In this episode of The Readiness Report, Redi Tlhabi speaks with Judd Devermont, academic, former Special Assistant to President Biden, and author of Post Strategy, a Substack on US foreign policy in Africa, to unpack the evolving landscape of US foreign assistance and shifting global power dynamics. Together, they explore how aid strategies are changing, what’s beginning to unravel, and what it all means for diplomacy, influence, and Africa’s place in a rapidly transforming world.
In this episode of The Readiness Report, Redi Tlhabi speaks with Judd Devermont, academic, former Special Assistant to President Biden, and author of Post Strategy, a Substack on US foreign policy in Africa, to unpack the evolving landscape of US foreign assistance and shifting global power dynamics. Together, they explore how aid strategies are changing, what’s beginning to unravel, and what it all means for diplomacy, influence, and Africa’s place in a rapidly transforming world.
This episode is brought to you by global investment manager Ninety One: https://ninetyone.com/en/south-africa
00:19 America's Shift in Focus Post-1994
00:38 Biden Administration's Global Focus
01:31 Challenges in South African Institutions
02:48 US Jobs Report and Political Manipulation
04:29 Diplomacy in Turbulent Times
04:39 US Foreign Assistance in Africa
05:28 Global Political Dynamics
07:40 Next Generation Diplomacy
10:19 Misunderstandings in US-Africa Relations
16:52 The Role of African Leadership
25:08 Special Envoys vs. Ambassadors
Produced by Emilie Gambade, Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa
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