Original Research

’n Verkenning van Suid-Afrika se veranderende posisie in die wêreldhandelnetwerk 1948–1994

Burgert A. Senekal
The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa | Vol 13, No 1 | a430 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/td.v13i1.430 | © 2017 Burgert A. Senekal | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 10 March 2017 | Published: 31 August 2017

About the author(s)

Burgert A. Senekal, Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment, University of the Free State, South Africa

Abstract

An exploration of South Africa’s changing position in the World Trade Network 1948–1994. The World Trade Network (WTN) has been studied as a network in numerous studies. However, countries with smaller economies are usually neglected in discussions of the WTN, and hence this article investigates the changing position of a much smaller country, South Africa, under different leaders from 1948 to 1994. It is shown, in particular, how the widespread sanctions incurred under the leadership of P.W. Botha (1978–1989) had a profound effect on South Africa’s position in the WTN. Using degree, closeness and betweenness centralities, as well as the country’s rankings on these centrality measures, it is shown that South Africa started as a peripheral country while still a colony of Britain, moved closer to the core of the WTN under H.F. Verwoerd and B.J. Vorster, but then sanctions pushed South Africa to the periphery under P.W. Botha, before South Africa again moved closer to the core during F.W. de Klerk’s presidency.

Die Wêreldhandelnetwerk is in verskeie studies as ’n netwerk bestudeer, maar lande met kleiner ekonomieë word gewoonlik in die besprekings van die Wêreldhandelnetwerk verwaarloos. Daarom ondersoek hierdie artikel die veranderende posisie van ’n veel kleiner land, Suid-Afrika, onder verskillende leiers van 1948 tot 1994. Daar word veral gewys hoe die wydverspreide sanksies wat ingestel is tydens die bewind van P.W. Botha (1978–1989) ’n groot invloed op Suid-Afrika se posisie in die WTN gehad het. Deur middel van graad-, nabyheid- en tussenliggingsentraliteit, sowel as die land se ranglys ten opsigte van hierdie sentraliteitaanduiders, word aangetoon dat Suid-Afrika as ‘n randland begin het, terwyl dit nog ‘n kolonie van Brittanje was, nader aan die kern van die Wêreldhandelnetwerk onder H.F. Verwoerd en B.J. Vorster beweeg het, maar toe het sanksies Suid-Afrika onder P.W. Botha na die periferie gedruk, voordat Suid-Afrika weer tydens die F.W. de Klerk se presidentskap nader aan die kern beweeg het.


Keywords

world trade network; social network analysis; complex networks; sanctions; South Africa; trade restrictions

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