ABSTRACT
The focus period in United States (US) and South African foreign policies towards Africa began when policy makers started to develop clearer goals for the future. In terms of how enlargement was relevant to US foreign policy towards Africa, from mid-1995 the White House viewed Africa as a continent of 700 million-plus potential consumers on the cusp of positive change. As a result, administration officials worked hard to champion Africa not as a continent of irreversible decline, but one demanding American interest because multi-party elections and economic reform were on the rise. In terms of South African foreign policy towards Africa, one vision that cut straight across the three-fold focus of its policy makers was the idea of an 'African Renaissance'—a sustained move by Africans themselves to take the steps necessary for bettering their lives. Employing the renaissance vision, Mbeki sought to secure western interest and investment in Africa generally, and South Africa specifically.
