Pivoting South Africa’s Trade Strategy Beyond the West

Dr. Reneva Fourie

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.

So, it was not unusual to see President Cyril Ramaphosa moving gracefully on a dance floor in Malaysia. It was a light-hearted 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 US dollars.

 Moreover, the annual East Asia Summit brings together economic powerhouses such as China, India, Japan, and South Korea. These countries, unlike the United States, 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, President 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.

For decades, South Africa’s trade and economic policies have been closely tied to the United States and the European Union. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Washington’s flagship trade mechanism for Africa, has offered preferential access to US markets since 2000.

Yet its benefits are conditional, politically fragile, and subject to the erratic imposition of additional tariffs. Renewed at the discretion of the US Congress, AGOA leaves African countries vulnerable. After more than two decades, the trade relationship remains uneven, with Africa exporting raw materials and importing manufactured goods.

In contrast, ASEAN economies have built their success upon diversification, regional integration, and strategic trade partnerships that promote rather than restrict domestic industrialisation. 

Engaging more deeply with ASEAN, therefore, offers South Africa a chance to align with economies that understand its developmental needs. These countries are less likely to impose ideological conditions or exploitative trade practices that hinder local growth.

The parallels between ASEAN’s experience and Africa’s current aspirations are striking. Both regions have struggled with colonial legacies, inequality, and dependence on external markets. Yet ASEAN’s transformation from a politically fragmented, low-income region into a global manufacturing and innovation hub provides valuable lessons for Africa’s own developmental journey.

ASEAN’s achievements in building cross-border infrastructure, harmonising trade regulations, and fostering intra-regional value chains could directly inform Africa’s implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Collaboration in digital trade, green technology, and logistics could accelerate industrial diversification and regional growth on both continents.

President Ramaphosa’s address to the Summit emphasised four priorities for South Africa’s forthcoming G20 Presidency: disaster resilience, debt sustainability, financing a just energy transition, and using critical minerals for inclusive growth. Each of these priorities resonates strongly with ASEAN’s socio-economic agenda.

Both Southern Africa and Southeast Asia face escalating climate risks, from cyclones to droughts. Cooperative frameworks for post-disaster reconstruction, sustainable agriculture, and early warning systems could open new opportunities for joint research, technology transfer, and investment.

 The global shift towards a green economy also presents opportunities for cooperation on critical minerals. Demand for resources such as lithium, cobalt, and manganese, which are abundant in Africa, is increasing. ASEAN’s experience in managing mineral extraction while integrating industrial policy offers lessons for South Africa in ensuring that these resources are used to drive local value addition rather than perpetuate extractive dependency.

In terms of debt sustainability, many developing economies are caught in cycles of debt exacerbated by Western lending conditionalities and high interest rates. ASEAN’s regional financial mechanisms, such as the Chiang Mai Initiative, demonstrate how developing countries can pool resources to achieve financial stability without relying solely on Western-dominated institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund.

Trade should no longer be seen merely as the exchange of goods, but as a mechanism for empowerment, innovation, and equality. The President’s statement that ‘throughout history, trade has been a powerful instrument of economic growth and social progress’ captures this principle. However, this potential can only be realised when trade is fair, diversified, and free from neocolonial conditions.

The United States and Europe, despite their historical importance as trading partners, continue to dominate the global value chain through restrictive trade rules, high tariffs, and non-tariff barriers and intellectual property regimes that disadvantage developing countries.

Expanding trade with ASEAN and other partners in the Global South can help to rebalance this dynamic. It would allow South Africa to negotiate from a position of strength, prioritise technology transfer, and foster industries that create value locally.

ASEAN’s pragmatism, with its preference for consensus, inclusivity, and gradual progress, also aligns closely with African values of ubuntu and cooperation. It offers a model of partnership built on equality rather than dominance, and mutual benefit rather than dependence.

In the rhythm of global trade, it is time to stop following the beat of a single drummer and begin dancing in harmony with those who share our tempo.

Partners such as ASEAN understand that true progress comes not from dominance, but from solidarity. In that shared rhythm lies the promise of a new era, one where South Africa’s economic diplomacy, like its dance, moves freely, confidently, and with purpose towards the world’s most promising horizons.

* Dr Reneva Fourie is a policy analyst specialising in governance, development, and security.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.