The NSI assesses the impact of current policies with a view to propose better ways of managing borders and migration in South Africa and on the African continent.

State Capture is a political phenomenon that has derailed several promising transitions to democracy. It describes the establishment of oligarchic regimes behind the scenes of democracy.

To deal with the legacy of state capture and with corruption the NSI works on better insulating public officials from inappropriate political interference and on building accountable administrations staffed meritocratically.

The NSI conducts studies on welfare reform in South Africa and in the New South to improve current systems so that they provide more inclusive coverage that is also institutionally effective and affordable.

The South-South Dialogues programme considers how different countries have dealt with building effective and accountable institutions and what might be relevant to the New South.