Countries around the world, including those in the African continent, should work together to build an "orderly multipolar world" which will benefit all, said South African researchers.

Laurence Caromba, researcher at Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, a think tank in South Africa, said a multipolar world, which is an "irresistible trend", promotes equality and inclusiveness, and Africa can play a bigger role in the process.

"After the Cold War, the international system was dominated by the United States and its allies but over time there has been tremendous growth in other countries like China and India and this has led to a new balance of power shift and distribution of wealth," Caromba said on the sidelines of a two-day conference to discuss the emergence of a multipolar world held in Johannesburg. The conference concluded on Friday.

"A multipolar world creates more space for new actors," he said.

Caromba said as the world moves from a unipolar to a multipolar system, Africa and the Global South should become active participants in reshaping the world order and advance the interests of their citizens.

Common interest

He said that despite the geopolitical tensions, there is still an "underlying common interest" to ensure the habitability of the planet, and its readiness to ensure the international trade benefits all.

Ronald Lamola, South African minister of international relations and cooperation, said in his address at the conference the world is witnessing geopolitical rivalry, which is evident in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, conflicts in the Middle East and other parts of Africa.

"The looming specter of geopolitical rivalries and wars casts a dark shadow over the people of Africa and the Global South, and indeed the entire world. We must approach the global community with a spirit of genuine partnership and unwavering accountability, fostering a world where mutual respect and cooperation reign supreme," he said.

Wu Peng, Chinese ambassador to South Africa, said China is willing to work with all countries, including the US, to ensure nations "prosper together".

"China wants peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, with respect for each other for the future of mankind. Multipolarity and globalization are unstoppable," he said, adding China wants peaceful development and it will never seek to challenge or replace anyone.

"We want to build a community of shared future for mankind."

Dennis Dlomo, former South African ambassador to Algeria and Mexico, said many countries are against a unipolar world, which was dominated by the US and its allies. Africa and many other countries in the Global South want their voices on global issues to be heard, he said.

Dlomo said: "There is a power shift from the West to the East. China is emerging as the most dynamic and growing economic power in the world. In its rise, it is engaging Africa robustly, having partnerships and signing strategic agreements."

He said the emergence of China is balancing the world, and it is different from the West, which was "exploitative" and aimed at "plundering and stealing African resources".

This shift from a unipolar to a multipolar system provides opportunities for Africa to "engage as a collective", and the Global South is also speaking with one voice. The emergence of BRICS and BRICS+ is not an accident, but a conscious effort, he said.

Vasu Gounden, executive director of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, said that amid the geopolitics, there are "normative values" everybody subscribes to, like reducing carbon emissions.

The Global South, which comprises three-quarters of the world's population, has a responsibility to reshape the world order, he added.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.