Pretoria has called the ICJ's ruling a "decisive victory" for the international rule of law - but for South Africa it may also be a win for its diplomatic standing.
The court ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and do more to help civilians.
It has not yet ruled on the core of the case brought by South Africa - whether genocide has occurred in Gaza.
The ICJ has no way to enforce its decisions, but the case is nevertheless embarrassing for Israel and its allies in Brussels, London and Washington D.C.
South Africa's case, therefore, may have ruffled feathers amongst vital Western trading partners.
But it's also boosted South Africa's reputation as a champion of the Global South.
And according to analysts, the gamble is likely to pay off.
That's in part because of renewed competition for Africa's mineral resources.
China is wooing the continent with money, railways and tech transfers.
Steve Friedman of South Africa's Center for the Study of Democracy said if you start punishing South Africa then you're going to have to punish a lot of other African countries for supporting the Palestinians.
"If you do that," he said, "then you might as well send Xi Jinping a letter saying 'you've won'."
Underscoring that point, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken - who was in Angola on Thursday (January 25).
"Whether or not we have a disagreement," he said of the ICJ case, "one particular matter doesn't take away from the important work that we're doing together in so many other areas".
Israel's military operation has laid waste to much of the densely populated enclave and killed more than 26,000 Palestinians in nearly four months, according to Gaza health authorities.
It was triggered by Hamas's October 7 cross-border rampage in which, according to Israeli officials, 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 240 taken hostage.
Gaza has been under an Israeli-led blockade since Hamas took power in 2007, creating deep economic hardship.
South African officials often compare the Palestinian cause to their own battle against white-minority rule.
That's something Israel strongly disputes.
Nevertheless, South Africans are proud of the strong rule of law that emerged for their anti-apartheid struggle.
Chris Vandome, a senior southern Africa researcher at Chatham House, said that "seeing their judges on the bench of the ICJ wearing South African scarves is like watching the Springboks win the World Cup."
It could take years for those judges to hear the full genocide case.
But in the meantime, South Africa's projection of itself as a country not afraid to challenge the world order appears to have been boosted both at home and abroad.
