The role of strategic communication in paradiplomacy: A South African case study

Abstract

Approximately 70% of the world‘s cities are engaged in international cooperation and a global phenomenon —paradiplomacy. Since 1994, in South Africa, metropolitan municipalities have increasingly engaged in paradiplomatic activities. The cooperative relationships, managed by municipal International Relations (IR) practitioners, are initiated primarily to harness the opportunities of globalisation and economic interdependence and in the interest of socioeconomic development. Therefore, IR practitioners‘ role has become increasingly important as they can enhance the global profile and frame the international image of cities through relationship building and information sharing. Within this context, this study offers an analysis of communication strategies used by IR practitioners in a selected South African municipality to build and maintain relationships with international sister cities. The researchers adopted a qualitative research methodology. The study‘s findings show that strategic communication is fundamental to paradiplomatic activity in South Africa and establish that municipal IR professionals use a combination of both one way and two-way symmetrical communication to sustain international relationships.