Although South Africa and India share a long-standing relationship, there is considerable scope to explore what closer cooperation could mean amid changing global, economic and climate dynamics.
But beneath the cultural affinities lies a significant diplomatic relationship, shaped by shared histories and increasingly common interests. South Africa and India have found sustained areas of convergence on climate and energy, the interests of the Global South, medical diplomacy from the HIV/AIDS response to COVID-19, and reform of the global trading system through the World Trade Organization. Even sport, particularly cricket, provides an unusual but powerful dimension to people-to-people ties.
As the geopolitical landscape shifts, this relationship is taking on renewed importance. Both countries are navigating a more contested and multipolar world, seeking greater agency for the Global South while balancing relationships with competing powers and institutions.
In this talk, Dr Prabhat Upadhyaya will explore how South Africa-India relations have evolved, what sustains their enduring partnership, and where the relationship might go next. Beyond the familiar references to BRICS and cricket bats, it will ask whether this important South-South partnership can translate strong political alignment into deeper and more consequential cooperation in a changing world order.
Nevertheless, there is a striking paradox: although South Africa and India often align politically, the economic, commercial, and broader practical potential of the relationship remains significantly underdeveloped.
Speaker
- Dr Prabhat Upadhyaya, Senior Adviser for Africa-India Cooperation: African Climate Foundation (ACF)
Dr Upadhyaya is the senior adviser on multilateral affairs and leads Africa-India cooperation at the ACF. In 2025, he led the ACF’s G20 engagement strategy during South Africa’s G20 Presidency, supporting the South African government and organisations, including SAIIA.
Dr Upadhyaya has worked at the interface of diplomacy, research and advocacy on climate and energy policy for two decades, including with WWF South Africa for close to five years. In India, he served as the senior policy specialist on climate and energy with India’s G20 Secretariat during its 2023 presidency. He has also worked at Indian Think Tanks, the Centre for Policy Research and the Energy and Resources Institute. He holds a PhD from Linköping University, Sweden, and a master’s in forestry management from the Indian Institute of Forest Management and is a Humboldt Fellow.
We look forward to your participation.
