Swedish Development Cooperation with South Africa

South Africa and Sweden jointly set the priorities for and share the ownership of the cooperation. The aim is to develop broad partnerships between businesses, authorities, municipalities and regions, universities and non-governmental organisations in the two countries. Cooperation also takes place in areas of joint priority, such as HIV and AIDS.

Country support strategy

Bilateral development cooperation between Sweden and South Africa is governed by a country support strategy. The strategy is based on South Africa’s guiding strategies and priorities, as well as the country’s own approach to poverty reduction.

The current cooperation strategy has the following overall objectives:

• to reduce poverty, inequality and vulnerability;
• to strengthen democracy and promote respect for human rights; and
• to combat the HIV and AIDS pandemic.

Sweden and South Africa are jointly developing a new strategic framework for the partnership. The new framework will come into force in early 2009.

Sectors

Cooperation currently takes place in the following areas:

• Civil society cooperation
• Culture
• Economic cooperation
• HIV and AIDS
• Institutional cooperation
• International Training Programmes
• Municipal twinning
• Regional peace and security cooperation
• Research

Cooperation in figures

In 2007 Swedish support to development cooperation with South Africa amounted to approximately 150 million Swedish kronor, of which 20 million went to organisations working to promote peace and security in Africa and approximately 30 million kronor was channelled through Swedish non-governmental organisations to South African civil society.

Case studies

Under the headline "Case studies" you will find examples of projects and programmes.
> Case studies

Read more about Swedish development cooperation on:
> www.sida.se