Former diplomat Dr Kingsley Makhubela says the South African delegation in Davos, Switzerland, did not have a solid story to put forward.
The 56th annual World Economic Forum WEF was attended by more than 3000 leaders from around 130 countries.
The meeting came during one of the most complex geopolitical periods in history and at a time when many appeared to agree that multi-lateralism as it has been known for decades, is changing and weakening dramatically.