SAIIA Senior Researcher Gustavo de Carvalho, breaks down the real story behind BRICS payment systems, de-dollarisation myths, and South Africa’s strategic autonomy in navigating US tensions. This isn’t about choosing sides, it’s about economic cooperation and trade diversification in a multipolar world.
Gustavo explains why BRICS expansion focuses on currency diversification as risk management, not economic warfare against the US dollar. The Global South seeks complementary financial tools—BRICS Pay, Pan-African payment platforms, and bilateral arrangements—to reduce vulnerability in the global financial system while maintaining international trade relationships. South Africa’s foreign policy isn’t neutrality—it’s strategic autonomy. Learn how this distinction shapes South Africa’s role as a bridge between competing powers, managing tensions with the United States while strengthening BRICS currency initiatives and championing African Union representation at the G20 summit 2025.
