News Briefs 22 August 2025
South Africa’s G20 Presidency
End of a Cycle? South Africa’s G20 Presidency and the Future of Global Cooperation
South Africa closes the first cycle of G20 presidencies with a call to refocus on development, equality and cooperation amid rising fragmentation in the global order.
South Africa’s presidency of the G20 brings to an end the first cycle of G20 summits since the first one in Washington, DC, in November 2008. Spawned by the global financial crisis, the global environment today is very different from that of 2008. Even before then, growing discontent because of rising inequality and a deepening disillusionment with the ability of democratic systems to deliver spurred the rise of populism and a turn of countries inward, away from what many considered to have exacerbated inequalities, such as open markets and globalisation.
The second Trump administration’s dismantling of accepted practices of international relations, its withdrawal from – or downplaying of – global institutions and the rejection of values like ‘solidarity, equality, and sustainability’ (at the core of South Africa’s focus for the 2025 G20) represent the peak of a two-decade-long shift.
Emerging out of the need for systemically important countries to cooperate on global economic challenges, regardless of their economic or political systems, the G20 today is at a critical juncture. Consensus lies at the heart of the G20’s working methods. But that requires an acceptance by all of the necessity of international cooperation, of the multilateral institutions and of the agreements and frameworks that states have adopted. Today, these are all being questioned – and not only by the US.
Polity.org 18 August 2025
How South Africa can leverage India’s playbook to co-create 1 million jobs through G20
In November 2025, Johannesburg will host the G20 Summit — the world’s most influential gathering of political and business leaders — alongside the second Future of Jobs Summit. This rare convergence of global attention and local action presents South Africa with a once-in-a-generation opportunity: to commit to and co-create one million new jobs by 2030.
The idea is not unprecedented. When India hosted the G20 in 2023, it turned the moment into a national economic accelerator, creating over a million jobs in under two years through targeted industry investment, fast-tracked infrastructure, and SME empowerment.
South Africa can follow — and even surpass — this example if we act decisively, align our national priorities, and work in true partnership across business, government, and labour.
The Power of Co-Creation
Co-creation is not a slogan. It’s a disciplined process where all key stakeholders come together to solve challenges that none can fix alone. We’ve seen it work here before. The 2010 FIFA World Cup united sectors to deliver the highest visitor satisfaction rating in tournament history and generated thousands of jobs. The lesson is clear: big, complex goals require big, collective action.
From G20 to the Future of Jobs Summit
The Inaugural Future of Jobs Summit hosted in May this year proved that South Africa’s job creation potential is real — but only when partnerships are deliberate and structured. CEOs, policymakers, and labour leaders identified practical ways to generate large-scale employment, from turning township manufacturing hubs into export engines to harnessing AI for mass upskilling.
This year’s Future of Jobs Summit, taking place on 7 November 2025 in Johannesburg, will coincide with the G20 plenary summit held two weeks later, creating a powerful platform to announce, launch, and scale job creation projects to both a domestic and international audience.
IOL 21 August 2025
How the G20 can trigger an African agricultural revival
The G20 meeting in South Africa — and its B20 dialogue forum with global business — can return African agriculture to the top of the agenda.
Global food systems are under immense strain. Climate change, geopolitical instability, rising protectionism and repeated supply chain disruptions are combining to jeopardise food security worldwide.
From 2019 to 2022, food insecurity surged by an astonishing 150%, with the harshest impacts felt by low- and middle-income countries. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, 46 million more people slipped into undernourishment during that time, an urgent reminder that the stakes have never been higher.
As chair of the B20 South Africa Sustainable Food Systems and Agriculture Task Force, African agriculture is at a pivotal crossroads. While the challenges are significant, this is also a moment to rethink, redesign and reinvest in the systems that feed our people and drive our economies. Agriculture is not a relic of the past; it is the foundation of Africa’s prosperity, and we must embrace it as such.
The B20’s 2025 agenda centres on three strategic imperatives: building resilience, fostering inclusion and accelerating sustainability. These are not abstract ideals. They are guiding principles for practical, transformative change. Enhancing productivity, especially for smallholder farmers, women and youth, must be matched by improved access to innovative technologies, inclusive finance models and climate-smart inputs. At the same time, scaling up sustainable practices is vital to nourish our populations without breaching planetary limits.
Africa’s agri-economies demonstrate enormous potential. Agriculture supports up to half of all jobs across the continent, yet contributes only a small proportion of GDP. This gap signals both a problem and a possibility. Other regions, such as Latin America and parts of Asia, have shown what targeted investment and effective policy reform can unlock. Africa is more than capable of following a similar trajectory if governments, businesses and civil society work together.
African Business 21 August 2025
Geopolitics vs. Development: G20-Africa Pushes a New Vision for the Global South
In an interview with Modern Diplomacy in mid-August 2025, Ms. Tandiwe Thelma Mgxwati, Minister Plenipotentiary and Charge d’Affaires a.i. at the South African Embassy, discussed South Africa’s presidency of the G20 and its influence on Africa in the context of geopolitical changes. Mgxwati further underlined the African Union’s full membership in the G20 as an important organisational instrument through which to seriously seek the G20’s support for infrastructure development, digital transformation, industrialisation, and innovation ecosystems—key elements of both Agenda 2063 and national development plans. Here are the interview excerpts:
What is the significance of South Africa’s presidency of the G20 in 2025?
Tandiwe Mgxwati: South Africa’s presidency of the G20 in 2025 is of profound historical and geopolitical significance. It marks the first time an African country has led the G20 at the summit level since its inception in 1999, and it coincides with the African Union’s recent inclusion as a permanent G20 member in 2023. The South African presidency symbolises a growing recognition of Africa’s role in the global economy and affirms the need for more inclusive and representative international governance frameworks. For South Africa, the presidency is a platform to assert the voice of the Global South and demonstrate leadership in shaping multilateral responses to shared challenges, including inequality, climate change, debt, and technology governance.
In institutional terms, South Africa’s presidency strengthens Africa’s ability to influence G20 policy outcomes and reform debates, particularly regarding the international financial architecture. It also consolidates South Africa’s profile as a credible bridge-builder between developed and developing economies. With the G20 Johannesburg Summit scheduled for 22-23 November 2025, this presidency presents an opportunity for Africa to shape global discussions on sustainable development and resilience in a time of polycrisis, while promoting solidarity between emerging economies and major powers. For the very same reasons, we are taking our G20 presidency to the African continent in three separate events planned for Egypt (on Food Security), Ethiopia (on the Compact with Africa), and Nigeria (on Industrialisation and Agriculture) later this year.
How does South Africa plan to push its own and that of Africa’s development ambitions within the context of the G20?
Tandiwe Mgxwati: South Africa has defined the overarching theme of its presidency as “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” capturing the urgent need to address historical development imbalances, promote inclusive growth, and respond to existential threats such as climate change. The country has identified three core task forces in the following fields: (1) Inclusive economic growth, industrialisation, and employment creation; (2) Food security (a critical issue for Africa); and (3) The governance and application of artificial intelligence and innovation for sustainable development. These priorities are fully aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
To ensure alignment with African development objectives, South Africa has established a structured engagement process with the African Union Commission and African institutions such as the African Development Bank. The G20 Africa Advisory Group, revitalised under South African leadership, serves as a platform for advancing African priorities within the G20 Sherpa Track. Furthermore, South Africa is promoting coordination with BRICS partners, G77 members, and regional economic communities of Africa to build a unified voice on key issues, including debt restructuring, concessional finance, and technology transfer. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is also being mainstreamed into G20 trade and investment discussions under South Africa’s chairmanship.
In the Finance track, we have also established a team to work on the Review of the Cost of Capital—a very important issue that needs special attention due to the heavy load carried by so many African countries when it comes to debt and the cost of serving it.
Modern Diplomacy 20 August 2025
G20 Summit called on to ‘spark long-term impact’ for Africa – Fuzile
We are determined to make this year’s G20 Summit in Johannesburg (and Business 20 forum) a truly African moment, not in isolation, but in partnership with the rest of the global community.
This requires striking a careful balance: ensuring Africa’s voice is amplified while continuing to build consensus among all G20 members. South Africa’s G20 presidency gives us a great opportunity to do just that.
When South Africa assumed the G20 presidency from Brazil, we inherited both a responsibility and a rare opportunity.
The task was not only to maintain the momentum generated under Brazil’s leadership, but also to inject the G20 agenda with distinctly African perspectives – reflecting our continent’s priorities, challenges and vast potential.
In support of the G20 objectives, the Business 20 or B20 Forum’s work streams have been developing inclusive, practical recommendations for the G20 to consider in their deliberations.
B20 task force
The B20 Finance and Infrastructure Task Force, where I have had the privilege of being the deputy-chair, has been working to develop recommendations which encourage and enable investment in infrastructure across all countries. The process has brought together ten co-chairs from different global regions, who were supported by more than 150 task force members. Importantly, this included representatives from across Africa’s diverse economic regions.
These experts and technocrats with deep experience in finance and infrastructure helped shape a collaborative, action-oriented agenda.
At the core of our work lies a fundamental truth: the challenges of finance and infrastructure are not exclusive to Africa – they are shared by many economies. However, Africa’s need is arguably the most urgent.
Transforming the continent demands bold investment in foundational infrastructure such as power, ports, rail, roads, and digital connectivity.
Moneyweb 20 August 2025
As South Africa celebrates Women’s Month and prepares to host the landmark 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit later this year, calls have been mounting for women to move beyond mere participation and become key drivers shaping the summit’s agenda and outcomes.
The summit, scheduled to take place on November 22-23, in Johannesburg, South Africa, will mark the first time the G20 will be held on African soil.
The gathering will bring together world leaders to address urgent global challenges, including inclusive economic growth, food security, climate finance, and debt relief for developing nations.
“As we host the G20 and lead various Working Groups, we must ensure that women are not watching from the sidelines; they must be at the centre,” said South Africa’s Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, at a Women’s Day Commemoration in the country’s Limpopo province last weekend.
She also called for women-owned businesses to be prioritised in the summit’s procurement processes. “When you procure for your G20 conferences, look no further than young women, women in rural and township economies, as well as young women with disabilities. They are ready, capable, and waiting to be included.”
Despite growing recognition of the importance of gender equality in previous G20 presidencies, including Indonesia, India, and Brazil, robust tracking mechanisms are lacking, which limits accountability and long-term impact, according to UN Women.
“The most prominent commitment is the 2014 ‘25×25 goal’ of reducing the gender gap in labour force participation by 25 per cent by 2025. As this deadline approaches, it serves as a critical test case for G20 accountability. However, other dimensions like unpaid care work, gender-based violence, and women’s leadership receive less attention,” says UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office Programme Analyst, Neo Mofokeng.
Forbes Africa 20 August 2025