Ramaphosa develops a spine, declines Nairobi Summit attendance

South Africa is taking a firmer stance on what it views as outdated "summit diplomacy," with President Cyril Ramaphosa opting not to attend the upcoming France-Africa Summit in Nairobi, signalling a shift in how Pretoria engages with European-led multilateral gatherings.

The summit, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto, is scheduled for next month in Nairobi.

South African officials say the decision reflects broader discomfort with what they describe as the practice of "summoning" African leaders en masse to single-country summits, arguing that it undermines Africa's sovereign equality and the role of the African Union.

A senior government official said African states should be engaged through structured bloc-to-bloc relations rather than broad, one-off invitations.

"The EU operates as a trade bloc. We don't meet all the heads of state at once; we meet the heads of the bloc. The same must be done with us," the official said.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa's absence was due to a pre-existing schedule, including domestic election-related commitments, and denied any diplomatic boycott.

"It's due to prior commitments that the president is not attending the Nairobi summit," Magwenya said, adding that the decision was not linked to tensions with France or other Western partners.

The move comes amid wider diplomatic sensitivities following South Africa's exclusion from a recent G7-related engagement in France, although officials have downplayed any connection between the two developments.

Analysts say the decision reflects a broader recalibration in South Africa's foreign policy as it seeks to prioritise key multilateral platforms such as the African Union, BRICS, and the G20, while placing greater emphasis on sovereignty and strategic engagement.

While Pretoria insists it remains open to constructive bilateral relations with France and other partners, the stance signals growing resistance to what it sees as asymmetrical diplomatic practices that fail to recognise Africa's individual states and institutional frameworks.

For now, South Africa will not be represented at the highest level in Nairobi, but officials say engagement will continue through alternative diplomatic channels.