Details
A successful week! From 26 April to 1 May 2026, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation hosted a delegation from South Africa in Berlin and Brandenburg. The trip focused on good governance at a local level and effective public sector administration.
The delegation consisted of local politicians and public administration experts: Queen Xulu (Mayor of the uMalazi Local Government); Ayanda Allie (Member of the Gauteng Provincial Parliament); Mlungisi Mabaso (MMC and Member of the Mayor’s Committee for Human Settlements in the City of Johannesburg); Nicki Brits (senior official of the IFP and member of the party’s Executive Committee); and Rafael Leite (expert in public administration and research associate at the New South Institute). The delegation was accompanied by Gregor Jaecke, Resident Representative of KAS South Africa and Christiaan Endres as well as Nina Krasel from the KAS office in Cape Town.
The programme began in Berlin with an introduction to the structure and context of local government in Germany. The delegation visited several places, including the Berlin House of Representatives and CityLAB Berlin. There, the focus was on how digital tools can make administrative processes more accessible, transparent and efficient. The delegation also visited utility providers and a citizens' service centre. There, they discussed how decentralisation and citizen-centred administrative structures could benefit disadvantaged regions in particular. Mayor Queen Xulu emphasised that people in rural areas often have to travel long distances to access basic administrative services. If local authorities had more powers, they could provide more direct assistance. During the final days of the programme, the delegation travelled to Potsdam and the Brandenburg countryside. There, the focus was primarily on local government models and public participation. The participants discussed how civic engagement can strengthen the relationship of trust between citizens and the state.
The visit demonstrated the importance of institutional design, digital innovation, and citizen-centred administration for effective local authorities. All the delegates had a positive experience and returned to South Africa with fresh insights and ideas.
