Ramaphosa’s foreign policy: utilizing diplomacy for global leadership amid shifting power dynamics in South Africa

Leadership is a crucial factor in diplomatic endeavors, and determining the necessary qualities for South Africa to safeguard its international interests is a question that has been contemplated since the late 1980s in research on foreign policy.

While Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki demonstrated assertive leadership on both African and global stages, their successor, Jacob Zuma, had a detrimental impact on the country’s international reputation. However, the current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is seen as revitalizing South Africa’s global standing and reaffirming its role as a moral leader. This comes at a time when significant shifts in power dynamics are occurring among the world’s major nations.