South Africa to become President of international group later this year – includes the USA, China, EU and more
South Africa will become President of the G20 in December 2024 and host leaders from across the globe in 2025.
The G20 is a forum comprising 19 countries, the European Union (EU), and, since 2023, the African Union (AU).
Its main objective is to address the major issues facing the global economy, such as financial instability and climate change.
The forum accounts for over 80% of gross world product (GWP), 75% of international trade and two-thirds of the global population.
Following the Asian financial crisis, the G20 was established in 1999 and has convened at least once a year.
South Africa will take over the Presidency from Brazil on 1 December 2024.
Brazil will host its G20 Summit in November of this year, and South Africa’s summit will occur sometime in 2025.
South Africa’s theme focuses on solidarity, equality and sustainable development.
Members of the G20 can be found below:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Turkey
- The United Kingdom
- The United States.
- The European Union
- The African Union
What to expect
In a meeting with the AU, International Relations and Cooperation Director-General (DG) Zane Dangor said South Africa’ will use its Presidency to push for Africa’s development and equality.
Dangor’s comments follow similar comments from President Cyril Ramaphosa, who said he would place Africa’s development at the top of the agenda.
Dangor, who also serves as South Africa’s G20 Sherpa, said that the nation’s G20 Presidency would include the voices of other developing nations.
He noted that, with the deadline fast approaching, Africa has not achieved the desired progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In September, Ramaphosa said that just 12% of the SDG targets are on track, progress on 50% is weak and insufficient, and over 30% of the SDGs have stalled or reversed.
Danger said the country will also look at implementing some of the issues that may have been agreed upon in the past.
“We will focus on the extent to which we can lay the basis for implementation. It may be the form of review, but it may be in the form of just putting in place the building groups for implementation,” said Dangor.
“We are hoping that working with AU, we can galvanise the resources, policy know-how, and capabilities of all countries.”
Ambassador Albert Muchanga from the African Union Commission (AUC) and a Sherpa and Commissioner of Economy, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals said that the AU will focus on leveraging its resources and policy know-how.
“We need an inclusive framework of international tax cooperation at the level of the United Nations, and I think South Africa and other African countries, such as Nigeria and Ghana, have been at the forefront of mobilising the rest of the working world, including Africa, to buy into the idea,” said Muchanga.
“South Africa, as the permanent member [of the G20], and the specially invited countries of Egypt, Angola and Nigeria, together with the African Union, were able to get together because in those meetings what we agreed [is] that, as we go along, we should be collaborating and consulting so that when we sit in the G20, were able to speak with one strong voice.”
Danger and Muchanga also discussed several other challenges that will be a feature of South Africa’s chair, such as responding to geopolitical conflicts, climate change, and indebtedness.
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