| 8 May 2026 – The Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) signed several strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), on Thursday, 7 May, that will significantly expand its international and regional partnerships.
This underscores AFSA’s commitment to promoting arbitration and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as the preferred method for resolving international and commercial disputes, while building capacity across Africa.
Building on its international relations, AFSA entered into an MoU with the Swiss Arbitration Centre in Zurich to foster cooperation in international arbitration and mediation, as well as the Chamber of Arbitrators of Belarus. These MoUs emphasise joint educational initiatives, conferences, training programmes on international arbitration and ADR practices, as well as the exchange of information and publications.
On the local front, AFSA formalised collaboration with the University of Cape Town Law Faculty’s Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Unit. This partnership supports academic initiatives, research, publications, conferences, and the development of dispute resolution expertise on the African continent.
This was further bolstered by an MoU signed between AFSA and the Law Society of Botswana, which will see the establishment of the AFSA Gaborone Office and a governance committee to promote independent, impartial, and effective ADR services in Botswana. It also aims to strengthen local practitioner capacity, and integrate the country into regional and international ADR networks. |
