In Conversation With Dr Ahmed Jazbhay-international relationals analyst

What this episode covers

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that the world is becoming increasingly divided, with deepening inequalities in power, opportunity, and economic wellbeing continuing to shape global relations. Speaking at an international gathering in Spain, the President highlighted that modern societies are facing growing fragmentation, driven by unequal access to resources, wealth, and opportunities. He argued that despite decades of global cooperation, the world has not overcome structural imbalances that leave billions of people excluded from meaningful economic participation. At the centre of his remarks was a call for “progressive action”—a coordinated effort by governments, civil society, and political movements to push back against rising nationalism, conflict, and inequality. He stressed that global challenges such as war, hunger, unemployment, and underdevelopment are interconnected, and cannot be addressed in isolation. The President also linked global instability to ongoing conflicts, including the war in Gaza, arguing that such crises reflect deeper systemic inequalities and ideologies that continue to marginalise parts of the world, particularly in the Global South. Data further underscores the urgency of these concerns. Globally, hundreds of millions of people continue to face hunger and economic exclusion, raising questions about whether the current global economic system is capable of delivering inclusive growth. For South Africa, these global dynamics are not abstract. As a developing economy navigating its own challenges of inequality, unemployment, and slow growth, shifts in global trade, geopolitics, and investment flows have direct consequences for local livelihoods. This conversation comes at a critical time, as South Africa positions itself within global platforms like the G20 and seeks to advocate for fairer economic systems. It also raises important questions about whether global calls for reform will translate into real change—or remain political rhetoric in an increasingly divided world.

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