The New South Institute says its 2025/2026 year marked a defining period of growth, policy influence and expanding international recognition as it deepened its work on governance reform across South Africa and the Global South.
The organisation’s newly released annual report highlights its role in supporting the passage of South Africa’s Public Service Amendment Act, growing international partnerships and strengthening research on migration, state capture and institutional reform.
According to the report, the Public Service Amendment Act was signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 26 March 2026 following years of engagement with Parliament, labour, civil society and policymakers. The Institute said the legislation strengthens the distinction between political leadership and professional public administration.
“The idea at the centre of the reform is deceptively simple: politics and administration are not the same thing,” wrote NSI Executive Director Ivor Chipkin in the report.
The report also highlights NSI’s growing international profile. In 2025, the organisation was named among On Think Tanks’ “100 Think Tanks to Watch” alongside institutions including Chatham House, Brookings Institution and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. NSI also co-hosted the 9th Global OTT Conference in Johannesburg, bringing together more than 140 think tank leaders from over 40 countries.
The Institute’s work spans five research programmes focused on public service reform, migration governance, South-South dialogue, anti-corruption and institutional history.
Its Migration Governance Reform in Africa programme continued to push for evidence-based migration policy across the continent, contributing research to discussions involving the African Union, regional bodies and international forums.
Meanwhile, its Reforming Governance, Resisting Capture programme expanded anti-corruption research through new partnerships and public dialogues examining state capture, institutional resilience and governance reform.
The report further notes the launch of the #GoverningTomorrow podcast hosted by Yoliswa Makhasi, aimed at making complex public service reform debates more accessible to wider audiences.
NSI also piloted its first Journalist in Residence programme, attracting applications from across Africa and beyond, with award-winning journalist Fidelis Zvomuya selected for the inaugural residency.
Reflecting on the year, the Institute said its influence is increasingly visible not only in research outputs, but in legislation, public debate and institutional reform conversations across Africa and internationally.
