News Briefs 05 August 2025
South Africa’s G20 Presidency
G20 needs to fix debt revamp framework, top African banker says
The Group of 20 should consider improving its debt restructuring framework for poor nations, the former vice president of the African Development Bank said.
The G20 needs to “think about debt restructuring frameworks and how to make them work,” Swazi Tshabalala told a conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday, discussing the cost of capital, adding that the bloc needs to commit to firm timelines for implementation.
The G20’s Common Framework, established in 2020 to provide a coordinated approach to restructuring unsustainable debt for low-income countries, has been criticised for being too slow and politically fraught. Some debt reworks, such as those in Zambia and Ghana, have dragged on for years. It also doesn’t address nations saddled by high debt-service costs.
Her comments were made as South Africa is set to host leaders from the G20 at a summit in November as part of its presidency of the bloc. Africa’s largest economy has made easing the heavy debt burden of low-income nations a priority.
Tshabalala also urged multilateral institutions to collaborate to fast-track development on the continent, which needs $1.3 trillion annually by the end of 2030 to meet its sustainable development needs, at a time when the US and European nations are cutting aid.
“There has been very poor coordination on the continent on issues that would drive its development,” she said. “The World Bank is bigger than the African Development Bank in terms of operations on the continent, but if you look at the cooperation and collaboration between the two of them, they are more like competitors than they are collaborators.”
Moneyweb 06 August 2025
G20 South Africa 2025: A Defining Moment for the Nation and the Continent
South Africa is preparing to welcome the world in November 2025 as it hosts the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, a moment of national pride and continental significance. This milestone places South Africa, and by extension Africa, at the centre of global dialogue on economic growth, sustainable development, climate resilience, digital transformation, and multilateral cooperation.
In the words of South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile, South Africa’s goal is to promote mutually beneficial economic growth, create jobs and advance sustainable development for its partner nations.
The Group of Twenty, commonly known as the G20, is the world’s premier forum for economic cooperation. Representing more than 85% of global GDP, over 75% of world trade, and two-thirds of the planet’s population, the G20 convenes the most powerful economies to address pressing global challenges.
As the only African founding member of the G20, South Africa’s presidency could not be more timely or symbolic. At a time when the world is redefining recovery and resilience in the wake of geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and climate disasters, South Africa brings a grounded, inclusive voice to the table, one that reflects the aspirations of the Global South and the urgent developmental needs of the African continent.
The G20 countries’ ability to respond collectively to mounting challenges facing the multilateral system will determine both the speed of global recovery and the future of sustainable development.
Under the banner of “inclusive growth for a just world,” South Africa’s leadership is expected to spotlight issues such as financing for sustainable infrastructure, the global energy transition, youth employment, food security, digital inclusion, and equitable access to global markets. These are not only global concerns, but they are also everyday realities for millions across Africa.
eNCA 05 August 2025
South Africa’s G20: The Challenges and Opportunities of an African Presidency
South Africa holds the G20 presidency in 2025, making it the first time an African country has assumed this role. Its agenda reflects the evolving role and influence of Africa and the broader Global South in shaping the global debate. At the same time, the African Union – the G20’s newest member – is beginning to shape its role within the forum.
Yet, as the year progresses, South Africa’s G20 presidency unfolds against a backdrop of global turbulence and weakening multilateral cooperation, which continues to distract the international community’s focus.
As the G20 moves towards the Heads of State Summit in Johannesburg this November, key questions emerge: What is the shifting nature of Africa’s relationship with the G20? How are global dynamics reshaping the forum at this critical moment, and how is the international community responding?
ISPI 06 August 2025
From the iconic Kruger National Park, a historic moment unfolded as South Africa became the first African country to host a G20 Development Working Group (DWG) Ministerial Meeting. Held from 24–25 July 2025, this high-level engagement was chaired by Hon. Maropene Ramokgopa, Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, and marked a powerful shift in global development discourse towards the priorities of the Global South.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Skukuza Safari Lodge, the meeting brought together G20 Development Ministers, guest countries, and international organisations under the theme of South Africa’s G20 Presidency: “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.”
In her opening remarks, Minister Ramokgopa emphasised that the challenges of our time – climate change, fragile global supply chains, persistent inequality – cannot be tackled in silos.
“South Africa’s G20 Presidency is not just about convening meetings. It is about shifting the centre of gravity in global conversations and placing people and planet at the heart of development.”
G20.org 25 July 2025
B20/G20: Can business speak for Africa and be believed?
As South Africa prepares to host the G20 Summit for the first time on African soil, it also leads the influential B20 business engagement process. On this latest episode of the Mandates & Megaphones podcast, hosted by Jeremy Maggs in partnership with Standard Bank, Cas Coovadia, the country’s B20 Sherpa, joined to unpack South Africa’s role in the summit, what is at stake for the continent, and how the B20 is striving to be more than a ceremonial forum.
With global fragmentation, rising nationalism, and mounting scepticism about multilateral processes, Coovadia is clear-eyed about the challenge: this cannot be just another cycle of high-level meetings that yield little follow-through. He’s on a mission to make this year’s B20 a blueprint for impact, continuity, and African inclusion.
“We need to ensure that the B20 is more than just a talk show and that all the work we do is actually meaningful and beginning to create a change.”
At the heart of the B20’s shift is a commitment to implementation. This year, the South African team is working with Brazil (2024 host), the US (2026), and the UK (2027) to track recommendations beyond the summit and build a system of accountability. The absence of a permanent B20 secretariat has made a long-term impact difficult to achieve, but Coovadia believes that the current momentum could lay the groundwork for a more structured global mechanism.
A key part of South Africa’s B20 strategy is local engagement. A South African Business Advisory Council made up of CEOs will lobby domestically, while an international caucus of global executives will advocate in other G20 countries.
Moneyweb 02 August 2025