Zimbabwe-South Africa relations under pressure: An eye for and eye or turn the other cheek?

South Africa - 30 October 2017

The political and economic developments in Zimbabwe remain of significance to South Africa as an immediate neighbour, as well as to an economically interdependent SADC region. The risk of ‘beggar-my-neighbour’ policies has risen. This research document looks specifically into some of the practical implications of the recent selective ban on South African products being imported into Zimbabwe. The study highlights the unintended consequences that larger macro-political and economic pressures in Zimbabwe have on South-Africa-Zimbabwe trade relations and policy. The research document also examines a few of the options open to South Africa at this important juncture.