The nature and purposes of the post-apartheid South African foreign policy have become matters of intense debate and great confusion. This primarily emanates from the political reality of contemporary South Africa and the new global settings in general. The end of the cold war and apartheid provided an opportunity for foreign policy-makers and academics to re-assess South Africa's relations with the rest of the world. These developments raised questions for the democratic government. Where do such changes leave the new South Africa, and more importantly which foreign policy strategies serve it best? As a middle-range power, South Africa joined hands with other like-minded states in embracing multilateral mechanisms as tools of foreign policy.