The State of Democracy in SADC

By Lonwabo Patrick Kulati

In the early to mid-2000s there was a strong sense of optimism about the deepening of democratic governance in Africa. John Endres, political risk analyst and the founding CEO of Good Governance Africa (GGA), observed in 2012 “a growing chorus of voices heralding a surge of prosperity and good governance in Africa: The World Bank believes that ‘sub-Saharan Africa’s economic growth is poised for acceleration.” He highlighted the growth of multiparty democracy, the regularity of elections, the drop in the number of successful coups per decade and the rapid reduction in the number of people experiencing extreme poverty in Africa in the 1980s and into the early 2000s.

Political scholars Jolade Omede et al. argue that the Southern African sub-region had “the most vibrant economy in sub-Sahara Africa…Democratic ideals also rank higher in the region compared to other regions in the continent. This has made the region, among others in the continent, the preferred choice of many migrants from different parts of the world.” These were times and voices of optimism for democracy in the region.

However, recent research shows that the quality of democracy is declining both globally and in the SADC region. According to The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), democracy in most parts of the world went into reverse. Similarly, Afrobarometer notes that Africa is experiencing a serious democratic backsliding. This democratic regression and eroded tolerance for political plurality and freedom of expression are also evident in the SADC region, Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2024.

This is an excerpt from our State of Democracy in Africa 2024 Report. Read the Southern Africa chapter here.

Read the full report here.