This paper offers an assessment of the foreign policy strategies adopted by both the Mandela and Mbeki administrations in their quest to shed the country's image as a former defender of racial segregation, largely dislocated from the global economic system to become the leading defender of multiparty democracy, national reconciliatory processes and economic justice in Sub-Saharan Africa. In detail, it examines the five strategies employed by the ANC government to restore peace and stability to the country while paving a new path for it to embark on as a respected member of the international community. These include the restoration of a political system based on pluralism, democratic institutions and a new constitution that enshrines the importance of human rights and equality; a well organized process of national reconciliation deemed necessary to heal some of the outstanding perpetual scars of Apartheid; self promotion as the leader of the "African renaissance"; adherence to the foreign policy principle of "universality"; assumption of a leadership role in international organizations; and a new shift towards self-driven policy to secure economic interests deemed vital for the national economy. While it reflects some of the foreign policy challenges confronting countries on the sub-continent, it also offers insights into the foreign policy adaptation strategies pursued by emerging powers in other regions of the world.