New Delhi\u2019s push across the African continent weds dignity and shared growth to a bold bid to rewrite global rules<\/p>\n
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s recent visits to two African countries, South Africa and Ethiopia, within the span of a month, reflect more than routine diplomatic engagement. Together, they signal a deeper evolution in India\u2019s foreign policy, from the legacy of non-alignment to a more confident form of strategic alignment rooted in Global South solidarity.
\nInterestingly, both South Africa and Ethiopia are members of BRICS, and India is set to host the BRICS Summit in 2026. At a moment when the BRICS bloc is under renewed pressure from the United States, India\u2019s outreach to these two countries underscores its determination to pursue strategic autonomy while standing firmly with its partners in the Global South.
\nIndia\u2019s engagement with Africa also underscores its willingness to take the mantle of Global South leadership, prioritizing trust, development, and mutual respect. More importantly, Modi\u2019s visits to South Africa in November and Ethiopia in December signal India\u2019s strategic autonomy and willingness to uphold principled partnerships despite political and economic pressure from Washington.
\nSouth Africa and the Global South moment
\nSouth Africa\u2019s G20 presidency in 2025 unfolded amid acute global turbulence. Intensifying great-power competition, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and growing disillusionment with multilateral institutions have eroded trust in global governance. Pretoria also inherited a rare strategic opportunity of global governance led by the Global South. South Africa drew the culmination of a four-year cycle of G20 presidencies led by Global South countries, following Indonesia, India, and Brazil.
\nAmong these, India\u2019s 2023 presidency provided a particularly instructive template, as reflected in South African President Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s opening remarks when he publicly acknowledged the lessons that South Africa has drawn from India\u2019s successful organization of the G20.<\/p>\n
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During India\u2019s G20 presidency, India\u2019s message to the group comprised of countries from both the global north and south was that a Global South presidency need not be defensive or reactive. Under the ethos of \u2018Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam\u2019, which translates as \u201cThe world as one family\u201d, India brought issues to the high table that are priorities for the Global South, including digital public infrastructure, climate finance, multilateral development bank reform, and inclusive growth. Finally, India\u2019s experience of securing a Leaders\u2019 Declaration through negotiations despite deep geopolitical rifts worked as a template for South Africa.
\nOddly enough, the prevailing geopolitical environment surrounding Pretoria\u2019s G20 presidency was even more volatile. Tensions over Ukraine and Gaza risked overshadowing development priorities, while growing disillusionment with multilateral institutions and economic nationalism in major economies continues to thicken North\u2013South divides.
\nAs it turns out, South Africa\u2019s starting position was strengthened by a historic institutional shift that was championed by India. It was under India\u2019s G20 presidency that the African Union was elevated as a permanent G20 member. The company of the AU provided Pretoria with both legitimacy and leverage, allowing it to incorporate African priorities within the global economic agenda.
\nDrawing from India\u2019s experience, South Africa adopted a form of normative leadership that sought to incorporate African concerns in the broader discussion rather than treating them in isolation. Issues such as equitable energy transitions, sustainable infrastructure, pandemic preparedness, and reform of global financial institutions were framed as universal public goods. The aim was not to \u201cAfricanize\u201d the G20 agenda, but to demonstrate that Africa\u2019s development challenges are an integral component towards global stability.<\/p>\n
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Coalition-building formed another pillar of this approach. Much like India in 2023, South Africa relied on flexible, issue-based alignments across different groups it is part of, such as BRICS, the African Union, and the G77+China. Doing this, Pretoria expressed its willingness towards bridge-building over bloc politics. This, in turn, reinforced the Global South\u2019s collective bargaining power without formalized alliances.
\nIndia\u2019s influence was also evident in South Africa\u2019s focus on digital public infrastructure. As Africa\u2019s digital economy is hamstrung by uneven access despite innovation, drawing on India\u2019s Digital Public Infrastructure experience, Pretoria advanced continental frameworks for broadband, interoperable payments, digital identity, and cybersecurity. The message was to recognize Africa as a co-architect of global digital governance and not a mere recipient of digital transformation.
\nEthiopia and strategic diversification
\nIf the South Africa example represented continuity in Global South leadership, Ethiopia illustrates India\u2019s growing strategic boldness. Modi\u2019s first bilateral visit to Ethiopia on 16-17 December came amid intensifying geopolitical turbulence in the Horn of Africa and the Ethiopian government\u2019s increasingly strained relationship with the West\u00a0over a wide range of human rights violation allegations.<\/p>\n
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The visit began with a powerful symbolic gesture when Modi was conferred Ethiopia\u2019s highest civilian honor, the Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia, by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The award recognized Modi\u2019s leadership as a global statesman and his contribution to strengthening India-Ethiopia relations. Although ceremonial, the award reflected Addis Ababa\u2019s intention to place India among its most trusted strategic partners as it recalibrates its external relationships.
\nHowever, it was not the first time the Indian and Ethiopian leaders had met. Modi\u2019s state visit was preceded by several high-level engagements between the two men, including interactions on the sidelines of G20 and BRICS summits. Ethiopia also endorsed India\u2019s leadership role by participating in India-led initiatives such as the Voice of the Global South Summits, underscoring a shared commitment to development equity and reform of global governance institutions.
\nCrucially, the visit occurred against the backdrop of Ethiopia\u2019s deteriorating ties with the United States. The suspension of Ethiopia\u2019s African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) benefits in 2022, followed by the withdrawal of humanitarian assistance, delivered a severe blow to Ethiopia\u2019s export-oriented textile and leather sectors. With Donald Trump\u2019s\u00a0\u201cAmerica First\u201d approach, Ethiopia faces uncertainty over trade access, investment, and diplomatic engagement.
\nIn this context, India represents a strategic diversification partner, a country that can partner with Ethiopia as an equal in its development journey, provide market access for its export-led sectors, and all sans coercive conditionalities. Burdened by IMF conditionalities, although Ethiopia benefited from its inclusion under the G20 Common Framework for debt rescheduling, the country is in dire need of steady investments. Indian private sector involvement could offer Addis Ababa a credible alternative.
\nOn the other hand, the strategic partnership with Ethiopia aligns well with India\u2019s broader ambition of reclaiming its traditional sphere of influence in Africa. Amid intensifying competition from China, T\u00fcrkiye, and Western powers, India is grappling to position itself, and its partnership with Ethiopia can provide it with the necessary pivot.
\nEthiopia\u2019s geostrategic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Nile basin makes it pivotal to regional stability and connectivity. And cooperation within BRICS, the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and the Global Biofuel Alliance could further attribute the partnership with a global governance leadership role.<\/p>\n
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Defying pressure, exercising autonomy
\nIn sum, Modi\u2019s South Africa and Ethiopia visits highlighted India\u2019s willingness to stand in support of its Global South partners, notwithstanding the mounting US pressure.
\nBoth South Africa and Ethiopia, along with India, are facing potential economic fallout from trade disputes and political disagreements with Washington. India knows that it cannot substitute the US economically. However, it can offer Africa something equally valuable: a reliable development-oriented partnership based on mutual respect.
\nThe\u00a0recent visits were not isolated diplomatic events but part of a sustained effort to reshape international engagement through inclusivity, dignity, and shared growth. This posture reflects India\u2019s evolution from non-alignment to strategic alignment. India is openly choosing partnerships based on shared interests rather than external pressure.\u00a0
\nAs global uncertainties persist, India\u2019s Africa outreach strengthens its claim to leadership rooted not in dominance, but in partnership and in the belief that the Global South has the wherewithal to shape its own destiny.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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