South Africa plans to launch its own developmental aid agency this year, The South African Development Partnership Agency. Maybe some of my readers who are more directly involved in development can give some of their perspectives, but this seems like both a good (if imperfect) and a savvy idea.
If the ideal aid involves local solutions to local problems with outside support being just that — support to facilitate the locals — then obviously the SADPA (I have no idea if that will be the official acronym moving forward) is still potentially flawed, replacing one group of outsiders with another. And of course South Africa is surely as interested in prestige across the continent as in altruism (thus the savviness). But at the same time, at least this can be seen as a form of African partnership moving forward, and having South Africans work with other Africans sure seems better than having Americans or Brits or what have you stepping in and taking charge. This solution also is in keeping with Thabo Mbeki’s idea of the African Renaissance with South Africa at the forefront.
