Grin

In a bold move aimed at expanding their international influence, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has hired a high-priced U.S. consulting firm to promote their interests across the pond. At the cost of a whopping R300,000 per month, the party is sparing no expense in ensuring Americans are well-versed in their policies, values, and the fact that they’re not a new artisanal bread variety.

The international consulting firm, KRL International LLC, has been tasked with the noble mission of enlightening the United States about the DA’s significance as the largest opposition party in South Africa. As part of their comprehensive strategy, they plan to convince Americans that the DA is the key to stronger ties between the U.S. and South Africa, economic development in the Western Cape, and of course, a “robust renewal” of something called the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

The contract, worth a cool R300,000 per month, began on October 1, 2023, and will run until September 30, 2024. That’s almost a year of convincing Americans that they should care deeply about South African opposition politics, all for the low, low price of R3.6 million.

Dion George, the DA’s federal finance chairman and shadow minister of finance, spearheaded this masterstroke. Apparently, George believes that if South Africans won’t vote for the DA, maybe Americans will.

The DA’s strategic focus on the Western Cape, with its “potential for foreign direct investment, tourism, and other activities,” is raising eyebrows. Critics wonder if this is an ingenious plan to distract Americans from their own problems by showcasing the economic prowess of a region thousands of miles away.

Charles Ray, former U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe, expressed scepticism about the DA’s approach. “How this plays out in a South Africa effectively under the control of the ANC at the moment is another matter,” says Ray. “If they’re doing this to influence South African voters ahead of the election, it could backfire on them if they fail to interest American businesses to invest in the Western Cape.”

As the DA dances on the global stage, only time will tell if their R300,000 monthly investment will turn Americans into avid followers of South African opposition politics or just leave them craving a good old-fashioned South African braai.

Read more on The Cape Navigator.