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Secondary Powers vis-à-vis South Africa: Hard Balancing, Soft Balancing, Rejection of Followership, and Disregard of Leadership

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  • Scholvin, Sören

Abstract

The second-most powerful states in regional hierarchies - or "secondary powers" - can be expected to contest against hegemons. In this paper, I assess the power that secondary powers in sub-Saharan Africa wield vis-à-vis South Africa and suggest that their intended and unintended contestation can be captured as hard balancing, soft balancing, rejection of followership, and disregard of leadership. Angola's foreign policy is marked by a mix of these types of contestation and a recent shift towards soft balancing, which results from Angola's increasing economic influence in some regional countries. Kenya might reject followership or even hard-balance in economic affairs but has not done so yet. Nigerian-South African relations are characterised by a disregard of South African leadership, especially in security policy, and unintended economic soft balancing.

Suggested Citation

  • Scholvin, Sören, 2017. "Secondary Powers vis-à-vis South Africa: Hard Balancing, Soft Balancing, Rejection of Followership, and Disregard of Leadership," GIGA Working Papers 306, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:gigawp:306
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ikenberry, G. John & Kupchan, Charles A., 1990. "Socialization and hegemonic power," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(3), pages 283-315, July.
    2. Young, Oran R., 1991. "Political leadership and regime formation: on the development of institutions in international society," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 45(3), pages 281-308, July.
    3. Roque, Paula Cristina, 2013. "Angola's crucial foreign policy drive," SWP Comments 15/2013, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
    4. Hartzenberg, Trudi, 2011. "Regional integration in Africa," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2011-14, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
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