News Briefs 03 October 2025
South Africa’s G20 Presidency
Europe is fully behind South Africa to make the South Africa’s G20 presidency a success
President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission met President Ramaphosa in New York on 24 September 2025 in the margins of the 80th UN General Assembly. President von der Leyen commented after the meeting:
“A pleasure to meet my dear friend Cyril Ramaphosa.
We discussed the great geopolitical challenges of our time, from Ukraine to the Middle East.
Europe is fully behind you to make your G20 presidency a success.
I’m looking forward to our Global Gateway Forum in Brussels. We are working on a strong investment package for South Africa.
To create jobs and growth in South Africa and strengthen our partnership further.”
The second edition of the Global Gateway Forum will take place on 9-10 October 2025 in Brussels. Building on the success of the inaugural Forum in 2023, which highlighted the European Union’s external investment initiatives, this year’s event will focus on advancing global connectivity in the face of geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges.
The Forum will bring together high-level representatives from governments, financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society to explore innovative strategies for scaling up Global Gateway investments in partner countries.
European Union Parliament 29 September 2025
China expresses strong backing for South Africa’s G20 presidency at National Day celebration
As South Africa prepares to host the first G20 Leaders’ Summit on African soil in November, the People’s Republic of China has reiterated its firm support for Pretoria’s presidency and the upcoming gathering in Johannesburg.
The summit, scheduled for 22–23 November at the Nasrec Expo Centre, will bring together leaders of the world’s largest economies, alongside the African Union and invited guests. It will be held under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”, reflecting South Africa’s priorities of inclusive growth, food security, and innovation — including the governance of artificial intelligence.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has stressed that these issues are central to both Africa and the wider developing world, describing the summit as an opportunity to place the needs of the Global South firmly on the global agenda.
At a celebration in Johannesburg marking the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Consul General Pan Qingjiang said the relationship between China and South Africa was best described as “comrades plus brothers.”
“We are both important members of the Global South. Under the leadership of the two heads of state, the all-round strategic cooperative partnership in a new era between China and South Africa has continuously borne new fruits,” said Pan.
IOL 30 September 2025
Push for G20 to back inclusive energy systems for Africa
South Africa – which currently holds the G20 Presidency – is advocating for a G20 action agenda focused on prioritising affordable and inclusive energy systems across the continent.
During the Global Energy Leaders Forum, held at the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025pre-conference this week, the nation presented its 10-year infrastructure plan, highlighting the need for a multi-resource approach to advance energy security across Africa.
In this ESI Africa webinar, we interrogated the viewpoint created of Africa’s credit risk rating as risky, based on the judgment of companies domiciled thousands of kilometres away
The 10-year plan sets out several objectives, including:
- continental integration
- energy security
- optimising resources and costs
- subsidiarity and political support
- private sector participation
The plan identifies 19 projects in advanced stages that require $19 billion to complete; five projects with completed feasibility studies in need of further investment; and 28 projects either without preparation support or still at an early stage of development.
Organisers said the plan represents a significant opportunity for global investors while showcasing the scale of Africa’s potential.
ESI Africa 01 October 2025
Africa’s borrowing costs are too high: the G20’s missed opportunity to reform rating agencies
One of the commitments the South African presidency of the G20 made in its policy priorities document at the beginning of 2025 was to push for fairer, more transparent sovereign credit ratings. And to address the high cost of capital caused by an elusive perception of high risk in developing economies.
South Africa proposed to establish a commission to look into the cost of capital. In particular, to investigate the issues that impair the ability of low- and middle-income countries to access sufficient, affordable and predictable flows of capital to finance their development.
For many in Africa, this was more than a bureaucratic statement. It represented the first real chance for countries in the global south to challenge the entrenched power of international credit rating agencies through the G20. Through the influence of their opinions, Moody’s, S&P Global Ratings, and Fitch Ratings are at the centre of driving the high cost of borrowing in Africa.
But the window of opportunity for advances to be made on this is narrowing. The South African government and the country’s business community have not used the opportunity provided by the G20 presidency to press for reforms that could reduce Africa’s borrowing costs and strengthen its financial sovereignty.
Misheck Mutize The Conversation 29 September 2025
G20: SA tries to rally middle powers and reset global trust
In this episode of Mandates & Megaphones, Jeremy Maggs speaks to Professor Richard Calland, associate professor of public law at the University of Cape Town.
Calland argues that so-called “middle powers” must step up to preserve multilateralism. He calls for a European reset with Africa, tougher guardrails on carbon markets, and urgent progress on sustainable finance.
Middle powers and the shifting balance of global power
Calland sets the stage by redefining power in today’s geopolitical landscape. He notes that the traditional great powers – Russia, the United States, and China – are locked in competition, while a “mezzanine level” of states like India, Japan, France, and Germany sits between these giants and the rest. Beneath this tier, middle powers such as South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia, and Mexico occupy a pivotal but precarious position.
“Middle powers who have a lot of power, if they work together, need to step into that gap and shore up the institutions we need for collective action,” he says.
For Calland, middle powers are not passive players but potential anchors of stability. By acting in concert, they could preserve the international norms established since the Second World War, which are now under severe strain.
South Africa’s burden of leadership
As G20 president, South Africa faces a historical responsibility. Calland acknowledges doubts over the country’s capacity, skill, and moral authority, but insists that it cannot shirk its role.
“Whether it likes it or not, it’s South Africa’s responsibility to try… It’s South Africa’s destiny to be president of the G20 at this particular moment in history.”
Moneyweb 29 September 2025
South Africa: The “Rainbow Nation” in the G20
South Africa has existed as a unified territory since European colonisation, but achieved true democracy only on 27 April 1994, when all South Africans voted in the country’s first fully democratic elections.
This historic transition marked the end of apartheid and the beginning of majority rule under President Nelson Mandela.
The current political system was established in 1996 with the adoption of the world’s most progressive constitution, with extensive human rights protections.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has served as South Africa’s head of state and government since 15 February 2018.
He was re-elected for a second term on 14 June 14 2024, following the African National Congress’s formation of a Government of National Unity with opposition parties after losing its Parliamentary majority.
Under the constitutional democracy, Ramaphosa serves as both head of state and government, elected by the National Assembly to lead the executive branch.
South Africa maintains its position as Africa’s largest economy with a GDP of around USD 400.26 billion in 2024.
eNCA 02 October 2025
G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit to discuss parliamentary responses to global challenges
President Cyril Ramaphosa will officially open the 11th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20), which will bring together Speakers of Parliament and Presiding Officers from G20 member countries to discuss parliamentary responses to global challenges.
Kleinmond in the Western Cape, located about an hour and 20 minutes outside of Cape Town, will be a hive of activity this week with Parliament hosting the summit from 1 to 3 October 2025 at the Arabella Hotel.
The landmark event coincides with South Africa’s G20 Presidency and the recent inclusion of the African Union as a member of the G20. The summit will provide the country and the African continent with an opportunity to lead discussions that shape global governance and legislative priorities.
The summit is also expected to draw international attention to the country and provide a platform to engage in parliamentary diplomacy.
This year’s Speakers’ Summit will be held under the theme: “Harnessing Parliamentary Diplomacy for the Realisation of Global Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”.
The theme highlights the role parliaments can play in driving inclusive, sustainable and collaborative solutions to global challenges, advancing shared responsibility for shared prosperity.
In the lead-up to the event, the 2nd P20 Meeting of Women Parliamentarians and the P20 Young Parliamentarians Conference will also be held in Kleinmond from 29 to 30 September 2025.
The P20 Meeting of Women Parliamentarians is a platform for dialogue, focusing on gender equality (Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5) and reducing inequalities (SDG 10). The P20 Meeting of Young Parliamentarians ensures youth perspectives are included in discussions.
IOL 28 October 2025