The Cape

The Commonwealth of the Cape  known simply as The Cape is the southernmost country on the African continent. It is bounded to the south by the Indian Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north by Botswana and Namibia and to the north and east by Lesotho and South Africa. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World and the Eastern Hemisphere. The Cape is the only country in Sub-Saharan Africa where Sub-Saharan Africans are not the majority of the population. 48% identifies as Sub-Saharan African, 29% identifying as White, 21% identifying as coloured, and 0.5% identifying as Asian. While English is the only official language of The Cape, Afrikaans, Tswana, and Xhosa are all protected as national languages.

The Cape has become a model country in Africa, with the highest Human Development Index in continental Sub-Saharan Africa and the third highest GDP Per Capita in continental Sub-Saharan Africa. The country is one of the few in Africa to never experience a coup d'etat and elections have been held for over a century. The Cape has traditionally been more liberal than it's neighboring South Africa, which played a major role in the end of restrictions of blacks in the Cape. During the 1950's and 1960's, the white-dominated government began loosening restrictions on voting rights by lowering the requirements in the Cape Qualified Franchise and mandating required education for all Capetians. In 1990, universal suffrage was enacted after an amendment to the constitution. As a result of the absence of strong racial policies and political turmoil, The Cape has become a prime location for investment in Southern Africa, surpassing the GDP Per Capita of South Africa by nearly $4,000.

The World Bank classifies The Cape as an upper-middle-income economy, and the country is one of the largest banking and industrial centers in Africa. However, around 10% of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day, something that the government has worked hard in recent years to try and reduce. Nevertheless, The Cape identifies as a Middle Power on the international stage.

Etymology
The name "The Cape" is derived from the country's location at the southern Cape of Africa. Prior to 1910, the official name of the colony was the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope which references the Cape of Good Hope. However, the name was shortened to "The Cape" to prevent confusion between the country and the cape itself. Since 1910, the official name of the country has been "The Commonwealth of The Cape". "The Commonwealth" refers to the country being a British Commonwealth realm, and is one of the few remaining vestiges of British colonialism.

Koloni derived from the Xhosa name for "Cape", is a colloquial name for The Cape. The Commonwealth aspect of the official name of the Cape has raised controversy, with some Pan-Africanist groups seeing it extended British colonialism.

Prehistoric archaeology
The Cape contains some of the oldest archaeological and human-fossil sites in the world. Raymond Dart identified the first hominin fossil discovered in Africa, the Taung Child (found near Taung) in 1924. Further hominin remains have come from the sites of Klasies River Mouth in Tsitsikamma and Pinnacle Point in Eden, Elandsfontein in Cederberg, and Die Kelders Cave in Algulhas.

These finds suggest that various hominid species existed in the Cape from about three million years ago, starting with Australopithecus africanus. There followed species including Australopithecus sediba, Homo ergaster, Homo erectus, Homo rhodesiensis, Homo helmei, Homo naledi and modern humans (Homo sapiens). Modern humans have inhabited Southern Africa for at least 170,000 years.

Portuguese contacts
At the time of European contact, the dominant ethnic group in the southeastern part of the country were the Xhosa people. The Khoisan people dominated the northern and western areas.

In 1487, the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias led the first European voyage to land in southern Africa. On 4 December, he landed at Walfisch Bay (now known as Walvis Bay in present-day Namibia). This was south of the furthest point reached in 1485 by his predecessor, the Portuguese navigator Diogo Cão (Cape Cross, north of the bay). Dias continued down the western coast of southern Africa. After 8 January 1488, prevented by storms from proceeding along the coast, he sailed out of sight of land and passed the southernmost point of Africa without seeing it. He reached as far up the eastern coast of Africa as, what he called, Rio do Infante, probably the present-day Groot River, in May 1488, but on his return he saw the Cape, which he first named Cabo das Tormentas (Cape of Storms). His King, John II, renamed the point Cabo da Boa Esperança, or Cape of Good Hope, as it led to the riches of the East Indies. Dias' feat of navigation was later immortalised in Luís de Camões' Portuguese epic poem, The Lusiads (1572).

Dutch Colonization
By the early 17th century, Portugal's maritime power was starting to decline, and English and Dutch merchants competed to oust Lisbon from its lucrative monopoly on the spice trade. The British took a minor interest in the region around the Cape in the early 1600s, but came to favor Ascension Island and St. Helena. The Dutch were the first Europeans to establish a settlement in modern-day Cape in 1652. The Dutch took interest in the colony after 1647 when two employees of the Dutch East India Company were shipwrecked in the region. They were able to survive after finding clean water and obtaining meat from the natives. They also were able to sow vegetables in the regions, showing that the area had fertile soil. Upon returning to the Netherlands, they reported that the Cape region could be used as a "warehouse and garden ships stopping over.

In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck established a station at the Cape of Good Hope, a settlement that eventually would become Cape Town. The Dutch Cape Colony was a commandment and later a governorate of the Dutch East India Company. The colony proved an ideal retirement place for former employees who were called vrijlieden or vrijburgers which translates to free men. Eventually, slaves began to be imported from Indonesia, Madagascar, and other parts of East Asia to work on farms. Early mixed-race families were formed, primarily between Dutch settlers, natives, and imported slaves. This led to a new ethnic group called the Cape Coloureds.

As more settlers came to the colony, they began to move eastward. This caused conflicts with the native Xhosa people who fought for pastoral land near the Great Fish River. These conflicts were common for decades, as settlers often formed small militias which launched inconclusive attacks on the other side. Boers often formed alliances with native Khoisan Groups in order to fend off Xhosa raids.

British Conquest
In 1795, France occupied the Dutch Republic which was the mother company of the Dutch East India Company. This prompted Great Britain to sieze the Cape Colony from the Dutch in order to prevent the French from reaching India. The British sent nine warships and were able to take control of the colony after the Battle of Muizenberg. Following this, the Dutch East India handed over its possessions to the Batavian Republic in 1798 and dissolved in 1799. However, improving relations between France and Britain led to the Treaty of Amiens in 1803. Under the treaty, the British were to hand the colony back to the Batavian Republic, which was a French puppet.

Following the breakdown in relations and renewed hostilities between France and the United Kingdom, British once again set out to occupy the colony. They were able to successfully do so after the Battle of Blaauwberg. The British organized the British Cape Colony, in hopes of keeping the colony long-term. This would have prevented Napoleon from securing any of the Far East trade routes around the Cape of Good Hope. In 1814, the Convention of London formally ceded the Cape Colony to the British.

British Cape Colony
British immigration to the Cape Colony began around 1818, culminating in the arrival of the 1820 Settlers. Settlers were encouraged to settle around modern-day Port Elizabeth to serve as a buffer against the Xhosa population. The British population continued to rise steadily throughout the next several decades. This caused British settlers to move into lands occupied by Xhosa or Boer settlers, sometimes ignited conflicts. The influx in British citizens, along with resentment over the abolition of slavery and British rule led to many Boers leaving the Cape Colony. These Boer settlers eventually founded the Boer republics of Natalia, the Orange Free State, and Transvaal.

Beginning in 1811 and ending in 1879, the British continued to fight successive wars against the Xhosa people in the southeastern region of the Cape Colony. The causes of these wars varied as did their intensity. From 1856 to 1858, the Xhosa people conducted a self-However, the conflicts prevented strong settlement in the eastern areas of the colony. These wars also gradually began to define the boundary of the Cape Colony with the natives, who sought to establish a semi-autonomous state known as Kaffaria. The eighth frontier war was especially devastating, as the Xhosa participated in a mass cattle-killing movement which resulted in famine.

A circular written in 1848 by the third Earl Grey, then colonial secretary, was sent to the governor of the Cape, as well as other colonial governors, asking them to ascertain the feelings of the colonists regarding the reception of a certain class of convicts. The Earl intended initially to send Irish peasants who had been driven to crime by the famine of 1845 to the Cape. Governor Harry Smith knew that he was unpopular in the British Colonial Office and hoped with win favour with London by allowing convicts to be sent to the Cape. However, he knew that sending convicts to the western side of the colony near Cape Town would lead to tensions and uproar among the local. Therefore, colonists were only sent to the eastern part of the colony where settlement was needed and locals supported to move. Yet, word eventually reached Cape Town resulting in mass-outrage. Movements against Smith's perceived dictatorial rule eventually turned to movements for responsible government. As part of a compromise, the colonial office agreed to give the Cape a parliament in exchange for convicts being sent to the eastern Cape. A constitution was established with nearly unprecedented liberality and the new Cape Parliament was elected that year.

During the 1860s, a movement led by John Molteno continued to advocate for responsible government. This was finally achieved in 1872, with John Molteno becoming the first Prime-Minister of the Cape. In the following years, the Cape Colony underwent largescale economic growth and prosperity, as well as political stability. During this time, the division between the western and eastern parts of the colony was largely laid to rest.

The 4th Earl of Carnarvon eventually laid out a plan in which the Cape Colony, along with the Transvaal, Orange Free State, and Natal would be grouped within a confederation. This was met with opposition from the Molteno-Merimann Government, who sought that the Confederation over the "illiberal Boer states" would jeporadize the rights of the Africans who lived in the Cape. Later, this was a similar argument that was used against joining the Union of South Africa. Regardless, Lord Carnarvon continued to push his Confederation idea, eventually dissolving the Cape's parliament. The plan ended disastrously, sparking conflicts with the Zulus, Xhosa's, as well as the First Boer War. The conflicts created resentment between the British and Boers which also was a leading cause of not joining the union in 1909. Unrest in the Cape Colony due to the confederation proposal continued until 1885.

In 1888, a customs union was created between the Cape and Orange Free State, an early sign of unity. Railroads also were extended from the Cape, into the Orange Free State. In 1890, Cecil Rhodes came to power as Premier of the Cape Colony. His government helped to lay aside the difference between British and Boer residents by making Dutch an official language. However, he tightened restrictions on the Africans who resided in the Cape who had previously acquired the right to vote. Rhodes namely instituted an education test, out of fear that tribal natives would ruin the government. Rhodes resigned following his complicity in the Jameson Raid which led up to the Second Boer War.

Dominion
The Second Boer War brought the Boer Republics of Transvaal and the Orange Free State under the control of the British Empire. As a result, there was renewed interest in creating a union of Southern African colonies. However, there were multiple interpretations of how such a country would operate, with a major disagreement over whether the country should be federal or unitary. In 1909, the British government unveiled the South Africa Act, which would have created a unitary form of government between the colonies. This drew harsh criticism from the ruling South African Party, which believed that the resulting country would end the Cape's liberal institutions and its period of self-governance. There were further concerns from the populace that the new nation would be dominated by the Boers, effectively rendering the British settlers a minority. The colony petitioned the British government in London for a referendum which was granted. Both the Progressive Party and Afrikaner Bond pushed for inclusion in the union but created competing campaigns. The South African Party also actively pushed for African voters to register and vote in the referendum. Their efforts were successful, and Black Capetians overwhelmingly voted against joining the Union due to the reactionary nature of politics in the other three colonies. On February 15, 1910, voters declined to join the new Union of South Africa 57-43%, instead opting for their own dominion. The Cape of Good Hope Act passed Parliament in London on May 15, giving the Cape a similar situation to New Zealand.

The declaration of war by the United Kingdom in 1914 brought the Cape into World War I as London still retained control over the Cape's foreign affairs. Cape forces worked with South African forces in the relatively quick conquest of German South West Africa. Following the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the mandate for South West Africa was given to the Cape. During the 1920s, the Cape saw a wave of immigrants leaving Europe to settle in the colony. This created a new wave of prosperity in the major cities but brought about racial tensions in rural areas as Africans resented new settlers. Infrastructure also was built connecting South West Africa to Cape Town, Kimberley, and other major cities. During this time, the South African Party, which later became known as the Liberal Party solidified its dominance over Capetian politics.

The Great Depression saw the twenty-year dominance of the Liberal Party come to an end. The Labour Party garnered a majority in Parliament and was able to begin new social welfare programs. Afrikaners were hit the hardest by the depression and increasingly turned to a more extreme Afrikaner Bond which vocally advocated for republicanism and the suppression of African rights, a system later called Apartheid. However, the Cape was largely saved from a more devastating depression due to the lucrative gold mining industry. The Statute of Westminster in 1931 formally ended most of the constitutional links between the Cape and the United Kingdom. The Cape adopted it in 1935, yet it was backdated to 1931 to confirm the legality of laws passed in the interim period.

The Cape was one of only two nations to accept large numbers of refugees during the Évian Conference. The Cape agreed to resettle 150,000 refugees providing that Germany pay for their transport, which they obliged to. The move was somewhat unpopular at home, and the Afrikaner Bond attempted to use the move to increase anti-Semitic sentiment. However, Liberal Party members highlighted that Jewish refugees were potentially the Cape's answer to "the race problem". In order to prevent backlash, the government encouraged refugees to settle across the country, with special attention to the eastern Cape. As German laws against Jewish people became increasingly oppressive, Parliament voted to remove restrictions of Jewish immigration. This allowed all Jewish people with a "reasonable claim to asylum" the ability to immigrate to the Cape. Once again, the legislation was contentious. However, the Liberal Party's increasingly reliance on the "racial problem" narrative helped to calm anti-Semitism and create a generally welcoming atmosphere. As a result, Germany often took advantage of the situation, encouraging and even forcing Jewish people to emigrate to the Cape. Around 180,000 Jewish people migrated to the Cape by 1940.

While initially attempting to stay neutral in World War II, the large Jewish population of the Cape meant that groups often became vocal in their opposition to Germany. Jewish and British groups joined in an alliance to campaign for a declaration of war against Germany. In 1940, Parliament officially voted to join the war on the side of the allies.

Growth and Civil Rights Movement
The Cape emerged from the Second World War stronger and more prosperous than in previous decades. Supported by the Jewish-British Coalition, the Liberal Party continued to dominate national politics in Cape Town. Ultimately, the Afrikaner Bond's opposition to World War II caused the party to lose support and split. British conservatives formed the Commonwealth Party, partially in reaction to seemingly more radical and republican ideas from the Bond. Within five years, most Jewish populations were successfully integrated into their communities, and thriving Jewish communities began developing in major cities. Additionally, Jewish people brought in technical and business skills to the Cape, which were needed to build the post-war economic boom.

With the success of the Jewish policy, the Liberal Party once again sought to bolster immigration to the Cape. They claimed that immigrants would bring in necessary technical skills, and fill jobs in a rapidly expanding Capetian economy. While the Cape first turned to Britain for migrants, numbers eventually dropped off and immigration was expanded to all of Europe. Particularly, immigrants and refugees came from war-torn locations in Central and Eastern Europe, looking for a better life in the Cape. The long-standing subsidized land policy continued to take effect, and the government assisted immigrants in finding jobs. Around 2 million immigrants arrived in the Cape between 1946 and 1960.

However, as a result of sustained European immigration, social tensions began to develop with the Natives on two fronts. An increasing number of Native Africans were beginning to enter into the middle-class, bolstered by a well-funded, albeit segregated school system. Natives also began to attend universities in the Cape at record numbers and more qualified to vote through the Cape Qualified Franchise. Therefore, new immigrants were seen as a threat to the upward social mobility they had made in the previous years. New immigrants also moved into rural areas, buying land near native villages and sparking racial tensions. Often, these new migrants were antagonistic toward the natives, and many of their towns were highly segregated. At the same time, the decolonization of Africa sparked interest in universal suffrage, and many Native Capetians believed the Capetian government was attempting to whitewash the country. In the political arena, the African Capetian Congress (ACC) pressed for the further rights for Africans, including the end of segregation and universal suffrage, and the end to the immigration policy. Liberal leaders were often uneasy about the prospects of universal suffrage, ultimately causing their party to suffer electorally.

In 1953, Parliament voted to roll back some restrictions in the Cape Qualified Franchise, making it easier for Natives to vote. However, the leaders of the Liberal Party continued to maintain the end of segregation and universal suffrage were topics that needed more to be discussed. Inaction on segregation and immigration led to the first protests of the Capetian Civil Rights Movement in Fort Beaufort in 1954. The movement quickly grew, with the African Capetian Congress and major groups leading the movement. Nelson Mandela eventually became a prominent leader of the movement, and was vocal in his commitment to non-violent techniques. Influenced by their belief in equality, the Jewish community overwhelmingly supported the movement and pulled their support from the Liberal Party. Poor-whites, who also were disenfranchised by the Cape Qualified Franchise formed an uneasy alliance with the African Capetian Congress. In 1957, the United Democratic Party was formed with its platform focusing on ending segregation and universal suffrage. With easier voting requirements, the UDP pushed voter registration among Native groups and won enough seats to force a minority government with the Labour Party. In 1959, the Equality Act was passed, ending segregation in the Cape. The Labour-UDP government later approved two Constitutional Amendments, the Equality Amendment which banned discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or national origin, and the Suffrage Amendment, which extended universal suffrage to all Capetians over 18 years old. In 1961, with most of its liberal-leaning members deflecting to the United Democratic Party, the Liberal Party merged with the Commonwealth Party to form the Liberal Commonwealth Party.

Despite the uncertainty of the civil rights movement, the Capetian economy entered into a period of heightened growth. The government embarked on an ambitious infrastructure plan, which bolstered government jobs for immigrants and poor Africans. Manufacturing led the economic growth, particularly in the eastern Cape, where the manufacturing belt had developed. Service industries also became important during the time period, especially in the financial sector. South Africa outperformed the Cape in 1956 and 1957, due to worry regarding the civil rights movement. However, the economy rebounded following the 1958 elections. Strong affirmative action programs, put in place by the UDP-Labour Coalition helped to bolster education and job opportunities for Native and Coloured Capetians, which helped to fuel growth. Following the 1960 South African republican referendum and gradual implementation of apartheid in South Africa, investors began moving and consolidating their investments in the Cape. Opposition to Apartheid often led to companies moving their South African presence across the border.

Modern history
With universal suffrage in place, the coalition government continued to win elections into the early 1970s. Despite this, the Afrikaner Bond gained support among rural voters, which began to polarize the country. Conservatives voiced their opposition to affirmative action programs, claiming that they're children were being harmed in the process. The Cape was included in the first-wave of the 1973 OAPEC oil embargo for its general support of Israel and United States foreign policy in the Middle East. The Capetian economy slowed for the first time since the Civil Rights movement, and discontent grew with the coalition government. Labour continued to block attempts by UDP and Liberal Commonwealth Members of Parliament to import oil from Portuguese Angola, due to the Angolan independence war. This led to the collapse of the coalition government in 1974, which triggered new Parliamentary elections. The United Democratic Party formed a minority government with the Liberal Commonwealth Party, excluding the Labour Party from the ruling government.

The new government was successful in pulling the Cape out of its economic contraction, and back onto a period of growth. The Cape also became a member of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1975. However, the 1974-1975 Capetian refugee crisis polarized the country. The government accepted some refugees but turned others away, leading to widescale protests from those on both sides of the issue. The government also briefly intervened in the Angolan Civil War to place the pro-western UNITA in power of the country. However, the failure of the government to do so led to an international and domestic embarrassment which hurt the prestige of the coalition government. New elections were called in 1978, with Labour, Afrikaner Bond, and newly-formed Capetian Conservative Party securing nearly 2/3 of the Parliament. The Capetian Conservative Party formed the country's first conservative government since World War II with the Afrikaner Bond and Liberal Commonwealth Party.

The new conservative government was quick to prevent racist or hardline pro-Afrikaner rhetoric that many were worried about when the coalition government came to power. The government passed the First Languages Act, maintaining English as the official language of the country for government and business endeavors. However, for the first time, Xhosa, Tswana, and Afrikaans were all recognized as national languages. As international condemnation of the Apartheid government in South Africa group, the Cape experienced a surge in foreign capital, leaving South Africa and moving to the Cape. The government also made major moves to privatize industries in the Cape, including Capekom. Some South African companies began moving or building facilities in the Cape, allowing them to do business in international markets. While the Cape was traditionally allied with South Africa, the government recognized that the United States and United Kingdom were pulling their support. Both nations used the Cape as a model for a post-Apartheid South Africa. This hurt South African relations with the Cape, as it sought to prevent its citizens from believing in this model. Despite the conservative government, the Cape began to attend meetings of the Frontline States, a group of nations intent on ending Apartheid. In 1988, a center-left coalition was voted in with a message to apply maximum pressure on South Africa to end Apartheid. The Cape applied sanctions on South Africa but stopped short of freezing the assets of major South African leaders.

The Cape found itself in a strong position when South African Apartheid officially ended in 1992. While Johannesburg was traditionally the economic hub for Southern Africa, years of sanctions allowed for Cape Town to become a major financial and business hub for the continent. However, the government worried that investment might leave the Cape for South Africa. Therefore, Parliament passed a major business incentive bill in 1993, intent on retaining current foreign investment and attracting more. The bill was successful, and the Cape received a surge of foreign investment in the coming years, even while South Africa's economy grew.

Since 1994, the Cape has received a significant number of immigrants from South Africa, many of them white, skilled labourers. The emigration of white South Africans has caused a significant brain drain in the country, sometimes resulting in diplomatic disputes with the Cape. In 1999, the Cape declared a public health emergency over the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The University of Cape Town has led research into the prevention of the spread of the disease and advised public policy over the last two decades. The Cape continued to invest heavily in public health, infrastructure, and education, during the first part of the twenty-first century, leading to a ballooning national debt. However, an expanding economy during the first years of the century allowed for the government to keep the debt-to-GDP ratio in check.

The Cape experienced a major housing bubble in 2008, followed by a recession during the Great Recession. The government was forced to bail out several financial institutions and provide housing and unemployment subsidies. The government passed an infrastructure and housing aid package in early 2009, which was successful at mitigating the crisis. However, there were concerns of a looming debt crisis in the Cape, which prevented some companies from investing in the country. The government was able to mitigate a potential crisis by cutting spending in areas it felt unnecessary, with a major budget cut for fiscal year 2010. Since 2009, the Capetian economy has continued to grow, making it one of the wealthiest countries per capita in Africa. The nation continues to be a major destination for immigrants and refugees. Capetians are generally mixed on the idea of immigration, as refugee applications continue to increase. In particular, the Cape sees large amounts of illegal immigrants and refugee applications from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Burundi, Zambia, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. Opposition to refugee settlements and illegal immigration has caused protests and a surge in anti-immigration parties in the past five years.

Politics and government
The Cape is a parliamentary consitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II at its apex as Queen of the Cape. The queen is represented in the Cape by the Governor-General, whom she appoints on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Governor-General can exercise the Crown's prerogative powers, such as reviewing cases of injustice and making appointments of ministers, ambassadors and other key public officials, and in rare situations, the reserve powers (e.g. the power to dissolve Parliament or refuse the Royal Assent of a bill into law). The powers of the Queen and the Governor-General are limited by constitutional constraints and they cannot normally be exercised without the advice of ministers.

The bicameral Parliament of the Cape holds legislative power and consits of the Senate and House of Assembly. The Senate consists of 190 members, ten members from each of the nineteen provinces. The House of Assembly consists of 400 members and is elected every three years by a system of party-list proportional representation. The party with majority support in the House of Assembly forms the government and its leader becomes Prime Minister. In cases where no party has majority support, the Governor-General has the constitutional power to appoint the Prime Minister and, if necessary, dismiss one that has lost the confidence of Parliament.

In the most recent, 2016 election, the Democratic Alliance (DA) won 56% of the vote and 224 seats, while the main opposition, the Cape African Congress (CAC) won 34% of the vote and thus 136 seats. The United Democratic Party (UDP), a center-left political party that broke away from the CAC in 2011, won 8% of the vote and 32 seats. The Democratic Alliance and Cape African Congress have generally been the largest two parties in the Cape since the mid-1980's.

In 2008, The Cape placed 2nd out of 48 sub-Saharan African countries on the Ibrahim Index of African Governance. The Cape scored well in all categories, especially in Rule of Law, Transparency & Corruption, Participation & Human Rights, and Safety & Security.

Foreign Relations
The Cape is unique among African nations as it is the last commonwealth realm in Africa. As such, the Cape has strong ties to other Commonwealth realms such as Australia, Canada, Jarraban, and New Duveland. The Cape is a founding member of the United Nations, as well as one of the founding members of the African Union. Among African Union members, the Cape has the fifth largest economy, as well as the fifth highest GDP per capita. It is also a founding member of the AU's New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

The Cape has played a key role in African conflicts over the past four decades such as in Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Comoros, and Zimbabwe. The Cape is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as the Group of 77. The Cape is also a member of the Alliance of Independent Nations, Southern African Development Community, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, Southern African Customs Union, Antarctic Treaty System, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, and the Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa.

The Cape has generally been seen as a western-oriented country, highly relying on its relations with European countries, as well as those with the United States, Carolina, and other Commonwealth realms. During the Cold War the country was staunchly anti-communist which was in part due to many of its immigrants coming from Eastern Europe. After the Cold War, the country developed cordial relations with much of the former Soviet-Bloc. Over the last two decades, the Cape has generally resisted Chinese influence within its borders. However, in 2015, South Africa and China invited The Cape to the 2015 FOCAC summit in Johannesburg which was seen as a major turning point in the Cape's foreign policy. Since 2015, the Cape has generally improved its relations with China while continuing to rely on its western allies. The demographics of the Cape have sometimes put it at odds with other African nations, most notably with Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. However, since universal suffrage was enacted most nations have held the Cape as an example of a model for African democracy.

Military
The Cape's armed forces—the Cape Defense Force (CDF)—comprise the Royal Capetian Navy (RCN), Capetian Army, and the Royal Capetian Air Force (RCAA). In total, there are 61,839 personnel (including 39,834 regulars and 22,005 reservists) as of December 2018. The titular role Commander-in-Chief is vested in the Governor-General, who appoints a Cheif of Defense Force from one of the branches of the armed forces on advice of the government. Day-to-day operations are under the command of the Commander-in-Chief while administration policies and defense strategies are under the Ministry of Defense.

In the 2017-2018 budget, defense spending comprised 1.7% of GDP or roughly $6.25 billion. The Cape has the second highest military expenditure in Africa, only behind Algeria. In recent years, the Cape has been involved in operations in Lesotho, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi among others. The Cape has also sent troops to all three phases of the War in Afganistan

Administrative divisions
Each of the nineteen provinces is governed by a unicameral legislature, which is elected every three years by party-list proportional representation. The legislature elects a Premier as head of government, and the Premier appoints an Executive Council as a provincial cabinet. The powers of provincial governments are limited to topics listed in the Constitution; these topics include such fields as health, education, public housing, and transport.

The provinces are in turn divided into district municipalities as well as three metropolitan municipalities in Cape Town, East London, and Port Elizabeth. District municipalities are further divided into local municipalities. The metropolitan municipalities, which govern the largest urban agglomerations, perform the functions of both district and local municipalities.

Above the provincial government level but lower than the national government level, the Cape has three regions, the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape. These regions group provinces which have similar economies, climates, and demographics. The regions were created by the Cape Regions Act of 1998 in order to bring about more cooperation between similar provinces. Regions have no legislative power and are solely tasked with bringing about further cooperation between provinces within the region. The Premier of each province has the power to appoint two people to the Regional Council with the consent of the provincial parliament. Each regional council meets several times per month at the regional seat, usually the largest city in the region.