What exactly is South Africa getting from its diplomatic dalliance with Russia and other BRICS states?
On Pretoria's seemingly rudderless foreign policy posture in Africa and beyond
I: No longer invited to the big party
Breaking with precedent, Japan did not invite South Africa to this year’s G7 Summit in Hiroshima (May 19-21, 2023). South Africa had recently emerged as a regular attendee and representative of African states at G7 summits. Instead, Comoros President Azali Assoumani represented Africa in his capacity as current chairman of the African Union (AU).
Likely explanations of the snub include South Africa’s refusal to host the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in 2016, Pretoria’s absence at last year’s TICAD in Tunisia, and/or South Africa’s ongoing close relations with Moscow in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Tokyo’s decision might also have been motivated by the desire to use its G7 helmsmanship to institutionalize relations with the African Union, perhaps as a counter to its regional rival China. It is worth noting that Ja…