The World Is Interdependent - So Why Isn't It Fair | Cape Town Conversation 2025

Opening Plenary | The World Is Interdependent - So Why Isn't It Fair

The close of 2025 is also an inflection point for the world. Over the past year, fragile efforts at peace have taken flight, and trade policy and connections have been redrawn; the coming year will determine how geopolitical and geo-economic boundaries and partnerships can be sustainably redrawn. Commerce has become the site of great-power contestation, and the coming year will determine whether powers that want it to be refocused on growth and development will succeed in shifting the narrative. Meanwhile, aspirations for new connectivity that links the growth engines of the 21st century with each other are being addressed; going forward, we will learn how and where new corridors for trade and investment will be built and financed. And, while the fraying of the old order has re-ignited frozen conflicts across the world, next year will tell us whether compromises are possible, and how effectively we can ensure both accountability and rebuilding.

In this new world, it is the actions of previously unheard powers that will determine the future. Nations in the African continent and the Indo-Pacific, the source of the materials, people, and ideas that propel future growth, will demand a voice in whatever settlements 2025 achieves. Those that once underwrote the global order but now wish to exploit it will be challenged by those who seek a fairer and more democratised sharing of both benefits and burdens.

This panel discussion will take stock of the year’s defining disruptions as we look ahead to 2026, examining how conflict, commerce, and connectivity will intersect to shape global stability, economic opportunity, and African nations’ strategic role in a rapidly reordering world.

What were the most consequential geopolitical and economic shifts of 2025, and how will they influence global stability in 2026?

What effect will peace-making, in Africa, West Asia, and Europe, have on energy markets, strategic corridors, and global commerce? What are the prospects for its success, who will pay to rebuild, and how can we ensure accountability?

How are capricious trade policies and supply-chain realignments reshaping trade flows for Africa and the Global South?
Speakers

Anand Sharma, Former Minister of Commerce and Industry, India

Abla Abdel Latif, Executive Director and Director of Research, The Egyptian Centre for Economic Studies, Egypt

Werner Fasslabend, President, Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy, Austria

Nelson Muffuh, United Nations Resident Coordinator, South Africa

Moderator

Max Boqwana, Chief Executive Officer, Thabo Mbeki Foundation, South Africa

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