US Intimidation is Failing to Undermine SA’s Global Stature

The article by Zamikhaya Maseti analyzes South Africa's strategic importance as Africa's gateway, underscored by its hosting of the G20 Leaders' Summit, amid global powers' competition for influence. It frames this in the context of Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency with a protectionist, transactional Africa strategy focused on countering China, advancing Israel's security interests, and building conservative alliances, such as expanding Israeli embassies in countries like Kenya to extend U.S. influence indirectly. This approach views Africa as a geopolitical battleground rather than a partner for development, fragmenting continental unity and ignoring Africa's growing assertiveness through the African Union, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and demands for greater global voice, including a permanent G20 seat. Since Trump's first term, China's global expansion—particularly in the automotive sector with affordable electric vehicles disrupting markets—has intensified, challenging Western dominance and affecting South Africa's key automotive industry integrated into global supply chains. Amid U.S. tariffs and Chinese market penetration, South Africa must navigate tensions during its G20 presidency, balancing historical Western ties, partnerships with China, and African priorities like industrialization and sovereignty. The piece critiques Trump's limiting, ideologically driven strategy for reducing African agency and calls for South Africa to lead with strategic clarity, fostering continental unity, resisting external impositions, and leveraging the G20 to advocate for global governance reform, climate justice, and development, turning heightened competition into opportunities for African maturity.