Edition December 2024 / January 2025

Brazil officially transferred the presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) to South Africa at the closing ceremony of the 2024 annual summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024.

This marks a historic moment, as South Africa becomes the first African nation to assume the G20 presidency. The country has planned approximately 130 meetings as part of its agenda for the upcoming year.

The ceremonial handover was conducted by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who both struck the ceremonial society groups and convened the first-ever G20 Social Summit.

“South Africa firmly believes that civil society serves as a bridge between the G20 leaders and the people who have the greatest interest in their deliberations,” said the President.

He committed to maintaining this innovative platform for engagement throughout the country’s presidency.

He expressed his belief that efforts during Brazil’s presidency have tackled some of the world’s most urgent global challenges.

President Ramaphosa praised the increased attention on the development agenda for developing countries and said they would build on the work that has already begun.

“We applaud all G20 members, led by Brazil, in finalising the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders’ Declaration, which outlines the actions we must take together to build a better world. We appreciate that once sufficient consensus was reached on the declaration, members who still had points of disagreement did not stand in the way of adopting the declaration,” the President said.

Global economic growth

The Head of State said South Africa is committed to advancing the G20’s efforts to achieve greater global economic growth and sustainable development.

“We will work to ensure no one is left behind,” said President Ramaphosa, adding that South Africa will strive to harness global collective efforts to ad- dress the challenges worsened by the fragility of global solidarity, crippling underdevelopment, and increasing inequality.

He announced that South Africa had adopted the G20 presidency theme of “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.”

“In line with this theme, we will seek to strengthen and advance our common pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Pact for the Future.”

He emphasised that achieving the SDGs by 2030 should be a priority for the next five G20 Presidencies.

“Through our G20 Presidency, we will seek to strengthen solidarity. Whether it is in Gaza, Sudan or Ukraine, we must all stand in solidarity with those people who are facing hardship and suffering,” the President said.

He expressed his support for nations that are most vulnerable to pandemics and other global public health crises, highlighting that many countries in Africa are currently facing Mpox outbreaks that require urgent international action.

He emphasised that through the country’s G20 Presidency, they will address inequality, a major threat to global economic growth and stability.

“The disparities in wealth and development within and between countries are unjust and unsustainable. They show themselves in the lack of predict- able and sustainable financing and capacity building for climate action,” he said.

He added that they were using the moment to firmly place the development priorities of the African continent and the Global South on the G20 agenda. The focus areas include inclusive economic growth, industrialisation, employment, inequality and food security.

“South Africa looks forward to working with all G20 members and invited guests and I am honoured to welcome you all to South Africa in the year ahead,” said President Ramaphosa.

G20 community outreach

Meanwhile, back home, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has urged South Africans to engage with G20 initiatives aimed at creating jobs, improving healthcare and fighting poverty.

He said this at a G20 community outreach at Mahlale High School in Acornhoek, Ehlanzeni in Mpumalanga. He was joined by Acting Mpumalanga Premier Sasekani Manzini, officials and ambassadors.

Representatives of foreign diplomatic missions accredited to South Africa (ambassadors) also participated in the activities by handing over IT equipment to the school.

Lamola used the occasion to popularise South Africa’s foreign policy objectives and how these relate to the achievement of domestic priorities.

South Africa assumes the presidency of the G20 on 1 December 2024.

“This platform gives us an opportunity, as a country, to put our issues on the global stage [including the] issues that are affecting you here as the community of Bushbuckridge in the district of Ehlanzeni in Mpumalanga and South Africa as a whole. “Issues of unemployment, inequality, access to finance, climate change, tourism, artificial intelligence, and other day-to-day issues will now [be under the] spotlight,” Lamola said.

The Minister said the province is well placed to make a number of inputs into debates and discussions that will ensue during South Africa's presidency of the G20.

“You are also better placed [with regards to] tourism. As the Acting Premier said, you are adjacent to... the Kruger National Park, Sudwala Caves, Echo Caves, God’s window and many other areas of tourism. These are also spaces for your contribution as a province and as the people of South Africa.

“So, this platform [the G20] is in such a way that everyone is able to make a contribution and ourselves as International Relations, we will create that bridge that will enable you to make this contribution,” the Minister said.

International relations

Lamola highlighted the role of his department in addressing global conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Gaza through dialogue.

He explained that the country is actively involved in international relations, with its military in the DRC to facilitate peace and stability and is committed to contributing to the cessation of conflict in the Middle East.