Ronald Lamola to Lead SA at Global Financing for Development Summit

South Africa is set to play a prominent role at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), taking place from 30 June to 3 July 2025 in Seville, Spain. The country’s delegation will be led by newly appointed Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Ronald Lamola, who was designated by President Cyril Ramaphosa to represent South Africa at this high-level United Nations gathering.

The conference, jointly convened by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, aims to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing urgent global financial challenges and calling for a reform of the international financial system.

South Africa’s Strategic Participation

South Africa’s presence at the summit underscores its commitment to promoting global solidarity, financial equity, and sustainability, especially during its current leadership role in the G20 Presidency. The country seeks to influence global debates on the restructuring of financial architecture to better serve the interests of developing and underrepresented nations, particularly in Africa.

“The President has appointed Minister Lamola as Head of Delegation due to pressing domestic political developments requiring the President's direct oversight,” read an official statement from The Presidency on Saturday.

The South African delegation will also include:

• Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa

• Deputy Minister of Finance, David Masondo

• Senior government officials across economic and international cooperation portfolios

Shaping the Future of Global Development Finance

The FfD4 Summit provides a crucial platform for governments, multilateral institutions, civil society, and the private sector to address emerging global financial challenges, from debt distress to inequities in climate finance and inadequate funding mechanisms for development.

The 2025 edition of the conference will place a strong emphasis on:

• Reforming the international financial architecture

• Enhancing development financing tools

• Mobilizing private and public capital for SDG achievement

• Supporting pandemic recovery and climate resilience

These themes resonate with South Africa’s global advocacy for inclusive multilateralism and fair representation of African voices in global economic forums.

A South African-Led Dialogue on Debt Sustainability

On the sidelines of the FfD4, South Africa will host a side event titled: “Forging a Common Agenda to Achieve Debt Sustainability in Developing Economies.” This session is expected to gather a coalition of policymakers, economists, and global thought leaders involved in sovereign debt relief and reform initiatives.

The event will focus on:

• Identifying synergies among existing debt-related programs

• Encouraging debt restructuring frameworks with greater creditor coordination

• Exploring mechanisms for fair and transparent debt relief

• Supporting liquidity and resilience in low- and middle-income economies

“South Africa seeks to advance sustainable, cooperative solutions to structural deficits and liquidity constraints that disproportionately impact developing countries,” the Presidency said.

The initiative highlights South Africa’s push for systemic reform, including the enhancement of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) allocation, debt service suspension, and green financing instruments that align with the continent’s development and climate goals.

South Africa’s Broader Role on the Global Stage

As Chair of the G20 for 2025, South Africa is uniquely positioned to shape conversations around financing for development, global taxation, and climate finance. The FfD4 Summit offers an opportunity to build momentum behind the G20 Presidency’s objectives of inclusive growth, financial justice, and decolonizing global governance structures.

Minister Lamola’s leadership at the summit is seen as a continuation of South Africa’s diplomatic commitment to advocating for Africa’s fair share in global financial flows and pushing for a system that supports long-term investment in health, education, infrastructure, and climate adaptation.

Looking Ahead

The outcomes of the FfD4 are expected to shape the global agenda for the remainder of the decade leading up to the 2030 SDG deadline. South Africa’s active participation signals a renewed national effort to ensure that global financial systems are more equitable, inclusive, and responsive to the developmental realities of the Global South.

The government has encouraged South African stakeholders—from business to civil society—to engage with the summit’s outcomes, which are expected to influence domestic development strategies and budget priorities in the years to come.