South Africa's historical hosting of the G20 Summit, which wraps up today, amplifies African priorities on the global stage at a time when the global spat between the United States and South Africa has intensified.
Fortunately, South Africa has refused to degenerate to the level of hostile diplomacy displayed by the US. South Africa finds itself in a difficult position where it is trying to salvage ties with the US while facing elements from within its borders who are invested in spirited campaigns to spread misinformation about transformation laws, a "genocide" of white farmers and the expropriation of land and property without compensation.
One would have expected those who consider themselves patriots, such as AfriForum and Solidarity, to realise the significance of the first G20 presidency on African soil.
With all his shortcomings, President Cyril Ramaphosa did right by not swaying to the US's diplomatic posture of snubbing the summit and dictating terms to attending countries.
The US's actions did more harm to its own standing on the global stage, where power is shifting.
South Africa should stand tall and feel proud of being the first African country to host the G20 Summit and being a champion of many issues that affect this continent.
The reports that Ramaphosa commissioned as part of his G20 presidency, like those on global inequality and Africa's high levels of debt, are important milestones. The panel's recommendation, that data and research should be combined to assess the effectiveness of the policies that are aimed at minimising inequality, give hope.
Stemming from this, an independent monitoring body was proposed to deal with inequality without needing a G20 resolution or the US's involvement.
The snub more than likely looks like the US's loss rather than South Africa's or the G20's, as many leaders descended on South Africa. The world saw how leaders of large economies embraced the G20 and put their heads together to try and make the world a better place.