By: Hlumelo Xaba

   
South Africa’s G20 Presidency, which was the first to be hosted in the African continent was surrounded by an array of geopolitical dynamics that posed a threat to its success. Much of what sought to discredit South Africa’s hosting of the G20 emanated from its ongoing tensions with the United States of America. The unprecedented decision that was taken by President Donald Trump for the US not to attend the summit en masse triggered a disintegration to multilateralism given its position as a leading global superpower.

Ordinarily it would be expected of other Western countries to assimilate with such a pronouncement but that didn’t prove to be the case. The latter can be attributed to a wide range of factors including the longstanding bilateral support that South Africa has received from some G20 partners like Spain, which also joined South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel and the European Union which committed to a €4.7bn investment aimed at ameliorating energy infrastructure and the pharmaceutical industry in the wake of the United States’ PEPFAR funding withdrawal. All of this contributed to emboldening South Africa in the manner in how it navigated its tension with the US in that it portrayed itself as a sovereign state instead of one that succumbs to pressure exerted by a hegemonic force. Above all, the success of the 2025 G20 was underpinned by South Africa’s ability to maintain its autonomy in the geopolitical landscape amid a turbulent environment as well as acting as an intermediary for developing states in the Global South and the African continent. This demonstrated the potential that South Africa could possesses as a major player in the Global South.

  
The 2025 Johannesburg G20 declaration centered around the developmental needs of the Global South and the African continent, depicting a commitment towards stimulating global equality. Some of the priorities including strengthening disaster resilience and response; mobilizing for a just energy transition; and harnessing critical minerals for beneficiation, are among the issues stymying economic growth and sustainable development in developing countries. South Africa’s role as a leading African country in advocating for a just energy transition puts it on the forefront of being a mouthpiece for the Global South in terms of creating a model which according to the 2025 declaration promotes energy security as fundamental to national sovereignty, economic development, stability, and global prosperity. This further denotes South Africa’s ability to strengthen its position as a central actor on issues pertaining to the globe’s development agenda. Furthermore, the posture taken by South Africa on a number of international issues under Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidency which are deemed to be in the best interests of justice and peace postulate it as a strategic and favorable ally to multilateral arrangements as opposed to a country that acts at the interest of a unipolar system that subverts multilateralism.

   
Albeit some domestic woes that the South African government has been critiqued for such as a high youth unemployment, irresponsiveness to gender based violence (GBVF), and a stagnant economy; its navigation of the geopolitical landscape coupled with the authority shown by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the G20 presidency suggest that South Africa could become an important actor in the broader scheme of global affairs.

Hlumelo Xaba is a Researcher, Governance and Political Analyst.