Africa-France Dialogues

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

This week, France and its South African partners are kick-starting 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 8 to 11 July 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 philosopher 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 Emmanuel Macron on the occasion of Africa – France summit in July in Montpellier.

Four debates are scheduled in South Africa in May, each looking at a different topic:

1. 6 May, 18h00 – Lions and Landless Historians: On cultural workers and institution building beyond rhetoric (In partnership with Keleketla!) 2. 13 May, 11h00 – Africa & the “great game” of geopolitical influence (In partnership with the Institute for Security Studies) 3. 20 May, 9h30 – 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) 4. 20 May, 17h00 – Youth and Feminism in South Africa (In partnership with The Forge)

More details on each of the debates will be communicated closer to the scheduled date and follow #AfricaFranceSummit and @FrenchEmbassyZA on social media for updates.