Pivoting South Africa's trade strategy beyond the West

DANCING comes naturally to most South Africans. When we hear music, our bodies instinctively move to the beat. Our music and dance are among our most authentic exports - from the Hamba Nawe and Jerusalema to the more recent Push to Start dance.

- DR RENEVA FOURIE

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the opening session of the 20th East Asia Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Malaysia on October 27.

(GCIS)

So it was not unusual to see President Cyril Ramaphosa moving gracefully on a dance floor in Malaysia. It was a lighthearted moment, but also a subtle advancement of cultural diplomacy ~—a deliberate effort to establish a broader rhythm in international trade.

The president’s attendance at the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asian summits, which followed official trips to Indonesia and Vietnam, marked a significant moment in South Africa’s trade diplomacy.

The trip underscored a clear strategic message: South Africa is consciously and wisely deepening ties with the dynamic, stable and mutually respectful economies of the East.

ASEAN, which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and East Timor, represents a formidable bloc with a combined population of around 679 million and a gross domestic product exceeding $3.9 trillion (R67.6trillion).

Moreover, the annual East Asia Summit brings together economic powerhouses such as China, India, Japan, and South Korea. These countries, unlike the US, have consistently shown a greater willingness to collaborate with partners in the Global South on terms that support mutual development rather than dependence.

In his address to the ASEAN Summit, Ramaphosa articulated a vision grounded in multilateralism, regional solidarity and shared development, aligning South Africa’s trade aspirations with ASEAN’s ethos of mutual upliftment. This message signalled a deliberate pivot away from overreliance on Western trade structures, and towards more stable and reciprocal partnerships in Asia and the developing world.