South Africa Steps Up Preparations to Host Historic G20 Leaders’ Summit

With less than three months to go before the G20 Leaders’ Summit, South Africa is intensifying preparations to host the world’s most influential economic forum on 22–23 November 2025 in Johannesburg. This will be the first time an African nation hosts the summit, under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.”

A Historic Milestone for Africa

South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency from Brazil in December 2024, marking a historic moment for the continent. As the only African member of the G20, South Africa has positioned its presidency to highlight issues of inequality, food security, climate action, and development financing, which disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries.

Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, briefing the media after Cabinet’s Wednesday meeting, said the “countdown to the G20 Leaders’ Summit is underway,” with numerous preparatory meetings and declarations already being finalized.

Recent Preparatory Meetings

Several important working group and task force meetings have taken place in recent weeks, laying the groundwork for the Johannesburg summit:

• Sixth Health Working Group Meeting: Focused on strengthening global health systems, pandemic preparedness, and equitable access to medicines.

• Third Task Force 2 Meeting on Food Security (Egypt): Discussed outcomes of the G20 Food Security Task Force and prepared a Ministerial Statement on global food security, to be adopted during the G20 Ministerial Meeting in South Africa on 19 September 2025.

• Upcoming Meetings: These include the G20 Compact with Africa in Johannesburg, further food security sessions in Egypt, and discussions on industrialisation and agriculture in Nigeria, followed by the second G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting later in the year.

Ntshavheni emphasized that these preparatory processes ensure that South Africa enters the summit with a unified agenda that reflects both national priorities and the developmental needs of the Global South.

Launch of the G20 Experts Taskforce

A landmark initiative under South Africa’s presidency is the G20 Experts Taskforce, launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa. This body will study global wealth inequality and assess its impact on growth, poverty, and multilateralism.

The taskforce will deliver its report on global inequality directly to leaders at the Johannesburg summit. This is the first time such a taskforce has been established within the G20 framework, underscoring South Africa’s intent to broaden the forum’s focus beyond traditional macroeconomic issues to include pressing social and developmental challenges.

Ntshavheni said:

“This initiative is in line with South Africa’s commitment to use its G20 Presidency to address issues that affect low-income countries, such as rising inequality and high sovereign debt burdens.”

A Platform for Africa’s Priorities

South Africa is using its presidency to champion the concerns of developing nations, particularly those in Africa. The focus on food security, climate resilience, and access to finance reflects the continent’s urgent priorities.

By hosting the summit, South Africa also aims to:

• Promote African industrialisation and infrastructure investment.

• Strengthen multilateral cooperation in addressing debt crises faced by emerging markets.

• Ensure that climate change financing and adaptation measures receive high-level global commitment.

• Reaffirm the G20 as a platform that serves both advanced economies and the developing world.

Looking Ahead to November

As world leaders prepare to converge on Johannesburg in November, the summit is expected to be a defining moment for Africa’s voice in global governance. With South Africa at the helm, the G20 agenda is being reshaped to place solidarity, equality, and sustainability at its core.

The Johannesburg summit will not only showcase South Africa’s diplomatic leadership but also cement Africa’s role in shaping solutions to global economic, health, and environmental challenges.