PM Modi, Ramaphosa pledge stronger Global South voice

PM Narendra Modi on Sunday held wide-ranging talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, with the two leaders pledging deeper strategic cooperation and a stronger collective voice for the Global South as India prepares to assume the BRICS chair in 2026.

Modi thanked Ramaphosa for South Africa’s “warm hospitality” and the “successful conduct” of the first-ever G20 Summit hosted on the African continent.

The leaders reviewed progress across a broad spectrum of cooperation — trade and investment, food security, skill development, mining, youth exchange and people-to-people contacts.

According to the officials, they discussed new opportunities in artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, critical minerals and next-generation technologies — areas where both sides see substantial potential for growth. Modi and Ramaphosa welcomed the rising presence of Indian companies in South Africa and agreed to further facilitate bilateral investment, particularly in infrastructure, innovation, mining and the startup ecosystem.

The PM also thanked Ramaphosa for South Africa’s support in the cheetah relocation programme and invited him to join the International Big Cat Alliance, a global conservation initiative led by India.

Modi appreciated South Africa’s initiative to convene the IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) meeting and emphasised the need for democracies of the Global South to jointly push for equitable multilateral reforms.

Ramaphosa, in turn, assured India of South Africa’s “full support” as New Delhi prepares to take over the BRICS chairship in 2026, a year expected to see intense diplomatic engagement and multiple high-level meetings across India.

“The meeting underscored the growing alignment between New Delhi and Pretoria at a time when both nations are seeking to reshape global institutions, secure fair access to critical technologies and minerals and deepen developmental partnerships across the Global South,” the official added.