Relationship dossier
South Africa
Zimbabwe
Relationship assessment
Close regional ties and diplomatic engagement coexist with recurring migration and border tensions.
South Africa toward Zimbabwe
+40South Africa has engaged Zimbabwe through bilateral diplomacy and Southern African Development Community mediation during periods of political crisis, including the post-2008 power-sharing negotiations. This reflects sustained regional diplomatic involvement, alongside periodic disagreements over governance and migration.
Zimbabwe toward South Africa
+40Zimbabwe has participated in bilateral and regional engagement with South Africa, including cooperation through Southern African Development Community processes. Zimbabwean migration to South Africa is a major continuing bilateral issue, and Zimbabwe has at times raised concerns about the treatment of its nationals there.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship is shaped by close regional interdependence and recurring high-level diplomatic engagement, including South African involvement in regional efforts addressing Zimbabwean political crises. Large-scale migration and associated border and treatment-of-migrants concerns create persistent friction, but have not displaced the substantial cooperative regional relationship.
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
South Africa and Zimbabwe maintain extensive regional ties, reinforced by the movement of Zimbabwean migrants to South Africa and recurring bilateral engagement. South Africa has hosted and facilitated regional diplomacy concerning Zimbabwe, including Southern African Development Community efforts during Zimbabwe’s political crises. Cooperation coexists with tensions over migration, border management, and the treatment of Zimbabweans in South Africa.
Areas of tension
- Migration and irregular border crossings
- Treatment of Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa
- Political governance and regional responses to crises in Zimbabwe
Key developments
South Africa, acting through the Southern African Development Community, facilitated negotiations that led to Zimbabwe's power-sharing government.
South African President Jacob Zuma assumed the role of SADC-appointed mediator in Zimbabwe's political process.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation and present scope of bilateral cooperation are unclear.
- The scale and effects of migration and border-management disagreements vary over time.