Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung South Africa

19/08/2026

How do you respond when AI creates a video of you saying something you never said? As South Africa prepares for the 2026 local government elections, that's no longer a hypothetical question.

KAS South Africa partnered with Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Annelie Lotriet, MP, and the iNtaka Centre for Law & Technology (University of Cape Town) to deliver a capacity-building session on Artificial Intelligence, Elections and Disinformation for Members of Parliament, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and parliamentary and party caucus staff.

The session covered the growing impact of AI-generated content and deepfakes on electoral integrity and public trust, and gave participants practical tools for identifying manipulated content, understanding available legal remedies, and building response plans.

Key takeaways:

🤖⚠️ AI-generated disinformation is getting harder to detect and can outpace corrections. False content can spread widely within hours, while platforms typically take a day or more to act on flagged content.

🎭🗣️ Deepfakes and voice cloning threaten trust in elections and political leaders, but the same tools can support legitimate campaign communication when used responsibly and clearly disclosed.

⚖️📜 Legal remedies exist (POPIA, the Cybercrimes Act, and the Electoral Act), but they are often too slow to counter fast-moving disinformation. 🚨 Preparation matters more than reaction.

Thank you to Tayla Pinto and Wandile Mpisi for their presentations, and to Dr. Tobias Schonwetter and the iNtaka Centre team for making a complex topic practical and actionable for MPs ahead of November's elections.

Read the full report on the KAS website: https://www.kas.de/en/web/suedafrika/veranstaltungen/detail/-/content/intelligence-elections-and-disinformation

14/08/2026

The Many Faces of Inequality

KAS South Africa partnered with SAIFAC at the University of Johannesburg to host a two-day colloquium examining the persistent and evolving challenges of inequality in South Africa and beyond. The event explored constitutional and human rights-based approaches to addressing structural injustice, intersectionality and substantive equality, bringing together experts to discuss how legal frameworks can better advance inclusive and transformative social change.

👉 Read more about the discussions and key insights from the colloquium on our website: https://www.kas.de/en/web/suedafrika/veranstaltungen/detail/-/content/the-many-faces-of-inequality-1

13/08/2026

Academic Winter School on Ukraine and Southern African Strategic Futures

From 4-6 August 2026, the Ukrainian Association of South Africa (UAZA), with the support of KAS South Africa, hosted the Academic Winter School on Ukraine and Southern African Strategic Futures in the Western Cape.

Bringing together scholars from Ukraine, South Africa and across the Southern African region, the Winter School created a platform for meaningful academic exchange on history, international law, human rights, democratic governance and the changing global order.

Participants explored Ukraine's historical development and contemporary challenges while engaging with questions of sovereignty, international cooperation and the future of the rules-based international order. The programme also highlighted historical and cultural connections between Ukraine and Southern Africa, encouraging deeper understanding and dialogue across regions.

By connecting established academics, emerging researchers and doctoral candidates, the Winter School strengthened academic networks and fostered new opportunities for collaboration between Ukraine and Southern Africa.

Many thanks to our partners at the Ukrainian Association of South Africa, especially Dzvinka Kachur, as well as the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), the University of Cape Town (UCT), and the University of Pretoria (UP), and all speakers and participants for making this initiative such a success

Read the full report: https://www.kas.de/en/web/suedafrika/veranstaltungen/detail/-/content/academic-winter-school-on-ukraine-and-southern-african-strategic-futures

12/08/2026

KAS South Africa was pleased to host Roland Theis MP for a series of engagements focused on strengthening relations between South Africa, Germany and Europe.

During his visit, German Bundestag Member Roland THEIS met with policymakers, think tank experts and KAS scholarship holders to discuss key issues shaping today's international landscape, including the future of multilateralism, South African foreign policy, the evolving global order, and South Africa's role on the African continent.

The exchange highlighted the importance of continued dialogue and partnership in addressing shared regional and global challenges.

Read the full article here: https://www.kas.de/en/web/suedafrika/veranstaltungen/detail/-/content/roland-theis-mp-visits-south-africa-to-discuss-bilateral-relations-and-the-future-of-the-internation

04/08/2026

On the 29th of July 2026, The FW de Klerk Foundation in partnership with KAS hosted a conference on achieving successful municipal service delivery, bringing together leaders from government and civil society in local government.

🎥 Watch the full video on the KAS YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WnyVNmkPp0
📄 Download the presentation materials from the KAS website and explore the key insights shared during the discussion:
https://www.kas.de/en/web/suedafrika/veranstaltungen/detail/-/content/achieving-successful-municipal-service-delivery

03/08/2026

What happens when the generation that built South Africa's democratic public service begins to retire?

Join us for the launch of Retiring the 1994 Generation: The Senior Management Service, an important discussion on leadership succession, state capability, and the future of public administration in South Africa.

📅 13 August 2026

⏰ 12:00 - 13:00

💻 Online

Register here 👉 https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=OX6CQe2R30Oizpnel4p6_K7zJhFzkuVHrFsGLEp4gydUQkpaREk2WkhPRkxLQlRSOFdIWUdKQlRETC4u

31/07/2026

Mega-Events as Development Policy? Cape Town’s Legacy 16 Years After the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Sixteen years after the first FIFA World Cup on African soil, Cape Town offers important lessons on the opportunities and limitations of mega-events as drivers of development. While investments in transport infrastructure, public mobility, and international visibility continue to benefit the city, other projects, most notably the DHL Stadium, remain contested symbols of the tournament's legacy.

Our latest analysis examines how the 2010 FIFA World Cup shaped Cape Town’s urban development, what lasting benefits emerged from the billions invested, and why good governance, long-term planning, and clear post-event strategies matter more than investment volumes alone.

About the Author
This report was researched and written by Daniel Ghassemi, Research Assistant at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung South Africa Office in Cape Town.

Read the full report:

The long-term lessons of the 2010 FIFA World Cup for infrastructure, urban development, and governance in Cape Town.

30/07/2026

👩‍🎓 Applications are now open for the 2027 KAS-SAIIA Scholarship.

Successful applicants can expect:
✅ Full bursary and a monthly stipend
✅ Research and writing development
✅ Networking and career opportunities
✅ Mentorship and skills training

⏰ Deadline: 1 September 2026.

🔗 For more information visit our website: https://www.kas.de/en/web/suedafrika/home

24/07/2026

South Africa and Germany share a long-standing partnership built on dialogue, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to democracy, economic cooperation, and sustainable development.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul's visit to South Africa underscores, the importance of strengthening ties between our two countries at a time when global cooperation is more important than ever. From trade and investment to skills development and multilateral collaboration, South Africa and Germany continue to work together to address common challenges and create new opportunities for growth and prosperity.

The visit also provided an opportunity for engagement and exchange with Foreign Minister Wadephul alongside Gregor Jaecke, Dr. Holger Dix, and Hendrik Sittig, reflecting the continued commitment of stakeholders from both countries to fostering dialogue and strengthening South Africa-Germany relations.

22/07/2026

📢 Join the Conversation: The Many Faces of Inequality

How do we move from constitutional promise to lived equality? What role can law, human rights, and public policy play in addressing the complex realities of inequality in South Africa and beyond?

The South African Institute for Advanced Constitutional, Public, Human Rights and International Law (SAIFAC), in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), invites scholars, students, legal practitioners, policymakers, and civil society to attend the Equality Colloquium: The Many Faces of Inequality.

This two-day colloquium will explore critical issues of substantive equality, intersectionality, and structural injustice, while examining how constitutional, regional, and international legal frameworks can be strengthened to better address contemporary forms of inequality.

📅 Date: 4–5 August 2026

📍 Venue: Kerzner Conference Room, UJ STH Bunting Road Campus

✉️ RSVP: Naomi Hove – [email protected]