In a world where the balance of global power is rapidly shifting, the Global South is asserting itself with a new confidence, challenging the dominance of Western-led institutions and rewriting the rules of international engagement. This transformation is nowhere more evident than in the rise of the BRICS bloc and Africa’s growing influence within the G20, both of which are reshaping the contours of economic diplomacy, trade, and global governance in 2025.
At the heart of this movement is a united pushback against the aggressive tariff policies and unilateral measures imposed by the United States under President Donald Trump. According to China Focus, for the first time, the U.S. has targeted all BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—simultaneously with tariffs and secondary sanctions. This approach, intended to pressure these countries into compliance, has instead catalyzed a stronger sense of solidarity and resolve among the Global South.
BRICS, representing over 40 percent of the world’s population and accounting for a similar share of global GDP by Purchasing Power Parity in 2024, is now leveraging its demographic and economic clout to demand a more inclusive and multipolar global order. As China Focus notes, the bloc’s scale—fueled by youthful populations, vast natural resources, and rapid technological progress—positions it as a formidable force in international affairs. The group’s cohesion has only deepened in response to external pressures, especially as the U.S. has imposed tariffs on countries like Brazil, South Africa, and India, even as it maintains ostensibly friendly diplomatic ties with them.
These actions, far from weakening BRICS, have underscored the anxiety in Washington over the group’s growing influence. The U.S. dollar’s long-standing dominance in global finance is now being openly challenged, as BRICS nations pursue financial autonomy by expanding trade in local currencies, strengthening the New Development Bank, and exploring alternatives to the SWIFT system. As China Focus explains, these are not merely defensive moves—they are proactive steps toward reshaping the global financial architecture and reducing the ability of any single country to unilaterally dictate the rules of the game.
The momentum for change is also palpable on the African continent, where South Africa’s presidency of the G20 in 2025 marks a historic milestone. In a mid-August interview, Ms. Tandiwe Thelma Mgxwati, Minister Plenipotentiary and Charge d’Affaires a.i. at the South African Embassy, described the significance of this moment. For the first time since the G20’s inception in 1999, an African nation is leading the group at Summit level, coinciding with the African Union’s elevation to permanent G20 member status in 2023.
“South Africa’s presidency of the G20 in 2025 is of profound historical and geopolitical significance. It marks the first time an African country leads the G20 at Summit level since its inception in 1999, and it coincides with the African Union’s recent inclusion as a permanent G20 member in 2023,” Mgxwati said, as reported by Business Post. She emphasized that the presidency is a platform to assert the voice of the Global South and to shape multilateral responses to shared challenges, from inequality and debt to climate change and technology governance.
The G20 Johannesburg Summit, scheduled for November 22-23, 2025, will be a focal point for these discussions. South Africa’s presidency is guided by the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” and has identified three core priorities: inclusive economic growth and employment, food security, and the governance of artificial intelligence and innovation. These priorities align closely with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
To ensure Africa’s development ambitions are front and center, South Africa has revitalized the G20 Africa Advisory Group and is promoting coordination with BRICS partners, the G77, and African regional economic communities. Three major G20 events are being held on the continent in 2025: in Egypt (focusing on food security), Ethiopia (on the Compact with Africa), and Nigeria (on industrialization and agriculture). A special G20 event in Addis Ababa in early September aims to boost membership and implementation of the Compact with Africa, a German-initiated program now being retooled under South African leadership to better reflect African priorities.
South Africa’s presidency is also pushing for tangible G20 outcomes, including debt relief for low-income countries, increased concessional climate finance, and support for developing nations in leveraging critical minerals for sustainable growth. The inclusion of digital public infrastructure and AI governance in the G20 agenda is a notable innovation, giving African perspectives a platform in global technology discussions.
The expectations of African countries are clear: they seek reforms to the international financial architecture, sovereign debt restructuring, and greater support for infrastructure, digital transformation, and industrialization. There is also a strong call for fairer trade rules and investment in the continent’s energy transition, including natural gas as a transitional fuel and resources for climate adaptation and resilience. “Africa’s voice in setting international rules—whether in trade, AI, climate, or finance—must be amplified,” Mgxwati asserted. The continent’s growing influence is now matched by an insistence on institutional reforms that deliver concrete results, not just symbolic gestures.
Meanwhile, the U.S. administration’s protectionist measures continue to reverberate globally. As reported by Business Post, President Trump has set a baseline tariff of 10 percent on all imports to the United States, with higher rates for specific countries and products. Nigeria, for example, faces a 15 percent tariff on its exports to the U.S., while South Africa faces a 30 percent rate. India, another BRICS member, is subject to a 25 percent tariff, with the threat of further increases. These measures, the White House claims, are designed to encourage American consumers to buy domestic goods and boost investment at home. However, affected countries are passing on some of the costs to consumers, and the tariffs have become a rallying point for greater South–South cooperation and economic diversification.
Despite these tensions, South Africa’s approach remains rooted in diplomacy and constructive engagement. “The participation of the USA in our G20 calendar of events remains important to us as we believe that the entire G20 family should take ownership of the work and outcomes of our presidency,” Mgxwati stated, highlighting the need for consensus-building even as bilateral frictions persist.
Beyond trade and diplomacy, the Global South is also seizing opportunities in the digital economy. As noted by Business Post, Emomotimi Agama, Director-General of Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission, recently called on Africa and the Middle East to lead in the digital assets space, which could be worth $10 trillion by 2030. With 70 percent of Africa’s population under 30, the region has a unique chance to drive innovation, democratize market participation, and create wealth through fintech and startup ecosystems.
This surge of ambition and agency across the Global South is not just a reaction to external pressures—it is a proactive agenda for a more just, equitable, and resilient world order. As BRICS and African nations deepen their cooperation, diversify their partnerships, and assert their interests, the old assumptions about global power are being upended. The West now faces a choice: engage constructively with this new reality, or risk marginalization in a world that is no longer unipolar.
As the G20 prepares to convene in Johannesburg and BRICS continues to expand its influence, the message from the Global South is unmistakable: the time for a more balanced, pluralistic international system has arrived, and its architects are ready to lead.
