On July 28, in Pretoria, South Africa, the Valdai Discussion Club in partnership with the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) held the 3rd Russian-African Conference titled: “Realpolitik in a Divided World: Rethinking Russia-South Africa Ties in a Global and African Context”. First session to critically examined these emerging dynamics and explored how both the BRICS and G20 platforms can be leveraged to promote sustainable, inclusive growth for the Global South.