South Africa's Emerging "Soft Power" Influence in Africa and Its Impending Limitations: Will the Giant Be Able to Weather the Storm?

South Africa benefits from a symbolic hegemonic identity drawn from its enormous soft power resources. Whereas South Africa has been widely referenced as a regional hegemonic power capable of using its soft power influence to deepen its global status, there are contradictions to Pretoria's increasing soft power claim. In this article we undertake a discursive analysis of some of these soft power limitations. The main argument raised is that despite the optimism, South Africa's capacity to translate soft power into influence has been largely undercut by several factors, including its recurring xenophobic incidences and leadership inconsistencies toward Africa. We conclude by asserting that South Africa can indeed continue to punch above its weight if it begins to address the ambivalence that confronts the expression of its soft power resources.