South Africa’s vision for G20 deliberations and outcomes to resonate with the rest of the continent has given Africa strategic visibility under the umbrella of this high-level initiative.
The themes of the year-long presidency – solidarity, equality and sustainability – frame South Africa’s leadership as not purely state-led, but broadly focused on development and inclusion.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has been a continuing central theme throughout South Africa’s 2025 presidential term, appearing in numerous statements, ministerial meetings, working groups and Africa-focused side meetings.
The final declaration issued by the G20, read out by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the end of the Leaders’ Summit, directly links G20 trade and investment cooperation to the implementation of the AfCFTA.
Recognized that regional economic integration, including the AfCFTA, is a key enabler of economic growth, resilience, investment and development.
The declaration referred to the “G20 Africa Cooperation Agenda on Trade and Investment” promoted by the South African President’s Office. This is a voluntary, non-binding initiative and has no legal force, but it provides a roadmap for cooperation and investment.
The aim is to mobilize investment in Africa’s productive sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals, and infrastructure with a focus on regional infrastructure.
The agenda includes a number of existing initiatives and will be overseen by the African Union and the African Development Bank.
Africa has a greater voice at the table through its member states of the African Union, and was represented this year by the President of Angola as the current AU Chair. The first AU summit was held in 2024 under the Brazilian Presidency.
SA has long called for reform of global financial institutions, greater representation of the Global South, and recognition of Africa’s economic importance.
South Africa became a founding member of the G20 in 1999, chosen for having the most sophisticated and diversified economy on the African continent.
Over the past few years, Africa has pushed for membership in the AU to give the continent a greater voice. The lobbying efforts were successful, and the AU was granted permanent membership at the G20 summit to be held in India in 2023.
The Johannesburg leaders’ summit was attended by 42 countries and institutions, many of them presidents and government officials from other African countries, including Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Egypt, Namibia and Ethiopia.
The government said Prime Minister Ramaphosa met with many of them on the sidelines of major events and in other forums to ensure that the G20’s legacy was consistent with Africa’s development aspirations.
Nigeria became the first country outside South Africa to host the G20 meeting this year. It was the G20 Africa Outreach Conference on Industrialization and Agriculture.
Common problems in Africa
AfCTA has been a central thread running through the discussions, touching on many of the projects and initiatives announced at and around the G20, and covering many other common issues affecting the entire continent.
These include industrialization, climate financing, debt sustainability, and reform of global financial institutions, aimed at easing the burden on African countries and promoting growth and development.
South Africa has established a cross-cutting G20 task force on issues important to Africa, including inclusive economic growth, food security and artificial intelligence.
Inequality was a key theme at the event. South Africa commissioned an ad hoc committee of independent experts on global inequality, chaired by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, to produce the first G20 report on global inequality.
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe are among the most unequal countries in the world, and the Stiglitz report shows that global inequality is worsening, with the richest 1% gaining 41% of new wealth between 2020 and 2024, compared to just 1% for the bottom 50%.
The Africa Engagement Framework is another continental initiative promoted under the G20. The multi-year initiative aims to deepen and institutionalize G20 support for Africa’s economic and financial development. This also underpins the essence of AfCFTA.
The goal of this legacy initiative is to align G20 financial and economic support with Africa’s development priorities through coordinated and systemic engagement, rather than simply on a project-by-project basis.
The initiative was formally endorsed by G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in October 2025, with South Africa committed to coordinating and funding the initiative until 2030.
The G20 Compact with Africa, a complementary initiative created in 2017, entered its second phase (2025-2033) at an event in Johannesburg, with new funding pledged to mobilize investment in Africa and support structural and business environment reforms.
For African member states to benefit from reforms, they must meet reform criteria. Zambia and Angola are the newest members, with the World Bank and African Development Bank acting as coordinators and facilitators.
legacy project
Industrialization was another important platform, mainly focused on important minerals. South Africa has pursued significant minerals initiatives that focus on value addition, beneficiation and comprehensive supply chains, rather than just mining.
The G20 Critical Minerals Framework emerged from the South African process. It is a voluntary blueprint for international cooperation and provides a template for African countries to follow when pursuing opportunities related to critical minerals.
The Ubuntu Legacy Initiative is another Africa-focused legacy project that fosters cross-border infrastructure development, including a toolkit created by the African Development Bank.
Climate issues were a large part of the final G20 declaration. Issues raised were the need to scale up climate finance, build capacity and transfer technology to developing countries so that African countries can access more concessional finance focused on climate change.
South Africa raised resilience to disasters (particularly natural disasters caused by climate change) as a G20 leadership challenge, and strongly argued that vulnerable countries (many in Africa) need more support.
The final declaration committed the G20 to investing in disaster financing mechanisms such as insurance, risk pools, catastrophe bonds, and contingent credits to support countries facing increasing climate-related disasters. They also reaffirmed their support for a Just Transition Pathway to help African countries transition to a low-carbon and sustainable model.
Infrastructure is also on the menu, with the Ubuntu Legacy Initiative being one of South Africa’s legacy projects. The goal is to use the toolkit developed by the African Development Bank to help countries overcome common barriers in infrastructure construction, accelerate Africa’s cross-border infrastructure, and foster regional integration and economic development.
These are among the initiatives discussed, committed or developed under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, ensuring that Africa’s own issues, needs and challenges remain in the spotlight throughout the year and continue through legacy projects.
