South Africa’s election

South Africa will hold general elections on May 29 that seem likely to see the ruling ANC for the first time fail to secure a parliamentary majority, raising the spectre of complex post-election coalition politics. Which parties that might involve, and how parliamentary politics will develop thereafter, will matter greatly.

The challenges facing a new government are formidable: slow economic growth, high unemployment, chronic problems with power supply and transport networks, and elevated crime and insecurity. These are issues that the ANC has struggled with for years, as much because of divisions within the party over strategy as because of a lack of clear solutions to the problems at hand.

Join Oxford Analytica’s conference call on April 17, where our experts will consider:

• The impact on the ANC’s legitimacy and governance capacity if it falls below 50% of the vote and fares poorly in key constituencies.
• Relations between the ANC and other parties, including former President Jacob Zuma’s newly formed MK party—and how these might influence government policy.
• What we can expect in policy terms from a coalition government, particularly in terms of the core economic and political reform agenda.

A discussion between:

• Hilary Joffe, Editor-at-large, Business Day and member of the Oxford Analytica contributor network
• Alexander Johnston, former Professor of Politics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, and member of the Oxford Analytica contributor network

Chair: Matt Ward, Senior Analyst, Sub-Saharan Africa, Oxford Analytica

This deep dive is a closed webinar only for Oxford Analytica clients. It will benefit those who are in foreign and defence ministries, intelligence agencies, as well as senior executives and those involved in government affairs, legal services and finance, public policy. Not a client? Find out more about the service and how we can help you navigate complex markets.

Each session is supported by a background briefing curated by our team of expert analysts who produce our flagship publication, the Oxford Analytica Daily Brief. These in-depth briefings are circulated to attendees in advance of each call and are available as written articles published in the Daily Brief.