South Africa as a Development Partner: An Empirical Analysis of the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund

Abstract As South Africa looks to consolidate its role as a development partner, it remains an open question whether it can maintain a strong presence in Africa while facing significant challenges at home. With the economy struggling to grow and the government increasingly cutting back on expenditure, one has to wonder whether these cuts are translating into a reduction of its role as a development partner in Africa. With the eagerly awaited South African Development Partnership Agency in mind, this chapter examines data from the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund (ARF) between 2003 and 2015. It shows empirically that, despite increasing allocations and disbursements in the years following its inception, the global financial crisis and domestic challenges have taken their toll on the ARF’s activities.