South African debates to kick-off ahead of Africa-France summit

This week, France and its South African partners are kick-starting the Africa – France dialogues: a series of debates as part of its mission to renew its relations with the African countries ahead of the Africa-France Summit.

This year the Summit, which is scheduled to take place in Montpellier, France, from 7 to 9 October 2021, will break from tradition, with the focus moving from heads-of-states and government to civil society, entrepreneurs and the youth.

Debates are set to take place across the African continent in order for all voices to be heard and to ensure the discussions do not shy away from issues such as post-colonial heritage and historic economic imbalances.

Cameroonian philomasopher and public intellectual Professor Achille Mbembe (Wits University) has been invited to follow the debates and making recommendations on the future of the relations between Africa and France to French President Emnuel Macron on the occasion of the Africa – France summit in July in Montpellier.

Four debates took place in South Africa in May, each looking at a different topic:

• 6 May 2021 – Lions and Landless Historians: On cultural workers and institution building beyond rhetoric (In partnership with Keleketla!)
• 13 May 2021 – Africa & the “great game” of geopolitical influence (In partnership with the Institute for Security Studies).
• 20 May 2021 – Historical Inequalities and Economic Transformation in SA (in partnership with the African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research, hosted by UCT’s Southern Africa Labor and Development Research Unit)

Historical inequalities and economic transformation in South Africa by French Embassy in South Africa

• 20 May 2021 – Youth and Feminism in South Africa (In partnership with The Forge)