The party–state dynamic is a lasting feature in the South African foreign policy decision-making structure, thus influencing the way pragmatic engagements are pursued in relation to ideology. It is important to navigate this environment effectively. This policy brief highlights bureaucratic challenges for the foreign service in 2020, political deployment, the strategic use of resources and the recently passed Border Management Authority Act (2020). These challenges contribute to weak policy coherence and a lack of integrated strategy in South African foreign policy implementation. The recommendations are thus based on improving implementation through the recently passed Foreign Service Act.
