The historic and radical changes which South Africa underwent since the beginning of the nineteen-nineties both in its domestic political and social structures and in its objective and perceived role and position in the world, have been well-documented by now, as have the radical changes in the international arena which accompanied the end of the Cold War. The practice of diplomacy has been evolving world-wide in response to the latter changes. Current developments in the conduct of South African diplomacy are shaped by all of these, domestic and international. South African diplomacy remains dynamic and will continue to evolve and adapt.

There is a particularly sharp contrast between pre-political transition and post-political transition South African diplomacy. This has been explored elsewhere(1)  and may be summarised here: the "old" South African diplomacy had been secret and low-key, the "new" is characterised by summitry and a powerful role for the head of state; the "old" had particular difficulties in Africa and Southern Africa and interaction with the region was often characterised by the use of force, whereas the "new" has a strong regional focus, with "preventive diplomacy" as an innovative feature; the "old" was primarily bilateral, whereas the "new" has a very strong emphasise on the multilateral. In addition, one could also mention that the "new" South African diplomacy was heralded by a rapid extension of formal relations and representation abroad for a country which had formerly been the most isolated in modern times. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Service have also been made more inclusive of all sections of South African society and a greater role for parliament and public opinion in foreign policy making has been emphasised. It has been accepted that a great measure of openness and transparency in foreign affairs should be the goal. Nowadays there is hardly the same need for various forms of "unconventional diplomacy" as in the old days, as the "new" South Africa has few enemies. However, this has not prevented some innovation in diplomacy; South African diplomacy is in many ways subject to special tensions and these can manifest, amongst other things, in innovativeness. Herein will lie its contribution to modern diplomacy, which is by nature continuously evolving in response to the needs of the times(2)  and is in the final instance shaped by all participating in it.