Law, Military Science and Security Sovereignty of the State

South Africa's Key Foreign and Domestic Policies Analysis Training

SAQA US 259997 | NQF 6 | Credits 8 | Duration 5 Days
From $1,242 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the analytical skills to critically evaluate South Africa's key foreign and domestic policies. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the historical, political, and economic contexts shaping these policies, enabling them to assess their impact on national and international relations.

Learning Outcomes

  • Analyse the historical and constitutional foundations of South Africa's foreign and domestic policies.
  • Evaluate the influence of key stakeholders and institutions on policy formulation and implementation.
  • Apply analytical frameworks to assess the economic and social impacts of selected policies.
  • Compare South Africa's foreign policy positions with regional and global trends.
  • Critically assess the effectiveness of domestic policies in addressing socio-economic challenges.
  • Demonstrate the ability to synthesize policy analysis into actionable recommendations.

Target Audience

This course is designed for policy analysts, government officials, diplomats, corporate strategists, and postgraduate students in political science or international relations who need to understand and apply South African policy frameworks.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment. However, a background in political science, economics, or public administration is beneficial.

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundations of South African Policy and the Constitution

Objectives:
• Understand the constitutional framework underpinning South African policies.
• Identify key domestic and foreign policy drivers.
• Explain the role of the National Development Plan (NDP) in domestic policy.
• Describe the institutional actors involved in policy formulation.
• Recognise the historical context shaping current policies.

Topics:
• The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996: key principles.
• The National Development Plan 2030: vision, objectives, and implementation.
• Domestic policy priorities: economic growth, social cohesion, and transformation.
• Foreign policy foundations: Ubuntu, Pan-Africanism, and multilateralism.
• Institutional framework: Presidency, DIRCO, Treasury, and parliamentary committees.
• Policy cycle: formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Historical context: apartheid legacy and democratic transition.
• Case study: South Africa's role in the African Union.

Day 2: Domestic Policies – Economics, Social Welfare, and Land Reform

Objectives:
• Analyse key economic policies including the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) and Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR).
• Evaluate social welfare policies and their impact on inequality.
• Understand land reform policies: restitution, redistribution, and tenure security.
• Examine health and education policies in the context of the NDP.
• Assess challenges and successes in policy implementation.

Topics:
• Economic policy evolution: from RDP to GEAR to the New Growth Path.
• Industrial policy: the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP).
• Social welfare: social grants, public healthcare, and housing.
• Land reform: legislative framework (Restitution Act, Land Reform Act).
• Education policy: the National Curriculum Statement and Skills Development.
• Health policy: National Health Insurance (NHI) and primary healthcare.
• Infrastructure and service delivery: challenges of local government.
• Case study: The impact of COVID-19 on social policies.

Day 3: Foreign Policy – Diplomacy, Trade, and Regional Integration

Objectives:
• Explain South Africa's foreign policy principles and strategic priorities.
• Analyse trade policies and agreements within SADC and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
• Evaluate South Africa's role in multilateral organisations (UN, AU, BRICS).
• Understand the intersection of foreign policy with national security and economic interests.
• Critically assess foreign policy challenges and criticisms.

Topics:
• Foreign policy pillars: Pan-Africanism, South-South cooperation, and multilateralism.
• The African Agenda: peacekeeping, development, and integration.
• Trade policy: SACU, SADC, and the AfCFTA.
• BRICS membership: opportunities and obligations.
• Relations with global powers: US, China, EU, and the UK.
• Diplomacy in conflict resolution: South Africa's role in mediation.
• Foreign policy and the diaspora: engagement and support.
• Case study: South Africa's stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Day 4: Policy Analysis Frameworks and Evaluation Techniques

Objectives:
• Apply policy analysis frameworks to real-world South African policies.
• Use qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate policy outcomes.
• Identify stakeholders and assess their influence on policy.
• Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of selected policies.
• Develop recommendations for policy improvement.

Topics:
• Policy analysis models: rational, incremental, and mixed-scanning.
• Stakeholder mapping and power analysis.
• Data sources for policy evaluation: statistics, reports, and surveys.
• Cost-benefit analysis and impact assessment.
• Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks.
• Ethics in policy analysis: transparency and accountability.
• Case study: Analysing the effectiveness of the Employment Tax Incentive.
• Workshop: Hands-on policy analysis of a current issue (e.g., energy crisis).

Day 5: Integrating Domestic and Foreign Policies – Strategic Perspectives

Objectives:
• Synthesise domestic and foreign policy objectives into a coherent national strategy.
• Analyse case studies where domestic and foreign policies intersect.
• Evaluate policy coherence and contradictions.
• Develop a strategic policy brief on a selected topic.
• Present findings and engage in peer review.

Topics:
• Policy coherence: aligning domestic and foreign policy goals.
• Case study: The energy transition – domestic energy policy and international climate commitments.
• Case study: Migration policy – domestic labour needs vs. regional obligations.
• Scenario planning: future policy directions under global trends.
• Developing a policy brief: structure, evidence, and recommendations.
• Presentation skills and peer feedback.
• Course wrap-up and reflection.
• Final assessment: group presentation of policy brief.

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Fri 02 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 19 Oct 2026 Fri 23 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Fri 15 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 15 Feb 2027 Fri 19 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Fri 05 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Jun 2027 Fri 11 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Fri 02 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 19 Jul 2027 Fri 23 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Fri 10 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 27 Sep 2027 Fri 01 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 18 Oct 2027 Fri 22 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 17 Jan 2028 Fri 21 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 492 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,916 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $1,863 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,078 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 26 Oct 2026 Fri 30 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Dec 2026 Fri 18 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 18 Jan 2027 Fri 22 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 22 Feb 2027 Fri 26 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 22 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Fri 18 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 26 Jul 2027 Fri 30 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Fri 08 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 25 Oct 2027 Fri 29 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 24 Jan 2028 Fri 28 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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