Hybrid · Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge·Defense & Security / Governance & Democracy

Evidence-Based Policing South Africa Conference 2026

From knowledge to action: doing what works in South African policing

South African policing is entering a period of significant change, with renewed attention to leadership, accountability, operational effectiveness and the role of evidence in decision making. This creates an important opportunity to move from commitment to practical action – identifying what should be done differently, how it can be implemented, and how results can be measured.

The 2026 Evidence-Based Policing South Africa Conference will bring together police and criminal justice practitioners, government officials, researchers and civil society experts to examine practical responses to major policing challenges. Discussions will consider what could realistically be tried, who needs to lead implementation, and how progress and impact could be assessed.

Conference themes

Day 1:

Leadership and transformative change in South African policing
Strengthening the criminal justice process from arrest to conviction
Embedding evidence-based hotspot policing

Day 2:

How to improve police legitimacy among the communities they serve
Disrupting extortion in township economies
Role of police in holistic violence prevention

The detailed programme and speakers will be announced as they are confirmed.

Register to attend in person: afrancke@issafrica.org

Register to attend online: Online

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Development partners

This conference is funded by the Bavarian State Chancellery and the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The ISS is also grateful for support from the members of the ISS Partnership Forum: The Hanns Seidel Foundation, the European Union, the Open Society Foundations and the governments of Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

Event details

DateMon, Oct 19, 2026

Time2:30 AM ET

FormatHybrid

LocationProtea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge

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Institute for Security Studies

ISS is an applied policy research institute active in sub-Saharan Africa with expertise in the research, publication, facilitation, capacity building, and monitoring of most aspects of the human security agenda in Africa. The institute's vision is that of a stable and peaceful Africa, characterized by human rights, the rule of law, democracy, and collaborative security. These issues reflect the core values of ISS and guide its external interactions. ISS seldom takes a common or institutional position on issues but allows differences in opinion and interpretation. Formally, ISS's mission is to conceptualize, inform, and enhance the security debate in and on Africa through independent applied research and analysis, formulating and influencing relevant policy-making, raising the awareness of decision-makers and the public, monitoring trends and policy implementation, and focusing on capacity building. In general, ISS's activities have moved toward capacity building at a senior level as an increasing component of its engagement, interpreting expert workshops and assistance with policy development and the monitoring of policy implementation as part of such capacity building.

All their events →issafrica.org ↗

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