Institute for Security Studies

Policy Research and Security Analysisissafrica.org

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) is an independent African non-profit research institute founded in 1991, headquartered in Pretoria with offices in Addis Ababa and Dakar. It produces policy analysis, training, and research on peace, security, and governance for African governments, the African Union, security practitioners, and civil society.

Company typePrivate
Founded1991
HeadquartersPretoria, South Africa
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Institute for Security Studies does

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) is an independent African non-profit research institute founded in 1991 and headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, with regional offices in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) hosting the African Centre for Peace and Security Training, and Dakar (Senegal) covering West Africa and the Sahel. The organization produces evidence-based policy research, analysis, and training on peace, security, and governance issues affecting the African continent, serving African governments, regional bodies such as the African Union Peace and Security Council, security practitioners, civil society, and academic researchers.

ISS operates a portfolio of interconnected research products. Core publications include the daily ISS Today analysis series, the Peace and Security Council Report, Policy Briefs, Monographs, Books, and an Africa Report series covering five sub-regions (Central, East, North, Southern, and West Africa). Specialized sub-brands include African Futures — which uses the third-party International Futures (IFs) forecasting platform for development scenario modeling — Crime Hub for crime data, and ENACT for organized crime research. The organization also publishes two peer-reviewed academic journals (African Security Review and South African Crime Quarterly) and delivers training through the Training for Peace Programme and ACPST. Multimedia distribution occurs via the ISS website, ISS Live video seminars, infographics, YouTube (ISSAfricaTV), and email newsletters.

ISS is funded by development partner grants from foundations and governments rather than commercial revenue. The core Partnership Forum comprises the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the European Union, Open Society Foundations, and the governments of Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, with additional support from entities such as GIZ, UNSCAR, the International Organisation of La Francophonie, and the Bosch Foundation. All research, analysis, and training outputs are provided free of charge to target audiences. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees; founder Dr Jakkie Cilliers serves as Chairman and Head of African Futures & Innovation, and Executive Director Fonteh Akum announced his departure in January 2026 alongside the institute's 35th anniversary.

Institute for Security Studies firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Institute for Security Studies
Legal name: Institute for Security Studies
Website: https://issafrica.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1991
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) is an independent African non-profit research institute founded in 1991, headquartered in Pretoria with offices in Addis Ababa and Dakar. It produces policy analysis, training, and research on peace, security, and governance for African governments, the African Union, security practitioners, and civil society.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Institute for Security Studies industry classification

Industry

Product category: Policy Research and Security Analysis
NAICS: National Security (928110), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), National Security and International Affairs (9281)
SIC: Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: Security Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory (BPAKADAG)
akta.pro secondary industries: Security Risk Assessment, Auditing & Security Consulting Training (BPAKAOAH), Cyber Defense & Information Security (National Security) (BPAIAHAE)

Keywords

Security research
Peace and security
Policy analysis
Conflict prevention
Security training

Where Institute for Security Studies is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Pretoria
HQ country: South Africa
HQ region: Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

Institute for Security Studies business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Development Partner Grants: The ISS receives funding from development partners including foundations, governments, and the European Union to support its research, training, and policy engagement activities across Africa.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Institute for Security Studies product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Institute for Security Studies is an independent African non-profit research institute that produces evidence-based analysis, policy briefs, regional reports, and academic publications on peace, security, and governance across Africa. It also delivers capacity-building training for peace operations personnel through the African Centre for Peace and Security Training (ACPST) and the Training for Peace Programme, and runs specialized platforms such as African Futures (scenario modeling), Crime Hub, and ENACT (organised crime research).

Product overview

The Institute for Security Studies operates as a research and policy institute offering a platform of interconnected research products and training services focused on African peace and security. The core offerings include ISS Today (daily analysis articles), the Peace and Security Council Report, Policy Briefs, Regional Reports (covering Central, East, North, Southern, and West Africa), Monographs, and Books. Specialized sub-brands include African Futures (futures modeling and scenario analysis), Crime Hub (crime data platform), ENACT (organised crime research), and the African Centre for Peace and Security Training (ACPST). The institute also produces multimedia content through ISS Live videos, Infographics, and publishes two academic journals: the South African Crime Quarterly and African Security Review. Training programs are delivered through Training for Peace. All offerings collectively serve policymakers, researchers, and security professionals working on African peace, governance, and security challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

ISS Today: Daily analysis of Africa's current peace and security issues
African Futures
Crime Hub
ENACT

Quantifiable outcome

Published daily ISS Today articles on current African peace and security issues
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use Institute for Security Studies

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Institute for Security Studies technology and API

Technology

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Institute for Security Studies partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Training for Peace ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded by the Government of Norway, the Training for Peace Programme supports ISS training activities for peace operations personnel across Africa, including AU peacekeepers.
GIZminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman development agency providing support for ISS events and activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Institute for Security Studies competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA): Pretoria-based foreign policy think tank producing research, policy analysis, and dialogue on African international affairs. Closely comparable to ISS in geography, mission, and audience, with overlapping governance and peace/security coverage.
African Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS): U.S. Department of Defense-funded institute supporting African security sector development through research, academic programs, and outreach. Comparable as a pan-African security research and capacity-building institution, though funded by Washington rather than European donors.
International Crisis Group: Global conflict-prevention think tank producing independent analysis and policy prescriptions on wars and crises, including dedicated Africa programs. Highly comparable to ISS in mission, methodology, and target audience (governments and multilateral security bodies).
Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC): Accra-based African training centre delivering courses in peace support operations, conflict management, and security. Directly comparable to ISS's Training for Peace Programme and ACPST as a security-sector capacity-building provider for AU member states.
Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), Addis Ababa University: Academic centre at Addis Ababa University focused on peace and security in Africa, offering MA programs, research, and policy advisory. Comparable to ISS on the African peace and security research, training, and policy engagement axis, with strong AU ties.

Broad incumbents

Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): London-based foreign affairs think tank with a substantial Africa programme covering security, governance, and political economy. Comparable in research methodology and policy advisory function but operates globally rather than Africa-exclusive.
Brookings Institution - Africa Growth Initiative: U.S.-based policy research organization with a dedicated Africa programme covering governance, security, and development. Comparable in producing high-quality African policy research, though part of a much broader global portfolio.

Emerging players

Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP): Global think tank producing the Global Peace Index and research on peace, conflict, and violence. Comparable to ISS on peace measurement and policy benchmarking, with stronger quantitative methodology but weaker African on-the-ground presence.
African Leadership Centre (ALC): Nairobi and London-based centre developing African leaders in peace, security, and development through graduate training and research. Comparable to ISS's Training for Peace Programme on leadership and capacity building, though younger and smaller.

Regional players

Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD): West Africa-focused think tank headquartered in Abuja and Accra analysing governance, democracy, and security. Comparable to ISS on West African security and policy engagement, but lacks ISS's continental footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Institute for Security Studies financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Institute for Security Studies leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Institute for Security Studies subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

Institute for Security Studies funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Institute for Security Studies M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Security Studies

What does Institute for Security Studies do?

Is Institute for Security Studies a public or private company?

Institute for Security Studies is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Institute for Security Studies founded?

Institute for Security Studies was founded in 1991. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is Institute for Security Studies based?

Institute for Security Studies is headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, in the Africa region.

How does Institute for Security Studies make money?

One revenue line is on record: development Partner Grants.

Who are Institute for Security Studies's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), African Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS), International Crisis Group, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), Addis Ababa University. Broad incumbents are Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs) and Brookings Institution - Africa Growth Initiative. Emerging players are Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) and African Leadership Centre (ALC). Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) is listed as a regional player.

Does Institute for Security Studies have an API?

No public API is recorded for Institute for Security Studies.

What industry is Institute for Security Studies in?

Institute for Security Studies's product category is Policy Research and Security Analysis. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKADAG, Security Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory, with a secondary code of BPAKAOAH, Security Risk Assessment, Auditing & Security Consulting Training. Its NAICS code is 928110 and its SIC code is 8700.