Denmark's Queen Margrethe (C) gives a toast to German Chancellor Angela Merkel (3rd L), U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon (L), China's Premier Wen Jiabao (3rd R), South Africa's President Jacob Zuma (2nd R), Mexico's President Felipe Calderon (R) and other guests during a dinner at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen December 17, 2009.
As the economic powerhouse of sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa has long dreamt of being a global player since the end of apartheid – and been frustrated by the fascination of so many economists with the big four emerging economies, the so-called BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), to the exclusion of South Africa.
Now, however, South Africa is daring to dream again, as is Jacob Zuma, its sometimes controversial leader, who just may have found a compelling geopolitical theme for his nine-month-old presidency.
Much has been made of the dramatic final evening at December’s climate change conference in Copenhagen when Barack Obama paid a call on the Chinese delegation, only to find that a meeting was already under way between Chinese, Brazilian, Indian, and South African leaders. Read the rest of this entry »
South Africa’s decision to block a $23 billion merger between MTN Group Ltd. and India’s Bharti Airtel Ltd. may indicate President Jacob Zuma favors more state involvement in the economy to protect jobs and local industries. 
