Has South Africa Overtaken Nigeria as Africa’s Giant?

For decades, the term ‘Giant of Africa’ has been synonymous with Nigeria. With a population estimated at over 237 million people, at one point the continent’s largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in nominal terms, vast oil reserves, and a legacy of regional leadership, Nigeria has long been seen as the leader of Africa. From forming the backbone of peacekeeping operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone, to spearheading the creation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) 50 years ago and influencing continental diplomacy, Nigeria projected itself as a powerful state, at the epicentre of post-colonial Africa.

Yet the 21st century has quietly disrupted Nigeria’s outright dominance. Post-apartheid South Africa—less populous, seemingly less economically troubled, and geographically remote from Africa’s traditional power fulcrum—has emerged as a powerful co-claimant to, or even usurper of, the continental leadership mantle. Its active role in global forums such as the Group of 20 (G20) and BRICS (now comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates); its energetic presence at the United Nation and its controversial legal confrontation with Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) since 2023 on charges of genocide in Gaza, all demonstrate a state that has overcome significant domestic impediments to be taken as an important international player. As the sole African country in the G20 (having successfully lobbied for the African Union (AU) to get a permanent seat), hosting the G20 summit in November 2025 is a strong symbol of South Africa’s influence and its representation of the global South.