Neoliberalism's true heirs: What late-apartheid South Africa can teach us about the contemporary far right

Elizabeth Freda Soer

No 25/2, MPIfG Discussion Paper from Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies

Abstract: How can we make sense of the resurgence of the far right across the world? From the re-election of Donald Trump to the flourishing of Hindu nationalism under Narendra Modi, right-wing politicians have undoubtedly grown in prominence over the last decade. There is a burgeoning literature on this topic as scholars attempt to understand whether it is a backlash against neoliberalism, a reactionary form of neoliberalism, or simply a cultural phenomenon produced by increased global connectivity. This paper contributes to the vibrant discussion by examining an ideal yet overlooked case of ethno-nationalist neoliberalism - apartheid South Africa in the 1980s. This case reveals neoliberalism's relationship to colonialism and its contribution to the perpetuation of white rule. South Africa has served as a test case for neoliberal ideas about race and economics and can thus contribute broader insights on the topic. The paper argues that the contemporary far right is not a backlash against neoliberalism, but a robust continuation of it. It draws on a vast range of archival sources from the late-apartheid period as well as the writings of prominent neoliberal thinkers to support this argument.

Keywords: ethno-nationalism; far right; neoliberalism; South Africa; Ethnonationalismus; Neoliberalismus; Rechtsextremismus; Südafrika (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his and nep-hpe
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