The first of the three topical policy themes that this paper considers, is South Africa’s emerging Development Partnership Agency, whose attributes and origins give it an imperative to build relationships with other development actors. The second is the 20-year legacy of the South African government’s involvement in post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD), and peacebuilding activities in Africa. The third theme is the dynamic and diverse contemporary business environment across Africa. The private sector’s role in helping drive sustainable and inclusive growth has a strong bearing on the prospects for achieving long-term developmental goals on the continent. The question that arises from these contexts (i.e. partnerships, post-conflict and private sector) is what role the private sector might play as a development actor in SADPA’s future PCRD efforts. The paper addresses this question in four parts. The first outlines issues at the nexus of business and peace, and potential roles that the private sector might play in situations of fragility and postconflict recovery. The second part briefly considers the growing trend for donors to engage the private sector in development policy generally, and more specifically in PCRD activities. The third part looks at the particular policy context for SADPA’s engagement and addresses why SADPA should engage with business in pursuit of government’s PCRD strategies. The fourth and final part considers some modalities of how SADPA might engage with the private sector in conflict situations.
