Kevin Cox’s NLR essay on South Africa claims to correct liberal and culturalist accounts through historical materialism. But it reproduces the very epistemic and analytical failures it sets out to overcome.
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No shortcuts
The Conference of the Left was not a solution to the crisis of the South African left, but an opening. What follows must be built differently from what came before.
The World Cup
Our coverage of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup in North America.
Culture
South African journalists have a choice to make
Across South African radio and television, anti-immigration framing has become the norm.
SPORTS
The World Cup was born from imperial rivalry and nationalist aspiration. Almost a century later, it still oscillates between mass hope and elite spectacle.
Politics
Kicking out migrants won’t create jobs
The leaders of South Africa’s anti-migrant movement claim that Black African migrants are primarily responsible for unemployment, crime, and failing public services. None of these claims is supported by evidence.
World Cup Archive
Matchday 2: The Battle of Omdurman
A new season of the African Five-a-side podcast asks, “what is the greatest match in the history of men's African football?”
The worst thing to happen to football
Gianni Infantino isn’t just another corrupt FIFA president — his greed, self-importance, and political alliances are actively ruining football.
The value of holding on as we imagine an escape
As Iran withstands one of its greatest existential challenges, its men's national team would be forced to carry the weight of a nation’s despair on the field.
Belonging is not a sport
The reality of any society, any nation, and of our world, is much messier than picking a soccer team.