Hon. Supra Mahumapelo, Chairperson of South Africa’s Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation. ISI CEO Daryl Swanepoel moderated the opening exchanges, framing the discussions around the need for a more balanced, equitable and strategic partnership between Europe and Africa.   The first day of discussions focused on economic transformation, sustainability and human mobility. The opening session on trade highlighted the urgency of rebalancing economic relations. Participants emphasised that while trade remains central to both regions, existing frameworks have not sufficiently supported Africa’s industrialisation ambitions. Greater focus is needed on local value chains, fair labour standards, and rebuilding a credible rules-based trading system.   This was followed by a session on green industrialisation, where discussions centred on aligning European investment instruments - particularly the Global Gateway - with African development priorities. Participants stressed that the green transition must move beyond extractive models and instead support sustainable industrial growth, job creation, and long-term capacity building on the continent.   The conversation then turned to migration and human mobility. Here, participants challenged dominant narratives that frame migration primarily as a security concern. Instead, the discussion emphasised migration as a driver of development, noting that most African migration takes place within the continent. A more balanced, rights-based and development-oriented approach to migration governance was widely supported.   The second day shifted focus to global governance, multilateralism and peace and security. Discussions highlighted growing divergences in how Europe and Africa experience the current international order. While the EU has historically benefited from existing multilateral structures, many African countries continue to face structural disadvantages rooted in their limited representation in global institutions.   Participants engaged critically with the need to reform international financial systems, address debt vulnerabilities, and advance tax justice. There was strong consensus that EU-Africa cooperation in multilateral forums will be essential to driving meaningful reform and ensuring a more inclusive global economic architecture.   The final session addressed the crisis in the global peace and security system. With rising conflict levels and increasing strain on the United Nations, participants explored opportunities for joint EU–Africa leadership in advancing UN reform, strengthening conflict prevention, and reinforcing commitments to the UN Charter.   Throughout the engagement, the Inclusive Society Institute played a central convening and intellectual role. ISI not only co-hosted the meeting but also moderated key sessions and contributed to shaping the strategic direction of the discussions. The Institute’s emphasis on inclusive development, balanced partnerships and multilateral reform was a consistent thread across the dialogue.   The meeting reaffirmed that EU-Africa relations remain critically important, but that the partnership must evolve. Moving forward, a shift towards genuine co-development, mutual accountability and shared leadership in global governance will be essential.   For ISI, the engagement forms part of its broader commitment to advancing Africa’s voice in international policy debates and contributing to the development of a more just and inclusive global order.   EU-Africa Consultative Meeting 2026 - Agenda:

Occasional Paper 3/2026 Copyright © 2026   Inclusive Society Institute PO Box 12609, Mill Street Cape Town, 8010 South Africa                                                                       235-515 NPO                  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the permission in writing from the Inclusive Society Institute.   D I S C L A I M E R   Views expressed in this report do not necessarily represent the views of the Inclusive Society Institute or those of their respective Board or Council members.   MARCH 2026 by Lars Gumede BCom (Actuarial Science) ABSTRACT   The major powers globally have made cybersecurity a top priority. They see that every aspect of our lives depends on an expanding complex network of cyber systems that are vulnerable to exploitation. That cyberspace is a domain of power and opportunity, but with that comes threat from malicious actors. South Africa is not adequately prepared for this reality. In fact, the country has the third-highest incidence of cyberattacks in the world. Citizens are being scammed, defrauded, robbed and tricked by sophisticated cybercriminal gangs. Businesses are being extorted and held to ransom. The country’s defence organisations and government themselves regularly fall victim to cyberattacks. And the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is just making it easier for even amateur cyber actors to access dangerous cyber tools.   The crisis of cybersecurity in South Africa requires a national project involving all sectors of society: the government, private sector, civil society and citizens. Following the lead of countries around the world that are winning the cybersecurity war, there are three main priorities. First, is putting in place a dedicated cybersecurity organisation; one that is totally free from political appointments and interference and led by the top cyber experts in the country. The second priority is developing a national cybersecurity awareness campaign to strengthen the weakest link in South Africa’s cyber defence: the human element. And third, a national programme of cultivating the next generation of cyber talent is required. Without proper cybersecurity, no nation can be secure. A single cyberattack could descend the country into total anarchy in less than a week. This thought alone should be driving us to act now, together as a nation. INTRODUCTION   Cybersecurity is the most important aspect of national security in today’s world. Every facet of our lives depends on cyber systems, and these systems are vulnerable to malicious cyber threat actors.   Amateur hackers, cybercriminal gangs and nation-state cyber actors are all engaged in illegal activities targeting South Africa and its people. Malicious software, including spyware, is being deployed against government organisations. Ransomware is being used to extort and hold businesses to ransom. Deepfakes are being deployed against unsuspecting citizens for the purposes of scams, frauds and outright thefts.   Worse, the development of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming this threat landscape into an even bigger one. Due to new AI developments, it has never been easier for cyber actors to get their hands on dangerous cyber tools. This means small-time cyber actors now have access to sophisticated tools once reserved for large organisations and nation-state cyber actors. Furthermore, already sophisticated cyber actors are made even more capable and dangerous.   South Africa is currently the wild west of cyber activity, with among the highest incidences of cyberattacks in the world. Government organisations are routinely infiltrated in cyberspace by hacker groups, nation-state actors and even amateur hackers. Private businesses are consistently victims of ransomware and extortion, being forced to pay large amounts to regain control of their systems. Private citizens are frequent victims of deepfakes and associated cybercrimes intended to rob, scam or extort them.   The fact that the rest of the continent is even more lawless when it comes to cyberspace is a further strategic issue for South Africa, as countries all over the continent house cybercriminal groups actively targeting the country.   As will be seen, there are also plenty of cybersecurity success stories from countries around the world. For the world’s major powers, cyber is a top priority and their primary initiatives are threefold. First, they have dedicated cybersecurity and cyber intelligence organisations that employ their nation’s top cyber experts and coordinate cybersecurity, cyber intelligence, and incident response as well as law enforcement actions with regard to cyber threats and crimes. Second, they have national cybersecurity awareness campaigns, recognising that the weakest link is always the human element. These programmes train citizens in good cyber practises and on how to recognise cyber threats, schemes and scams. Finally, these top nations put great effort into creating and fostering the next generation of cyber talent by giving support to promising young individuals on a large scale.   Cybersecurity is the bedrock of every modern nation; without it no nation can be secure. This is a matter of top priority and requires the urgent attention of the entire country: the government, private sector, civil society and citizenry.   WHAT IS CYBERSECURITY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?   Cybersecurity is about the protection of data, networks, devices, systems and processes from unauthorised access and interference by known and unknown actors (CISA, 2025). In today’s world, cyber systems are integrated into every facet of our lives, from the devices we carry around like extra limbs, to municipal systems like traffic lights, water infrastructure and electricity grids. These are systems we rely on for the proper functioning of society, and they are all at constant risk of attack, with potentially devastating consequences.   Cyberattacks come in many forms. There is malicious software (Malware), which is software designed to take advantage of a system, and forms a part of most modern cyberattacks. There is social engineering (Phishing), also known as human hacking, which aims to trick an individual into granting the attacker access to a system. Phishing attacks often use seemingly normal emails, text messages, phone calls and other methods to trick an individual into taking actions such as sharing personal information and passwords, downloading malware or sending money. Spoofing is an attacker pretending to be someone you know by replicating their email or phone number. There are Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks, which seek to overwhelm and flood a system with large amounts of junk traffic in order to crash the system and render it unusable to the legitimate persons using the system.   Ransomware is utilised to lock legitimate users out of their systems, demanding payment to unlock them. There are also Zero-Day exploits, which are advanced and novel holes attackers find in a system that allows them access — these are very difficult to detect and rely on the fact that no system is perfect. Another type is Password attacks, in which an attacker attempts to guess the victims passwords or login details. These are just some of the types of cyberattacks and risks faced by governments, companies and individuals (IBM, 2025). According to the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), these attacks represent the vast majority of cyber threats to governments, businesses and individuals (WEF, 2025).   Figure 1: Most Common Types of Cyberattacks. (Source: Generated by author.)   These cyberattacks can come from various sources. Cybercriminal gangs utilise the above techniques in order to extort and rob ordinary citizens. Hackers, whether amateurs (‘script kiddies’) or persons with expert-level experience and skills, are constantly aiming to exploit common systems like mobile devices, computers, corporate and government systems. There are also nation-state actors, which are groups of hackers with the backing of countries, giving them the resources to pull off sophisticated cyber operations. Often these nation-state actors buy technologies from companies engaged in the development of spyware and other cyber or surveillance technologies (IBM, 2025).   With all our lives and the smooth functioning of society dependant on cyber systems, this is a matter of the utmost importance. At the click of a button an entire country’s electricity grid can be shut off or its water systems interfered with. In 2015, a Russian hacker group known as ‘Sandworm’ remotely shut down the Ukrainian power grid for six hours, leaving 230,000 residents without electricity (CFR, 2015). In 2010, an Iranian nuclear facility in Natanz was disrupted by the Stuxnet virus, a piece of malicious software developed by American and Israeli intelligence (Baezner & Robin, 2017). In 2024, Israel carried out an operation in which the pagers of thousands of Hezbollah operatives were simultaneously and remotely detonated (Trenta, 2024). In 2014, Chinese state-sponsored hackers exfiltrated blueprints of the Lockheed Martin F35 stealth fighter jet, using the information to support their own fighter jet programme (AFOSI, 2020). In 2018, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was tracked to his brutal murder by Saudi operatives using advanced spyware built by Israeli company, NSO group (The Guardian, 2021). It is clear that there is an ongoing global cyber war of all against all.   The systems we rely on can be infiltrated to such an extent that attackers have more control over our devices than we do — giving them access to everything: our bank details, our personal data and communications, as well as the ability to surveil and sabotage.   Now, despite the fact that these acts are often highly sophisticated, they can be prevented. Most advanced cybersecurity systems are near secure enough for their purposes; the issue is the human aspect. Cybersecurity has a PICNIC problem: Problem In Chair, Not In Computer. Most cyber incidents rely on an unsuspecting individual to click on a link or compromise themselves in some way. Being the weakest link, it is essential to address the human aspect. This involves creating awareness about the realities of cybersecurity and exploitation in order not to gently open the door for the attackers.   This human component is the most important component in cybersecurity as attackers seek to trick legitimate users into giving them access — this makes the attacks even harder to detect and trace. Unfortunately, there is an entirely new aspect to cyber threats in 2025. Cyber actors are now utilising artificial intelligence (AI) to supercharge their attacks. CYBERSECURITY IN THE AGE OF AI. EVEN MORE URGENT   Cybersecurity has been a concern for as long as computers have been around. During World War II, there was a cyber battle between the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany involving building the first advanced computers, building secure encryption to ensure the security of the communications of their respective sides, and attempting to crack the encryption of the other. Breakthroughs by the first cryptographic experts at Bletchley Park in the UK turned the tide of the war and gave birth to the United Kingdom’s cyber intelligence organisation, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). In 2010, the Stuxnet virus, a sophisticated piece of software, caused major disruptions to the Iranian nuclear facility at Natanz — the virus was walked through the door on a USB drive by an unsuspecting and naive employee. The top technology companies have been fighting a constant uphill battle with attackers and every few months a new major company is hacked and has data exposed or is held to ransom. It is clear then that the issue of cybersecurity is not new.   Unfortunately, there is a new factor at play today making the issue of cybersecurity even more severe: Artificial Intelligence (AI). Using advanced AI, sophisticated hacking tools are widely available to anyone with sufficient motivation, and already sophisticated actors now have even more sophisticated tools. Actors are now utilising AI and their own creativity to come up with extraordinary cyber schemes. For example, in February 2024, on a regular day in Hong Kong, an employee of Arup, a British multinational company, received instructions on a video conference call with his boss and CFO to transfer $25 million (~R500 million) to an external account. Unfortunately for the company and the employee involved, the entire affair was a complex cyber fraud utilising advanced AI. All the persons on the video call were, in fact, deepfakes. The attackers had used voice-cloning and face-generation tools to imitate the real expressions and speech of the company seniors. The target was left with no doubt of the request’s legitimacy and transferred the money, which was then quickly laundered through accounts and cryptocurrency mixers, and is yet to be recovered. What is most concerning about this incident is that all the tools involved are available essentially for free on the internet for anyone with the bravado and willingness to learn these techniques (Gumede, 2024).   That means these attacks are only going to get more advanced and the attackers, more creative. Platforms such as ElevenLabs can generate a full audio avatar of a person with just a 30-second clip of the person speaking, and WormGPT (the hacking equivalent of ChatGPT) can generate real-seeming personalised emails, texts and scripts for use in such attacks. Recently, a special kind of AI-powered malware was developed (in proof of concept form) by a Canadian cybersecurity research company. This “Polymorphic malware” uses AI to constantly change and hide itself, allowing it to remain undetected by Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools (HYAS, 2024). This means the malware can behave as if it is alive and actively evade detection by the security defences.   The confluence of ordinary cyberattacks and threat actors combined with the developments in AI have brought about a dramatic shift in the cybersecurity landscape. Cybercriminals no longer need specialised skills and abilities in order to carry out these attacks and those who do possess these skills are made even stronger. STATE OF CYBERSECURITY IN SA   South Africa is scarily vulnerable in all aspects of cybersecurity and consistently victim to malicious cyber actors, who essentially have free reign to victimise whomever they please. According to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), South Africa ranks as the third-highest country globally in terms of cybercrime victims (SABRIC, 2024). An assessment detailed in Interpol’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report found that nearly 600 cyberattacks are launched every hour at South African businesses, government and civic organisations (Interpol, 2022). Government, the private sector and the citizenry are all being victimised, with little to no response, as there is no dedicated agency for cybersecurity or cybercrimes like there is in most developed nations.   Each year, the country loses roughly R2.2 billion due to cyberattacks and incidents, according to the Information and Cybersecurity Centre at the CSIR, which does cybersecurity analysis and statistics. The report by the CSIR also states that over half of all South African companies are victims of ransomware each year and that the average cost of a single large data breach is R53.1 million. Moreover, 88% of South African organisations face between one and five cyber incidents each year (CSIR, 2024). This should come as no surprise, as the country lacks a structured counter to this cyber threat.   The National Cyber Policy Framework (NCPF) assigns the Department of Science and Technology (DST) the responsibility of putting in place a national cybersecurity research and development agenda. However, experts such as Prof. Elmarie Biermann and Dr. Noëlle van der Waag-Cowling have assessed a ‘lack of momentum’ in relation to this agenda (Biermann & Cowling, 2018). These critics argue that the legislation introduced in 2018, namely the Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill, has had no quantifiable effect on the cybersecurity landscape and instead seems to criminalise routine and non-harmful online activities.   The primary laws dealing with cybercriminal activity are the Cyber Crimes Act of 2020 and the Electronic Communications and Transactions (ECT) Act of 2002. The Cyber Crimes Act criminalises hacking, unlawful interception of data, ransomware and similar activities (Cyber Crimes Act, 2020). The Electronic Communications Act gives legal protections to sensitive electronic activities such as electronic transactions and communications (Electronic Communications Act, 2002). The laws are comprehensive (some say too comprehensive as to inhibit perfectly reasonable activity), but enforcement is virtually nil.   In March 2012, the NCPF mandated the then Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (now the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies [DCDT]) to create the Cybersecurity Hub. The Cybersecurity Hub serves as the country’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) and coordinates cybersecurity responses and information sharing between departments (Cybersecurity Hub, 2025). It also runs an awareness portal (website) with information on cyber awareness but does not run widespread public information campaigns bringing the message to the people. This cyber hub is being overseen by the Cyber Response Committee of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Since these structures have not substantively reduced the cyber threat (544 police cases in the face of over 100,000 banking-related cyberattacks alone; an 86% increase year-on-year), opposition parties, led by DA Spokesperson for Justice and Constitutional Development Adv. Glynnis Breytenbach MP, have tabled a bill proposing the creation of an Office of the Cyber Commissioner to oversee cyber activities (DA, 2025).   Steps are needed as all sectors of society — public, private, civil and individuals — are under constant cyber victimisation, with little to no consequences from law enforcement. PUBLIC SECTOR   Government departments and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are under constant attack from and victimisation by cyber actors.   Eskom, the national power utility, is under constant attack. According to Sithembile Songo, the chief information security officer (CISO) at Eskom, it faces up to one billion attempted cyberattacks per month, with DDoS attacks being most common and ransomware attacks accounting for more than 100,000. In 2022, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) was hacked and its systems disrupted. Then Treasury Minister Enoch Godongwana said that neither SARB nor the South African authorities were able to identify the attack; instead, the FBI (from the United States) “took it upon themselves to notify the oblivious authorities” (Maliti, 2022).   In July 2024, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson announced that hackers had stolen R300 million from the department over a period of 10 years of undetected theft (Public Works, 2024). In May 2024, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development was victim to a ransomware attack that compromised over 1,200 sensitive files. In July, National Treasury announced they had found malware on their systems related to an attack on Microsoft Sharepoint and that they were seeking Microsoft’s help in dealing with the issue (BusinessTech, 2025). In Jan 2025, the South African Weather Service suffered a hack that left the systems down and unable to function for two weeks in what it described as a “criminal security breach” (Digital Watch SA, 2025). More recently, in March 2025, Parliament announced the hacking of its social media accounts — an incident which saw attackers using the official social media accounts of the Parliament of South Africa for the purposes of promoting a scam cryptocurrency project.   In 2022, the Department of Defence was hacked by a threat actor by the name of ‘Security Notification Attachment’ a.k.a. Snatch. A spokesperson for the department denied any hack took place, saying they were “categorically unwilling to accept information about penetration into the secure government network” (MyBroadband, 2025a). Despite their bizarre denials, 1.6TB of sensitive data from the Department of Defence was published on the website of the attackers and can still be bought on various dark web data broker websites by anyone with the funds, internet and a computer.   In 2024, Cybersecurity research company Recorded Future reported that the State Security Agency was amongst a handful of government departments around the world that had been breached by the cyber-espionage group RedNovember (MyBroadband, 2025b). The group uses open-source tools to exploit vulnerabilities in devices linked to the internet to target government and private organisations globally (Recorded Future, 2024).   The threat to the country’s security is clear. Hackers can, at will, penetrate all government systems, even sensitive defence systems. Rather than acknowledge this major national security crisis, the Minister of Defence Angie Motshekga told Parliament that “cybersecurity is already inherent in SANDF doctrine” (Teixeira, 2025). In the Department of Defence’s Annual Report for FY2024/25, the DoD notes that it is participating in the discussions to create an Integrated Cybersecurity Centre in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster. These discussions have been ongoing and there has been no substantive progress yet. In 2018, the DoD stated its aim of creating a cyber capability. However, the head of the SANDF’s cyber command, Brigadier General Mafi Mgobozi, stated before Parliament in 2023 that the new unit was in ‘limbo in relation to finding suitable facilities’ and is currently accommodated in "limited space” at Defence Intelligence headquarters and is, therefore, not able to function optimally (DefenceWeb, 2023). The general has subsequently described the unit as being “partially operational” due to lack of funding (Lesedi, 2023).   Considering the lack of a dedicated, well-funded and capacitated agency to deal with the cyber threat, it is likely this trend will continue and government entities will remain vulnerable. Similar types of attacks against government will only become more prevalent. This is echoed by the State Security Agency’s warning that attacks on critical infrastructure are likely to escalate going forward (DefenceWeb, 2025). PRIVATE SECTOR   It is not just government that is under constant cyberattack; private sector organisations are also being victimised and their victimisation made worse by the lack of government capability in this area.   Cybersecurity researcher Check Point’s Global Threat Intelligence Report, released in July 2025, shows that South African businesses are hit by 2,113 cyberattacks every week (CPR, 2025). Despite this, private sector cybersecurity budgets are low and, more importantly, business awareness of the threats remains low. In a survey mentioned in the report, 80% of IT executives interviewed said they were most confident they could not fall for any kind of phishing attack. However, when tested, 64% of them clicked on a malicious phishing link disguised as a friendly one.   Large companies regularly fall victim to data breach and ransom. In April 2025, Cell C announced it had been hacked by cyberattackers, resulting in customer data being stolen. The company stated it was working with the authorities to deal with the issue and mitigate the impact on customers’ service but that it was unclear just how bad the attack had been. It therefore urged its users to be vigilant and assume the worst. In March 2025, the real estate company Pam Golding suffered a cyberattack. As part of the attack, unidentified cyber assailants remotely accessed the company’s customer relationship management software system. This resulted in the personal data of its customers — like contact details, addresses and ID numbers — being exposed (Decision Inc, 2025).   In April 2025, the telecommunications operator MTN, Africa’s largest mobile operator, underwent a sustained cyberattack. In a company statement, it said the attackers gained unauthorised access to the personal information of customers in various markets across the continent. In March 2025, Astral Foods, which is South Africa’s largest chicken producer, suffered a breach by unknown cyberattackers. The attack disrupted the company’s ability to produce and distribute its chicken, which saw a temporary nationwide chicken shortage (Decision Inc, 2025).   Unfortunately, these threats are not only faced by large businesses, but also by small businesses — often with much worse consequences, as they do not have the capabilities and budgets of large companies. Recent surveys reveal that 47% of South African businesses report experiencing between one and five cybersecurity incidents in the past year (2023), with 88% admitting to at least one security breach (CSIR, 2024).   The consequences of poor cybersecurity readiness are devastating. Imagine a local retail business that processes hundreds of transactions daily. One day, employees are greeted with a ransom note on their screens, demanding R500,000 to unlock their encrypted files. Unable to access customer data, inventory records or payment systems, the business grinds to a halt. After several days of downtime, the company reluctantly pays the ransom, only to discover that the data has been deleted. Legal fees, customer compensation, reputational damage and lack of support from authorities further compound the losses.   Seventy-one percent of cyber leaders believe that small organisations have reached a critical tipping point in being unable to secure themselves against growing cyber threats, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 (WEF, 2025). This is because new AI-boosted cyberattacks have reached a pivotal moment in sophistication, requiring more than business owners are able to do to counter them. INDIVIDUALS   Individual citizens are also commonly victim to advanced cyberattacks. Often these attacks are successful due to victims not believing that anybody would go so out of their way to scam them. Yet, there are thousands of ordinary citizens who have been victimised by unscrupulous cybercriminal elements.   One notable advanced tactic is the use of AI-powered scams and frauds. In January 2024, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) issued a public warning after persons were fooled by an investment scam that utilised deepfakes (AI-generated videos) of prominent South African businesspersons such as Patrice Motsepe and Johann Rupert. Recently, former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel warned of a scam on social media platforms that featured a deepfake of him, stating that “there are social media posts using [his] image, and artificial voice and pretending to either give people investment advice or requesting that they invest in products that I advise them to” (Fraser, 2025).   In October 2025, SARB also issued a statement warning of a deepfake investment scam featuring their chief, Governor Lesetja Kganyago. Major bank FNB made similar public statements, warning of a deepfake scam impersonating bank officers and seeking to trick bank customers into giving the attackers access to their systems, saying that “in some cases, the scams can be incredibly sophisticated, leveraging deepfakes, voice synthesis, and automated chatbots to appear more legitimate” (Illridge, 2025) In fact, instances of deepfake scams have risen by 1200% in the past year, according to a report by TransUnion Africa. “We’re a very digitally orientated country, with internet penetration at about 79%, over 50 million users, and 124 million mobile connections. That gives rise to exploitation,” said Amritha Reddy, Senior Director of Fraud Product Management at TransUnion (Nozulela, 2025).   These deepfake scams can also be much more intimate than a social media advertisement using the likeness of a prominent figure. Zoho, a South African cybersecurity company, has warned about much more personal schemes by cybercriminals; impersonating loved ones on WhatsApp. A typical scam such as this works as follows: you get a phone call about something unrelated and over time the attackers develop a large audio file of your voice that can be turned into an audio deepfake. The attackers can then call or send voice notes pretending to be you (Adeyemi, 2025).   This issue has led Deputy Minister of Communications Mondli Gungubele to state that the country needs to prepare to protect consumers against scams and cybercrime related to AI.   Figure 2: Main cyber risks to government, business, society and the citizenry. (Source: Generated by author) AFRICA   Not limited to South Africa, the entire continent is facing a cybersecurity crisis. Cybercrime costs Africa an estimated $3.5 billion (R70 billion) annually, according to a report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and McAfee (Kauder, 2025). According to Interpol, cybercrime accounts for roughly 30% of all reported crimes in both western and eastern Africa.   In July 2024, hackers calling themselves ‘Hunters’ breached Kenya’s Urban Roads Authority, then struck again in December against Telecom Namibia, affecting over 500,000 customers. In April, R100 million was stolen from Nigerian fintech company Flutterwave by daring hackers. According to Interpol, hackers routinely exploit Africa’s poor infrastructure and outdated systems. In fact, cybercriminals operating Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) use African organisations as a testing ground for new malware. After South Africa, the most targeted countries, according to Interpol, are Egypt and Morocco, due to their large economies and internet access (Interpol, 2024).   The primary cybersecurity initiative in Africa is Interpol’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), which is engaged in combating cybercrime across the continent. During Operation Serengeti 2.0 (in 2025), a part of AFJOC and involving 18 African nations as well as the UK, over 1,200 arrests were made and close to R2 billion recovered. The operation also dismantled 11,000 ‘malicious infrastructures’ linked to ransomware, business email compromise and large-scale fraud. Under this operation, the authorities in Angola closed 25 illegal cryptocurrency mining sites operated by 60 Chinese nationals and seized close to R800 million in equipment. In Zambia, police dismantled a R6 billion investment fraud scheme that victimised 65,000 people and uncovered a human-trafficking linked scam that utilised 372 forged passports. In Côte d’Ivoire, authorities arrested the leader of a R30 million inheritance scam. Among the countries participating were Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, alongside the UK and other Interpol members (DefenceWeb, 2025).   Due to the rampant cyber lawlessness in the rest of the continent of Africa, South Africa faces an even bigger threat as cybercriminal gangs are targeting South Africa from outside its borders. These challenges make it essential to learn what the most successful cyber countries around the world are doing in order to implement what is proven to work. WHAT TOP COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE DOING   Countries around the world have implemented all sorts of highly successful cyber initiatives, bringing great benefit to their economies, stability, security and more.   In November 2022, after a number of large cyber incidents, such as the breach of Medibank in which the confidential data of millions of Australians was exposed, a new cybercrime task force was set up, known as the ‘Hack the Hackers’ task force. A joint operation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the country’s cyber intelligence organisation, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), the task force put together 100 of Australia’s top cyber experts, brought them under one roof and gave them the go-ahead to use offensive cyber tools and tactics similar to those employed by the hackers themselves to hunt down and neutralise cyber threats to Australia (O’Neil, 2023).   The task force has already seen major success, including involvement in Operation Checkmate (2025) taking down the BlackSuit/Royal ransomware group, which has extorted more than R6 billion from victims around the world. In Operation Endgame (2024), the task force took down an international botnet infrastructure using more than 200 servers, made dozens of arrests, and carried out the seizure of millions of euros in cryptocurrency (Breached Company, 2025). This task force is reversing the ordinary dynamic between the authorities and cybercriminals by actively hunting down these threat actors, thus creating real consequences for cyber acts against the state. This is a perfect example of how a country should respond to rising cybercrime and cybersecurity threats.   In July 2021, Singapore’s Cybersecurity Agency (CSA) launched an initiative called ‘Better Cyber Safe Than Sorry’ — a large-scale cybersecurity public awareness campaign. As explored above, the weakest link in any cyber system is the human aspect. By raising awareness in the populous of cybersecurity essentials, one can substantively reduce the costs of cybercrime. The campaign has four key points: Using strong passwords (with multifactor authentication), recognising the signs of phishing and other social engineering schemes, using up-to-date anti-virus software, and always keeping the software on personal devices up to date (CSA, 2025).   The campaign has partnered with major Singaporean e-commerce sites like Shopee, Carousell and hundreds of other stores. It utilises TV ads, bus stop posters and social media to spread the message far and wide. In addition, the CSA runs a ‘Cyber Safe Seniors Programme’ giving multilingual cybersecurity awareness educational content to over 50,000 senior citizens in a bid to prevent those seniors falling victim to cybercrimes and scams. This is a real model for a national cybersecurity awareness campaign (OpenGov Asia, 2021).   The United States has long had several dedicated organisations dealing with cyber. For example, the National Security Agency (NSA), the country’s largest intelligence organisation, which deals with signals and cyber intelligence, including tracking sophisticated cyber actors around the world. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is the coordinator for all US cyber and infrastructure security (CISA, 2025). The United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), the military organisation, has the goal to “Own the Domain” when it comes to cyberspace. Together these organisations work towards ensuring that whatever happens in cyber space, happens to the advantage of the United States (USCYBERCOM, 2025).   The successes of these organisations are common knowledge, from monitoring and responding to cyber threats to creating the world’s most advanced cyber tools. Recently, in August 2025, the above organisations issued a warning about the Chinese cyber threat actor known as Salt Typhoon — which had targeted telecommunications companies around the world. The NSA even has its own hacking unit, once known as Tailored Access Operations (TAO), directly targeting adversaries and other threats to America. CISA routinely stress tests the systems of large American companies, with the view of protecting them from foreign threat actors. Such dedicated cyber organisations and agencies are essential for the protection of any major country. In 2000, less than 2% of the population of China had access to the internet (World Bank, 2025). Today China is, of course, a global cyber and internet power. In May 1999, after a US missile destroyed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, the first known Chinese cyberattack took place. Early Chinese internet users defaced the websites of several American government departments. Those early hackers from the China Eagle Union and the Honka Union of China were the beginning of Chinese hacking power — now known the world over for sophisticated operations that have successfully brought China up to the level of the United States in science and technology (Lafarge, 2022).   Instead of being shunned, these early Chinese hackers were given the support they needed to develop their abilities and given the go-ahead to use their skills for the betterment of the state. As a result, this small group of ‘Honkers’ (derived from the Chinese ‘Hong Ke’) with just 40 hackers, known to western researchers as ‘The Red 40’, which began as a loose network that met in online forums in the 1990s and 2000s, became a global cyber superpower within the short space of a decade or two (Benincasa, 2025).   Today, Israel makes up 0.11% of the world’s population. Despite this, it holds one-third (33%) of the world’s cybersecurity unicorns (billion dollar startups). For comparison, the Cape Town—Stellenbosch corridor (South Africa’s ‘Silicon Valley’) had roughly 450 tech companies in 2022, while Israel had 6,500, one for every 1,400 people. This cyber hub has attracted the majority of the top tech companies in the world to open R&D centres in Israel. This was achieved through programmes such as the Talpiot programme and Unit 8200 (Gumede, 2022). The Talpiot programme is a specialised training programme for the top school and high school students in the country and is designed to get them to the level of a university graduate before they even graduate high school, putting these top students on the path to becoming world-class experts in their fields; everything from cyber, sciences, academia and leadership.   The top cyber trainees go into Unit 8200, Israel’s signals and cyber intelligence organisation, where they are given the go-ahead to create the world’s most advanced cyber systems and tools. Then, after these tools are replaced and become militarily obsolete, they take these tools to the private sector, starting world-class cyber-tech startups. For this reason, Unit 8200 graduates are coveted by tech companies around the world. This unique programme produced Israel’s extraordinary overachievement in cybersecurity and associated technologies (Gumede, 2022).   These examples of the most successful cybersecurity initiatives from around the world each speak to a different essential aspect of this new world: Dedicated cyber organisations, national public awareness campaigns, proactive and offensive operations as well as supporting the next generation of cyber talent, who will create the technologies of the future. WHAT SA SHOULD DO   Given that there are already proven examples of successes from around the world, the country must learn from these. South Africa should seek to emulate all of the initiatives outlined above and below. CREATION OF A NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION   The creation of a dedicated cybersecurity and intelligence organisation that is well capacitated, well-funded and has clear objectives. This organisation should be staffed by the top experts in the field and not encumbered by political appointments and interference. This organisation should oversee all cyber activities, go after cyber threats to the country in order to restore consequences for cybercrimes, and test all public and private systems for their cyber strength.   Such an organisation would oversee the cybersecurity of government departments, infrastructure, corporate systems and products, and the creation of locally made defensive and offensive tools. Most importantly, it should prepare and execute a long-term cyber strategy.     CREATION OF A NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN   The creation of a publicly accessible (zero-rated) platform as well as widespread messaging to bring awareness to the population about proper cybersecurity practices, to address the weak link ‘PICNIC’ problem of cyber defence. This is particularly essential for older citizens or citizens further away from the tech and internet worlds.   Such a campaign would have the effect of raising the cybersecurity awareness of the population, turning all citizens into eyes that can monitor for malicious cyber activities, keeping the citizenry updated on the latest techniques utilised by cybercriminals, and preventing countless persons falling victim to scams, frauds and other criminal activities.     CREATION OF A NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR FOSTERING TOP CYBER TALENT   This could mean giving support to promising school students or giving internships and work opportunities to top talent. It could also mean taking all persons incarcerated for cyber-related crimes and putting their skills to work to the benefit of the state. This strategy is not without precedent globally or in South Africa; as in the case of the Bishops High School student who hacked ABSA in 2003 and was forced to work for three years at the CSIR’s Cybersecurity Research Lab (M&G, 2003).   Such a programme would quickly create a large cohort of cyber experts in all subfields, which will have unquantifiable benefits to the economy, state institutions, employment, and positively affect every other sector of society.   Figure 3: South Africa Cybersecurity Action Triangle. (Source: Generated by author)   By implementing these initiatives, the country will address the current cyber threat crisis (cybersecurity and intelligence organisation), position itself properly for the future (fostering next-generation talent) and turn all South African citizens into cybersecurity-aware frontline defenders (national awareness campaign). These basics are being employed by every major tech-leading country. CONCLUSION   Every facet of our lives depends on cyber systems, and those cyber systems are only becoming more vulnerable to malicious actors . For this reason, the major nations globally have cybersecurity as a top priority.   Cyberspace is a domain of power and South Africa is not adequately prepared. Acts in cyberspace are being committed every day by the powers of the world. From the United States deploying a virus to destroy Iranian nuclear plants, Russia shutting down the Ukrainian power grid, and Israel turning innocent-seeming pagers into explosive devices against Hezbollah, to Chinese hackers exfiltrating defence blueprints from US defence companies — it is clear that the domain of cyberspace is the most important in today’s world. It is a domain in which an invisible global war is being constantly fought.   Not only is South Africa likely the victim of all manner of nation-state cyber operations, but cyber actors of all types are also running free, constantly victimising South African citizens to the point where South Africa has the third-highest incidence of cyberattacks in the world. Ordinary citizens are being scammed, defrauded, robbed and tricked by sophisticated cybercriminal gangs. Businesses, small and large, are being extorted and held to ransom, resulting in billions of rands in losses and unquantifiable damage to the economy. The country’s defence organisations, which are supposed to secure the country from external threats, are themselves consistently penetrated by cyber threat actors. Government is also victim to these cyberattacks, as are private sector organisations and individuals.   The issue of cybersecurity requires a national project involving all sectors of society: the government, private sector, civil society and the population as individuals. This is a defence issue, as the country’s diplomatic communications can be intercepted, the army’s vehicles and planes hacked and disabled, elections influenced, with the only bound being the creativity of the attackers. This is an education and talent issue, as the development of the next generation of cyber experts is needed to create the technologies and strategies of the future. This is also a stability issue, as power grids, water infrastructure, supply chains, food production, can all be hacked and brought to a standstill. Such a thing could descend the country into total anarchy in less than a week.   What needs to be done is clear and does not require the reinvention of the wheel. Following the lead of such countries as Australia, the United States, China and most other developed countries, a dedicated cybersecurity organisation is required. One that is totally free from political appointments and interference and led by the top cyber experts in the country.   Following the lead of countries such as Singapore, a national cybersecurity awareness campaign is needed to work to strengthen the weakest link in South Africa’s cyber defence, which is the human element. If people have a better understanding of the risks and realities of cybersecurity and cybercrime, this will bring massive benefits to the country — including an immediate and substantial decrease in cybercriminality and victimisation.   Following the lead of such countries as Israel, China and the US, a national programme of cultivating the next generation of cyber talent is required. This will create the world-class experts of tomorrow, who will bring knowledge, technologies and security to the country.   Without proper cybersecurity, no nation can be secure. This is a matter of top priority and requires the urgent attention of the entire country: the government, the private sector, civil society and the citizenry. REFERENCES   Adeyemi, S. 2025. Rising security fears in South Africa as scammers weaponise WhatsApp voice notes. [Online] Available at: https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/ rising-security-fears-in-south-africa-as-scammers-weaponise-whatsapp-voice-notes/m50286d [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Air Force Office of Special Investigation (AFOSI). 2020. Cyber espionage for the Chinese government. [Online] Available at: https://www.osi.af.mil/News/ Features/Display/Article/2350807/cyber-espionage-for-the-chinese-government/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Baezner, M. & Robin, P. 2017. CSS Cyber Defense Project: Hotspot Analysis: Stuxnet. Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich. [Online] Available at: https://css.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/ gess/cis/center-for-securities-studies/pdfs/Cyber-Reports-2017-04.pdf [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Benincasa, E. 2025. Before Vegas: The “Red Hackers” Who Shaped China’s Cyber Ecosystem. Zurich: Center for Security Studies. [Online] Available at: https://css.ethz.ch/en/center/CSS-news/ 2025/07/before-vegas-the-red-hackers-who-shaped-chinas-cyber-ecosystem.html [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Biermann, E. & Cowling, N. 2018. Mind the Gap: Addressing South Africa’s cybersecurity skills shortage. [Online] Available at: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/ 2018-07-13-mind-the-gap-addressing-south-africas-cybersecurity-skills-shortage/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Breached Company. 2025. Global Cybercrime Crackdown 2025: A Mid-year Assessment of Major Arrests and Takedowns. [Online] Available at: https://breached.company/ global-cybercrime-crackdown-2025-a-mid-year-assessment-of-major-arrests-and-takedowns/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   BusinessTech. 2025. National Treasury exposed to malware in major Microsoft security breach. [Online] Available at: https://businesstech.co.za/news/it-services/832796/national-treasuryexposed-to-malware-in-major-microsoft-security-breach/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Check Point Research (CPR). 2025. Threat Intelligence Report — 14 July 2025. [Online] Available at: https://research.checkpoint.com/2025/14th-july-threat-intelligence-report/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). 2015. Compromise of a power grid in eastern Ukraine. [Online] Available at: https://www.cfr.org/cyber-operations/compromise-power-grid-eastern-ukraine [accessed: 4 March 2026].   CSIR Information and Cybersecurity Centre (CSIR). 2024. About the CSIR Information and Cybersecurity Research Centre. [Online] Available at: https://www.csir.co.za/sites/default/files/ Documents/250154_CSIR%20ICSC%20Booklet_Mining.pdf [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Cybersecurity Agency (CSA). 2025. Better Cyber Safe Than Sorry. [Online] Available at: https://www.csa.gov.sg/our-programmes/cybersecurity-outreach/cybersecurity-campaigns/ better-cyber-safe-than-sorry-campaign [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). 2025. What is Cybersecurity? [Online] Available at: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/what-cybersecurity? utm_source=chatgpt.com [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Cybersecurity Hub. 2025. Official website of the South African National CSIRT. [Online] Available at: https:// www.cybersecurityhub.gov.za/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Decision Inc. 2025. SA under siege: Why cybersecurity must be a business imperative.  [Online] Available at: https://www.itweb.co.za/article/sa-under-siege-why-cyber-security-must-be-abusiness-imperative/PmxVEMKE6ZpvQY85 [accessed: 4 March 2026].   DefenceWeb. 2023. SANDF Cyber Command operating in “limited space”. [Online] Available at: https://defenceweb.co.za/featured/sandf-cyber-command-operating-in-limited-space/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   DefenceWeb. 2025. South Africa faces escalating cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure. [Online] Available at: https://defenceweb.co.za/cyber-defence/south-africa-faces-escalatingcybersecurity-threats-to-critical-infrastructure/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Democratic Alliance (DA). 2025. Over 100 000 cyber-attacks while SAPS records just 544 cases – DA pushes for Cyber Commissioner. [Online] Available at: https://www.da.org.za/ 2025/09/over-100-000-cyber-attacks-while-saps-records-just-544-cases-da-pushes-for-cyber-commissioner [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, Government of South Africa (Public Works). 2024. Minister Dean Macpherson on R300 million cyber crime theft unearthed at Department Public Works and Infrastructure. [Online] Available at:https:// www.gov.za/news/media-statements/minister-dean-macpherson-r300-million-cyber-crime-theft-uneartheddepartment [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Digital Watch SA. South African weather service hit by cyberattack, affecting critical operations. [Online] Available at: https://dig.watch/updates/south-african-weather-service-hit-by-cyberattack-affecting-critical-operations [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Fraser, L. 2025. Trevor Manuel’s warning for South Africa. [Online] Available at: https://businesstech.co.za/news/business-opinion/838959/trevor-manuels-warning-for-south-africa/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Gumede, L. 2022. Economic Growth Requires Intelligent Design. [Online] Available at: https://www.sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za/opinion-and-analysis/2022-02-27-economic-growth-requiresan-intelligent-design/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Gumede, L. 2024. AI-powered hackers loom large for SA. [Online] Available at: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2025-04-15-lars-gumede-ai-powered-hackers-loom-largefor-sa/ [accessed: 4 March 2026]. HYAS Infosec Inc (HYAS). 2024. BlackMamba: AI-synthesized, polymorphic key logger with on-the-fly program modification. [Online] Available at: https://www.hyas.com/hubfs/ Downloadable%20Content/HYAS-AI-Augmented-Cyber-Attack-WP-1.1.pdf [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Illridge, M. 2025. High-tech crime surge in South Africa. [Online] Available at: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/611683-high-tech-crime-surge-in-south-africa.html [accessed: 4 March 2026].   International Business Machines (IBM). 2025. Types of cyberthreats. [Online] Available at: https:// www.ibm.com/think/topics/cyberthreats-types [accessed: 4 March 2026].   International Police Service (Interpol). 2022. Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2022. [Online] Available at: https://www.interpol.int/content/download/19174/file/ 2023_03%20CYBER_African%20Cyberthreat%20Assessment%20Report%202022_EN.pdf [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Interpol. 2025. Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2025. International Police Service. [Online] Available at: https://www.interpol.int/en/content/download/23094/file/25COM009248%20- %20Cybercrime_Africa%20Cyberthreat%20Assessment%20Report_Design_2025-05%20v11.pdf [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Kauder, S. 2025. Why is Africa Losing Billions to Cybercrime? [Online] Available at: https://www.crowe.com/za/insights/af-53-why-is-africa-losing-billions-to-cybercrimeinsight-web-article [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Lafarge, T. 2022. China’s Hacker Army: The World’s Largest Surveillance Network. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNQ8KRfnVYU [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Lesedi, S. 2023. Funding mars SANDF Cyber Command. [Online] Available at: https://www.military.africa/2023/01/funding-mars-sandf-cyber-command/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Mail & Guardian (M&G). 2003. Hacker stole half-a-million rand from Absa clients. [Online] Available at: https://mg.co.za/article/2003-07-22-hacker-stole-halfamillion-rand-from-absa-clients/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Maliti, S. 2022. FBI beat security cluster in identifying cyber hack of the SA Reserve Bank, says Godongwana. [Online] Available at: https://iol.co.za/capeargus/news/2022-12-15-fbi-beatsecurity-cluster-in-identifying-cyber-hack-of-the-sa-reserve-bank-says-godongwana/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   MyBroadband. 2025a. Interview with the hackers who broke into South Africa’s Department of Defence. [Online] Available at: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/505982- interview-with-the-hackers-who-broke-into-south-africas-department-of-defence.html [accessed: 4 March 2026].   MyBroadband. 2025b. Chinese hackers may have breached the South African State Security Agency. [Online] Available at: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/612367- chinese-hackers-may-have-breached-the-south-african-state-security-agency.html [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Nozulela, M. 2025. South African Reserve Bank warns public about deepfake investment scam. [Online] Available at: https://iol.co.za/business/2025-09-25-south-african-reserve-bankwarns-public-about-deepfake-investment-scam/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   O’Neil, C. 2023. Press Conference: Cybersecurity Strategy & High Court Decision. Office of Minister for Home Affairs, Government of Australia. [Online] Available at: https:// minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/ClareONeil/Pages/Press-conference-22112023.aspx [accessed: 4 March 2026].   OpenGov Asia. 2021. CSA Launches Campaign to Drive Awareness and Adoption of Cybersecurity Practices. [Online] Available at: https://archive.opengovasia.com/2021/06/28/csa-launchescampaign-to-continue-to-drive-awareness-and-adoption-of-cybersecurity-practices/? c=za [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. 2002. Electronic Communications Act of 2002. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/ gcis_document/201409/a25-02.pdf [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Parliament of the Republic of South Africa (Parliament). 2020. Cybercrimes Act of 2020. [Online] Available at: https://cybercrimesact.co.za/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Recorded Future. 2024. TAG-100 Uses Open-Source Tools in Suspected Global Espionage Campaign, Compromising Two Asia-Pacific Intergovernmental Bodies. [Online] Available at: https://www.recordedfuture.com/research/tag-100-uses-open-source-tools-in-suspected-global-espionage-campaign [accessed: 4 March 2026].   SABRIC. 2024. Annual Crime Statistics 2024. South African Banking Risk Information Centre. [Online] Available at: https://www.sabric.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/CRIME-STATISTICS-REPORT- 2024.pdf [accessed: 4 March 2026].   The Guardian. 2021. Saudis behind NSO spyware attack on Jamal Khashoggi’s family, leak suggests. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/18/ nso-spyware-used-to-target-family-of-jamal-khashoggi-leaked-data-shows-saudis-pegasus [accessed: 4 March 2026].   Trenta, L. 2024. Nowhere to Hide: Israel’s Pager Attacks on Hezbollah. [Online] Available at: https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/ commentary/nowhere-hide-israels-pager-attacks-hezbollah [accessed: 4 March 2026].   United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM). 2025. Mission & Vision of United States Cyber Command. [Online] Available at: https://www.cybercom.mil/About/Mission-and-Vision/ [accessed: 4 March 2026].   World Bank. 2025. Open Data: Individuals using the Internet (% of population) — China.  [Online] Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?locations=CN [accessed: 4 March 2026].   World Economic Forum (WEF). 2025. Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025. [Online] Available at: https://reports.weforum.org/docs/ WEF_Global_Cybersecurity_Outlook_2025.pdf#:~:text=Nearly%2047%25%20of%20organization s%20cite%20adversarial%20advances,with%2042%25%20of%20organizations%20reporting%2 0such%20incidents [accessed: 4 March 2026]. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This report has been published by the Inclusive Society Institute The Inclusive Society Institute (ISI) is an autonomous and independent institution that functions independently from any other entity. It is founded for the purpose of supporting and further deepening multi-party democracy. The ISI’s work is motivated by its desire to achieve non-racialism, non-sexism, social justice and cohesion, economic development and equality in South Africa, through a value system that embodies the social and national democratic principles associated with a developmental state. It recognises that a well-functioning democracy requires well-functioning political formations that are suitably equipped and capacitated. It further acknowledges that South Africa is inextricably linked to the ever transforming and interdependent global world, which necessitates international and multilateral cooperation. As such, the ISI also seeks to achieve its ideals at a global level through cooperation with like-minded parties and organs of civil society who share its basic values. In South Africa, ISI’s ideological positioning is aligned with that of the current ruling party and others in broader society with similar ideals. Email: info@inclusivesociety.org.za Phone: +27 (0) 21 201 1589 Web: www.inclusivesociety.org.za

Media Coverage - 2026 Apr 17, 2026 The world needs a new bargain Pressreader Up Apr 16, 2026 NHI in SA: Are we designing a system that can sustain universal coverage? The Citizen Up Apr 10, 2026 Dís wat Suid-Afrika oor NGV by China kan leer Volksblad Up Apr 10, 2026 Dís wat Suid-Afrika oor NGV by China kan leer Netwerk24 Up Mar 31, 2026 SSARG in South Africa: Undoing a Legacy of 300 Years in 30 Years TISCH Global Jumbos Up Mar 30, 2026 Europe, Africa face moment of reckoning as global shifts expose limits of unequal partnership All Africa Up Mar 30, 2026 Europe, Africa face moment of reckoning as global shifts expose limits of unequal partnership Daily Maverick Up Mar 27, 2026 Hou by die feite in debatte oor minderhede in die land Netwerk 24 Up Mar 27, 2026 Hou by die feite in debatte oor minderhede in die land Volksblad Up Mar 26, 2026 Our Pride In Being South African Is The Glue That Holds Us Together Tech Financials Up Mar 19, 2026 How can South Africa build real social cohesion? eNCA Up Mar 18, 2026 South Africans want unity but doubt it is possible The Citizen Up Mar 9, 2026 South Africa’s social fabric is fragile, but it may be starting to mend Daily Maverick Up Mar 9, 2026 Economists call for an overhaul of Reserve Bank's MPC Daily Maverick Up Feb 21, 2026 Economists call for an overhaul of Reserve Bank's MPC Sunday Times Up Feb 21, 2026 Kan een skool meer as een taalgemeenskap huisves? Netwerk24 Up Feb 19, 2026 Roelof Botha: Wysig dié beleid en skep só werk Netwerk24 Up Feb 16, 2026 AI can deepen democracy, or destroy it — the choice is ours Daily Maverick Up Feb 11, 2026 Early childhood and early adolescent predictors of internalising symptoms in adolescents: findings from a longitudinal study in a high-risk South African environment Springer Nature Link Up Feb 5, 2026 The quiet innovation that could unlock mother-tongue education in SA Daily Maverick Up Jan 27, 2026 DARYL SWANEPOEL: Why the fear over losing Agoa may be overstated | SA News MyZA Up Jan 27, 2026 DARYL SWANEPOEL: Why the fear over losing Agoa may be overstated Business Day Up Jan 24, 2026 Free SA urges opposition to draft hate speech regulations, warns of threats to privacy and free expression The Star Up Jan 21, 2026 Why Africa’s terrorism crisis is a governance crisis first Daily Maverick Up Jan 21, 2026 Why Africa's Terrorism Crisis Is a Governance Crisis First All Africa Up Jan 21, 2026 Dispute over Greenland: Conflict Prevention Possibilities under the UN Charter Katoikos Up Jan 18, 2026 Klaus Kotzé: American primacy revised — terra nova in the 21st century Business Day Up Jan 13, 2026 Daryl Swanepoel: Het ons boedel oorgegee? Netwerk24 Up Jan 12, 2026 After the Scroll: A Reflection of South Africa's Mood and the Need for Rational Hope IOL Up Jan 12, 2026 After the Scroll: A Reflection of South Africa's Mood and the Need for Rational Hope Business Report Up Jan 11, 2026 2026 local elections: South Africa braces for a surge in hung councils IOL Up Jan 11, 2026 South Africa's municipal elections: The rise of hung councils and coalition governance Daily News Up Jan 9, 2026 When Words Wound the Nation: Social Media, Racism, and Social Cohesion African News Agency Up Jan 7, 2026 Right of Reply: Growth, equality and the question we keep avoiding BizNews Up Jan 7, 2026 Record high interest rates are a self-inflicted economic blow BusinessDay Up Up

Media Releases & Op-eds Apr 17, 2026 Op-ed: The world does not need new goals. It needs a new bargain by Daryl Swanepoel Up Apr 14, 2026 Op-ed: Universal Health Coverage is not the question. Design is. by Daryl Swanepoel Up Apr 7, 2026 Op-ed: Opinion | Europe and Africa must rethink their partnership for a changing world by Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 31, 2026 Op-ed: Truth, not alarmism: Why evidence matters in South Africa's minority debate by Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 22, 2026 Op-ed: South Africans want unity, but many doubt it is possible by Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 10, 2026 Op-ed: South Africa's social fabric is fragile, but it may be starting to mend by Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 17, 2026 Op-ed: AI can deepen democracy, or destroy it - The choice is ours by Tania Ajam and Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 6, 2026 Op-ed: One school building, many futures: Why South Africa needs to rethink how we expand mother-tongue education by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jan 22, 2026 Op-ed: Why Africa's terrorism crisis is a governance crisis first by Odile Bulten and Daryl Swanepoel Up Jan 14, 2026 Op-ed: After the scroll: A reflection on South Africa's mood and the need for rational hope by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jan 14, 2026 Op-ed: When words wound the nation: Social media, racism and social cohesion by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jan 7, 2026 Op-ed: Growth, equality and the question we keep avoiding by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jan 7, 2026 Op-ed: Record high interest rates - A self-inflicted economic blow by Roelof Botha & Daryl Swanepoel Up Dec 15, 2025 Op-ed: The illusion of leverage: Why racial escalation never ends well by Daryl Swanepoel Up Dec 15, 2025 Op-ed: What Buys gets wrong: Equality is not totalitarianism by Daryl Swanepoel Up Dec 10, 2025 Op-ed: Toward an inclusive electoral system: Reclaiming accountability without reproducing apartheid lines by Nicola Bergsteedt Up Nov 26, 2025 Op-ed: The veto isn't going away, but it needs to be civilised by Daryl Swanepoel Up Nov 24, 2025 Op-ed: Raising the Age: Why South Africa must rethink the old age grant threshold by Fanie Joubert & Daryl Swanepoel Up Nov 22, 2025 Op-ed: South Africa's betrayal of its people: How our lawmakers are gutting the promise of public participation by Daryl Swanepoel Up Nov 22, 2025 Op-ed: Africa’s security crossroads: Why the continent’s future hangs in the balance by Odile Bulten & Daryl Swanepoel Up Nov 18, 2025 Op-ed: Living longer, paying more: Why South Africans must confront the fiscal risks of longevity by Fanie Joubert & Daryl Swanepoel Up Oct 17, 2025 Op-ed: When power refuses to evolve: Rethinking global governance by Daryl Swanepoel Up Aug 27, 2025 Press Release: Inclusive Society Institute on Malema hate speech ruling by Inclusive Society Institute Up Aug 27, 2025 Press Release: GovDem survey reveals rising distrust toward African immigrants in South Africa by Inclusive Society Institute Up Aug 22, 2025 Press Release: Inclusive Society Institute warns against inflated illegal immigration figures and unlawful vigilantism by Inclusive Society Institute Up Aug 21, 2025 Op-ed: The watchdogs of democracy: The vital role of South Africa's state institutions by Nicola Bergsteedt Up Aug 20, 2025 Op-ed: Africa's future must be funded by Africans by Odile Bulten & Daryl Swanepoel Up Aug 12, 2025 Op-ed: The National Dialogue is not about politicians talking. It is about people doing by Klaus Kotzé Up Jul 30, 2025 Op-ed: Navigating Africa's future in the face of shapeshifting global forces by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jul 30, 2025 Op-ed: Rebuilding trust: The imperative of the National Dialogue for South Africa's future by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jul 30, 2025 Op-ed: Africa, America and the East: In search of balance in a shifting world by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jul 25, 2025 Op-ed: Empowering small-scale fisheries for a sustainable and inclusive Blue/Oceans Economy in South Africa by Samantha Williams Up Jul 25, 2025 Op-ed: The National Dialogue: It cannot be business as usual - Social cohesion is key to South Africa's economic renewal by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jul 25, 2025 Op-ed: The National Dialogue: Solidarity is not just a moral ideal by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jul 22, 2025 Op-ed: Weaving a nation: Lessons from Singapore for South Africa's cohesion journey by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jul 17, 2025 Op-ed: A just global tax system - Balancing idealism and realism in the Developing World's fight for fairness by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jul 17, 2025 Op-ed: Rethinking leadership: A diplomatic reflection on US global primacy in a changing world by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jul 1, 2025 Press Release: A time for unity and collective action - Withdrawal from National Dialogue is counter-productive by Inclusive Society Institute Up Jun 22, 2025 Op-ed: Managing diversity in South Africa: Learning from the UAE experience by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jun 22, 2025 Press Release: Inclusive Society Institute CEO calls for just and inclusive global financial reform at the Think-Tank 20 (T20) Mid-Year Conference by Inclusive Society Institute Up Jun 18, 2025 Press Release: Political funding disclosure must match public support - Swanepoel by Inclusive Society Institute Up Jun 10, 2025 Op-ed: AI and social media: A double-edged sword that demands global responsibility by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jun 10, 2025 Press Release: Inclusive Society Institute welcomes World Bank Infrastructure Development Loan by Inclusive Society Institute Up Jun 6, 2025 Op-ed: Words that wound: "Kill the boer" is legal, but not wise for a fragile South Africa by Daryl Swanepoel Up May 30, 2025 Op-ed: Going for growth: Structural reforms needed for economic recovery by William Gumede Up May 21, 2025 Op-ed: G20 Human Rights Barometer: A red flag for global accountability by André Gaum & Daryl Swanepoel Up May 20, 2025 Op-ed: Going for growth: Structural reforms needed for economic recovery by William Gumede Up May 20, 2025 Op-ed: Economic resilience through strategic interventions by Jan van Heerden & Daryl Swanepoel Up Apr 22, 2025 Op-ed: The Fragility of the Government of National Unity: A Critical Examination by Daryl Swanepoel Up Apr 3, 2025 Press Release: South Africans express doubts about GNU's cooperation and effectiveness by Ipsos and Inclusive Society Institute Up Mar 24, 2025 Op-ed: The urgency of fair climate finance for developing nations by Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 12, 2025 Op-ed: No national dialogue if deferred by Klaus Kotzé Up Feb 12, 2025 Op-ed: Trump tariff fest threatens South African exports by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jan 21, 2025 Op-ed: A credo for a new South Africaness by William Gumede Up Dec 2, 2024 Op-ed: Trump threatens 100% tariffs on BRICS countries by Daryl Swanepoel Up Nov 29, 2024 Op-ed: How cohesive is South African society? by Daryl Swanepoel Up Nov 29, 2024 Op-ed: South Africa's Social Cohesion Crisis by Daryl Swanepoel Up Nov 27, 2024 Media Release: Launch of the South African Social Cohesion Index (SASCI) at the Social Cohesion Roundtable hosted by the National Planning Commission at the Union Buildings, Pretoria, on 26 November 2024 by Inclusive Society Institute Up Oct 22, 2024 Op-ed: The Electoral Reform consultation panel call for public submissions by Daryl Swanepoel Up Oct 22, 2024 Op-ed: Strong enforcement needed to curb Human Rights abuses by André Gaum and Daryl Swanepoel Up Oct 2, 2024 Op-ed: The National Dialogue: Pathway to a people's plan for South Africa by Klause Kotzé Up Sep 12, 2024 Op-ed: Proposed Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill is flawed by Daryl Swanepoel Up Sep 12, 2024 Op-ed: Can South Africa learn from Finland's model for social cohesion by Nicola Bergsteedt and Daryl Swanepoel Up Aug 23, 2024 Op-ed: Government of National Unity met with positive response by Roelof Botha & Daryl Swanepoel Up Aug 22, 2024 Op-ed: South Africa’s national interest must be people-centred and pragmatic by Klaus Kotzé Up Jul 1, 2024 Op-ed: A new council for better global governance by Buyelwa Sonjica and Dr Klaus Kotzé Up Jul 1, 2024 Op-ed: Assessing institutional capacities to deliver in a changing world by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jun 25, 2024 Op-ed: Proposed Government of National Unity promises an exciting and inclusive future by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jun 24, 2024 Op-ed: South Africa is getting healthier? by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jun 3, 2024 Op-ed: South Africa is getting safer? by Daryl Swanepoel Up May 21, 2024 Op-ed: Voluntary Government of National Unity - an alternative to messy coalition government by Daryl Swanepoel Up May 21, 2024 Op-ed: China is an important African partner by Klaus Kotzé Up May 21, 2024 Op-ed: A constructive contribution to re-energize South Africa by Buyelwa Sonjica and Klaus Kotzé Up May 6, 2024 Op-ed: 2024 National Assembly Election: Two ballot papers - both of equal importance by Jørgen Elklit Up Apr 26, 2024 Op-ed: Developing an instrument to assess levels of social cohesion in SA by Klaus Boehnke and Daryl Swanepoel Up Apr 17, 2024 Media Release: Scrapping of Gauteng e-Tolls welcomed, but defaulters still have to pay by Inclusive Society Institute Up Apr 16, 2024 Op-ed: The manifold challenges facing SA's Higher Education government policy by Dr Douglas Blackmur Up Apr 12, 2024 Op-ed: Voter registration mechanism needs to change by Daryl Swanepoel Up Apr 12, 2024 Op-ed: Managing social cohesion in diverse communities by Daryl Swanepoel Up Apr 3, 2024 Op-ed: Misrepresenting Polls Does Democracy A Disservice by Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 25, 2024 Op-ed: UN summit of the future: On track to nowhere? by Nicola Bergsteedt and Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 11, 2024 Media Release: Mistrust in immigrants threatens social cohesion by Inclusive Society Institute Up Mar 5, 2024 Op- ed: A Critical Review of the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill by Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 21, 2024 Op-ed: Embracing Flexicurity: Lessons from Denmark by Nicola Bergsteedt Up Feb 9, 2024 Op-ed: Navigating the complexities of coalition politics in South African municipalities by Nondumiso Sithole Up Feb 9, 2024 Op-ed: Growth drivers coming to the fore by Roelof Botha and Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 7, 2024 Op-ed: Coalitions: Lessons from Finland by Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 1, 2024 Media Release: Intent to emigrate remains disturbingly high by Inclusive Society Institute Up Jan 23, 2024 Op-ed: Who do we listen to? The human cost of war and its global impact by Buyelwa Sonjica Up Jan 16, 2024 Op-ed: Economic pandemic: Organised crime’s stranglehold on South Africa by Daryl Swanepoel Up Dec 14 , 2023 O p-ed: Leveraging Special Economic Zones for Growth by William Gumede Up Nov 29 , 2023 Op-ed: Many ethical hurdles to overcome in managing global population growth by Motsamai Molefe Up Nov 28 , 2023 Op-ed: Turnaround of construction sector is South African economy’s bellwether by Daryl Swanepoel Up Nov 20 , 2023 Op-ed: The United Nations must reform to represent the interests of the Global South by Klaus Kotzé Up Oct 18 , 2023 Op- ed: Reimagining Global Governance: A Call for Equitable and Resilient Systems by Daryl Swanepoel Up Oct 13 , 2023 Op-ed: Why Building Global Resilience Is the Best Investment We Can Make Now by Buyelwa Sonjica Up Oct 4 , 2023 Op- ed: Re-modeling the BRICS New Development Bank by William Gumede Up Sep 21 , 2023 Op- ed: Growth drivers coming to the fore by Roelof Botha & Daryl Swanepoel Up Sep 19 , 2023 Op- ed: The Progressive Realisation of Socio-economic Rights in South Africa: Albie Sachs' Pioneering Role by Nicola Jo Bergsteedt Up Aug 17 , 2023 Op-ed: Ensuring Administrative Justice for a Truly Inclusive Society by Inclusive Society Institute in collaboration with the Daily Maverick Up Jul 25 , 2023 Op-ed: The Vital Role of Participatory Democracy in Building a Just and Inclusive Society by Inclusive So ciety Institute in collaboration with the Daily Maverick Up Jul 12 , 2023 Op -ed: The global development and security initiatives: Safeguarding our global village by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jul 12 , 2023 Op -ed: Navigating China-Africa cooperation within a globally constrained environment by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jul 12 , 2023 Op -ed: New global trade and investment thinking by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jul 3 , 2023 Op -ed: Trust – the ‘glue’ that binds society together – is missing in SA by Daryl Swanepoel Up May 29 , 2023 Op-ed: Gender inequality - Men’s involvement in care: Contemplating the glass escalator by Nicole Daniels, Jodi Wishnia and Daryl Swanepoel Up May 22 , 2023 Op-ed: The personal is political: our families are blueprints for society by Jodi Wishnia and Daryl Swanepoel Up May 15 , 2023 Op-ed: Understanding gender inequality in caregiving and families by Nicole Daniels and Daryl Swanepoel Up May 9 , 2023 Me d ia Release: Intent to emigrate decreases but remains a risk Findings from the Inclusive Society Institute's GovDem Poll Up May 8 , 2023 Op-ed: Beyond Colonialism: Türkiye's Unique Approach to Africa by Daryl Swanepoel Up May 2 , 2023 Media Release: Mistrust in immigrants remains alarmingly high Findings from the Inclusive Society Institute's GovDem Poll Up Apr 25 , 2023 Med ia Release: An opposition coalition at the national level is highly unlikely Findings from the Inclusive Society Institute's GovDem Poll Up Apr 17 , 2023 Media Release: Comment on President Ramaphosa assents to the Electoral Amendment Bill by Daryl Swanepoel Up Apr 13, 2023 Media Release: Writing off outstanding E-Tolls under the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project by Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 22, 2023 O p-e d: A strong democracy comes with a price tag – and it’s worth every cent by Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 22, 2023 Op-e d: Social Cohesion: Getting Symbolism, Action and Rhetoric Right by Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 8, 2023 M edia Release : Inclusive Society Institute calls on President Ramaphosa to consider constitutionality of Electoral Amendment Bill by Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 3, 2023 Op-e d: Born free, but not fair: Solutions to tackle youth inequality and unemployment in South Africa - Considered solutions to closing the gap on youth inequality and unemployment by Beth Vale and Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 28, 2023 Op-e d: Born free, but not fair: 5 ways we can support SA’s teens to stay in school w ithout interventions along their life cycle, kids could well become the “disaffected youth” as early inequality gets compounded from birth, through school, and beyond. by Beth Vale and Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 20, 2023 Op-e d: Born free, but not fair: Setting the foundation for long-term learning and earning Interventions that support childhood development in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life have the potential to radically shift South Africa’s current inequality crisis. by Michelle Flowers and Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 16, 2023 Op-e d: Multi-Member Constituency model trumps Single Seat Constituency model by Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 14, 2023 Op-ed: Born free, but not fair by Nicole Daniels and Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 8, 2023 Op-ed: Coalitions must be built on trust and generosity by Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 8, 2023 Op-ed: Born free, but not fair: Understanding youth inequality Youth inequality accumulates over a life course, but there are critical moments where policy and programming can intervene to alleviate inequality and safeguard more just futures for young people by Beth Vale and Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 3, 2023 Op-ed: Sustainable population and possible standards of living by Anton Cartwright Up Feb 3, 2023 Op-ed: Automatic voter registration: removing the thorn in the side of SA’s democracy by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jan 23, 2023 Op-e d: African Philosophy and Social Justice: The inclusiveness and limitations of a continent’s political thought by Mutshidz Maraganedzha Up Jan 20, 2023 Op-e d: Rise civil society: A new year’s resolution by Klaus Kotzé Up Jan 13, 2023 Op-ed: End the Social Compact tug-of-war: Lessons from Denmark by Daryl Swanepoel Up Nov 9 , 2022 Op-Ed: Parliament persists in passing an unconstitutional Electoral Amendment bill by Inclusive Society Institute Up Nov 2 , 2022 Op-Ed: Democratising the United Nations by Inclusive Society Institute Up Oct 27 , 2022 Op-Ed: A people-driven state is required for national renewal by Inclusive Society Institute Up Oct 24 , 2022 Op-Ed: Contractionary fiscal consolidation versus expansionary stimulus implications for growth, employment and debt by Inclusive Society Institute Up Oct 16 , 2022 Op-Ed: The world is on shaky ground, with South Africa no different by Inclusive Society Institute Up Oct 12 , 2022 Op-Ed: UN Security Council Reform - A New Approach to Reconstructing the International Order by Inclusive Society Institute Up Oct 06 , 2022 Op-Ed: The need for an evidence-based response to addressing Xenophobia in SA. The importance of addressing the real drivers of Xenophobia and Xenophobic vilolence. by Inclusive Society Institute Up Sep 15, 2022 Op-Ed: SA must pull up its socks or tourism rebound may be short-lived by Inclusive Society Institute Up Sep 08, 2022 Op-Ed: Challenges and solutions for local economic development in the City of Ekurhuleni by Inclusive Society Institute Up Sep 05, 2022 Op-Ed: Climate change adaptation and resilience: An analysis of some Global and National Measures by Inclusive Society Institute Up Aug 29, 2022 Media Release: Proposals to remedy current deficiencies in the proposed NHI bill by Inclusive Society Institute Up Aug 23, 2022 Op-Ed: Grease the gears so the economic wheels can turn by Inclusive Society Institute Up Jul 27, 2022 Op-Ed: As long as we keep failing our youth, the cycle of inequality will remain unbroken by Inclusive Society Institute Up Jul 21, 2022 Media Release: Trust deficit between civil society and SAPS is flaming lawlessness in South Africa by Inclusive Society Institute Up Jul 05, 2022 Op-Ed: Challenges and opportunities to enhance social mobilisation to combat corruption by Prof Evangelos Mantzaris Up Jun 28, 2022 Op-Ed: Towards a national commitment by Dr Klaus Kotzé Up May 26, 2022 Op-Ed: Social Cohesion: Taking stock of South Africa’s socio-political strategy by Dr Klaus Kotzé Up May 26, 2022 Op-Ed: Get the basics right to reboot growth by Daryl Swanepoel Up May 11, 2022 Op-Ed: The preconditions for a South African welfare state by Dr Klaus Kotzé Up Apr 11, 2022 Op-Ed: Leveraging ideas of hope to reduce inequality in South Africa by Anja Smith, Jodi Wishnia, Carmen Christian and Daryl Swanepoel Up Apr 11, 2022 Op-Ed: The Russia-Ukraine conflict: Impact on South Africa, fellow BRICS members and Africa by William Gumede Up Apr 07, 2022 Op-Ed: The establishment of a National Anti-Corruption Agency for South Africa by Daryl Swanepoel Up Apr 06, 2022 Op-Ed: Rejuvenating South Africa's economy - a labour sector perspective by Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 28, 2022 Op-Ed: Efficient logistics needed to keep agri-exports on the right track by Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 14, 2022 Op-Ed: Back to basics to better economy - Getting fundamentals right will reverse economic woes by Daryl Swanepoel Up Mar 10, 2022 Op-Ed: Crisis in Europe highlights critical importance of self-sufficient, secure and stable energy production by Daryl Swanepoel Up Feb 16, 2022 Social Democracy: A pathway for South Africa's development by Dr Klause Kotzé Up Feb 03, 2022 WEF Global Risks Report 2022 suggests it cannot be business as usual Up Feb 02, 2022 Preventing corruption is the key by Willie Hofmeyr Up Jan 31, 2022 South Africa investing in the ICT sector is a no-brainer by Daryl Swanepoel Up Jan 28, 2022 The effects of corruption by Prof Pregala Solosh Pillay Up Jan 17, 2022 Anti-corruption agencies need to be nurtured by Prof Andrew Spalding Up Jan 13, 2022 Different types of anti-corruption agencies by Drago Kos Up Jan 12, 2022 Construction sector: A friend in need is a friend indeed. Let the private sector help Up Dec 7, 2021 Rejuvenating South Africa's economy - a retail sector perspective Up Dec 3, 2021 Speech delivered by Vusi Khanyile, Chairperson of the Inclusive Society Institute, to the Integritasza Conference, Wellington, South Africa Up Nov 11, 2021 ISI meets Deputy Minister of Finance - Present NHI and Inequality research outcomes Up Nov 8, 2021 Op-Ed: Rejuvenating South Africa's economy - A SMME sector perspective Up Nov 8, 2021 Op-Ed: South Africa needs an urgent national security and intelligence assessment Up Nov 2, 2021 ANC support dips, but it is still best placed to win local government election Up Nov 2, 2021 Op-Ed: SA's Jekyll and Hyde economy has investors second guessing Up Sep 16, 2021 Op-Ed: Would you choose NHI as our universal health care scheme if you knew the costs twenty years from now? Up Sep 15, 2021 Op-Ed: Local government challenges: How far have we come? Up Sep 8, 2021 Op-Ed: South African courts: Are they guilty of judicial overreach or merely upholding the rule of law? Up Sep 6, 2021 Op-Ed: Assessing crime intelligence in South Africa Up Aug 27, 2021 Op-Ed: Rebuilding US-Africa relations under the Biden administration and its nexus with China Up Aug 26, 2021 Achieving wellbeing equa lity for South Africans: a dream that shouldn’t be deferred by the Inclusive Society Institute Up Aug 13, 2021 Op-Ed: Reviving factories can fire up a much-needed growth engine Up Aug 11, 2021 South Africa's developmental model: The significance of state-owned enterprises Up Jun 23, 2021 Challenging climate change: The transition to a sustainable economy Up Jun 10, 2021 No quick fixes for SA's woes but glimmer of hope on the horizon Up May 31, 2021 Restoring faith in South Africa key to rejuvenating the economy Up May 5, 2021 Survey suggests voter support for party system in SA Up Apr 8, 2021 ISI presents electoral system proposals to IEC Up Mar 16, 2021 COVID-19: Severe blow to long-term employment prospects Up Jan 28, 2021 Speech by Daryl Swanepoel, CEO, Inclusive Society Institute, South Africa: International Conference on Poverty Alleviation: China's rationale, Beijing, China Up Jan 25, 2021 Op-Ed: Slowing the population growth is vital for South Africa's economic recovery Up Dec 11, 2020 Op-Ed: The US-China-Africa nexus under a Biden administration Up Dec 11, 2020 Op-Ed: ISI Annual Lecture with Justice Albie Sachs Prosperity through inclusivity Up Aug 13, 2020 Op-Ed: South African and the 12th summit of BRICS Up Aug 12, 2020 Op-Ed: Universal Health Coverage pathways for South Africa Areas of misalignment between stakeholders on the NHI Bill require further engagement Up Aug 11, 2020 Universal Health Coverage pathways for South Africa Areas of misalignment between stakeholders on the NHI Bill require further engagement Up Aug 3, 2020 Op-Ed: COVID-19 US-China discord and its impact on Sino-South African relations Up Jul 21, 2020 LGBT+ survey findings Survey on everyday experience of the LGBT+ communicy finds inequality and discrimination still rife, and mental health potentially a crisis in the making Up Jul 14, 2020 National health insurance Bill Parliament's Portfolio Committee would be well-advised first to obtain legal clarity on constitutionality Up May 20, 2020 COVID-19 ANC members and supporters show overwhelming support for government measures and ANC leadership, but are concerned about the future of the economy Up Apr 17, 2020 COVID-19 Survey: COVID-19 and its impact on the SMME sector Up Up

Documents Feb 5, 2025 - SASCI 2024 presentation by Dr Gerorgi Dragolov May 10, 2024 - Anniversary celebrations of former President Mandela's inaugural speech of 10 May 1994 Feb 6, 2024 - Presentation: Electoral Matters Amendment Bill - Submission to Home Affairs Portfolio Committee Sep 15, 2023 - Speech: Institutional reform needed to deal with global challenges - Daryl Swanepoel May 03, 2023 - Beyond Colonialism: Türkiye's Unique Approach to Africa May 31, 2023 - Presentation: Multi-dimensional inequality in South Africa Nov 1-3, 2024 - 22nd Conference on International Exchange of Professionals - Presentation by Daryl Swanepoel May 8, 2024 - MyVoteCounts - How to fund democracy Nov 23, 2023 - Social Cohesion Framework - presentation by Commissioner Abba Omar Sep 15, 2023 - Speech: Resilience for the world and a global resilience council for the UN - speech by Buyelwa Sonjica May 10, 2023 - NalHisa dialogue of bridging the gap - speech by Daryl Swanepoel May 31, 2023 - Presentation: Southern Africa Trust - Reflections on poverty & inequality post Covid Jun 22, 2024 - ACUNS speech by Daryl Swanepoel Jan 31, 2024 - JIPP 4.1 Nov 23, 2023 - Social Cohesion Framework Document May 03, 2023 - Presentation by Daryl Swanepoel at Istanbul Security Forum May 11, 2023 - Struggling to get going (Presentation at Business Circle launch) Sep 13, 2022 - Analysis of Constitutional issues pertaining to the Electoral Amendment Bill