Mayor Dickens Headed to South Africa on Reciprocal Mission

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is headed to South Africa this week on a trip designed to solidify the city’s position at the forefront of the country’s relationship with the U.S. 

The mission is taking place under the banner of Atlanta Phambili (“Forward” in Zulu), an initiative kick-started by the U.S. Embassy in South Africa earlier this year. 

In March, U.S. Ambassador Reuben Brigety led a group of executives, governmental departments and trade associations to Atlanta, which he sees as a key beachhead for a relationship buoyed by shared struggles for civil and human rights. 

The reciprocal trip from Atlanta’s mayor comes at a crucial time, as Mr. Brigety is poised to resign his post in January around the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who is expected to make his own pick for the role. 

The new administration could also mean more turbulence in the U.S.-South Africa relationship, given Mr. Trump’s recent social-media threats of heavy tariffs on the so-called BRICS nations, of which South Africa is a member, should they continue to seek an alternative reserve currency to the U.S. dollar. 

South Africa has also faced its own political turbulence this year, with the African National Congress forced for the first time since the end of apartheid to form a coalition government after losing its majority in parliament. 

The countries’ growing divergence on geopolitics, Mr. Brigety said, was one reason he wanted to focus on “affirmative aspects” of the bilateral relationship, like economic and interpersonal engagement.

“I see this as a legacy issue for my tenure as U.S. ambassador here. And so I want to do everything within my power on my watch to ensure that this initiative is institutionalized,” the ambassador told Global Atlanta in an interview in July. 

The trip marks the second to the African continent for Mr. Dickens, who traveled to Ethiopia for Ethiopian Airlines’ inaugural flight to Atlanta in May 2023. 

The South Africa trip “is designed to bridge continents and inspire connections, as both Atlanta and South Africa are leaders in logistics, technology, financial services and creative industries,” according to a Dec. 4 release from the mayor’s office. 

Mr. Dickens is accompanied by a group that includes Paulina Guzman, director of the Mayor’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs. 

An invitation from the embassy notes that a formal program will take place in Johannesburg and Pretoria, the capital, Dec. 5-6, followed by engagements in Cape Town Dec. 8-9.

According to the release, the Atlanta delegation will focus on: 

1. Bilateral Collaboration: Deepening ties between South Africa and Atlanta for economic growth and innovation.
2. Cultural Exchange: Celebrating shared creativity and fostering cross-cultural connections.
3. Diaspora Engagement: Showcasing the role of the African diaspora in strengthening partnerships.
4. Youth and Leadership: Highlighting future-focused dialogues and empowering young leaders.

The trip also comes after Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a City of Atlanta entity, signed a sister-airport agreement with the Airports Company South Africa in September. 

Mr. Dickens’ most recent official trip abroad was to Ireland, where he cheered on Georgia Tech in its August kickoff game against Florida State in Dublin while boosting Atlanta ties with Irish tech companies and government officials.

The last Atlanta mayor to visit South Africa was Kasim Reed in 2017, a trip that landed Mr. Reed in hot water over expenditures of $90,000, much of it on business-class airfare, and the questionable methods by which the city was reimbursed.

Atlanta mayors have long courted South Africa, with which the city began talks on a (never realized) sister-city agreement in 1994, followed by a trade mission to the country by then-Mayor Bill Campbell in 1995 as companies sought to build market share in the new republic that emerged after apartheid.