In 2000, the African Renaissance and International Co-operation Fund Act (Act No. 51 of 2000) established the African Renaissance and International Co-operation Fund (ARF) as a Schedule 3A public entity of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO). The ARF, which falls under the control and direction of the Minister of DIRCO and the Director-General, represents one of South Africa’s efforts to contribute to the promotion of peace and stability in Africa.
The objectives of the ARF are to enhance co-operation between South Africa and other African countries, promote democracy and good governance on the continent, help prevent and resolve conflicts, encourage socio-economic development and provide humanitarian assistance. Through the ARF, South Africa recognises the peace and security challenges facing the African continent, and seeks to contribute to the development of a better Africa and a better world, guided by the principle of African solutions to African challenges. The ARF’s key focus areas include humanitarian assistance, support for mediation and conflict resolution efforts, and the promotion of co-operation among governments and between the public and private sectors. One of South Africa’s foreign policy strategic objectives is to resolve conflicts in Africa and create conditions conducive to socio-economic development. The ARF represents a soft power tool that the South African government possesses in pursuit of this goal.
Through the ARF, South Africa recognises the peace and security challenges facing the African continent, and seeks to contribute to the development of a better Africa and a better world, guided by the principle of African solutions to African challenges
Over the years, the ARF has supported, among other initiatives, election observation missions in Africa, particularly Southern Africa. It is expected to continue this in 2026, including for the Zambian general elections that took place in August. The ARF has also funded conflict mediation and humanitarian aid, with support for the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), serving as a flagship expression of African solidarity. In 2026, humanitarian and mediation efforts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been identified as priority areas for ARF funding.
However, changes to the ARF are on the horizon. In a report from the Parliament Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Co-operation on the May budget vote, a draft bill to amend the ARF Act is expected to be resubmitted to Cabinet during the Seventh Administration. Following consultations with the National Treasury, the draft amendment bill is currently with legal advisors and proposes transforming the ARF into a development agency. The ARF is set to be renamed the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA), and while it will remain a Schedule 3A entity, it will become a fully-fledged development agency with its own CEO, separating the roles between the agency and DIRCO. The proposed SADPA is intended to strengthen co-operation and economic development in Africa, to the benefit of both South Africa and the countries where the SADPA operates. It would also assume responsibility for managing all of South Africa’s development co-operation activities.
The ARF is set to be renamed the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA), and while it will remain a Schedule 3A entity, it will become a fully-fledged development agency with its own CEO, separating the roles between the agency and DIRCO
In fact, these changes have been contemplated for a number of years now. In 2023, Cabinet approved the introduction of the Amendment Bill to Parliament, but it was not finalised before the end of the Sixth Administration. These proposed reforms go even further back to 2007, with a resolution of the African National Congress (ANC) at its National Conference in Polokwane. The then ruling party indicated that the SADPA would assist the government in its pursuit of a better Africa, while also enhancing South-South and South-North co-operation. It also proposed that the agency be located within the then Department of Foreign Affairs and assume the functions of the ARF. This policy decision subsequently informed the government’s proposal to amend the ARF Act and replace the ARF with SADPA.
It is not uncommon for countries to review and revisit the structure of their development agencies. For example, the United Kingdom (UK) made changes to its approach to development assistance, albeit in a direction opposite to that proposed by South Africa. In 2020, the UK merged its Department for International Development (DfID) with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to create the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), thus placing all responsibility for representing Britain abroad under one roof. Although the DfID had a strong record of development interventions following its establishment in 1997, the merger was driven by the view that integrating development assistance with diplomacy would better align foreign policy with the promotion of British interests and values overseas, while also improving efficiency and reducing costs.
In South Africa’s case, the proposed amendment would create greater institutional separation between its development agency and DIRCO. It will be interesting to see how this separation might influence the work of the SADPA and the extent to which it will operate more independently from DIRCO. It also remains to be seen if these changes will result in the SADPA being more effective in driving co-operation and economic development than the ARF. Any assessment of the agency’s effectiveness will also need to take account of its budget, as increased funding for development programmes could significantly influence its impact.
The move to create the SADPA was welcomed by Parliament, and encouraged the acceleration of the finalisation of the transition from the ARF. While no timeline has yet been given for when the transition might begin, the department was asked by Parliament to provide an update on the progress of the Draft Amendment Bill later in the year. There is both strategic and principled value in South Africa having its own development agency. South Africa has a stronger economy than almost all African states, making it an important player in Africa’s quest to independently address the challenges that it faces. Africa is an important market for South African business growth, so it is in South Africa’s own interest to ensure that there is stability and development in Africa so that the requisite conditions for economic growth exist. The SADPA, if used strategically and effectively, could be a key mechanism in Africa ensuring its own development and growth, to the benefit not only of South Africa, but of all Africa.
Katharine Bebington is a researcher at ACCORD.
