Anthoni van Nieuwkerk

Professor Anthoni van Nieuwkerk holds a PhD in international relations from Wits University, Johannesburg.  

Following a distinguished career at Wits, Anthoni joined the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs at the University of South Africa (Unisa) in 2022 as professor of international and diplomacy studies.  In 2025, the university seconded him to the Thabo Mbeki Foundation as its director of research.

Anthoni is a skilled institutional architect and experienced academic manager, facilitator and programme evaluator.

In 2015, the South African government appointed him to the South African Council on International Relations and in 2018, the president appointed him as a member of the High-level Review Panel into Intelligence.  In 2021, he developed a regional threat analysis for SADC, resulting in a series of policy refinements.

He publishes widely on African foreign and security policy, has participated in several scenarios exercises and programme evaluations, and has broad experience with advising African policymakers and practitioners.

Anthoni has supervised over 60 Masters students and eleven PhD candidates to graduation,  is the lead editor of the biennial Southern African Security Review, is a visiting research fellow at the Wits School of Governance, is an advisory board member of the Centre for Geopolitical Security and Strategy at the North-West University, and serves as editorial board member of several accredited journals.