News Briefs 29 August 2025
South Africa’s G20 Presidency (2025)
South Africa’s Presidency enters last 100 days before G20 Summit
With more than half of the country’s G20 meetings having already taken place, South Africa’s Presidency of the grouping has entered the last 100 days.
The government is now counting down to the leaders’ summit in November.
But it remains unclear whether US President Donald Trump, who is expected to take over the Presidency, will attend.
With 87 out of the 132 meetings on the G20 calendar already crossed off, G20 working groups are now seized with negotiations on ministerial declarations and outcomes.
While the development working group and the employment working group have already achieved this, the finance track is not quite there, having only agreed to a communique on macro-economic issues.
The next round of ministerial meetings will take place next month, with key meetings on food security and industrialisation and agriculture to take place in Egypt and Nigeria, respectively.
Of particular significance is the second meeting of foreign ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the 25th of next month.
With preparations towards the leaders’ declaration also underway, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola says while all leaders are naturally invited, it’s yet unclear who will come to the November summit.
“If President Trump sends somebody else, it’s his decision. We will proceed with the G20 Leaders’ summit with or without President Trump. It’s an unpredictable situation.”
Meanwhile, Lamola said he believes Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend.
EWN 28 August 2025
The G20 Presidency of South Africa today launched a new Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts – commissioned by the President of South Africa, H.E. Mr Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, and chaired by Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz – which will deliver the first-ever report on global inequality to G20 world leaders since its inception.
The Extraordinary Committee is launched amid macroeconomic fears that global wealth and income inequality, which was already very high, is set to sharply accelerate.
Recent analysis shows that the world’s richest 1 per cent have increased their wealth by more than US$33.9 trillion in real terms since 2015 – more than enough to eliminate annual global poverty 22 times over.
New shocks to global trade patterns, international financing and critical minerals flows, along with the intensification of problems created by sovereign debt overhang and imbalanced tax regimes, are creating uncertainties for policymakers, consumers and firms, and look likely to deepen the divide.
Inequality of this scale poses a serious systemic risk to global economic, social and political progress.
The six independent experts are Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz (USA); Dr Adriana E. Abdenur (Brazil); Ms Winnie Byanyima (Uganda); Professor Jayati Ghosh (India); Professor Imraan Valodia (South Africa); and Dr Wanga Zembe-Mkabile (South Africa).
The experts will report on the state of wealth and income inequality, their impacts on growth, poverty, and multilateralism, and present a menu of effective solutions for leaders.
The Presidency (RSA) 28 August 2025
Leveraging G20 presidency: South Africa’s path to bridging the digital divide
The experts have weighed in on the digital economy and digital divide in the G20, giving voice to where exactly South Africa finds itself in the global geo-digital landscape and what it can learn from other countries.
South Africa’s G20 presidency takes place when the world is facing a series of overlapping and mutually reinforcing crises, including climate change, underdevelopment, inequality, poverty, hunger, unemployment, technological changes, and geopolitical instability.
The country has embraced the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability” for its G20 presidency, but has also incorporated the spirit of Ubuntu.
On the G20 website, it states: “Countries that attempt to prosper alone amid widespread poverty and underdevelopment contradict the essence of Ubuntu and our collective humanity.”
IOL 23 August 2025
South Africa is the first African country to lead the influential group of the world’s largest economies, known as the G20. South Africa’s G20 Presidency provides global visibility in all provinces as the country prepares to give world leaders an ubuntu welcome to this premier forum in November.
As we host the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which will be convened under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”, we seek to build the nation, continent and the world we dream of, through equal opportunities for growth that will impact generations to come.
The G20 features major economies, comprising two-thirds of the global population, which represents 85 per cent of global GDP and 75 per cent of international trade. The grouping holds major influence in the world and remains key in ensuring that all nations can develop based on solidarity, equity and sustainability, which is also the theme for the G20 in South Africa.
G20 provides a platform for world leaders to work together to identify solutions for global challenges and formulate pathways for global economic stability and development.
Over and above the obvious vast economic benefits, the G20 is more than just a global economic forum. It presents a crucial opportunity to ignite social transformation across the globe, including South Africa. This is a historic moment for South Africa as we preside over the G20 Presidency this year. We are a nation known for its transformation story, and the platform will provide us with an opportunity to share our knowledge and stories with a view to inspiring change throughout the world.
Equal opportunities and fair treatment are particularly imperative for nations in Africa and the global South, who are still grappling with the devastating consequences of centuries of deprivation from socio-economic opportunities, culminating in underdevelopment, hunger and unemployment.
Reducing inequalities and ensuring no one is left behind is high on the G20 agenda and is integrated into key discussions, as we endeavour to mobilise inclusive growth and support for developing countries.
SA Government News 27 August 2025
Climate disasters are escalating: 6 ways South Africa’s G20 presidency can lead urgent action
South Africa currently holds the presidency of the G20 – the group of 19 of the world’s largest economies and the African Union. It has set up a Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group to find concrete solutions for countries experiencing climate-induced disasters that are made worse by poverty and inequality. Disaster risk management specialists Olivia Kunguma and Johannes Belle discuss what’s needed from the G20 this year to make a difference.
What are the biggest obstacles to reducing the risks that disasters pose?
There have been multiple disasters in South Africa over the past year. All of these confirm the urgent need to put improved disaster risk reduction plans in place. For example, in 2024, a foodborne disease outbreak claimed over 22 lives and led to more than 3,000 reported cases nationwide.
Also in 2024, several people died due to extreme cold weather, and a national disaster was declared in seven of South Africa’s nine provinces because of thunderstorms, floods, high winds and hailstorms.
In February 2025, severe flooding resulted in 22 fatalities and caused approximately R3 billion (US$170.4 million) worth of damage. Most recently, a catastrophic flood claimed over 100 lives and caused an estimated R5.1 billion (US$289.7 million) in infrastructure damage.
Our research has identified many problems with South Africa’s approach to reducing the risks posed by climate change-related disasters. For example, disaster management centres are placed as a line function within government departments. As a line function of a department, their powers are limited. Their abilities to coordinate disaster responses across government departments and with external agencies are also curtailed.
The Conversation 27 August 2025