DIRCO Achieves Full Strategic Plan 2020-2025 Outcomes
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation reports 11 of 11 outcomes achieved under its five-year plan ending in 2025.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in International Relations
The Minister of International Relations reported that the department achieved all 11 outcomes under the Strategic Plan 2020-2025. The department also achieved 7 of 9 outcomes under the Strategic Plan 2025-2030 and 32 of 34 targets in its 2025-2026 Annual Performance Plan.
Why it matters
The results indicate how far the department met the targets it set for South Africa's foreign policy execution over a five-year cycle. Unmet targets under the 2025-2026 plan, including the Audit Action Plan and SACU meetings, show where implementation fell short.
The department reported 32 of 34 targets achieved (94%) under its 2025-2026 Annual Performance Plan, against 29 of 29 under the 2024-2025 plan. The Audit Action Plan reached 80% implementation against a 100% target, and four of six SACU statutory meetings were attended.
The players
Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)
The South African government department responsible for executing the country's foreign policy and international engagements.
The details
The outcomes are part of a five-year strategic plan that departments table with an impact statement, outcomes, indicators and targets, implemented through annual Annual Performance Plans. The report covers the 2020-2025 plan, the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 annual plans, and the ongoing 2025-2030 plan.
Timeline
2020-2025: Strategic Plan outcomes reported as 11 of 11 achieved.
2024-2025: Annual Performance Plan targets reported as 29 of 29 achieved.
2025-2030: Strategic Plan outcomes reported as 7 of 9 achieved to date.
2025-2026: Annual Performance Plan targets reported as 32 of 34 achieved.
Big Picture
The results follow the five-year strategic planning framework that South African departments table with outcomes and 5-year targets, implemented through annual Annual Performance Plans. The 2020-2025 cycle closed with all outcomes achieved, while the successor 2025-2030 plan reports 7 of 9 outcomes so far.
The reported results show how the department performed against the targets it set for its foreign policy work, including the outstanding Audit Action Plan and SACU meeting targets. Readers tracking South Africa's international engagements can use the reported shortfalls to judge where follow-up is still needed.
The takeaway
The department met every outcome in its 2020-2025 strategic plan, but the 2025-2026 report shows two targets still open. Tracking those open items will show whether the next annual cycle closes them.
Further reading
Explore more on International Relations to see how the department's foreign policy work fits into the wider national agenda.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pmg.
