Simon’s Town, a quaint naval outpost on the Cape Peninsula, is becoming a key player in a rising global power game.
Once considered a historical relic, the town’s strategic relevance has returned to centre stage due to shifting global trade patterns, mounting tension in the Middle East, and renewed interest in the Indo-Pacific.
According to Daily Investor, the United States is increasingly focused on Simon’s Town, viewing it as one of just three major control points in the Indo-Pacific theatre – the others being the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Solomon Islands.
Dr Frans Cronje, political analyst and former CEO of the Institute of Race Relations, explained during a PSG Think Big webinar that global power blocs are scrambling for control of ‘choke points’ – narrow maritime passageways that can determine the fate of trade routes.
‘We’re now in a multipolar world,’ said Cronje, ‘with rival powers vying to control key commercial and naval corridors.’
Simon’s Town was somewhat sidelined after the Suez Canal opened in 1869, offering a quicker route between East and West.
But recent Red Sea attacks – particularly Houthi missile strikes – have forced vessels to reroute around the Cape, reviving the significance of the southern sea route and putting Simon’s Town back on the global map.
According to Daily Investor’s report, Cronje warned that the US is already losing strategic footing in the Solomon Islands and Bab al-Mandab region. ‘That’s why Simon’s Town has become so important,’ he said. ‘It’s the last anchor point they still have some hope of securing.’
Beyond the Indo-Pacific, Simon’s Town also provides backdoor access to the South Atlantic – a region gaining attention thanks to oil discoveries off Namibia’s coast and economic momentum in parts of South America. Cronje likened its relevance to the US interest in Greenland: a springboard into the Atlantic.
He believes the moment presents a diplomatic opportunity for South Africa. ‘It doesn’t take advanced diplomatic skill to leverage America’s fixed investment interest and South Africa’s strategic geography into a meaningful bilateral treaty,’ he said. Such a treaty, Cronje argued, could unlock foreign direct investment and offer a significant economic boost.
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Picture: Gallo Images
