G20 in South Africa : can a historic summit really reshape global governance ?
On 22–23 November 2025, Johannesburg will host the first G20 Summit ever organized in Africa. With the motto “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” the South African Presidency (1 December 2024 – 30 November 2025) intends to place the continent’s priorities at the heart of global financial architecture reform. But between symbolism, immense expectations, and persistent power dynamics, will this historic event be a turning point or just another promise ?
By Bylkiss Mentari, Johannesburg
For the first time since its creation in 1999, the G20 will hold its annual summit on African soil. Without the announced participation of Donald Trump but with confirmed participation from 42 countries and organizations, the event is all the more strategic as it comes two years after the admission of the African Union as a permanent member of the group during the New Delhi summit in 2023, a decision presented as a “historic correction” aimed at giving the continent a more representative voice. The choice of Johannesburg therefore marks both diplomatic recognition and an operational test: can Africa really have influence in a club that represents about 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population?
The South African Presidency sets the tone: “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”
The South African Presidency has set the tone: “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.” According to Pretoria, the goal is to place African development on the global agenda and advance urgent issues such as reforming international financial institutions, access to concessional financing, and expanding Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). The African Union has warmly welcomed this direction: “The African Union Commission warmly expresses its support for the Republic of South Africa as G20 Chair and welcomes the country for hosting the G20 Summit in Africa for the first time,” [au.int] emphasizes an official statement.
The message is clear: the continent intends to speak with one voice.
We must put the Global South’s needs at the center of decisions shaping the world economy
But behind this institutional momentum lie heavy expectations. Africa faces a debt wall, some of the highest borrowing costs in the world, and massive needs in infrastructure, clean energy, and industrialization. The G20 appears as a privileged space to demand deep reform of a financial system considered inadequate for Africa’s vulnerabilities. The South African Presidency has already announced it wants to defend faster and more flexible debt treatment mechanisms, as well as massive investments in the energy transition. “We must put the Global South’s needs at the center of decisions shaping the world economy,” a South African advisor confides.
Africa will need to speak with one voice if it hopes to influence G20 decision-making
The governance issue is just as decisive. The combined presence of South Africa and the African Union could theoretically strengthen the coherence of African advocacy. Former Nigerien Prime Minister Ibrahim Assane Mayaki nevertheless recalls the condition for this success: “Africa will need to speak with one voice if it hopes to influence G20 decision-making.”
A warning that underlines the complexity of representing fifty-five countries with sometimes divergent interests. Coordination between Pretoria and the AU will be a test of diplomatic maturity for the continent.
It remains to measure the limits of this exercise. G20 history shows that final declarations are often ambitious but not very binding. The major powers remain divided on key issues such as international taxation, IMF reform, or climate finance. In this context, the risk is that the Johannesburg summit becomes a symbolic showcase rather than a driver of change. Africa will therefore need to push for measurable commitments: financial amounts, execution timelines, monitoring mechanisms. The South African Presidency assures that it wants to avoid vague promises and demands “verifiable results.”
The summit is a symbol. History will tell if it becomes a turning point
After the summit, attention will turn to the final declaration of leaders, announcements of concrete financing, as well as sectoral initiatives that could accelerate the continent’s transformation, whether in digital infrastructure, pharmaceutical industry, or clean energy. But the essential question will remain Africa’s ability to turn this exceptional visibility into tangible gains. The summit is a symbol. History will tell if it becomes a turning point.
