Bangladesh, July 7 -- As South Africa gears up to host the G20 leadership summit in November, President Cyril Ramaphosa finds himself caught in a complex web of geopolitical tensions, domestic expectations, and diplomatic pressures. For the first time in history, the African continent is chairing the prestigious global forum – a milestone meant to elevate Africas voice on the world stage. Yet what should have been a moment of triumph is rapidly becoming a diplomatic quagmire, largely due to a widening rift between Pretoria and Washington.

Ramaphosas administration has championed a G20 agenda centered on fairness, multilateralism, climate action, and economic equity – an agenda aligned with the Global Souths aspirations. Howev...