Institute for Global Dialogue

The ongoing disruption of Trump 2.0, including trade and energy wars that are choking supply chains, is reverberating globally and regionally. As the BRICS Plus bloc prepares for its 2026 summit, Ashraf Patel argues that there is a need to align innovation and enterprise with principles of equity and inclusion in industrial development.
https://igd.org.za/2026/05/21/brics-2026-summit-navigating-challenges-in-a-divided-international-order/

Flowing from its G20 Presidency and themes, Ashraf Patel argues that South Africa, as a regional power, has the opportunity to show more robust leadership by suggesting a bold new industrial development agenda for the SADC summit in August.

He further argues that the SADC region now needs a new narrative and hence a new Development and Green Industrialising model moving towards a balanced integration in the decade ahead.
https://igd.org.za/2026/05/21/navigating-the-trade-wars-sadcs-challenges-and-opportunities/

With the Africa-France Summit starting in Nairobi, Kenya today, Philani Mthembu unpacks what it means for France-Africa ties in a changing geopolitical landscape marked by fundamental changes in the Transatlantic Partnership between Europe and the US. Held for the first time in a non-French speaking African country, will France succeed in broadening ties in Africa and the global South?

SABC News 2 likes. "France values South African ties despite G7 exclusion"

In the following analysis, Ashraf Patel argues that South Africa's disinvitation from the G7 Summit in France offers strategic opportunities and critiques the real value of attendance. He recommends greater prioritisation of Africa, especially Southern Africa, and more robust engagement with the G77, Non-Aligned Movement, and broader global South in a changing geopolitical landscape.

The Importance of South Africa's Shift Towards the G77 and Global South - Institute For Global Dialogue Every crisis presents opportunities, the Chinese saying goes. South Africa’s disinvitation from the G7 in France in 2026 is actually a blessing. The narrative goes that South Africa’s international relations IR is rooted in multilateralism and non-alignment. This approach supposedly allows it to...

Amid shifting global dynamics and mounting diplomatic pressures,
questions are being raised about South Africa’s international position and strategic direction. Mikatekiso Kubayi joins a panel discussion with Cosatu spokesperson Matthew Parks, and reputation expert Tshepo Matseba.

Scrutiny grows over SA’s foreign policy direction Amid shifting global dynamics and mounting diplomatic pressures,questions are being raised about South Africa’s international stanceand strategic direction. ...

🆕🧭 In a world of shifting power and growing uncertainty, narratives are not neutral. They influence what is seen, what is prioritised, and ultimately, what gets done.

In Episode 01 of The Compass: Voices from the Global South, we set the stage for a critical conversation on narrative power, and what it means for the Global South to take greater ownership of the evidence and stories shaping global development.

Featuring Southern Voice Executive Director Margarita Gómez and Southern Voice Steering Committee Chair Rose Ngugi (Fellow at African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), this opening episode explores why being at the table is not enough, and what it takes to truly influence global agendas.

▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOXw-PcvA3M
🎙️ Listen to the episode on Spotify: https://bit.ly/THECOMPASS

01: SETTING THE STAGE (w/ Margarita Gómez and Rose Ngugi) | The Compass What does it take for the Global South to shape its own narrative? In this opening episode, Margarita Gómez and Rose Ngugi (Chair of our Steering Committee a...

Who shapes the stories that shape global decisions?

Something new is coming to answer that.

The Compass: Voices from the Global South is Southern Voice’s brand new vodcast series, bringing together voices from across regions to unpack narrative power, challenge dominant perspectives, and to rethink how global development is understood.

In five episodes, the series dives into how narratives influence priorities, whose knowledge is recognised, and how Global South perspectives can lead on shaping global agendas.

🎬 Watch the trailer below for a first glimpse
🗓️ Episode 01 out on April 7
🔁 New episodes every Tuesday!

Southern Voice Presents The Compass: Voices From the Global South | SeriesTrailer What does it take to reshape global narratives about the Global South?Filmed at the Southern Voice conference in São Paulo, Brazil, The Compass brings togeth...

Reflecting on China’s large military parade in September 2025, the following analysis by Abel Semosa argues that the relationship between China, Russia, and North Korea could play a key role in a fragmented geopolitical order and may act as a deterrence against adversaries in their respective regions.

China, Russia, and North Korea’s Strategic Partnership: A Symbol of War Deterrence - Institute For Global Dialogue Introduction During China’s largest military parade, held on the 3rd of September 2025 in Beijing, which marked the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, there were dozens of world leaders at the event, most of them from non-Western countries. It was Chinese President Xi Jinping's a...

In the following analysis, Philani Mthembu argues that while Russia cannot match the material offerings of the West or China in Southern Africa, Moscow’s appeal to states in the region goes beyond dollars and cents.

Beyond Material: Russia’s Appeal to Southern African States - Institute For Global Dialogue Though Russia cannot match the material offerings of the West or China in Southern Africa, Moscow’s appeal to states in the region goes beyond dollars and cents. Leaders view ties with Russia as part of a deeper embrace of multipolarity as geopolitics shifts away from the unipolar moment of the 19...

In the following analysis, Mikatekiso Kubayi unpacks the changes in the geopolitical landscape, characterised by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as ‘rapture’ at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026. These present a new dynamic for BRICS countries to contend with as middle powers seek to ensure a global order in which rules apply equally to all.
https://igd.org.za/2026/03/16/us-israels-war-on-iran-a-litmus-test-for-brics-solidarity-and-unity/