South Africa

South Africa is Africa's most industrialised economy, a BRICS and G20 member with a population of approximately 60 million. Its executive capital is Pretoria, its legislative capital Cape Town, and its largest city Johannesburg. Major ports at Cape Town, Durban and Richards Bay anchor its position in global shipping. The country is a founding member of the African Union and has pursued a post-apartheid Foreign Policy of strategic Non-alignment, most visibly demonstrated by bringing an ICJ genocide case against Israel over Gaza in 2024.

South Africa's Department of Home Affairs (DHA) issued Immigration Directive 7 of 2026 on 1 April 2026, extending pending Visa applications to 30 June 2027, buying operational breathing room for a backlog-ridden system. Cabinet approved the Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection on 3 April, presented by Minister Leon Schreiber. The White Paper proposes a points-based migration system, a new remote-work Visa category, an Electronic Travel Authorisation, and a First Safe Country Principle, the most significant proposed overhaul of South African immigration law in two decades. South Africa's Digital Nomad Visa, launched in 2024, requires a minimum monthly income of R65,000 (~€3,200) and has attracted applicants primarily from Europe and North America, but processing delays under the existing backlog undermine its attractiveness relative to competing African and European destinations.

South Africa's ports at Cape Town, Durban and Richards Bay are handling unprecedented tanker traffic as vessels bypass the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea conflict zones, generating significant bunkering revenue but straining infrastructure and creating environmental risk on the Cape coast. Pretoria stayed silent on the 2026 Iran conflict, maintaining strategic ambiguity: condemning US strikes would risk trade relations, while endorsing them would contradict the ICJ Gaza stance. Neutrality remained the least costly option, but BRICS solidarity, with Russia and China both condemning the strikes, placed this silence under pressure.

Bafana Bafana (South Africa's men's national team) returned to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 16 years, having last appeared as host nation in 2010. Head coach Hugo Broos, in his final tournament before retirement, built a counter-attacking side led by the pace of wingers Appollis and Mofokeng. South Africa opened against Mexico on 11 June at the Estadio Azteca, the sold-out Azteca hosting its third World Cup opener in front of roughly 87,000, having received FIFA clearance only days earlier after concrete fell from beneath its seating. South Africa progressed from the group stage for the first time in their World Cup history, securing qualification with a 1-0 win over South Korea in their final group match: Thapelo Maseko scored the decisive goal on 63 minutes. South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup but were eliminated at the group stage; 2026 is the first time Bafana Bafana have reached the knockout rounds as a competing nation. That historic run ended in the Round of 32 on 28 June, beaten 1-0 by co-host Canada at SoFi Stadium as Stephen Eustaquio scored in the 92nd minute, Canada's first-ever World Cup knockout win.