Abstract: Sanctions are one of the most commonly used tools of foreign policy. There is much research on their role and impact of either inflicting economic damage and/or effecting political change. However, the interaction of states and firms in their navigation of economic sanctions remains relatively under researched. This project will contribute with a historical study of one of the most profound sanctions cases of the 20th century – on the apartheid regime of South Africa in the 20th century. Using previously unutilised and newly released archival material, it will shed light on how Britain sought to safeguard its interests and exert influence in South Africa. At the peak of the global calls for states and firms to boycott, divest or sanction the South African regime, Britain´s Margeret Thatcher led government of the 1980s had long opposed the imposition of sanctions in favour of engagement. The global calls were in part rooted in the decolonisation process that had seen Britain lose political control and its empire wane. Crucially, while Britain was no longer the preeminent power, it was still the leading source of foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic actor in South Africa. The project will thus show the centrality of the relationship between states and firms in the design and implementation of economic sanctions. The interaction between the British government and firms, and the strategies they employed in both the host and home market will also provide insights on political risk management strategies.

Bio: Kondwani Happy Ngoma completed his PhD in Economic History from the University of Gothenburg in 2024. His research interest and focus is on state and business relations. Kondwani´s research combines history and diplomacy to show how tools of statecraft are influenced by the interaction between states and firms. His postdoctoral project will study how Britain defined and sought to protect its strategic interests in South Africa. It will primarily examine how economic interests and tools of statecraft were conceived and applied geopolitically during apartheid. 

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