Relationship dossier
Kenya
South Africa
Relationship assessment
Bilateral commission and sectoral agreements underpin cooperation between Kenya and South Africa
Kenya toward South Africa
+40Kenya has engaged South Africa through bilateral commission mechanisms and agreements intended to expand cooperation, including in trade and migration. High-level bilateral engagement has also supported efforts to strengthen relations.
South Africa toward Kenya
+40South Africa has engaged Kenya through bilateral commission mechanisms and agreements intended to expand cooperation, including in trade and migration. High-level bilateral engagement has also supported efforts to strengthen relations.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship is structured around recurring bilateral engagement and a commission framework, with cooperation pursued through sectoral agreements and high-level meetings. These arrangements support a durable cooperative relationship, although their practical reach and implementation are not fully clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Kenya and South Africa maintain a substantive cooperative relationship, including a bilateral commission framework and agreements spanning areas such as trade and migration. High-level engagement has supported efforts to deepen ties. The relationship is not without practical challenges, but the scope and implementation of cooperation across sectors are unclear.
Key developments
Kenya and South Africa established a bilateral commission framework to advance cooperation across areas of mutual interest.
High-level bilateral engagement and sectoral agreements advanced cooperation, including on trade and migration.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation and results of bilateral commission commitments are unclear.
- The extent of cooperation across trade, migration and other sectors is uncertain.